Abstract: A compensating member is provided in a conventional automotive engine carburetor, which is used with an electronic closed loop control system, in order to finely adjust a rate of air flow being delivered to a fuel passage extending between a discharge nozzle and a float bowl, and thereby performing a fine adjustment of an air-fuel mixture ratio to effectively reduce noxious components in exhaust gases.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation system and an intake air bypass system, a control system is provided which comprises an electric motor arranged to control the flow rate of exhaust gases through the exhaust gas recirculation system under part-throttle or full-throttle conditions of the engine and the flow rate of air through the intake air bypass system under idling conditions of the engine.

Abstract: Charging means is provided in a fluid flow path for charging the fluid. Another means is provided downstream of the charging means in such a manner as to be outside of the fluid flow path, applying electrostatic or magnetic force to the charged fluid in order to control the flow rate of the fluid.

Abstract: The temperature of an engine exhaust gas treating device is maintained above a first predetermined value, above which the treating device can purify engine exhaust gases, by interrupting to control an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture burned in the engine to a desired value and having a mixture forming device form a rich air-fuel mixture, and further by providing a spark in the treating device, retarding the engine ignition timing and/or supplying secondary air into the engine exhaust gases when the treating device temperature is less than the predetermined value, and by resuming to control the air-fuel ratio to the desired value when the treating device temperature is higher than the predetermined value, and below a second predetermined value, below which the treating device is prevented from being damaged by heat, by stopping production of the spark and supply of the secondary air and restoring the engine ignition timing to a normal condition when the treating device temperature is higher than the secon

Abstract: A pulse generator of the corona discharge type for sensing engine crankshaft angle in an engine control system having a rotor with a plurality of pulse generating elements angularly spaced about the rotor axis. In order to generate as many pulses for each revolution of the rotor as desired to permit accurate measurement of the angular displacement of the rotor axis from a reference point, the rotor is constructed of a disc having a plurality of angularly equally spaced apart segmented regions to act as the pulse generating elements, and at least one electrode is stationarily mounted with respect to the disc to form an air gap to generate corona discharges thereacross in succession in cooperation with each one of the segmented regions upon rotation of the disc. An impedance element is provided to develop a voltage signal in response to the generation of the corona discharge.

Abstract: A part of an engine air-fuel mixture is admitted from the intake passageway into a space and is burned to produce combustion gases for sensing the air-fuel ratio of the admitted air-fuel mixture and for controlling the air-fuel ratio of an engine air-fuel mixture in accordance with the sensed air-fuel ratio and exhaust gases resulting from the combustion gases are fed into the intake passageway.

Abstract: The temperature of an exhaust gas purifying device is maintained within an optimum range by enriching an air-fuel mixture for the engine, retarding the ignition timing of the engine, supplying secondary air into engine exhaust gases fed to the purifying device and producing a spark therein when the temperature of the purifying device is below the minimum of the optimum range and by diluting the air-fuel mixture, advancing the engine ignition timing to a normal value, stopping supply of the secondary air and production of the spark when the temperature of the purifying device is higher than the maximum of the optimum range.

Abstract: A sensor is located in the intake passageway of an engine for sensing a parameter representing a function of the air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture produced for the engine and is heated to a predetermined temperature when the temperature of the sensor is below the predetermined temperature above which it is possible for the sensor to sense the parameter.

Abstract: A fuel injector of the invention comprises a plurality of parallel, threadlike tubes for admitting electrostatically charged fuel and an accelerator electrode biased at the opposite potential to that applied to a fuel charging electrode. The fuel admitted through the parallel tubes is atomized at the outlet port of the tubes as a result of electrostatic repulsion between charged particles, and attracted and accelerated by an electrode spaced from the outlet port of the tubes. A control electrode may be provided spaced from the accelerator electrode adjacent to the outlet port of the tubes and biased at a potential with respect to the accelerator electrode much lower than the potential applied across the accelerator and fuel-charging electrodes. By varying the potential at the control electrode, the fuel quantity delivered can effectively be controlled.

Abstract: An electrostatic fuel injector includes a plurality of threadlike tubes for ejecting charged fuel, an accelerator electrode for accelerating the fuel and a control electrode for modulating the amount of fuel ejected. A method for controlling the fuel injector includes applying a control bias to the control electrode with respect to the accelerator electrode in response to an engine operating parameter so as to modulate the amount of fuel in proportion to engine load. A plurality of such fuel injectors is stepwisely operated in response to the engine operating parameter to provide a wide range of variations in fuel quantity.

Abstract: A fuel supply control system comprising an electrostatic apparatus which produces an electric field in a section of a fuel discharge passage to cause a variation in the fuel flow rate in this section, a flow rate detector to provide a feedback signal representing an actual fuel flow rate and an electronic controller which controls the strength and/or polarity of the electric field so as to cancel any deviation of the detected actual fuel flow rate from an optimum flow rate determined by sensing some variables related to the operating condition of the engine.

Abstract: The air-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied into the combustion chambers of the engine is controlled to a required value suitable for attaining a stable and smooth running of the engine and the oxygen-combustibles ratio of the exhaust gases introduced into the exhaust gas purifying device is controlled to a required value suitable for causing the purifying device to effectively function, utilizing feedback techniques performed in response to the composition of the exhaust gases passing upstream of the purifying device.

Abstract: An engine having an even number of cylinders is caused to produce two differently composed exhaust gases, one rich in air and the other in unburned fuel and CO, from the two groups of cylinders each consisting of half the number of cylinders being fired in succession, which exhaust gases are fed separately to a thermal reactor and allowed to gradually mix with each other for mild and slow reaction therein.

Abstract: In an engine having an even number of cylinders, the cylinders are divided into two groups each consisting of half the number of the total cylinders, and the two groups are fed with a considerably rich air-fuel mixture and a lean one, respectively. Each of the one group of cylinders is arranged to discharge an exhaust gas rich in HC and CO simultaneously with discharge of another exhaust gas rich in air from a predetermined cylinder of the other group, and the exhaust gases are mixed and reacted with each other in the engine exhaust system.

Abstract: Rich and lean air-fuel mixtures are fed respectively to some combustion chamber or chambers and the remaining combustion chamber or chambers of an engine by fuel flow control means for increasing and reducing the flow of fuel drawn from a fuel passage of a carburetor into an intake passageway thereof, and second control means for causing the fuel flow control means to alternately or cyclically increase and reduce the flow of the fuel in synchronism with the speed of the engine.

Abstract: Under normal running condition of an internal combustion engine with a thermal reactor, the engine is fed with a relatively rich air-fuel mixture for regulating the concentration of unburned combustible compounds, such as hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the exhaust gases emitted therefrom, in a manner that the thermal reactor effectively functions, and under high speed heavy load condition of the engine wherein the exhaust gas temperature becomes remarkably high, the engine is alternately fed with a relatively rich mixture and a relatively lean mixture in accordance with the operating cycles of the engine for not only achieving the improved fuel economy but also protecting the thermal reactor from heat damage.

Abstract: Besides passages to conduct air into a carburetor, further air or fuel passages, communicated directly with an engine intake manifold, provide improved response to transient engine operating conditions. The delivery rate of air or fuel is controlled by an electromagnetic valve in accordance with an exhaust signal that is processed in an electronic controller with a differentiating circuit.

Abstract: Air drawn into a carburetor main fuel passage for adjustment of the air-fuel ratio of an engine air-fuel mixture is either stepwise or continuously prevented from being undesirably increased with increases in the engine load by either closing an additional passage for the air at an engine load above a predetermined value or continuously reducing the effective cross sectional area of a variable orifice in a passage or an additional passage for the air with increases in the engine load.

Abstract: In a spark-ignited internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers, at least one combustion chamber is intentionally caused to misfire either periodically or continuously to increase the amount of unburned fuel in the exhaust gas when the temperature in the thermal reactor drops excessively during, e.g., idling of the engine. An ignition system for performing the method has a supplementary ignition primary circuit which is normally disconnected from the ignition coil primary, but causes the secondary voltage either to become zero periodically or to lower when connected with the ignition coil primary. Alternatively, the ignition timing is retarded from a normal timing in a portion of the combustion chambers to raise the exhaust gas temperature.

Abstract: A valve closes a fuel passage or an air bleed of a low speed circuit of a carburetor to reduce the amount of air drawn from the low speed circuit into a high speed circuit by a main venturi vacuum higher than an induction passageway vaccum, for example, to zero to prevent an air-fuel mixture provided by the high speed circuit from being excessively leaned.