Patents Assigned to Solex
  • Patent number: 5482019
    Abstract: An engine control system for a spark ignition internal combustion engine of a vehicle equipped with a fuel injection system, including a motorized butterfly unit having a body, a butterfly rotatably mounted on a spindle in a passage through the body, a butterfly position sensor mounted on one end of the spindle and a butterfly actuator mounted on the other side of the spindle. An engine control unit, which is connected to sensors for detecting engine operation parameters and to the accelerator pedal, generates injection and ignition commands as well as a reference position of the butterfly, which is transmitted by a connecting line to the butterfly control unit. The butterfly control unit sets the position of the butterfly to the reference position and transmits the butterfly position signal via the connecting line to the engine control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignees: Solex, Weber SRL
    Inventors: Francesco P. Ausiello, Olivier Quelenis, Philippe Wallerand
  • Patent number: 5392746
    Abstract: A fuel injection device comprises electrically controlled fuel injectors, each opening into an air induction passage upstream of a respective intake valve of a combustion chamber. Each injector has an air-fuel mixture chamber. A throttle valve in the induction passage is constructed to close it when in a minimum opening position. An air line connects the induction passage to the mixture chambers and has an additional air electrically controlled valve. A supplemental electrically controlled valve is branched out of the line and opens into the induction passage downstream of the throttle valve. An electronic unit controls the injectors and the supplementary valve and opens the supplemental valve during cold start of the engine at low temperature and during operation of the engine as a brake at normal temperature, high speed and with the throttle valve closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Michael Pontoppidan
  • Patent number: 5374031
    Abstract: The butterfly valve assembly comprises a body formed with an admission duct and a disk shaped butterfly valve member of predetermined shape carried by a shaft that extends transversally to the passage and mounted for rotation in the body between a minimum opening position of the valve member and a maximum opening position. The duct has a cylindrical length whose cross-section matches with the shape of the butterfly valve member when the latter is in its minimum opening position. It further has respective zones upstream and downstream from the cylindrical length, along the paths followed by upstream and downstream edges of the valve member up to a determined opening angle thereof. Such zones are further defined by successive circular arcs centered on the axis of the admission duct and having radii that decrease going away from the cylindrical length along the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventors: Pierre Semence, Michael Pontoppidan
  • Patent number: 5357931
    Abstract: The supply device with built-in pipework comprises an air distributor/manifold module with a casing and a base element made from plastic or metal and which are fixed to one another. The base element has pipework branches emerging in the casing and in a flange for fixing on to the engine. The casing houses sensors and members for controlling operating parameters of the engine as well as a fuel rail and its regulator supplying injectors which are trapped between the base element and the casing. Components of the air, fuel, ignition and electrical supply circuits are built into the pipework.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: SOLEX
    Inventor: Pierre Semence
  • Patent number: 5275375
    Abstract: A rotary throttle member for an internal combustion engine comprises a shaft and a butterfly valve member secured to a central length of the shaft. The shaft and butterfly valve member are single pieces of synthetic material. End portions of the shaft straddle the said central length. The central length has a uniform non-circular cross-section greater than that of the full end portion of the shaft situated on one side of the length. The shaft includes a cam for connection with and winding of a control cable, situated on the other end portion of the shaft. The butterfly valve member has a central hole of complementary cross-section of said central length and is fixed onto the central length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Pierre Semence
  • Patent number: 5168890
    Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for fitting a shaft-butterfly valve unit in a pipe formed by a butterfly valve body. The device comprises a frame receiving the pipe with its unit. It also comprises a first thruster for moving the shaft in a first direction as far as the first abutment position and a second thruster for moving the shaft in the opposite direction as far as the second abutment position. A sensor detects the abutment positions, and the gap (j) between the abutment positions is computed. The first or second motor is controlled for moving the shaft from the first or second abutment position by a distance equal to a predetermined fraction of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventors: Marcel Bongart, Gerard Lecoeur
  • Patent number: 5063891
    Abstract: A fuel supply device for internal combustion engines comprises a constant level chamber, an engine-driven fuel pump having an outlet connected to the constant level chamber and an inlet connected to a fuel reservoir through a pipe provided with a non-return valve. A capacity located on the pipe is defined by a wall movable between a first position where the capacity has a maximum volume and a second position where the capacity has a minimum volume. A spring continuously biases the movable wall towards the first position. The movable wall is drawn to the second position responsive to start up of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Guy Noisier
  • Patent number: 5033439
    Abstract: A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprises at least one electrically controlled injector feeding fuel under pressure into the intake manifold of the engine and an electronic control circuit connected to sensors responsive to operating parameters of the engine, particularly the engine speed, and delivering periodic signals of variable duty ratio to the injector. The control circuit applies asynchronous electrical signals to the injector as long as the running speed of the engine does not reach a predetermined threshold value. The asynchronous signals have a frequency very much higher than that which the synchronous operative law would cause.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Daniel Eygret
  • Patent number: 4996769
    Abstract: A method is provided for fitting a butterfly valve on the slotted shaft of a carburetor body. The slot is first of all oriented parallel to the axis of the duct. Then one edge of the butterfly valve is gripped by a gripping member and is inserted as far as its final position by moving the member along the axis of the duct. The unit formed by the butterfly valve and the shaft is rotated as far as the position in which the butterfly valve closes the duct by exerting a force with the gripping member and a retaining torque with a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Marcel Bongart
  • Patent number: 4989566
    Abstract: The device controls a throttle member of an induction passage in a fuel supply system. It comprises a first electric sensor for delivering a signal representing the position of a driver actuated member, an electric actuator and a second electric sensor providing an electric signal representing the actual position of the throttle member. The actuator and the sensor are mechanically connected to the throttle member. An electric control circuit receives signals from the sensor and gives the throttle member a position which depends on the position of the driver actuated member. A movable stop is mechanically connected to the driver actuated member and has a one-way connection with the throttle member which limits its degree of opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Philippe Wallerand
  • Patent number: 4957241
    Abstract: A fuel injection device for an internal combustion engine comprises an electrically controlled injector having a body removably connected in a passage opening into an engine induction passage. The body has a nose of reduced diameter. A cap is fitted on the nose of the injector and formed with a fuel jet outlet opening. The cap and nose of the injector define an air chamber. Lateral openings of the cap communicate the air chamber with a space formed between the cap and the wall of the passage, connected to an air source. A spacer plate is retained between the cap and the nose and formed with a central calibrated hole surrounding an outlet of the injector for constituting a calibrated fuel and air jet outlet passage. The spacer plate is retained between the nose and the cap in a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Laboueffe Roger
  • Patent number: 4941999
    Abstract: A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprises a constant level chamber (typically a float chamber) formed in a casing which may be the body of the carburetor of the device. A heat exchanger is formed in the casing or in contact with the casing. A cooling liquid is circulated in a closed-loop circuit including the heat exchanger and a liquid reservoir having a large volume as compared with that of the balance of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1990
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Guy Noisier
  • Patent number: 4768478
    Abstract: A carburetor for internal combustion engines has an automatic starting device comprising a choke valve based toward opening by the air flow and toward closure by a temperature responsive bimetallic spiral when cold. A device further comprises a stop member an electrically controlled movable stop member having at least one active position in which it permits complete closure of the choke valve and a rest position in which it prevents closing movement of the choke valve beyond a predetermined position, and means arranged to bring said stop member into said active position, responsive to closure of the ignition switch and for being inhibited if after a sequence of operation of the cold engine during a period greater than a first threshold value, then rest condition of the engine for a period less than a second predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Bernard Martel
  • Patent number: 4662333
    Abstract: A carburetor is provided with an automatic starting device, more especially for motor car engines, comprising a butterfly valve controlled by the driver and -for starting up and cold running of the engine- an automatic starting device. This device comprises a start air valve (choke) and a wax capsule which controls the position of the air valve and the minimum opening position of the butterfly valve. The wax capsule is provided with a heating resistor and a temperature sensor. The starting device further comprises a computer having inputs connected to the temperature sensor and to sensors supplyng signals representative of the operating conditions of the engine. It controls the electric power applied to the heating resistor. The computer imposes on the butterfly valve and on the air valve a degree of opening which depends, on the one hand, on the temperature sensitive element during start up of the engine and, on the other hand, on the number of revolutions effected by this latter from start up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Solex
    Inventor: Bernard Martel