Electric Regulator Patents (Class 123/458)
  • Patent number: 6889666
    Abstract: A fuel pressure control apparatus for a cylinder injection type engine capable of restarting the engine without fail notwithstanding increase of fuel pressure due to temperature rise immediately after stoppage of engine operation. Fuel is supplied from a high pressure fuel pump (5) to a fuel rail (2) to be injected by fuel injection valves (1) into combustion chambers (20) of cylinders. An ECU (10) estimates increment (?P) of the fuel pressure (PF) within the fuel rail (2) after stoppage of the engine operation on the basis of a water temperature (THW) and an intake air temperature (THA) to restrict a maximum value of a desired fuel pressure (Po) so that a sum value (PM) of the desired fuel pressure (Po) and the increment (?P) does not exceed the critical actuation pressure (Pi) of the fuel injection valve (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiko Oono
  • Patent number: 6874475
    Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is provided. The fuel injector has a simple structure so that it is easy to install and remove a piezoelectric valve actuator in and from the fuel injector, and to adjust fuel injection characteristics finely which allows the overall size of the fuel injector to be decreased. The fuel injector includes a housing to be installed in the engine and a structural element serving to install the piezoelectric valve actuator in the housing to be detachable easily. The piezoelectric valve actuator is retained in an actuator casing fitted in the housing so that it can expand or contract to move a needle valve. The actuator casing has an extensible portion in itself or is coupled to a bellows in alignment for enabling the piezoelectric valve actuator to expand, thereby allowing the size of the actuator casing to be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Katsura, Kenji Funai, Yutaka Yamada, Ken Mizutani
  • Patent number: 6868831
    Abstract: A unit fuel injector, the injector internally preparing fuel during an injection event at a pressure sufficient for injection by means of an intensifier driven by a pressurized non-fuel actuating fluid selectively ported to the intensifier, includes a selectively actuatable controller interposed in a fuel passage, the fuel passage effecting fluid communication between an intensifier fuel chamber and a needle valve, the controller being shiftable between an open and a closed disposition for selectively opening and closing the fuel passage during the injection event A control apparatus and a method of injection timing control are further included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Ning Lei
  • Patent number: 6854445
    Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus (1) configured so that high-pressure fuel from a common rail (2) is supplied to an injector (8) through a pressure booster (4), it is discriminated whether reduction of the fuel pressure in the common rail (2) is necessary, the spill amount of the high-pressure fuel necessary for pressure reduction is computed when pressure reduction is discriminated to be necessary, and a control solenoid valve (48) is open/close controlled to spill said spill amount of the high-pressure fuel to the low-pressure side at a time point when fuel injection from the injector (8) is not being conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6854962
    Abstract: A pumping system for a fuel injection system includes a body defining a high pressure pumping chamber, a plunger, a high pressure outlet, a high pressure fluid line connecting the pumping chamber to the outlet, a control valve along the fluid line, and a valve and restriction arrangement along the fluid line. The valve and restriction arrangement includes a restriction and a valve body. The valve body is movable between an open position in which fuel flow from the pumping chamber is generally unrestricted by the restriction and a closed position in which fuel flow from the pumping chamber is significantly restricted by the restriction to store energy in the pumping chamber. Advantageously, the high pressure restriction concept may be utilized in a pumping system for various types of rate shaping, including boot injection and square injection, in addition to pilot operation and post injection operations, and others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Gregg R. Spoolstra, Robert D. Straub
  • Patent number: 6848423
    Abstract: A fuel injection system having a fuel reservoir, a high-pressure fuel pump by which fuel is pumped into the fuel reservoir as a function of engine operating parameters, a prefeed pump by which fuel is pumped from a fuel tank to the intake side of the high-pressure fuel pump, a fuel metering device for adjusting the fuel quantity pumped into the fuel reservoir by the high-pressure fuel pump, and at least one injector, communicating with the fuel reservoir, for fuel injection to the engine. The metering device is disposed between the fuel tank and the intake side of the prefeed pump. The high-pressure fuel pump has a drive region, which for the sake of its lubrication can be made to communicate with the outlet of the prefeed pump, via a pressure valve that opens towards the drive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Schmidl, Thomas Lettner, Robert Reitsam
  • Patent number: 6845755
    Abstract: A pressure regulator is associated with a solenoid-operated valve that is operated by a pulse waveform at a fundamental frequency substantially greater than the frequency response of the valve mechanism. This substantially attenuates solenoid pulsations and applies a predetermined pressure differential across the valve mechanism to accomplish improved flow control accuracy. The invention is especially advantageous for purging fuel vapor to an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: John Edward Cook, Murray F. Busato
  • Patent number: 6840224
    Abstract: A pressure-elevating type fuel injecting system selectively injects via injectors fuel stored in a common rail or fuel whose pressure is elevated by a pressure elevating mechanism into a combustion chamber, and comprises a crank angle sensor producing crank pulse signals in accordance with operating states of an engine, a pulse interval calculating unit calculating pulse intervals between respective crank pulse signals, and a determination unit determining the malfunction of the pressure elevating mechanism when a variation of the pulse interval is above a determination threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation
    Inventors: Keiki Tanabe, Susumu Kohketsu, Shinji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 6840223
    Abstract: This invention is an armature and an armature driving device in which the armature is rotated around its axis so as to inhibit uneven wear from occurring between the armature and a housing. That is, an armature which is slidably provided within a housing filled with fluid and which divides the inside of the housing into two fluid chambers is further provided with a communicating hole that enables the fluid to pass between the two fluid chambers. This communicating hole is formed such that the fluid passing through the communicating hole and out from the armature when the armature slides flows out at an angle to, and to the side of, a center axis of the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 6840220
    Abstract: The common rail fuel injection control device in accordance with the present invention computes a base duty (A) equivalent to a base target opening degree of a metering valve and a correction coefficient (B) based on the engine operation state, adds the value obtained by multiplying an oscillation duty (C) which oscillates periodically by the correction coefficient (B) to the base duty (A), and determines the final duty (D) equivalent to a final target opening degree of the metering valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventors: Koichiro Yomogida, Futoshi Nakano, Yusuke Saigo, Yuji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6840222
    Abstract: A device and a method of monitoring a fuel metering system of an internal combustion engine, in particular a common rail system. The fuel is compressed by a pump, and a pressure variable characterizing the fuel pressure is determined. An error is detected when a filtered pressure variable deviates from a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Schilling, Wolfgang Dehmel, Andreas Kellner
  • Publication number: 20040261769
    Abstract: In a common rail type fuel injection system, fuel in a fuel tank is sucked by a feed pump and fed to a pressurizing pump. Fuel pressurized in the pressurizing pump is supplied to a common rail. The pressurized fuel accumulated in the common rail is injected into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine from an injector. All of these operations are electronically controlled by an electronic control unit. To gradually suck air in the fuel tank together with fuel and to avoid air accumulation in a fuel filter, a relief valve is connected to the common rail. The relief valve is opened when the engine is idling thereby to increase an amount of fuel sucked by the feed pump and to gradually suck the air together with the fuel. The relief valve is opened only in interval periods in which fuel is not injected from the injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20040249555
    Abstract: A common rail injection system for an internal combustion engine, wherein upon detection of a defective rail sensor system the transition from the normal operation to the emergency operation is determined reliably by means of a transition function. The transition function is determined beforehand from the characteristics of a system deviation as a function of time during normal operation. In so doing, the system deviation is calculated from the a variance comparison of the rail pressure. The result of this defect transition process is a more noise-proof and more continuous transition from the normal operation to the emergency operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventor: Armin Doelker
  • Patent number: 6823847
    Abstract: There is described a control method for controlling the fuel injection pressure of a common rail injection system of an internal combustion engine, the injection system having a high-pressure pump for supplying high-pressure fuel to the common rail, and for performing, at each engine cycle, a first and at least a second fuel delivery synchronously with respective fuel injections to the engine; a regulating device for regulating the fuel pressure in the common rail; and an electronic control unit supplying the regulating device with a control signal to regulate the fuel pressure in the common rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventor: Alessandro Carlo
  • Patent number: 6817340
    Abstract: A high-pressure fuel supply system can reduce collision sounds generated when a plunger collides with a stopper. An electromagnetic valve includes a plunger, a valve seat with which the plunger is moved into and out of contact so that the valve seat is placed into communication with a pressurization chamber when the plunger is moved apart from the valve seat, a stopper for limiting the separation of the plunger from the valve seat, an armature made of a magnetic material and fixedly secured to the plunger, a core arranged in opposition to the armature, a solenoid wound around the core for attracting the armature toward the core through an electromagnetic force when energized, and a spring for urging the plunger toward the valve seat. A groove is formed near opposed surfaces of the armature and core for magnetically saturating a portion of a magnetic circuit generated by energizing the solenoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Onishi, Sigenobu Tochiyama
  • Patent number: 6814058
    Abstract: Characteristic correction system for a fuel pressure sensor includes a high-pressure fuel pump 14 for discharging a high-pressure fuel, a high-pressure fuel pipe 15 for accumulating/pressurizing the high-pressure fuel, a fuel pressure control valve 16 for adjusting a fuel pressure of the high-pressure fuel to a given value, a fuel injection valve 2 for directly injecting into the combustion chamber 3 a high-pressure fuel, a pressure release valve 2, 16 for equalizing an internal pressure of the pipe 15, a fuel pressure sensor 18 for detecting the pipe's internal pressure, and a control unit 17 for calculating a correction value for a detected value, based on a pressure differential between the pipe's internal pressure and a known gas pressure, when the pipe's internal pressure is equalized with the known gas pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiko Oono
  • Patent number: 6807943
    Abstract: A gasoline direct injection system of an engine has a high pressure pump with an output connected to a fuel rail that supplies a plurality of fuel injectors. A control valve is connected in parallel with the pump to maintain the fuel rail pressure at a consistent level as the fuel injectors open and close. A valve element engages and disengages a seat to control the flow of fuel through the control valve. The high pressure from the fuel supply rail acts on surfaces of the valve element which are designed to produce a force imbalance that serves to rapidly open the control valve. An electromagnetic actuator, that closes the control valve, has a low impedance coil and pole pieces made of soft magnetic composite material to minimize eddy currents that impede valve performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Husco International, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis L. VanWeelden, Kathryn I. Bacon, Michael Layne
  • Publication number: 20040200456
    Abstract: An injection system for an internal combustion engine comprises a pump (1), a pressure accumulator (3), a sensor (7) for detecting the pressure in the pressure accumulator (3), a control valve (2) and a control or regulation unit (8). The control or regulation unit controls the pressure in the pressure accumulator (3) by opening or closing a connection to a low-pressure area (6). The control or regulation unit has an emergency operation function, which operates in such a way that when an error occurs in the regulator circuit, the control valve adopts the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Gerhard Eser, Sebastian Potzel
  • Publication number: 20040200455
    Abstract: An accumulator fuel injection system 1 comprises a PC sensor 21 for detecting a common rail pressure, a pressure limiter 22 for keeping the common rail pressure below a high limit pressure by opening its valve when the common rail pressure exceeds the high limit pressure, and an ECU 14 for controlling flow rate of fuel to be injected from an injector 13 so that the common rail pressure reaches the high limit pressure when an engine is started in a state in which an abnormality has occurred in the supply under pressure by a supply pump 12. It is possible to keep the common rail pressure within an actually used region by opening the pressure limiter after the engine is started, even in a state in which a full open abnormality has occurred at a suction flow control valve 15.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiki Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20040194763
    Abstract: This invention is an armature and an armature driving device in which the armature is rotated around its axis so as to inhibit uneven wear from occurring between the armature and a housing. That is, an armature which is slidably provided within a housing filled with fluid and which divides the inside of the housing into two fluid chambers is further provided with a communicating hole that enables the fluid to pass between the two fluid chambers. This communicating hole is formed such that the fluid passing through the communicating hole and out from the armature when the armature slides flows out at an angle to, and to the side of, a center axis of the armature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Fukuhara
  • Publication number: 20040194762
    Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus (1) configured so that high-pressure fuel from a common rail (2) is supplied to an injector (8) through a pressure booster (4), it is discriminated whether reduction of the fuel pressure in the common rail (2) is necessary, the spill amount of the high-pressure fuel necessary for pressure reduction is computed when pressure reduction is discriminated to be necessary, and a control solenoid valve (48) is open/close controlled to spill said spill amount of the high-pressure fuel to the low-pressure side at a time point when fuel injection from the injector (8) is not being conducted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventor: Kenji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6792920
    Abstract: A redundant mechanism includes two pressure regulating valves for covering one of the pressure regulating valves when the other one is in a defective condition. First and second pressure regulating valves are provided as pressure regulating members of the fuel injection circuit. The valves are connected to the reflux passage and the by-pass passage that communicates with the fuel injection passage via the first and the second orifices, respectively. First and second sensors are provided for detecting the fuel pressure applied on the respective pressure regulating valves separately. A controller of the failure diagnostic member compares the fuel pressures P1, P2 detected by the first and second sensors and the predetermined fuel pressure P in the fuel injection passage. If P1=P2, both of the first and the second pressure regulating valves are determined to be normal. When a defective operating condition occurs in one of the pressure regulating valves, P1 and P2 vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Niimi, Hiroshi Uruno
  • Publication number: 20040177835
    Abstract: The pressure within the common-rail 3 is reduced when the engine is stopped without an operation of the automatic engine stopping and restarting device for automatically stopping and restarting the engine to improve fuel consumption. A reducing amount of the pressure within the common-rail 3 when the engine is stopped with an operation of the automatic engine stopping and restarting device is made smaller than that when the engine is stopped without an operation of the automatic engine stopping and restarting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kaneko, Hiroyuki Tominaga
  • Publication number: 20040168673
    Abstract: Engineers have come to learn that a fuel injection system with a variety of capabilities to produce a variety of injection strategies can better perform and reduce emissions at all engine operation conditions than a fuel injection system limited in its control over injection timing, number, quantity and rate shapes. According to the present invention, in order to increase the variability of available injection strategies, a fuel injection system includes at least one fuel injector fluidly connectable to at least a first common rail and a second common rail. By fluidly connecting the fuel injector to the first common rail, fuel can be injected at a first pressure. By fluidly connecting the fuel injector to the second common rail, fuel can be injected at a second pressure that is independent of the first pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: Ronald D. Shinogle
  • Patent number: 6776141
    Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus is adapted to control a pump which discharges fuel from a tank to a fuel passage, thereby regulating the pressure of fuel to be supplied to an engine. The tank includes a plurality of storage chambers, in a specific one of which the pump is placed. A part of the fuel discharged to the fuel passage is returned to the specific storage chamber through a branch passage. A storage chamber other than the specific storage chamber is in communication with the branch passage through a communication passage. A jet pump is operated to transfer the fuel from the storage chamber other than the specific storage chamber to the specific storage chamber through the communication passage by the action of the fuel flowing through the branch passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Hamada, Satomi Wada
  • Publication number: 20040154593
    Abstract: A Common Rail injection system of an endothermic engine, the injection system including at least one fuel pressure accumulating tank, of the rail type, having an input in fluid communication with a high-pressure pump and a plurality of outputs for feeding corresponding injectors by using pressure regulating means connected and depending on an electronic control unit. Advantageously a virtual pressure sensor includes a fluid-dynamic model of the accumulating tank suitable to estimate and to obtain fluid pressure values used by the electronic control unit for driving the injection means of the Common Rail injection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Esposito Corcione, Mario Lavorgna, Giuseppe Palma, Olga Scognamiglio
  • Publication number: 20040154594
    Abstract: In a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine, there is provided a technology capable of keeping the pressure of fuel constant. Fuel pumps are provided in which the pressure of fuel to be discharged therefrom can be adjusted due to an increase and a decrease in the amount of the fuel discharged, and the discharge of fuel therefrom can be stopped. Fuel injection valves serve as a fuel pressure reducing device that reduces the fuel pressure raised by the fuel pumps. A fuel pressure adjusting section changes the number of operations of the fuel pumps and the amounts of fuel discharged from the fuel pumps in such a manner that an average value of the fuel pressure from after the fuel pressure has once been raised until the fuel pressure is again raised becomes substantially constant before and after the number of operations of said fuel pumps is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Miyashita
  • Patent number: 6769406
    Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus 1, a fuel injection rate from which is controlled by a fuel pressure, a branch pipe 11 comprising a tubular member with the tip end closed is provided between a second pressure control valve 9 and a second pressure sensor 10. The branch pipe 11 extends in a direction along a flow direction of the fuel just before the branch pipe 11, and has a capacity not less than one fifth of that of a fuel flow path 22 between the second pressure control valve 9 and a fuel chamber 17. When a pressure difference in the pressure control valve 9 becomes larger and vibration of the fuel pressure is generated, the branch pipe 11 absorbs and reduces the vibration. As the vibration of the fuel pressure is reduced, a stable fuel injection rate is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohta, Takanobu Akutsu, Takashi Sakasai, Shuki Akushichi
  • Publication number: 20040139946
    Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus is adapted to control a pump which discharges fuel from a tank to a fuel passage, thereby regulating the pressure of fuel to be supplied to an engine. The tank includes a plurality of storage chambers, in a specific one of which the pump is placed. A part of the fuel discharged to the fuel passage is returned to the specific storage chamber through a branch passage. A storage chamber other than the specific storage chamber is in communication with the branch passage through a communication passage. A jet pump is operated to transfer the fuel from the storage chamber other than the specific storage chamber to the specific storage chamber through the communication passage by the action of the fuel flowing through the branch passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Applicant: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mikio Hamada, Satomi Wada
  • Publication number: 20040134467
    Abstract: In an engine provided with a variable valve event and lift mechanism that varies a valve lift and a valve operating angle of an intake valve, a pressure of fuel supplied to a fuel injection valve is controlled according to an opening period of the intake valve, which is varied according to the valve operating angle and an engine rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: HITACHI UNISIA AUTOMOTIVE, LTD.
    Inventor: Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 6761149
    Abstract: A high-pressure fuel accumulator for a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, in particular for a common-rail fuel injection system, has an elongated base body having an accumulator space for high-pressure fuel extending in the longitudinal direction of the base body, communicating with multiple connecting bores. A relief space connected to a low-pressure connection is provided in the base body, with a drain channel from the accumulator space opening into it. A pressure regulating valve is installed in the base body for opening and closing the drain channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Kurt Frank
  • Patent number: 6761151
    Abstract: The high-pressure fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine includes a high-pressure portion for supplying fuel to a plurality of fuel injection valves, a high-pressure pump, and a low-pressure pump for supplying fuel to the high-pressure pump. Upon starting of the engine, the high-pressure fuel supply system starts fuel injection after a pressure in the high-pressure portion is raised to a preset pressure higher than a rated discharge pressure of the low-pressure pump by the high-pressure pump. In view of a fuel consumption amount consumed from the high-pressure portion through the fuel injection valve and a fuel supply amount supplied to the high-pressure portion by the high-pressure pump, the preset pressure at which the fuel injection is started is set so that first fuel injection to each cylinder of a plurality of cylinders by each of the plurality of fuel injection valves is conducted at a pressure higher than the rated discharge pressure of the low-pressure pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Susumu Kojima
  • Publication number: 20040123842
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine is provided. The system includes a first pump adapted to generate a flow of fuel and a second pump in fluid connection with the first pump and adapted to increase the flow of fuel to a predetermined pressure. A fuel filter is disposed between the first pump and the second pump. A sensing line is adapted to provide an indication of the pressure of the flow of fuel between the filter and the second pump. A pressure regulator is adapted to receive the indication of the pressure of the flow of fuel and to control the flow of fuel delivered to the fuel filter based on the indication of the pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Issac R. Dandan, Amy Marie Hess, Bryan E. Nelson
  • Patent number: 6755622
    Abstract: A fuel metering pump (1) has a solenoid coil (2), an armature (3), a delivery piston (4) and spring-loaded valves. The spring-loaded valves are embodied as an electrically controlled suction valve (5) and an electrically controlled pressure valve (6). A solenoid coil (2) is provided for the armature (3) of the delivery piston (4), the armature (7) of the suction valve (5) and the armature of the pressure valve (6). The masses, springs and hydraulic cross-sections of the component parts are configured in such a way that the valves switch more quickly than the delivery piston moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rolf Hartnagel, Wolfgang Pfister, Thomas Görtler
  • Patent number: 6748924
    Abstract: A fuel injection control method using a system comprising a high-pressure pump for pumping fuel, a fuel-pressure control valve disposed in a fuel bypass line communicating an output port and an input port of said high-pressure pump, and a controller for regulating fuel pressure, is provided. The method comprises: monitoring engine operating conditions; determining an optimal fuel injection pressure on the basis of said monitored engine operating conditions; determining on/off timing and on/off duration of said fuel-pressure control valve such that fuel pressure inside a fuel rail approaches said optimal fuel injection pressure; and opening and closing said fuel-pressure control valve according to said determined on/off timing and on/off duration of said fuel-pressure control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Chul-Ho Yu
  • Publication number: 20040107944
    Abstract: The detected values of a common rail pressure that were detected by a pressure sensor are read within crank angle periods &Dgr;t which are at least not more than half of a pumping cycle &Dgr;T of a supply pump, the values detected within one pumping cycle preceding a reading time (for example, S(1), S(0), . . . S(−4)) are averaged during each of the reading times, and the value thus obtained (for example, Pav(1)) is used as a common rail pressure after averaging processing, which is a representative value or a control value of the actual common rail pressure. The feedback control of common rail pressure is executed by using the values of common rail pressure after averaging processing thus computed by moving averaging. Consequently, the actual common rail pressure is converted into values suitable for control, and the feedback control of common rail pressure is executed with higher accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventors: Koichiro Yomogida, Futoshi Nakano, Yusuke Saigo, Yuji Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20040103885
    Abstract: A gasoline direct injection system of an engine has a high pressure pump with an output connected to a fuel rail that supplies a plurality of fuel injectors. A control valve is connected in parallel with the pump to maintain the fuel rail pressure at a consistent level as the fuel injectors open and close. A valve element engages and disengages a seat to control the flow of fuel through the control valve. The high pressure from the fuel supply rail acts on surfaces of the valve element which are designed to produce a force imbalance that serves to rapidly open the control valve. An electromagnetic actuator, that closes the control valve, has a low impedance coil and pole pieces made of soft magnetic composite material to minimize eddy currents that impede valve performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Inventors: Curtis L. VanWeelden, Kathryn I. Bacon, Michael Layne
  • Publication number: 20040099246
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a pressure chamber coupled to at least a first fuel path, a second fuel path, and a third fuel path. The first fuel path extends from the pressure chamber to a fuel sump and having a first head loss value. The second fuel path extends from the pressure chamber to the fuel sump and having a second head loss value greater than the first head loss value. The third fuel path extends from the pressure chamber to a nozzle tip of the injector and having a third head loss value greater than the first head loss value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: DeForest C. Gould
  • Patent number: 6739318
    Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus in which a pressure regulator is attached to a vapor separator, in order to make the vapor separator compact, to improve corrosion resistance of the pressure regulator and to maintain a stable pressure regulating operation for a long time period, a vapor separator is constituted by a chamber and a cover, a pressure regulator is arranged within a recess portion of the cover and above a fixed fuel liquid surface, the longitudinal axis of the pressure regulator is arranged in a state of being approximately parallel to the fuel liquid surface, a pressure fuel inflow passage is formed in the cover and is formed so as to be branched from a fuel discharge passage formed in the cover, and a vent hole of a spring chamber is open at a lower position in the gravitational direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Nomura
  • Publication number: 20040094128
    Abstract: Fuel injection system of the common rail type provided with a high-pressure pump, which supplies fuel to a common channel that in turn supplies a series of injectors, and with a control unit, which is capable of keeping the pressure of the fuel within the common channel, moment by moment, equal to a desired value that generally varies over time; the control unit is coupled to a device for regulating the flow rate of the high-pressure pump in order to control the flow rate of the high-pressure pump so as to supply the common channel, moment by moment, with the amount of fuel required in order to have the desired value for pressure inside said common channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Applicant: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.
    Inventors: Sandra Ranaldo, Alberto Bastia, Paolo Pasquali, Rita Di Gioia
  • Publication number: 20040076530
    Abstract: A pumping system for a fuel injection system includes a body defining a high pressure pumping chamber, a plunger, a high pressure outlet, a high pressure fluid line connecting the pumping chamber to the outlet, a control valve along the fluid line, and a valve and restriction arrangement along the fluid line. The valve and restriction arrangement includes a restriction and a valve body. The valve body is movable between an open position in which fuel flow from the pumping chamber is generally unrestricted by the restriction and a closed position in which fuel flow from the pumping chamber is significantly restricted by the restriction to store energy in the pumping chamber. Advantageously, the high pressure restriction concept may be utilized in a pumping system for various types of rate shaping, including boot injection and square injection, in addition to pilot operation and post injection operations, and others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Gregg R. Spoolstra, Robert D Straub
  • Publication number: 20040069278
    Abstract: In a state in which a high-pressure control solenoid valve is driven to control the pressure in a common rail (refer to Step S100), when the pressure in the common rail exceeds a predetermined value (refer to Step S104), a driving current determined by a prescribed value map that defines the correlation between the pressure in the common rail and the driving current of the high-pressure control solenoid valve is corrected based on an actual pressure in the common rail and the driving current of the high-pressure control solenoid valve at the actual pressure (refer to Steps S106, 108, S110, 112), and the corrected driving current is passed to the high-pressure control solenoid valve, thereby ensuring appropriate and stable injection control even when there exists a variation in operational characteristics among pressure control valves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Kenji Okamoto, Akira Kunishima
  • Patent number: 6718948
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system and method are described that can provide different pressures of the supply of fuel to a power source such as an engine or a motor. The engine or the motor can power, for example, a vehicle or a generator. The fuel delivery system includes a fuel supply line to deliver fuel from a fuel tank to the engine or motor. A fuel pump outlet line delivers fuel from the tank to the fuel supply line. An in-tank return line returns fuel from a fuel return line to the tank. A regulator connects with the fuel pump outlet line to maintain a pressure of the fuel pump outlet line at or below a pressure set-point of the regulator. A solenoid valve connects with the in-tank return line such that a set-point pressure of the regulator is utilized when the solenoid valve closes the in-tank return line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan Vahle, Thorsten Hahner, Bernd Guntermann, Stan Uszko
  • Patent number: 6715470
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of preventing fuel pressure control problems caused by divergence of a feedback control amount in pump control. A target fuel pressure is computed, and a pump discharge quantity is computed as a feed forward quantity in accordance with an amount of change in the target fuel pressure. A determination is made as to whether or not the feed forward quantity is zero, and when the feed forward quantity is zero, a feedback correction quantity is computed based on the target fuel pressure and the actual fuel pressure, and feedback control is performed. In the case where the feed forward quantity is not zero, the computation of the feedback correction quantity is stopped and the feed forward control is continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuhiko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6712037
    Abstract: A low pressure direct injection engine system for a vehicle includes an engine having a plurality of cylinders each including a piston wherein the cylinders and a top portion of the pistons define a plurality of combustion chambers. A fuel injector is mounted in fluid communication with each of the combustion chambers. Each fuel injector has a nozzle which is adapted to generate a fine fuel spray with droplet sizes of 25 micro-meters SMD and 45 micro-meters DV90 and low penetration at fuel pressure of roughly 2 MPa. A low pressure fuel delivery system is adapted to deliver fuel from a fuel tank within the vehicle to the fuel injectors, and an igniter is mounted within the combustion chamber which is adapted to ignite the fuel within the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Min Xu
  • Patent number: 6712043
    Abstract: A control system for controlling the flow of an actuating fluid to an accumulator, the accumulator serving the fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine, includes a controller being in communication with a plurality of engine related sensors. A variable output pump is in fluid communication with a source of actuating fluid and has at least two selectable output conditions, the pump being operably coupled to the controller, the controller acting to selectively port a portion of the actuating fluid to the accumulator in a first pump output condition and to vent the portion of the actuating fluid to a reservoir in a second pump output condition resulting in power saving. A fuel injection system and a method of control are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Sidi Ould Sadfa
  • Patent number: 6712044
    Abstract: A method is provided for starting an internal combustion engine which includes a starter, an ignition, pressure store and injection valves for injecting fuel directly into the engine. An electrical high pressure pump is connected to an electrical fuel pump downstream thereof for pumping the fuel into the pressure store. The electrical fuel pump and the electrical high pressure pump are first switched on together with the ignition in order to generate a pressure in the pressure store adequate for the injection of the fuel. Then, the starter is switched on after a time duration after the electric fuel pump and the electrical high pressure fuel pump are switched on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Rembold, Ferdinand Grob, Hartmut Bauer, Uwe Maienberg, Klaus Scherrbacher
  • Publication number: 20040055577
    Abstract: There is described a control method for controlling the fuel injection pressure of a common rail injection system of an internal combustion engine, the injection system having a high-pressure pump for supplying high-pressure fuel to the common rail, and for performing, at each engine cycle, a first and at least a second fuel delivery synchronously with respective fuel injections to the engine; a regulating device for regulating the fuel pressure in the common rail; and an electronic control unit supplying the regulating device with a control signal to regulate the fuel pressure in the common rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: C.R.F. Societa' Consortile Per Azioni
    Inventor: Alessandro Carlo
  • Publication number: 20040055576
    Abstract: A system and method for engine control determine a spilled fuel quantity for use in controlling pressure of a common rail fuel system. In one embodiment, a spilled fuel estimate is determined based on rail pressure and engine speed. Another embodiment determines a spilled fuel estimate based on a leakage quantity and a spill control quantity. The leakage quantity represents the amount of fuel leaked past the internal passages inside the injectors and is based on rail pressure alone. The spill control quantity is based on rail pressure and injector energizing time. The spill control quantity represents the fuel used to actuate the injector allowing the injected fuel into the cylinder during the combustion cycle. A more accurate determination of the quantity of fuel pumped based on spilled fuel and injected fuel may be used to improve the common rail pressure control, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventor: James E. McCarthy
  • Patent number: 6701905
    Abstract: A fuel pressure control for an alternate-fuel engine utilizes adaptively learned corrections for fuel injection pulsewidth to dynamically adjust a base fuel pressure control signal. The resulting fuel pressure control can thus be characterized as open-loop with closed-loop correction based on air/fuel ratio error. The control dynamically adjusts the fuel pressure in a manner to optimize the air/fuel ratio control instead of controlling to a predetermined pressure, and fuel pressure measurement is not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald E. Gaskins