Patents by Inventor Kuniaki Niimi

Kuniaki Niimi 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: 7908844
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a first exhaust passage and second exhaust passage branched from an exhaust passage are provided. An NOx storing reduction catalyst and a particulate filter are arranged in each exhaust passage. For example, when NOx should be released from the NOx storing reduction catalyst in the first exhaust passage, fuel is added from a fuel addition valve in the state with exhaust gas allowed to flow into only the first exhaust passage, while when the added fuel sticks to the NOx storing reduction catalyst, the first exhaust control valve is temporarily closed and the exhaust gas is made a rich air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Kamoshita, Shigeru Itabashi, Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Hirota
  • Patent number: 7904230
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle is equipped with a detection portion that detects a required output of an internal combustion engine, an acquisition portion that acquires an ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, a setting portion that sets an operation curve of the internal combustion engine such that the operation curve approaches an optimal fuel consumption operation curve as the acquired ignition timing is retarded with respect to a set ignition timing, a decision portion that decides a target power of the internal combustion engine on the basis of the detected required output and the set operation curve, and a control portion for controlling the internal combustion engine on the basis of the decided target power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Patent number: 7891172
    Abstract: When a fuel as a reducing agent is supplied to a NOx catalyst on which a NOx or a SOx is reduced, a flow rate of exhaust gas that flows through an exhaust passage is changed, and the fuel is supplied to the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage at a plurality of timings (?T1, ?T2) when the exhaust gas flows at different flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20110035136
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: a step of estimating the occluded amount of NOx if an engine is self-rotating and a catalyst temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature Ta(0); and a step of performing NOx reduction treatment if the estimated occluded amount of NOx is equal to or more than a predetermined amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20100146945
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology enabling regeneration of the purification performance of an exhaust purification device more reliably and more efficiently in an exhaust purification system combining a plurality of branch passages bifurcating from an exhaust passage and an exhaust purification device provided in each branch passage. When regenerating the purification performance of a first exhaust purification device provided in a first branch passage, a second valve provided in a second branch passage is set at a predetermined first intermediate opening and a first valve provided in the first branch passage is fully closed. Fuel is then added from a first fuel addition valve provided in the first branch passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Takanori Ueda
  • Patent number: 7703277
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprises a casing which forms a part of an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and houses therein an occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst and a reducing agent supply device which supplies a reducing agent to an interior of the casing on an upstream side of the NOx catalyst. The reducing agent supply device injects the reducing agent in a flat form in a direction intersecting a center line of the NOx catalyst from a nozzle hole disposed in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Ueda, Tametoshi Mizuta, Takashi Karita, Tomihisa Oda, Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20100070122
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, which outputs motive power to a drive shaft from an internal combustion engine and motor generators as motive power sources, including: a recirculating gas control portion that performs valve opening control on a recirculation valve so that an amount of recirculating exhaust reaches a control target valve, and that closes the recirculation valve completely when a deceleration request by a driver is detected; a throttle control portion that performs valve closing control on a throttle valve so that the amount of air circulating through an intake pipe decreases at a predetermined speed when the deceleration request issued by the driver is detected; and a braking control portion that controls regenerative braking forces of the motor generators so that at least one of the motor generators absorbs the motive power generated by the engine while valve closing control is executed on the throttle valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20090293465
    Abstract: Provided is a technology enabling a temperature of an exhaust gas purifying device to rise more surely by operating an electric heater for a catalyst attached with the electric heater more steadily without exerting an excessive load on a battery. Included are the battery and the electric heater operating upon being supplied with electric power from the battery and heating an occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst, wherein it is predicted, from a point that a SOx occluded quantity into the occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst is equal to or larger than S1, that a SOx poisoning recovery process will be executed in near future (S102), and a charging level of the battery is increased (S106) by raising a voltage of power generation of an alternator (S103).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Takanori Ueda, Kenichi Tsujimoto
  • Publication number: 20090265075
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle is equipped with a detection portion that detects a required output of an internal combustion engine, an acquisition portion that acquires an ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, a setting portion that sets an operation curve of the internal combustion engine such that the operation curve approaches an optimal fuel consumption operation curve as the acquired ignition timing is retarded with respect to a set ignition timing, a decision portion that decides a target power of the internal combustion engine on the basis of the detected required output and the set operation curve, and a control portion for controlling the internal combustion engine on the basis of the decided target power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kuniaki NIIMI
  • Publication number: 20090205323
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a technique for improving the efficiency of performance regeneration process that is executed on NOx storage reduction catalysts provided in a plurality of branch passages branching from the exhaust passage and reduce emissions of NOx from an internal combustion engine to the atmosphere. When the quantity of NOx discharged from an internal combustion engine and flowing into an exhaust pipe is smaller than a predetermined quantity, fuel serving as reducing agent is added through a fuel addition valve while torque change moderating process is executed (from T0 to T1 ). After that, a first flow rate control valve is closed to make the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing in the first branch passage smaller than that in the second branch passage (from T1 to T3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Tomihisa Oda, Takanori Ueda, Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20090178392
    Abstract: The problem is to regenerate the purification ability of an exhaust gas purification device more reliably or efficiently in an exhaust gas purification system that combines a plurality of branch passages branch off from an exhaust gas passage and exhaust gas purification devices. When the purification ability of an exhaust gas purification device is regenerated, in the branch passage where the exhaust gas purification device is provided whose purification ability is to be regenerated, the opening angle of an exhaust gas flow volume control valve is set to the minimum opening angle that can reliably transport a reducing agent that is added from a reducing agent addition section. While the opening angle is maintained, the reducing agent is added. After the addition of the reducing agent is complete, the opening angle of an exhaust gas flow volume control valve is closed completely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kuniaki Niimi, Kenichi Tsujimoto, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Hirota, Takanori Ueda
  • Publication number: 20090007546
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying system for an internal combustion engine includes a first exhaust passage (22a) and a second exhaust passage (22b) into which an exhaust passage (21) of the internal combustion engine is bifurcated. NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b) and particulate filters (24a, 24b) are provided in each of the exhaust passages (22a, 22b). Fuel is supplied from a fuel valve (32) when NOx is to be released from the NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b). At a timing when the supplied fuel attaches to the NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b), one of exhaust control valves, for example, a first exhaust control valve (26a) is temporarily closed so as to keep the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas rich. When NOx is released from the NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b) next time, a second exhaust control valve (26b) is temporarily closed after the fuel is supplied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Ueda, Tomihisa Oda, Kuniaki Niimi, Kenichi Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 7418942
    Abstract: A control apparatus retards ignition timing of the engine, and increases an amount of a fuel supplied to the engine based on a retard amount of the ignition timing, by calculating a maximum engine intake air amount at which an exhaust system temperature can be maintained at or below a predetermined upper limit temperature by increasing the amount of the fuel supplied to the engine without causing a misfire of the engine, and limiting an engine intake air amount to a value no greater than the maximum engine intake air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20080092528
    Abstract: When a fuel as a reducing agent is supplied to a NOx catalyst on which a NOx or a SOx is reduced, a flow rate of exhaust gas that flows through an exhaust passage is changed, and the fuel is supplied to the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage at a plurality of timings (?T1, ?T2) when the exhaust gas flows at different flow rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20080053075
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine (1) comprises a casing (15) which forms apart of an exhaust passage (14) of the internal combustion engine and houses therein an occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst (12, 13) and a reducing agent supply device (11) which supplies a reducing agent to an interior of the casing on an upstream side of the NOx catalyst. The reducing agent supply device injects the reducing agent in a flat form in a direction intersecting a center line (CL) of the NOx catalyst from a nozzle hole (11a) disposed in the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Ueda, Tametoshi Mizuta, Takashi Karita, Tomihisa Oda, Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20070288153
    Abstract: A control apparatus retards ignition timing of the engine, and increases an amount of a fuel supplied to the engine based on a retard amount of the ignition timing, by calculating a maximum engine intake air amount at which an exhaust system temperature can be maintained at or below a predetermined upper limit temperature by increasing the amount of the fuel supplied to the engine without causing a misfire of the engine, and limiting an engine intake air amount to a value no greater than the maximum engine intake air amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20070245723
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a first exhaust passage and second exhaust passage branched from an exhaust passage are provided. An NOx storing reduction catalyst and a particulate filter are arranged in each exhaust passage. For example, when NOx should be released from the NOx storing reduction catalyst in the first exhaust passage, fuel is added from a fuel addition valve in the state with exhaust gas allowed to flow into only the first exhaust passage, while when the added fuel sticks to the NOx storing reduction catalyst, the first exhaust control valve is temporarily closed and the exhaust gas is made a rich air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Shinji Kamoshita, Shigeru Itabashi, Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Hirota
  • Patent number: 7228221
    Abstract: A control apparatus retards ignition timing of the engine, and increases an amount of a fuel supplied to the engine based on a retard amount of the ignition timing, by calculating a maximum engine intake air amount at which an exhaust system temperature can be maintained at or below a predetermined upper limit temperature by increasing the amount of the fuel supplied to the engine without causing a misfire of the engine, and limiting an engine intake air amount to a value no greater than the maximum engine intake air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Publication number: 20060196472
    Abstract: A control apparatus retards ignition timing of the engine, and increases an amount of a fuel supplied to the engine based on a retard amount of the ignition timing, by calculating a maximum engine intake air amount at which an exhaust system temperature can be maintained at or below a predetermined upper limit temperature by increasing the amount of the fuel supplied to the engine without causing a misfire of the engine, and limiting an engine intake air amount to a value no greater than the maximum engine intake air amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kuniaki Niimi
  • Patent number: 7077105
    Abstract: A low-octane fuel and a high-octane fuel stored in a low-octane fuel tank (5) and a high-octane fuel tank (7), both having known octane numbers, are injected from fuel injection valves (13a, 13b) into an intake port (12) at a mixing proportion that achieves a standard octane number set in accordance with the engine operation state. If knocking occurs during a predetermined steady engine operation state, the knocking is detected by a knock sensor (10b) and, corresponding to the knocking, the ignition timing is retarded from a basic ignition timing. A deviation in octane number is determined from the amount of ignition timing retardation with reference to a map, and is then corrected by the intake air pressure. On the basis of the corrected deviation in octane number, a deviation in the mixing proportion of the high-octane fuel is determined with reference to a map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomihisa Oda, Kuniaki Niimi