Abstract: A lock coupling between two mechanical components and presenting: at least one pair of coupling elements, each of which presents an “L”-shape and protrudes from a first mechanical component; and at least one pair of tracks, each of which is made through a second mechanical component, presents the shape of an arc of circumference, ends with a flared inlet opening, and is engaged in use by a coupling element; each track presents a dimension so as to prevent the axial removal of the coupling element along its entire length except for an inlet opening at which the coupling element can be axially removed.

Abstract: A hydraulically servocontrolled transmission for a road vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine; the servocontrolled transmission displays: a servocontrolled mechanical gearbox operated by at least one first hydraulic actuator; a servocontrolled clutch operated by at least one second hydraulic actuator; a hydraulic circuit comprising a hydraulic accumulator, which contains pressurised control fluid which is used by the hydraulic actuators, and a pump, which is directly operated by the internal combustion engine to supply pressurised control fluid to the hydraulic accumulator; a park-lock device operatable to block the rotation of the driving wheels; and a control unit, which, when the internal combustion engine is turned off, uses the remaining pressure of the control fluid within the hydraulic accumulator to bring the servocontrolled mechanical gearbox in a neutral position.

Abstract: A method for determining the angular speed of a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine at each tooth event of a phonic wheel presenting a number N of teeth includes detecting the angular amplitude for each tooth; detecting the time of each tooth; and determining the raw angular speed of each tooth according to the corresponding angular amplitude and time. For each tooth a compensation value is determined which represents the difference between the actual angular amplitude of the tooth and the theoretic angular amplitude of the tooth; and determining the angular speed of each tooth by correcting the raw angular speed by means of the corresponding compensation value.

Abstract: A control method of a direct injection system of the common-rail type provided with a shut-off valve for controlling the flow rate of a high-pressure fuel pump; the control method contemplates the steps of: feeding the pressurized fuel to a common rail by means of a high-pressure pump which receives the fuel through a shut-off valve; cyclically controlling the opening and closing of the shut-off valve for choking the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump; adjusting the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump by varying the ratio between the duration of the opening time and the duration of the closing time of the shut-off valve; determining a lower limit value of the opening time of the shut-off valve; and adjusting the driving frequency of the shut-off valve so that the real opening time of the shut-off valve is always over the lower limit value.

Abstract: An embodiment of a fuel injector comprising: an injection valve provided with a mobile needle for regulating the fuel flow through an injection nozzle; a supporting body having a tubular shaft and displaying a feeding channel which ends with the injection valve; and an electromagnetic actuator comprising a spring which tends to maintain the needle in a closing position and an electromagnet, which comprises a coil arranged outside the supporting body, a fixed magnetic armature arranged within the supporting body, and a keeper which is arranged within the supporting body, is magnetically attracted by the magnetic armature against the bias of the spring, and is mechanically connected to the needle; the coil displaying a toroidal shape having an internal annular surface, which is directly in contact with an external surface of the supporting body without the interposition of any intermediate element.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve for the dosage of fuel in an internal combustion engine; the electromagnetic valve is provided with: a cylindrical tubular valve body; an obturator, which is arranged within the tubular valve body and is mobile between an open position and a closed position; and an electromagnetic actuator to shift the obturator and comprising a coil arranged outside the tubular valve body, a fixed magnetic pole is arranged within the tubular valve body, a mobile keeper arranged within the tubular valve body, mechanically connected to the obturator and is adapted to be magnetically attracted by the magnetic pole when the coil is excited, a tubular magnetic armature arranged outside the tubular valve body around the coil, and a magnetic washer having an annular shape arranged above the coil between the tubular valve body and the tubular magnetic armature to guide the closing of the magnetic flow around the coil.

Abstract: An estimation method of the crank angle at which 50% of the fuel mass has been burnt in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine with spontaneous ignition of the mixture provided with a drive shaft coupled to a phonic wheel presenting a number N of teeth; the method contemplates the steps of: reading the passage of each tooth of the phonic wheel in front of a sensor; determining the angular speed of the drive shaft at each tooth event of the phonic wheel; determining at least one harmonic of the speed signal; determining an inverse mechanical model of the transmission; determining at least one torque harmonic by applying the inverse mechanical model to the speed signal harmonic; determining an algebraic function which puts a combustion index into relation with the phase of the nth torque harmonic; and determining the combustion index by applying the algebraic function to the nth torque harmonic.

Abstract: A tumble system for the intake manifold of an internal-combustion engine is provided with a number of cylinders. The tumble system is provided with at least one throttle valve for varying the section of passage of air through an intake pipe, which connects a cylinder with the intake manifold. The throttle valve has a throttle butterfly mounted so as to rotate under the thrust of an actuator device equipped with at least one actuator element, which is made of a shape-memory material that generates a torque by modifying its own geometry following upon application of an external stress of a physical nature.

Abstract: A shut-off valve of the flow rate of a fuel pump for an internal combustion engine; the shut-off valve is provided with: a tubular cylindrical body, which is closed on top, displays a cylindrical seat, the lower portion of which performs the function of fuel pipe, and comprises a number of radial through holes to allow the introduction of fuel within the cylindrical seat; a lower plate, which is arranged within the tubular cylindrical body and underneath the radial holes and has a central through hole which defines an outlet opening of the fuel; and a cylindrical shutter, which is coupled to the lower plate and is mobile between an open position, in which the outlet opening is in communication with the radial holes, and a closed position, in which the outlet opening is isolated from the radial holes.

Abstract: A valve for adjusting the air flow rate in an internal combustion engine; the valve presents: a valve body; a cylindrical tubular pipe obtained within the valve body and in which an air introduction channel is defined; a valve seat obtained along the air introduction channel of the tubular pipe; an actuation system; a shutter, mobile under the bias of the actuation system; and a connection flange, which is integral with a first end of the tubular pipe and presents a plurality of through holes which are crossed in use by corresponding fastening screws for rigidly fixing the valve body; the connection flange is provided with a lower plate and an upper plate, which are reciprocally parallel, facing and distanced and are arranged radially with respect to the cylindrical tubular pipe, and a number of ribs, which reciprocally connect the plates, are arranged perpendicularly to the plates, and are arranged axially with respect to the cylindrical tubular pipe.

Abstract: Described herein is an electronic-injection fuel-supply system for an internal-combustion engine having at least one injector and a fuel pump; the fuel pump is provided with: a variable-volume pumping chamber; a one-way intake valve; a one-way delivery valve; a mobile piston that integrates within it the intake valve and is coupled to the pumping chamber to vary cyclically the volume of the pumping chamber itself; and an actuator device that impresses a reciprocating motion on the piston and has an electromagnetic actuator for actuating the piston during an intake phase and a spring for actuating the piston during a delivery phase.

Abstract: Method of acquisition and processing of an intake pressure signal in an internal combustion engine without an intake manifold; the internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder that receives fresh air through an intake duct, which is controlled by a butterfly valve and is provided with a pressure sensor connected to an electronic control unit. The acquisition and processing method provides for the following steps: measuring, via the pressure sensor, the instantaneous induction pressure at a plurality of different crank angles distributed over an engine cycle; storing, during each engine cycle, the instantaneous induction pressures in a fast acquisition buffer of the electronic control unit; and determining, at the end of each engine cycle, the mean induction pressure in the engine cycle by calculating a mean of the instantaneous induction pressures previously stored in the fast acquisition buffer of the electronic control unit.

Abstract: A butterfly valve of a swirl system for an internal combustion engine; the butterfly valve displays: a shaft which is rotationally mounted within an intake channel to rotate about a rotation axis; and a butterfly valve plate which is rigidly connected to the shaft and is provided with a seat, which is coaxially arranged with respect to the shaft and accommodates the shaft within itself.

Abstract: Control method in the case of a fault in an internal combustion engine; the control method provides for the phases of: cyclically checking the correct functioning of a connection between an electronic control unit and an electric drive of an electric actuator coupled to a butterfly valve to control the position of the same butterfly valve, switching off the electric drive in the case of interruption in the connection between the electronic control unit and the electric drive so that the butterfly valve sets itself in a predefined limp-home position, and piloting the engine in the case of interruption in the connection between the electronic control unit and the electric drive to keep the number of revs constant and equal to a predefined emergency value.

Abstract: A control method of a direct injection system of the common rail in an internal combustion engine; the control method contemplates the steps of: feeding the pressurized fuel to a common rail by means of a high-pressure pump presenting at least one pumping element mechanically operated by a drive shaft of the internal combustion engine; measuring the angular position of the drive shaft; measuring the fuel pressure in the common rail; analyzing the oscillations of the fuel pressure in the common rail; and determining the phase of the pumping element of the high-pressure pump with respect to the drive shaft according to the oscillations of the fuel pressure in the common rail.

Abstract: Control method for an overpressure valve in a common-rail fuel supply system, the method including the phases of: delivering fuel under pressure, via a high-pressure pump, to a common rail equipped with the overpressure valve that is set to discharge the fuel present in the common rail into a discharge line when the fuel pressure inside the common rail exceeds a safety value; piloting, during a diagnostic test, the high-pressure pump to increase the fuel pressure inside the common rail beyond the safety value in order to trigger operation of the overpressure valve; determining, during the diagnostic test, the flow of the high-pressure pump and/or the fuel pressure inside the common rail; and comparing the flow of the high-pressure pump and/or the fuel pressure inside the common rail during the diagnostic test with respective threshold values.

Abstract: An actuator having a fixed part, a movable part movable with respect to the fixed part in a travelling direction, and a non-contact position sensor connected to the movable part to read the position of the movable part. The position sensor has a reading device connected to the fixed part and having a ferromagnetic core; and a magnetic cursor, which is integrated in the movable part, is defined by a magnetized portion of the movable part, and is so magnetized as to locally saturate the ferromagnetic core at the magnetic cursor.

Abstract: An energy storage system for powering electric user devices of a vehicle, the energy storage system having a battery; a capacitive element connected parallel to the terminals of the battery; and an inductive element connected in series to the battery, between the battery and the capacitive element; to effectively regulate power/energy flow between the battery and the capacitive element during transients, the ratio between the capacity of the battery measured in (Ah) and the capacitance of the capacitive element measured in (F) is less than 1, and the ratio between the capacity of the battery measured in (Ah) and the inductance of the inductive element measured in (?H) is less than 1.

Abstract: A method for detecting the angular position of a gas knob of a motorcycle; the method presents the steps of: detecting simultaneously four mutually redundant measurements of the angular position of the gas knob by means of two mutually independent angular-position sensors forming part of an acquisition system; making a cross comparison two by two between the four measurements for diagnosing any possible malfunctioning of the angular-position sensors; and determining the angular position of the gas knob, using at least one measurement supplied by an angular-position sensor operating properly.

Abstract: A control method of a direct injection system of the common-rail type; the control method contemplates: feeding the pressurized fuel to a common rail by means of a high-pressure pump which receives the fuel through a shut-off valve; cyclically controlling the opening and closing of the shut-off valve for choking the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump; driving the shut-off valve synchronously with respect to the mechanical actuation of the high-pressure pump by means of a driving frequency of the shut-off valve having a constant integer synchronization ratio, predetermined according to the pumping frequency of the high-pressure pump; estimating a perturbation intensity of the fuel pressure inside the common rail; and varying the phase of the commands of the shut-off valve with respect to the phase of the mechanical actuation of the high-pressure pump if the perturbation intensity of the fuel pressure inside the common rail is higher than a predetermined threshold value.