Fail-safe Feature (e.g., Cuts Off Fuel Pump) Patents (Class 123/359)
  • Patent number: 4791900
    Abstract: In a safety and emergency driving control method and an associated arrangement for an internal combustion engine with self-ignition used to power a motor vehicle, various operating parameters of the engine are continuously monitored and respective signals indicative of gas pedal position, engine operating speed, brake actuation, and actual control rod displacement are generated and evaluated to determine simultaneous occurrence of a modified idling operation condition and of a predetermined minimum value of the actual control rod displacement signal. In response to such a simultaneous occurrence the engine control is switched over to another regulation branch which controls the control rod displacement in accordance with a minimum value characteristic line of the control rod displacement. Further peripheral devices are included for providing starting hysteresis and excess speed protection, and for supervising the operation of the control rod displacement sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Buck, Werner Fischer, Hermann Kull, Albrecht Sieber, Wolf Wessel
  • Patent number: 4791904
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for assuring emergency driving functions with a diesel engine when the fuel temperature sensor fails, the diesel engine having a charging-air blower and a charging-air temperature sensor. The method includes performing a fuel temperature dependent correction of specific operating functions by taking the charging air temperature as a basis such that all functions corresponding to a fuel temperature of T.sub.K =+20.degree. C. are fulfilled at a charging air temperature of T.sub.L .gtoreq.0.degree. C. and all functions corresponding to a fuel temperature of T.sub.K =-10.degree. C. are fulfilled at a charging air temperature of T.sub.L <0.degree. C. The functions include the start control path, starting speed, idle speed, control path correction, and basic quantity control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Grieshaber, Peter Schueler, J/u/ rgen Wietelmann
  • Patent number: 4787352
    Abstract: A monitor and governor circuit provides speed control for an engine. The governor portion of the circuit, principally a PID controller, includes a fail safe circuit to shut the engine down in the absence of signals related to engine RPM. In addition, the governor includes a high gain feature operable during start up to keep the integrator from saturating. The speed monitor portion of the circuit prevents engine damage in the event that the speed governor should fail as, for example, due to a shorted output transistor or an open speed setting potentiometer. The end user is not required to set the speed monitor since it can be preset to a selected percent of the governor set speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Barber-Coleman Company
    Inventor: George Anderson
  • Patent number: 4785771
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel injection control apparatus wherein the quantity of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine is derived from engine operating parameters including a voltage signal which is generated by electromagnetic induction as a function of engine speed. A fuel injection quantity calculation circuit derives the fuel quantity in accordance with the detected operating parameters of the engine. A fuel injection controller provides injection of fuel in accordance with the calculated fuel quantity when the sensor voltage is valid and provides forced fuel injection regardless of the calculated fuel quantity when the sensor voltage is invalid and the engine starter is being operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noritaka Ibuki, Eiji Takemoto, Takahiro Hayakawa, Takashi Hasegawa, Masaomi Nagase
  • Patent number: 4773370
    Abstract: The number of steps required for a step motor to reach a target load is computed by dividing in proportion the number of steps required for the step motor to move a fuel metering member to move from an idle position to a full-load position by a ratio between a target load value of an electric command given by fuel supply command means such as an accelerator pedal to an internal combustion engine and a maximum value of the electric command. The step motor is driven by the computed step number to correct variations in the characteristics of the fuel supply command means. The number of load estimation steps for the step motor driven by drive means is determined by dividing in proportion an electric maximum command given from the fuel supply control means by a ratio between the actual amount of rotation of the step motor and the amount of rotation from the idle position to the full-load position, and a step-out condition of the step motor is detected from the estimation step number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignees: Isuzu Motors Limited, Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Toshifumi Koshizawa, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Toshiya Sugimura
  • Patent number: 4669436
    Abstract: In an electronic governor for an internal combustion engine provided with a fuel injection pump having a control rack for adjusting fuel supply, an accelerator position signal Vs and a speed detection signal Vn are inputted into a speed deviation operation circuit for producing a speed deviation signal, which is integrated by an intergrator. The integral signal from the integrator is used for controlling the rack. The integral signal is also inputted into a droop operation circuit producing a droop factor signal Va whose magnitude is proportional to the intergral signal. The speed deviation operation circuit produces, as the speed deviation signal, a signal corresponding to Vn-(Vs+Va) or Vn-(Vs-Va).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Kokusan Denki Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Nanjyo, Hidetoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4589392
    Abstract: An electronic control system for fuel injection of a diesel engine includes a field of characteristics for a smoke discharge limiter which is controlled either by a field of correction characteristics of charging air pressure in dependency on signals derived from sensors of operational parameters of the engine, or alternatively by a simulation unit operating without the use of sensors. The decision whether or not the control and/or regulation of the diesel engine is to be made in dependency on sensors is made by an evaluation circuit which evaluates operational condition of the engine, for example by means of a plausibility interrogation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Wirz
  • Patent number: 4572132
    Abstract: For the electronic control system of a Diesel injection system a smoke pulse limitation device is proposed, so that even during dynamic operational conditions the exhaust gas clouding does not exceed unwanted high values and without requiring sensors for the direct or indirect determination of the amount of air aspirated per cylinder stroke. For this purpose there are proposed a delay element for a signal giving the desired amount of fuel as well as a real differentiator in a rpm signal processing branch. Finally, by way of a performance characteristic data storage for the smoke pulse limiter, maximally permissible fuel amount values are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Fridolin Piwonka
  • Patent number: 4566414
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine which has a driving-pedal position transducer, a subsequent performance graph apparatus for control values and a control device responding to these values. A delay element is provided in series with the performance graft apparatus between the driving-pedal position transducer and the control device. The purpose of the control system is to adapt the mode of response of the control device (a throttle valve, for instance, in an Otto engine or the regulator rod in a Diesel engine) to various operational states. Of special significance are rpm, the position of the driving pedal, and the change in driving-pedal position. The proposed system is efficaciously realized by means of a computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Albrecht Sieber
  • Patent number: 4565170
    Abstract: A control device for Diesel engines with which a rapid shutoff of the latter is possible by emptying the suction chamber of the injection pump by aspiration. The control device includes a control valve, which in the operating position (I) opens up the feed line of the feed pump toward the suction chamber and in the reversed shutoff position (II) blocks this feed line between the compression side (D) of the feed pump and the suction chamber. The control valve is an electromagnetic shutoff valve. A further part of the control device is an electric fuel pump, which as a special aspirating pump is disposed in an aspiration line leading from the suction chamber back to the fuel tank. For emergency engine shutoff, the control valve, displaced into its blocking position (II), blocks the flow of fuel between the feed pump and the suction chamber, while the aspirating fuel pump that has been turned on at the same time empties the suction chamber by aspiration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1986
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Grieshaber, Albrecht Sieber, Peter Schueler, Helmut Steimer
  • Patent number: 4559914
    Abstract: A control device for protecting an internal combustion engine in the case of malfunction of its fuel regulating system is disclosed. The control device includes means which in response to the occurrence of the first braking mode of operation of the engine after start activates a suction or pump connected to the suction chamber of a fuel injection pump. Then the reaction of the engine to the suction pump is tested. If, the engine does not react to a displacement of the control rod of the fuel adjusting mechanism, then an error is present and the engine is either stopped or switched over to an emergency mode of operation. The control device is suitable particularly for a Diesel engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1985
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Flaig, Hermann Grieshaber, Albrecht Sieber, Jurgen Wietelmann
  • Patent number: 4549266
    Abstract: An automotive speed control system uses logic activated switches on both sides of solenoids controlling vent and vacuum valves. A vacuum solenoid is activated upon the simultaneous occurrence of an activation of a vent valve solenoid, an activation of the speed control system, and a determination that solenoid current is below a desired magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Jack H. Schneider, Gary D. Huber
  • Patent number: 4534328
    Abstract: An emergency control apparatus is proposed for a fuel metering system in a Diesel engine, where the signal processing unit (microcomputer) and/or a regulator can be bypassed. In the case of the failure of the signal processing unit, the position signal of the driving pedal is switched more or less directly to the regulator for triggering the control unit for the quantity-determining member, and if there is a failure of the regulator, a purely proportional regulator comes into action. It is thus assured that even in the case of failure emergency operation is guaranteed, the course of which emergency operation can essentially be influenced only by the driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1985
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fischer, Ulrich Flaig, Johannes Locher
  • Patent number: 4528952
    Abstract: Disclosed is an emergency control device for fuel dosing systems of IC engines, particularly for fuel injection devices of a diesel engine. A conventional regulating path for the fuel pump, includes a series connection of a set of data sensors, a signal processing circuit for computing a regular control signal, and a fuel regulating device connected to the fuel pump and provided with a manually or automatically controlled switching device. An emergency control branch is connected between the switching device and the sensor to function in parallel with the regular regulating device. The emergency control branch includes a nominal value generator of a signal corresponding to a maximum manifold pressure and a manifold pressure regulator controlled by output from the nominal value transmitter, to apply, via the switching device, to the fuel pump a dosing signal which causes the manifold pressure not to exceed the preset maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1985
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Flaig, Albrecht Sieber
  • Patent number: 4523563
    Abstract: An electronic control system for a fuel pump of an internal combustion engine includes a power circuit which controls the flow of electric current in an electromagnetic device coupled to a spill valve of the fuel pump. Power is supplied to the power circuit through a resistor through which power is also supplied to an engine speed sensing circuit. The system also includes a control unit which supplies control signals to the power circuit to effect closure of the valve and hence delivery of fuel, in timed relationship with the engine. The control unit receives the speed signal from the speed sensing circuit and also senses the voltage applied thereto. In addition it receives a demand signal from a transducer and controls current flow in a relay winding having contacts in parallel with the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1985
    Assignee: Lucas Industries public limited company
    Inventors: John H. Moore, Ian J. Harvey
  • Patent number: 4520780
    Abstract: A fuel injection pump for a diesel engine includes an input shaft rotated with the crankshaft, and a housing and a plunger which slides in a bore formed in the housing and is coaxial with the input shaft, with a high pressure chamber being defined at an end of the plunger between it and the bore. The plunger rotates with the input shaft and reciprocates so as to pump fuel at high pressure from the high pressure chamber to the engine cylinders, under the control of an electrically actuated electromagnetic valve, comprising a solenoid coil, which selectively vents the high pressure chamber according to the control of a control means, so as to provide fuel injection in appropriate amount to the diesel engine. There is provided a means for determining whether or not the voltage across the solenoid coil of the electromagnetic valve, when supply of power thereto changes from the ON to the OFF condition, rises higher than a certain value, or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu Ito, Fumiaki Kobayashi, Hideo Miyagi
  • Patent number: 4519353
    Abstract: A fuel injection pump for a diesel engine includes a means for calculating a proper fuel injection amount per each engine stroke and a means for injecting an amount of fuel per each engine stroke approximately equal to this proper fuel injection amount determined by this injection amount calculating means. The pump also includes a means for calculating a reference combustion time which represents approximately how long combustion in an engine stroke should last, and a means for detecting the approximate start and end of combustion in that engine stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaishi
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu Ito, Fumiaki Kobayashi, Hideo Miyagi
  • Patent number: 4515125
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a safety arrangement for an internal combustion engine having self-ignition where, in the sense of an overall system monitoring, specific signals relating to the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine are continuously monitored. These signals are indicative, for example, of the position of the throttle pedal, the computed rack-travel nominal or desired value, and the rotational speed. The monitored signals are processed and a corrected rack-travel nominal value is generated by means of a minimum-value selection circuit. The corrected rack-travel nominal value signal generated in this manner is fed to the rack controller of an EDC unit. At the same time, a deviation in rack travel is determined utilizing the corrected rack travel nominal value in combination with an actual-value signal of the rack travel fed back from the rack-travel sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1985
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Buck, Hermann Kull, Fridolin Piwonka, Albrecht Sieber, Gerhard Stumpp, Wolf Wessel
  • Patent number: 4509480
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a safety arrangement for an internal combustion engine with self-ignition such as a diesel engine or the like wherein the operational signals of throttle position, rack travel and rotational speed are continuously monitored and compared with upper and lower limit values for these signals. From this comparison, comparison signals are generated and are combined with each other to provide an overall monitoring of the operation of the diesel engine so that the latter can be shut off when impermissible ranges of operation are present or, if conditions permit, the engine can be switched to an emergency mode of operation so that the motor vehicle may be driven to the next service station for repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Kull, Wolf Wessel, Gerhard Stumpp
  • Patent number: 4491112
    Abstract: A failsafe system for an engine-control servomotor compares a servomotor command signal to a feedback signal from the servomotor. When the magnitude of the difference between the two signals is greater than a predetermined value for a predetermined time, the failsafe system shuts down the servomotor or performs some other engine shut-down procedure. The failsafe system includes a comparator for comparing the two signals, the output of which leads to two other op-amp-type comparators connected in parallel, which work on negative or positive outputs of the first-mentioned comparator, respectively. Each of the later comparators receives a reference voltage input against which to compare the output of the first-mentioned comparator. Their outputs lead parallelly to time-delay circuits which check for a positive output for a predetermined length of time by a well-known capacitor-integration technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1985
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kanegae, Masaharu Asano, Seishi Yasuhara, Masao Nakajima
  • Patent number: 4469065
    Abstract: A fuel pump control system for use in an internal combustion engine having fuel injection valves each disposed to be driven by a command signal indicative of a required quantity of fuel being supplied to the engine, corresponding to operating conditions of the engine, and a fuel pump for supplying pressurized fuel to the fuel injection valves, wherein the control system controls the operation of the fuel pump. The control system includes at least one abnormality determining means which is adapted to monitor the above command signal and a signal indicative of the operative state of a corresponding one of the fuel injection valves, and generate an abnormality-indicative signal after the levels of the two signals have become out of a predetermined logical relationship, whereby the fuel pump is rendered inoperative by the abnormality-indicative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1984
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shumpei Hasegawa, Shigeo Umesaki
  • Patent number: 4467762
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a fuel metering system including a fuel pump is proposed, where in the case of a Diesel engine with insufficient voltage during starting, the final control element for the governor rod of the fuel pump is uncoupled from the signal processing unit and connected directly to a supply voltage line. It is thereby possible to prevent indefinite output signals of the signal processing unit, which appear in case of insufficient voltage, from having any effect, and simultaneously it is possible to attain reliable starting of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fischer, Johannes Locher
  • Patent number: 4428341
    Abstract: An electronic regulating device for regulating the rpm of an internal combustion engine having self-ignition in accordance with at least rpm, fuel quantity and accelerator-pedal position is proposed. The device has a PI regulator with feedback, for example, and is characterized in that the regulator itself is controllable in accordance with the respective rpm deviation. This is effected, with a view to the desired stability of operation, even in the presence of very steep characteristic curves, and the control is effected with a limitation of the respective maximum rpm deviation. To this end, one upper and one lower threshold characteristic curve are realized at either side of a static shutoff characteristic curve. These threshold curves are formed in accordance with rpm and accelerator-pedal position, and where there is a discrete regulator structure, in the case of limitation, they determine the voltage over the capacitor of the regulator determining the I component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1984
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Albin Hassler, Fridolin Piwonka
  • Patent number: 4407245
    Abstract: A shutoff apparatus for distributor injection pumps in internal combustion engines is proposed. The apparatus may also be used as a means of overspeed protection, and under the effect of an electromagnetic pushing magnet it opens the high-pressure chamber of the injection pump in order to shut off the engine. The opening of the high-pressure chamber is effected without the use of a valve subjected to the injection pressure, by means of the axial displacement of a pressure-equalized annular cylinder, which causes a relief bore to come into coincidence with the high-pressure chamber. The displacement of the annular cylinder is effected under the pressing action of an electromagnet. The area of the high-pressure chamber located opposite the distributor piston is sealed off by a slidable plug, which is pre-stressed by spring force and is centered via the annular cylinder by the distributor piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1983
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Eheim
  • Patent number: 4402290
    Abstract: A fuel injection pump is proposed which can be shut off by a magnetic valve if there is a danger of engine "cranking". The magnetic valve is triggered via a switch system in which one switch is actuatable with the adjusting lever of the injection pump, wherein the magnetic valve is furthermore controllable by the supply pump pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1983
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Gerald Hofer
  • Patent number: 4383511
    Abstract: A control system for the fuel pump of an internal combustion engine includes a fuel determining network which controls the conduction of an output transistor by way of an input transistor. A transducer provides an operator demand signal to the network. In the event of failure of the network the transducer is arranged to control the supply of base circuit to the output transistor so that the conduction of the output transistor is directly controlled. The output transistor controls the flow of current in the winding of an actuator for the control member of the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Limited
    Inventor: Christopher Jones
  • Patent number: 4343274
    Abstract: A control arrangement for an injection pump of an internal combustion engine wherein a correcting element, determining the required power of the internal combustion engine, and a centrifugal speed governor, for maintaining the limiting speeds of the internal combustion engine, are effective on a control rod of the injection pump to adjust the required feed rate of the pump. A correcting displacement of the control rod is optionally limited by the control arrangement in dependence upon various influential variables of the internal combustion engine. The control arrangement includes an electromagnet which cooperates, under slight pretensioning, with a free end face of the control rod. An electronic circuit provided for processing an output signal of an inductive displacement pickup for the control rod position and signals defining the operating condition of the internal combustion engine to control a variable effecting a metered activation of the electromagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: MTU Motoren - und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Butscher
  • Patent number: 4292939
    Abstract: A fail safe device for isolating the revolution limiter from the ignition system of an internal combustion engine, in which the output stage of the revolution limiter is continuously monitored to ascertain whether or not it is absorbing ignition pulses at a speed lower than the limiting speed. In the event that the absorption of ignition pulses is taking place at a speed lower than the limiting speed, the fail safe device becomes operative upon the engine revolutions falling below a given value and causes a fuse in series with the output stage of the revolution limiter to blow, thus isolating the revolution limiter from the ignition system to allow ignition to be instantly re-established in the event of a fault occuring in the revolution limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1981
    Assignee: Lumenition Limited
    Inventors: John P. Coates, David H. Lewis
  • Patent number: 4279229
    Abstract: An electronic injection-amount regulating apparatus in auto-ignited internal combustion engines in which the injection amount can be regulated by means of a regulator preferably having a PID characteristic and in which the injection amount is apportioned via a solenoid actuator and which includes a safety switching arrangement having an integral timing circuit resettable at each initiation of a control impulse for the solenoid actuator to prevent damage to the solenoid actuator in case of failure of the control signal, as well as a switching circuit for engine starting enhancement in a predetermined rpm range having as its most significant concept a series switching arrangement which includes a low-pass filter and a controllable threshold switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1981
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Arnold, Gerd Gerhards