Patents by Inventor Daichi Imai

Daichi Imai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230042626
    Abstract: A control apparatus is applied to an internal combustion engine where an EHC and a filter are arranged in this sequence from an upstream side. The control apparatus performs a regeneration process for removing particulate matter deposited in the filter through oxidation, and a recovery process for raising the temperature of exhaust gas to a temperature higher than in the case of the regeneration process and removing the particulate matter deposited at a front end portion of the EHC through oxidation when it is determined that the insulation resistance of the EHC is equal to or lower than a prescribed value. The control apparatus performs the regeneration process and then the recovery process when it is determined that the insulation resistance is equal to or lower than the prescribed value and the deposition amount of the particulate matter in the filter is equal to or larger than a prescribed amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi KITAURA, Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA, Daichi IMAI
  • Patent number: 10808586
    Abstract: Rich spike is carried out in an efficient manner. In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine which performs lean burn operation, the apparatus includes an NOx storage reduction catalyst, a controller to carry out rich spike, to calculate a storage amount of NOx, to calculate a storage amount of nitrates, and calculate a nitrate ratio, wherein the controller controls a timing at which the rich spike is carried out, based on the nitrate ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kobayashi, Toshihiro Mori, Daichi Imai, Keiichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10753306
    Abstract: The exhaust gas purification system includes a catalyst having an NOx storage and reduction function, an EGR passage, and a controller configured to control combustion of the internal combustion engine. The controller is configured to switch the operation mode from the lean burn operation to the rich burn operation, when a request for execution of the rich burn operation is issued during the lean burn operation. The controller is configured to perform, when the request the execution of the rich burn operation is issued, an NOx-increasing process in which the combustion of the internal combustion engine is controlled so that an in-cylinder NOx amount is equal to or larger than a required in-cylinder NOx amount prior to switching to the rich burn operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi Imai, Toshihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 10753249
    Abstract: An exhaust emission control device for an internal combustion engine according to the present disclosure includes an exhaust emission control catalyst provided in an exhaust passage in an internal combustion engine and divided into a preceding catalyst and a succeeding catalyst, and a heating device provided in the exhaust passage between the preceding catalyst and the succeeding catalyst. The exhaust emission control catalyst is divided into the preceding catalyst and the succeeding catalyst so that a ratio of a capacity of the preceding catalyst to a total displacement of the internal combustion engine is from 0.3 to 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohei Ono, Masaaki Sato, Katsuhiro Ito, Akira Mikami, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Daichi Imai
  • Patent number: 10704439
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a controller comprising at least one processor is configured to carry out rich spike; wherein the controller carries out supply control to supply a reducing agent to a post-stage catalyst, wherein in cases where a temperature of an NSR catalyst becomes less than a predetermined determination temperature in at least a part of a determination period of time, the controller carries out the supply control according to the execution of current rich spike; wherein the controller controls such that in cases where the storage amount of NOx is the same, an amount of supply of the reducing agent in the supply control is made larger as a period of time in which the temperature of the NSR catalyst becomes less than the predetermined determination temperature in the determination period of time becomes longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi Imai, Hiroshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10683785
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the apparatus comprising NOx storage reduction catalyst, and a controller comprising at least one processor is configured to carry out rich spike, wherein in cases where the storage amount of NOx is the same, in a period of time from the completion of the execution of the last rich spike to the start of the execution of the current rich spike, the controller makes a period of execution of the current rich spike longer, and/or a degree of richness of a rich air fuel ratio achieved by the execution of the current rich spike larger, in the case where a period of time in which a temperature of the NOx storage reduction catalyst becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined determination temperature is long than in the case where it is short.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi Imai, Hiroshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10677125
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes the adsorbent, the catalyst and the heat generating element, wherein in cases where the residual capacity of the battery is smaller than a first predetermined value required for raising the temperature of the catalyst to an activation temperature thereof, and in cases where the residual capacity of the battery is larger than a second predetermined value which is smaller than the first predetermined value and which is required for raising the temperature of the adsorbent to a predetermined temperature at which the adsorbent exhibits adsorption performance required at the time of starting of the internal combustion engine, an amount of electric power to be supplied to the heat generating element from the battery is adjusted such that the temperature of the adsorbent becomes the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohei Ono, Masaaki Sato, Katsuhiro Ito, Akira Mikami, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Daichi Imai
  • Patent number: 10648391
    Abstract: A controller estimates a first estimated adsorption amount which is an amount of adsorption of ammonia in the SCR catalyst at the time when the SCR catalyst is assumed to be in a predetermined abnormal state, estimates a second estimated adsorption amount at the time when the SCR catalyst is assumed to be in a predetermined normal state, calculates a first slip development temperature based on the first estimated adsorption amount, and calculates a second slip development temperature based on the second estimated adsorption amount. The controller, when carrying out an abnormality diagnosis based on a concentration of ammonia in an exhaust gas at the downstream side of the SCR catalyst, carries out diagnostic temperature control so as to control the temperature of the SCR catalyst to a temperature which is equal to or more than the first slip development temperature and is less than the second slip development temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohei Ono, Masaaki Sato, Katsuhiro Ito, Akira Mikami, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Daichi Imai
  • Publication number: 20200072156
    Abstract: The exhaust gas purification system includes a catalyst having an NOx storage and reduction function, an EGR passage, and a controller configured to control combustion of the internal combustion engine. The controller is configured to switch the operation mode from the lean burn operation to the rich burn operation, when a request for execution of the rich burn operation is issued during the lean burn operation. The controller is configured to perform, when the request the execution of the rich burn operation is issued, an NOx-increasing process in which the combustion of the internal combustion engine is controlled so that an in-cylinder NOx amount is equal to or larger than a required in-cylinder NOx amount prior to switching to the rich burn operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi IMAI, Toshihiro MORI
  • Publication number: 20190234269
    Abstract: An exhaust emission control device for an internal combustion engine according to the present disclosure includes an exhaust emission control catalyst provided in an exhaust passage in an internal combustion engine and divided into a preceding catalyst and a succeeding catalyst, and a heating device provided in the exhaust passage between the preceding catalyst and the succeeding catalyst. The exhaust emission control catalyst is divided into the preceding catalyst and the succeeding catalyst so that a ratio of a capacity of the preceding catalyst to a total displacement of the internal combustion engine is from 0.3 to 1.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohei ONO, Masaaki SATO, Katsuhiro ITO, Akira MIKAMI, Kazuhiro UMEMOTO, Daichi IMAI
  • Publication number: 20190195114
    Abstract: A controller estimates a first estimated adsorption amount which is an amount of adsorption of ammonia in the SCR catalyst at the time when the SCR catalyst is assumed to be in a predetermined abnormal state, estimates a second estimated adsorption amount at the time when the SCR catalyst is assumed to be in a predetermined normal state, calculates a first slip development temperature based on the first estimated adsorption amount, and calculates a second slip development temperature based on the second estimated adsorption amount. The controller, when carrying out an abnormality diagnosis based on a concentration of ammonia in an exhaust gas at the downstream side of the SCR catalyst, carries out diagnostic temperature control so as to control the temperature of the SCR catalyst to a temperature which is equal to or more than the first slip development temperature and is less than the second slip development temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohei ONO, Masaaki Sato, Katsuhiro Ito, Akira Mikami, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Daichi Imai
  • Publication number: 20190195102
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the apparatus comprising NOx storage reduction catalyst, and a controller comprising at least one processor is configured to carry out rich spike, wherein in cases where the storage amount of NOx is the same, in a period of time from the completion of the execution of the last rich spike to the start of the execution of the current rich spike, the controller makes a period of execution of the current rich spike longer, and/or a degree of richness of a rich air fuel ratio achieved by the execution of the current rich spike larger, in the case where a period of time in which a temperature of the NOx storage reduction catalyst becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined determination temperature is long than in the case where it is short.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi IMAI, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20190195103
    Abstract: Rich spike is carried out in an efficient manner. In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine which performs lean burn operation, the apparatus includes an NOx storage reduction catalyst, a controller to carry out rich spike, to calculate a storage amount of NOx, to calculate a storage amount of nitrates, and calculate a nitrate ratio, wherein the controller controls a timing at which the rich spike is carried out, based on the nitrate ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Toshihiro MORI, Daichi IMAI, Keiichiro AOKI
  • Publication number: 20190195101
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a controller comprising at least one processor is configured to carry out rich spike; wherein the controller carries out supply control to supply a reducing agent to a post-stage catalyst, wherein in cases where a temperature of an NSR catalyst becomes less than a predetermined determination temperature in at least a part of a determination period of time, the controller carries out the supply control according to the execution of current rich spike; wherein the controller controls such that in cases where the storage amount of NOx is the same, an amount of supply of the reducing agent in the supply control is made larger as a period of time in which the temperature of the NSR catalyst becomes less than the predetermined determination temperature in the determination period of time becomes longer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi IMAI, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20190186316
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes the adsorbent, the catalyst and the heat generating element, wherein in cases where the residual capacity of the battery is smaller than a first predetermined value required for raising the temperature of the catalyst to an activation temperature thereof, and in cases where the residual capacity of the battery is larger than a second predetermined value which is smaller than the first predetermined value and which is required for raising the temperature of the adsorbent to a predetermined temperature at which the adsorbent exhibits adsorption performance required at the time of starting of the internal combustion engine, an amount of electric power to be supplied to the heat generating element from the battery is adjusted such that the temperature of the adsorbent becomes the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryohei ONO, Masaaki Sato, Katsuhiro Ito, Akira Mikami, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Daichi Imai
  • Patent number: 10309285
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control system for an internal combustion engine, before execution of a filter regeneration process, executes a pre-regeneration process that is a process of raising a temperature of a filter to a second target temperature lower than a first target temperature and increasing the concentration of NO2 contained in exhaust gas flowing into the filter for a predetermined period. The first target temperature during execution of the filter regeneration process in the case where a speed of change in a detected value of a differential pressure sensor during execution of the pre-regeneration process is high is set so as to be lower than the first target temperature in the case where the speed of change is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daichi Imai, Hiromasa Nishioka, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Yoshio Yamashita, Kouta Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10302000
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control system for an internal combustion engine, before execution of a filter regeneration process, executes a pre-regeneration process that is a process of raising a temperature of a filter to a second target temperature lower than a first target temperature and increasing the concentration of NO2 contained in exhaust gas flowing into the filter for a predetermined period. An execution time of the filter regeneration process when a physical quantity that correlates with a speed of change in a detected value of a differential pressure sensor during execution of the pre-regeneration process is large is shorter than an execution time of the filter regeneration process when the physical quantity is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daichi Imai, Hiromasa Nishioka, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Yoshio Yamashita, Kouta Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10294838
    Abstract: An exhaust cleaning filter has an exhaust gas inflow passage and an exhaust gas outflow passage disposed in alternating fashion; and a porous partition wall for setting the exhaust gas inflow and outflow passages at a distance from each other. A small pore region is sectioned off on the upstream side and a large pore region is sectioned off on the downstream side of the partition wall. The average pore diameter of the partition wall in the large pore region is greater than in the small pore region, and is set so that ash contained in the exhaust gas is able to pass through the partition wall. The exhaust purification filter has a promoting member for promoting the passing of exhaust gas that has flowed into the exhaust gas inflow passage, through the partition wall in the small pore region, and promoting inflow into the exhaust gas outflow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Itoh, Hiromasa Nishioka, Yoshihisa Tsukamoto, Daichi Imai, Hiroshi Otsuki, Ryota Koutake
  • Patent number: 10138778
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system including a particulate filter, a selective reduction catalyst provided at a downstream side from the filter, an ammonia ingredient feed device which feeds an ammonia ingredient to the selective reduction catalyst, a control device which controls the amount of the ammonia ingredient which is adsorbed at the selective reduction catalyst to become a target adsorption amount, and a filter regeneration system which performs filter regeneration processing to remove PM which has built up on the particulate filter when an execution start condition stands. When removal of PM is demanded, so long as the execution start condition of the filter regeneration processing by the filter regeneration system does not stand, the target adsorption amount is decreased a plurality of times in stages, and the execution start condition of the filter regeneration processing is changed to a different condition at each stage of the target adsorption amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromasa Nishioka, Kazuhiro Ito, Daichi Imai, Yoshihisa Tsukamoto, Hiroshi Otsuki, Yasumasa Notake
  • Patent number: 10071369
    Abstract: A gel which contains a component of a catalyst is prepared. The gel and another gel are arranged in layers at a position which faces open ends of exhaust flow passages of a wall flow-type particulate filter. Next, a pusher is used to push and pack the gel and other gel through the open ends to the insides of the exhaust flow passages. Next, the particulate filter is made to dry to thereby make the partition walls carry the catalyst on their surfaces or in their micropores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Otsuki, Hiromasa Nishioka, Kazuhiro Ito, Daichi Imai, Yoshihisa Tsukamoto, Yasumasa Notake