Patents by Inventor Haruya Kitano

Haruya Kitano 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).

  • Patent number: 11891935
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus includes: a catalyst device that is provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine; an exhaust ignition device that is provided upstream of the exhaust passage from the catalyst device; and a controller that controls a treatment of heating the catalyst device by adjusting supply of the air-fuel mixture to a region of the exhaust passage where the exhaust ignition device is provided and ignition of the air-fuel mixture by the exhaust ignition device, the controller includes an equivalence ratio setting unit that sets a target value of an equivalence ratio of the air-fuel mixture to a first equivalence ratio larger than 1 until a predetermined first time elapses from a start of supply of the fuel and sets the target value of the equivalence ratio of the air-fuel mixture to a second equivalence ratio smaller than 1 after the first time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yuichiro Joh, Takeshi Ueno, Taiki Katayama, Haruya Kitano
  • Patent number: 10690065
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle capable of improving acceleration responsiveness and suppressing increase in the NOx emission amount when a required torque is increased during a steady lean operation. A target air-fuel ratio (AFCMD) is set according to an accelerator pedal operation of a driver. When the driver depresses an accelerator pedal to make an acceleration request during the lean operation, in which the AFCMD is set to a predetermined lean air-fuel ratio (AFLN), air-fuel ratio reduction control is executed to reduce the AFCMD according to the acceleration request. In the air-fuel ratio reduction control, when the AFCMD calculated according to a required torque (TRQCMD) is smaller than a limit air-fuel ratio (AFLMT), the AFCMD is set to the AFLMT, and the AFLMT is set to a value smaller than the AFLN set in a steady state of the lean operation and larger than a theoretical air-fuel ratio (AFST).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takeuchi, Masaki Ueno, Hidekazu Hironobu, Masanobu Takazawa, Haruya Kitano
  • Patent number: 10495049
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio controller to execute a stoichiometric operation in which an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine is set to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and a lean operation in which the air-fuel ratio is set to an air-fuel ratio leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. A ignition timing controller is to calculate at least one ignition timing control parameter based on a laminar combustion velocity and to control an ignition plug provided in the combustion chamber to ignite based on the at least one ignition timing control parameter in a transitional state between the stoichiometric operation and the lean operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu Takazawa, Hiroshi Hanabusa, Haruya Kitano
  • Patent number: 10221805
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine includes a detector and a processor. The detector detects a combustion condition of a gas in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The processor is configured to calculate a fuel ratio in the gas in the cylinder. The processor is configured to calculate a target combustion condition according to the fuel ratio. The processor is configured to calculate an ignition timing such that the combustion condition detected by the detector becomes equal to the target combustion condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Iwadare, Masanobu Takazawa, Haruya Kitano
  • Patent number: 10208698
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection internal combustion engine having an injector for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber thereof is provided. The engine is configured so that a tumble flow is generated in the combustion chamber. A fuel injection by the injector can be performed in a first injection mode and a second injection mode, the first injection mode being a mode in which the fuel injection is completed after the tumble flow is generated, and the second injection mode being a mode in which the fuel injection is completed before the tumble flow is generated. The fuel injection of the first injection mode is performed before completion of the warming-up of the engine, and the fuel injection of the second injection mode is performed after completion of the warming-up of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Nakajima, Naoki Yokoyama, Kenji Hirose, Seiichi Hosogai, Hidekazu Hironobu, Tatsuo Yamanaka, Haruya Kitano, Yasuhiro Okura
  • Patent number: 9970382
    Abstract: A direct injection internal combustion engine has an injector for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber. A first fuel injection, a second fuel injection, and a third fuel injection are performed in one combustion cycle of the engine when a temperature of the engine is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. The second fuel injection is completed in a near-bottom dead center range of 160 deg. to 200 deg. after the top dead center at which the intake stroke starts, the first fuel injection is performed in a range which is set on the advance side of the near-bottom dead center range, and the third fuel injection is performed in a range which is set on the retard side of the near-bottom dead center range. The first and third fuel injections are completed in a range from 90 deg. to 270 deg. after the top dead center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haruya Kitano, Susumu Nakajima, Yasuhiro Okura, Hiromitsu Hirano
  • Publication number: 20180094616
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio controller to execute a stoichiometric operation in which an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine is set to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and a lean operation in which the air-fuel ratio is set to an air-fuel ratio leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. A ignition timing controller is to calculate at least one ignition timing control parameter based on a laminar combustion velocity and to control an ignition plug provided in the combustion chamber to ignite based on the at least one ignition timing control parameter in a transitional state between the stoichiometric operation and the lean operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu TAKAZAWA, Hiroshi HANABUSA, Haruya KITANO
  • Publication number: 20180010534
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle capable of improving acceleration responsiveness and suppressing increase in the NOx emission amount when a required torque is increased during a steady lean operation. A target air-fuel ratio (AFCMD) is set according to an accelerator pedal operation of a driver. When the driver depresses an accelerator pedal to make an acceleration request during the lean operation, in which the AFCMD is set to a predetermined lean air-fuel ratio (AFLN), air-fuel ratio reduction control is executed to reduce the AFCMD according to the acceleration request. In the air-fuel ratio reduction control, when the AFCMD calculated according to a required torque (TRQCMD) is smaller than a limit air-fuel ratio (AFLMT), the AFCMD is set to the AFLMT, and the AFLMT is set to a value smaller than the AFLN set in a steady state of the lean operation and larger than a theoretical air-fuel ratio (AFST).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro TAKEUCHI, Masaki UENO, Hidekazu HIRONOBU, Masanobu TAKAZAWA, Haruya KITANO
  • Publication number: 20170363037
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine includes a detector and a processor. The detector detects a combustion condition of a gas in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The processor is configured to calculate a fuel ratio in the gas in the cylinder. The processor is configured to calculate a target combustion condition according to the fuel ratio. The processor is configured to calculate an ignition timing such that the combustion condition detected by the detector becomes equal to the target combustion condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro IWADARE, Masanobu TAKAZAWA, Haruya KITANO
  • Patent number: 9803539
    Abstract: An internal-combustion engine includes a cylinder, a piston, a spark plug, and a fuel injection valve. The piston includes a top surface and a cavity provided in the top surface. The cavity includes a bottom surface, a vertical wall, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall. The fuel injection valve includes a plurality of injection ports from which a plurality of fuel mists are to be obliquely injected toward the top surface of the piston in respectively different directions at a predetermined crank angle in a compression stroke. The cavity extends from a position close to a center of the piston toward the fuel injection valve when viewed from above the top surface of the piston. The first and second sidewalls extend toward the fuel injection valve when viewed from above the top surface of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Sato, Yasuhiro Motohashi, Haruya Kitano, Masayoshi Takahashi, Hiromitsu Hirano, Shun Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20170276088
    Abstract: A fuel injection device for an internal combustion engine including a cylinder, includes a fuel injection valve and a processor. The fuel injection valve injects fuel directly into the cylinder. The fuel injection valve has an injection hole which has a diameter and a length in an axial direction of the injection hole. A ratio of the length to the diameter being 1.0 or smaller. The processor is configured to determine, in a cold operation of the internal combustion engine, a fuel injection time during which the fuel injection valve continues to inject fuel such that an amount of soot in exhaust gas is less than an amount of soot in exhaust gas if the fuel injection valve has the ratio larger than 1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu NAKAJIMA, Kenji HIROSE, Haruya KITANO, Hidekazu HIRONOBU, Tatsuo YAMANAKA, Naoki YOKOYAMA, Seiichi HOSOGAI, Kengo NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20170241366
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection internal combustion engine having an injector for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber thereof is provided. The engine is configured so that a tumble flow is generated in the combustion chamber. A fuel injection by the injector can be performed in a first injection mode and a second injection mode, the first injection mode being a mode in which the fuel injection is completed after the tumble flow is generated, and the second injection mode being a mode in which the fuel injection is completed before the tumble flow is generated. The fuel injection of the first injection mode is performed before completion of the warming-up of the engine, and the fuel injection of the second injection mode is performed after completion of the warming-up of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Nakajima, Naoki Yokoyama, Kenji Hirose, Seiichi Hosogai, Hidekazu Hironobu, Tatsuo Yamanaka, Haruya Kitano, Yasuhiro Okura
  • Publication number: 20170184046
    Abstract: A direct injection internal combustion engine has an injector for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber. A first fuel injection, a second fuel injection, and a third fuel injection are performed in one combustion cycle of the engine when a temperature of the engine is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. The second fuel injection is completed in a near-bottom dead center range of 160 deg. to 200 deg. after the top dead center at which the intake stroke starts, the first fuel injection is performed in a range which is set on the advance side of the near-bottom dead center range, and the third fuel injection is performed in a range which is set on the retard side of the near-bottom dead center range. The first and third fuel injections are completed in a range from 90 deg. to 270 deg. after the top dead center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haruya Kitano, Susumu Nakajima, Yasuhiro Okura, Hiromitsu Hirano