Abstract: This invention has as its object to efficiently and effectively plan a vehicle. To accomplish this, this invention has an exterior model building program (63) for building an exterior model having information associated with the exterior of a vehicle, a reference model building program (64) for building a reference model having information associated with reference components of the vehicle, and information associated with the sitting positions and postures of passengers, and a display program (65) for superimposing the built exterior model and reference model on the basis of a predetermined rule.

Abstract: The present invention is a vehicle planning support system (1) for displaying vehicle models (84, 92, etc.) on a screen to support vehicle planning, and comprises specification value input screen display means (36) for displaying specification value input screens for inputting specification values including dimensions and angles in the vehicle model; 3D morphing screen display means (58) for displaying vehicle models as deformable three-dimensionally shaped 3D vehicle models based on specification values input on the specification value screen using the 3D morphing screen; 2D morphing screen display means (56) for displaying vehicle models as deformable two-dimensionally shaped 2D vehicle models based on specification values input on the specification value screen using the 2D morphing screen.

Abstract: A direct injection internal combustion engine includes catalysts for purifying exhaust gases, the catalysts being disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine. A control device controls the engine so as to warm up or activate the catalysts. The control device includes a first control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, an ignition timing being set at a point after a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke, and a second control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, with an ignition timing being set before a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke after the first control part controls the engine. The controlling operation performed by the first control part enables stable after-burning and raises the exhaust temperature.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to efficiently and effectively plan a vehicle. To accomplish this, this invention has an exterior model building program (63) for building an exterior model having information associated with the exterior of a vehicle, a reference model building program (64) for building a reference model having information associated with reference components of the vehicle, and information associated with the sitting positions and postures of passengers, and a display program (65) for superimposing the built exterior model and reference model on the basis of a predetermined rule.

Abstract: When an increase in a temperature of an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is demanded, a temperature-increase control section in an electronic control unit accomplishes stratified combustion by causing each fuel injection valve to inject fuel directly into the associated combustion chamber in a compression stroke in such a way that the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is in a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. This allows the temperature of the exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device to be maintained or increased without increasing fuel consumption.

Abstract: A direct injection type internal combustion engine has an intake and exhaust mechanism for intaking and exhausting air for a predetermined period of time between a second half of a second expansion stroke and a first half of a first compression stroke following the second expansion stroke so that the first compression stroke, a first expansion stroke, a second compression stroke, and the second expansion stroke can be repeated sequentially along with rotation of a crank shaft; and a control device for controlling fuel injection. The control device injects first fuel during the first compression stroke and injects second fuel during the first expansion stroke or the second compression stroke. Therefore, the first fuel executes the first combustion process, and the second fuel is then injected into burnt gases generated in the first combustion process to enable a second combustion process following the first combustion process.

Abstract: When an increase in a temperature of an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is demanded, a temperature-increase control section in an electronic control unit accomplishes stratified combustion by causing each fuel injection valve to inject fuel directly into the associated combustion chamber in a compression stroke in such a way that the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is in a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. This allows the temperature of the exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device to be maintained or increased without increasing fuel consumption.

Abstract: When an increase in a temperature of an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is demanded, a temperature-increase control section in an electronic control unit accomplishes stratified combustion by causing each fuel injection valve to inject fuel directly into the associated combustion chamber in a compression stroke in such a way that the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is in a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. This allows the temperature of the exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device to be maintained or increased without increasing fuel consumption.

Abstract: An electronic control unit (40) for controlling an internal combustion engine drive executes a first operation mode for injecting a fuel in a suction stroke while making an air/fuel ratio feedback control, when a demand for improving output characteristics is made in a medium/high load drive state of the engine. In response to a demand for raising the temperature of a catalyst, moreover, the first operation mode is switched to a second operation mode in which the fuel is injected in a compression stroke while making an air/fuel ratio feedback control performing a predetermined air/fuel ratio in the vicinity of a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio as a target value.

Abstract: A direct injection internal combustion engine includes catalysts for purifying exhaust gases, the catalysts being disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine. A control device controls the engine so as to warm up or activate the catalysts. The control device includes a first control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, an ignition timing being set at a point after a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke, and a second control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, with an ignition timing being set before a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke after the first control part controls the engine. The controlling operation performed by the first control part enables stable after-burning and raises the exhaust temperature.

Abstract: A starting device for a direct-injection internal combustion engine by which starting can be completed swiftly, and trouble caused by self-ignition and sudden combustion by carrying out a normal spark-ignition can be prevented surely upon starting. The starting device has compression stroke cylinder identifying unit for identifying a cylinder whose piston is in its compression stroke while the internal combustion engine is stopped; start request determining unit for determining whether there is an engine start request; and start control unit for, when it is determined by the start request determining unit that there is an engine start request, injecting fuel into the compression stroke cylinder identified by the compression stroke cylinder identifying unit.

Abstract: A direct injection type internal combustion engine has an intake and exhaust mechanism for intaking and exhausting air for a predetermined period of time between a second half of a second expansion stroke and a first half of a first compression stroke following the second expansion stroke so that the first compression stroke, a first expansion stroke, a second compression stroke, and the second expansion stroke can be repeated sequentially along with rotation of a crank shaft; and a control device for controlling fuel injection. The control device injects first fuel during the first compression stroke and injects second fuel during the first expansion stroke or the second compression stroke. Therefore, the first fuel executes the first combustion process, and the second fuel is then injected into burnt gases generated in the first combustion process to enable a second combustion process following the first combustion process.

Abstract: An in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine, which includes a main fuel injection control unit that drives a fuel injector to inject fuel directly into a combustion chamber, is provided so that premixed combustion or stratified charge combustion takes place depending upon operating conditions of the engine. The engine further includes an additional fuel injection control unit that drives the fuel injector to inject additional fuel during an expansion stroke after the fuel injector is driven by the main fuel injection control unit, when it is necessary to increase the temperature of a catalyst provided in an exhaust passage for purifying exhaust gas. An exhaust manifold includes an exhaust chamber, in which the exhaust gas remains, and the additional fuel that is left unburned is re-burned in the exhaust chamber.

Abstract: In a cylinder injection engine which includes an injection valve disposed in the vicinity of an intake port of the engine and adapted to inject fuel into the combustion chamber, a spark plug disposed closer to the center portion of the combustion chamber than the injection valve, and a piston having a cavity formed in the top face that substantially faces the injection valve and the spark plug, the cavity is formed by smoothly connecting a curved surface located below the spark plug and a curved surface located below the injection valve via a connection curved surface. The curvature .kappa..sub.1 of the curved surface located under the injection valve and the curvature .kappa..sub.2 of the curved surface located under the spark plug satisfy a relationship .kappa..sub.1 <.kappa..sub.2.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine according to this invention is provided with intake ports each of which is formed to guide a flow of inducted air in a particular direction. Each intake port includes, in the vicinity of its corresponding intake opening to a combustion chamber, a bent port portion bent at a greater curvature than a port portion on a side upstream of the bent port portion. The bent port portion has a greater inner diameter than the inner diameter of the corresponding intake opening, whereby air can be inducted in a sufficient amount without deterioration to the directing function for air to be inducted into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A stratified burning internal combustion engine according to this invention is equipped with an intake port and a fuel feed device so that stratified tumble flows of different fuel concentrations can be formed in a combustion chamber. An ignition device is provided in the combustion chamber to ignite at least one of the tumble flows, said at least one tumble flow being rich in fuel. To promote the stratified tumble flows, a top wall of a piston has an inclined wall. This makes it possible to strengthen the tumble flows, whereby the stratification of an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber can be improved further to permit lean burn at a larger air/fuel ratio.

Abstract: A vertical vortex, namely, a reverse tumble flow is formed inside a cylinder of an internal combustion engine to form an intake air flow for smooth intake and exhaust in the internal combustion engine and also to promote atomization of fuel and mixing of air and fuel in a combustion chamber. To form this reverse tumble flow, a downstream portion of an intake passage is formed extending toward a central axis of the cylinder. To promote the formation of the swirl and further to form the combustion chamber as an efficient compact combustion chamber, a recessed portion is formed in a top wall of a piston. The top wall of the piston is provided with a raised portion at a location adjacent to the recessed portion, whereby, in the vicinity of top dead center of the piston, a squish is produced in a direction flowing toward a side of a spark plug in the efficient combustion chamber.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine according to this invention is provided with intake ports and an injector. The intake ports are designed to form stratified tumble flows of different fuel concentrations in a combustion chamber. A spark plug is arranged in the combustion chamber to ignite one of the tumble flows, which one tumble flow is rich in fuel. Each intake port is provided with a longitudinal partition which divides an interior of the intake port into two passages. These longitudinal partitions are formed in such a way that, of the air-fuel tumble flows formed around the spark plug, the tumble flow closest to the spark plug is formed of a richer air-fuel mixture. Each longitudinal partition is arranged only on a side upstream of a valve stem of an intake valve in the corresponding intake port, so that a sufficient amount of intake air can be obtained while extremely minimizing a reduction in the actual cross-sectional flow area.

Abstract: An ignition timing controller is furnished for use in a spark-ignition internal combustion engine. The controller includes a device for setting the ignition timing of the engine in accordance with the state of operation of the engine and another device for actuating an ignition system on the basis of the ignition timing set by the ignition timing setting device. The ignition timing setting device is constructed of a device for estimating the wall temperature of a combustion chamber of the engine from a variable, which indicates the quantity of combustion energy of the engine, and another device for calculating the ignition timing from the wall temperature of the combustion chamber estimated by the wall temperature estimating device.

Abstract: A vertical vortex, namely, a reverse tumble flow is formed inside a cylinder of an internal combustion engine to form an intake air flow for smooth intake and exhaust in the internal combustion engine and also to promote atomization of fuel and mixing of air and fuel in a combustion chamber. To form this reverse tumble flow, a downstream portion of an intake passage is formed extending toward a central axis of the cylinder. To promote the formation of the swirl and further to form the combustion chamber as an efficient compact combustion chamber, a recessed portion is formed in a top wall of a piston. The top wall of the piston is provided with a raised portion at a location adjacent to the recessed portion, whereby, in the vicinity of top dead center of the piston, a squish is produced in a direction flowing toward a side of a spark plug in the efficient combustion chamber.