Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Mutoh

Hirofumi Mutoh 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: 5954028
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in an exhaust system thereof for generating an output substantially proportional in value to an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gases emitted from the engine. An amount of variation in combustion of the engine is detected. A desired air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is set to a value leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio based on the amount of variation in combustion of the engine, when the engine is in a predetermined operating condition. Feedback control of an air-fuel ratio of the mixture to the desired air-fuel ratio is carried out in response to the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kotaro Miyashita, Hirofumi Mutoh, Yuichiro Tanabe
  • Patent number: 5941224
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in the exhaust system of the engine, for generating an output indicative of the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gases emitted from the engine. An ECU carries out feedback control of controlling the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine to a predetermined desired air-fuel ratio in response to the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor, by using at least one feedback control gain. A purge control valve purges evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank to the engine. The at least one feedback control gain is set to a smaller value when the degree of influence of evaporative fuel purged by the purge control valve upon the air-fuel ratio of the mixture is larger, and set to a larger value when the degree of influence of the purged evaporative fuel upon the air-fuel ratio of the mixture is smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kotaro Miyashita, Hirofumi Mutoh, Yuichiro Tanabe
  • Patent number: 5775307
    Abstract: An evaporative fuel-processing system for an internal combustion engine includes a canister, a charging passage extending between the canister and the fuel tank, a purging passage extending between the canister and the intake system of the engine, an open-to-atmosphere passage for relieving the interior of the canister to atmosphere, a charge control valve, a purge control valve, a vent shut valve, a pressure sensor for detecting pressure within the charging passage, and a float valve arranged at an end of the charging passage opening into the fuel tank. When the engine is in a predetermined operating condition, the interior of the canister is negatively pressurized into a predetermined negatively pressurized state by opening the purge control valve and the charge control valve and closing the vent shut valve. The interior of the changing passage is stabilized by closing the charge control valve and the purge control valve over a predetermined time period after the negative pressurization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Isobe, Kotaro Miyashita, Hirofumi Mutoh
  • Patent number: 5724952
    Abstract: There is provided an air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine. The air-fuel ratio control system has an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in an exhaust passage of the engine, which generates an output proportional to concentration of oxygen in exhaust gases emitted from the engine. The air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is controlled to a desired air-fuel ratio in response to the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor by the use of a proportional term and an integral term. A repetition period of inversion of the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor with respect to a predetermined reference value is calculated. Deterioration of the air-fuel ratio sensor is detected based the repetition period of inversion of the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kotaro Miyashita, Hirofumi Mutoh, Katsushi Watanabe, Yukio Noda, Fumio Hara