Abstract: An EGR apparatus includes an EGR passage to allow part of exhaust gas discharged from a combustion chamber to flow in an intake passage and recirculate back to the combustion chamber and an EGR valve to regulate EGR gas in the EGR passage. The EGR valve includes a valve seat, a valve element, and a step motor. An ECU calculates a target correction value corresponding to an operating condition of an engine, cuts off energization to the step motor in order to hold the EGR valve at a predetermined opening degree during operation thereof, and then restarts energization to the step motor, calculates an energization cutoff correction value corresponding to an elapsed time from energization cutoff, and corrects the target correction value by the calculated energization cutoff correction value in order to control the EGR valve to the target opening degree.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to detect insulation failure of an EHC. In the invention, a heat generation element of the EHC is electrically insulated by an insulating member.

Abstract: The exhaust gas purifying device of an internal combustion engine includes: an electrically heated catalyst which is provided on an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, which purifies the exhaust gas drawn to the exhaust passage, and is warmed by electrification; and an electrification characteristic setting unit which set an electrification characteristic indicating a characteristic of an electrification resistance value in the electrically heated catalyst, in accordance with an electrification condition at a time of starting the electrification of the electrically heated catalyst. Thus, various determinations and controls relating to the electrically heated catalyst and using the electrification characteristic can be accurately performed.

Abstract: An electric heating catalyst (EHC) in which a short circuit between a heat generation element and a case in EHC is suppressed. The EHC includes a heat generation element (catalyst carrier) electrically energized to generate heat; a case receiving the heat generation element; an insulating support member between the heat generation element and the case; a tubular inner pipe inserted into the insulating support member and located between the heat generation element and the case. The inner pipe has an end protruding into an exhaust gas from the insulating support member's end face, and the inner pipe has an electrically insulating layer formed on an entire surface, or the inner pipe is formed of an electrically insulating material; and an inner pipe heater supplied with electricity through a path different from a path through which electricity is supplied to the heat generation element, thereby heating the inner pipe's protrusion portion.

Abstract: Electricity is suppressed from flowing to a case of an electrically heated catalyst. In the electrically heated catalyst which is provided with a heat generation element adapted to be electrically energized to generate heat, the case in which the heat generation element is received, an inner pipe arranged between the heat generation element and the case for insulating electricity, an inner mat arranged between the heat generation element and the inner pipe, and an outer mat arranged between the inner pipe and the case, the inner pipe includes a tubular portion that is arranged in the surrounding of the heat generation element and is formed in parallel to a central axis of the heat generation element, and a downstream side inclination portion that is arranged at the downstream side of the tubular portion, with an inside diameter thereof becoming smaller in a direction toward a downstream side.

Abstract: An electrically-heated catalytic converter comprises a catalyst support which produces heat when electric current is applied, a holding mat made of an electrical insulating material, the holding mat being provided so as to cover an outer circumference of the catalyst support, and a case which houses the catalyst support and holds the catalyst support via the holding mat. The catalytic converter treats gas flowing in the case by a catalyst supported on the catalyst support. The holding mat has a water-absorbing property. An insulation layer made of an electrical insulating material is provided between the case and the holding mat.

Abstract: Whether or not an electrically heated catalyst is normal is detected by accurately detecting whether the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst has gone up.

Abstract: A brake system includes: a first passage connected to a negative pressure chamber of a brake booster; a second passage branching from the first passage; an electric vacuum pump in the second passage; a first check valve for preventing inflow of a fluid from the intake system to the negative pressure chamber through the second passage; and a second check valve for preventing inflow of a fluid from the intake system to the negative pressure chamber through the first passage and inflow of a fluid from the intake system and a discharge outlet of a pump part to a suction inlet in the pump through the first passage, wherein a filter is provided between a discharge outlet of the pump and the intake system.

Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus includes: an adsorbent disposed in an internal space of a leading end portion of a fuel injector, the adsorbent being capable of selectively adsorbing an alcohol component in the blended fuel of gasoline and alcohol; fuel pressure controller capable of achieving states in which a pressure of fuel to be supplied to the fuel injector is set to a low or high pressure range having a small or large adsorbed amount of alcohol on the adsorbent; and split injection controller that makes the fuel injector inject fuel for one cycle in a plurality of times, when the pressure of fuel to be supplied to the fuel injector is set to the high pressure range.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to suppress a short circuit between a heat generation element and a case in an electrically heated catalyst. An electrically heated catalyst (1) according to the present invention is provided with a heat generation element (3), a case (4), an insulating support member (5) arranged between said heat generation element (3) and said case (4), an inner pipe (6) inserted into said insulating support member (5) with its ends protruding into an exhaust gas from end faces of said insulating support member (5), and a catalyst (10) having an oxidation function that covers at least outer peripheral surfaces of protrusion portions (6a, 6b) of said inner pipe (6) protruding into the exhaust gas from the end faces of said insulating support member (5), except for predetermined ranges which are in contact with the end faces of said insulating support member (5).

Abstract: Electricity is suppressed from flowing through a case of an electrically heated catalyst.

Abstract: An EGR apparatus for an engine includes an EGR passage, an EGR valve, an accelerator sensor, and an ECU. The ECU compares a change amount (accelerator operating speed) per unit of time of an accelerator opening degree to a predetermined first determination value. When it is determined that a request for deceleration operation or acceleration operation is made to an engine, the ECU issues a fully closing command to the EGR valve. When it is determined that the deceleration or acceleration operation request is continued, the ECU continues to issue the fully closing command. When the deceleration or acceleration operation request is removed and the accelerator opening degree is larger or smaller than a predetermined second determination value, the ECU releases the fully closing command.

Abstract: A vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrically heated catalyst which is warmed by applying a current, and includes a catalyst carrier supporting a catalyst and a carrier retention unit that retains the catalyst carrier and has an electrical insulation property. The control unit performs a control of suppressing a supply of an unburned gas from the internal combustion engine to the electrically heated catalyst so that the carrier retention unit is maintained at a lower temperature than the catalyst, when a condition for performing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine during a deceleration is satisfied. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rapid cooling of the catalyst, and it becomes possible to maintain a temperature of the carrier retention unit at a lower temperature than a temperature of the catalyst.

Abstract: A vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrically heated catalyst which is warmed by applying a current, and includes a catalyst carrier supporting a catalyst and a carrier retention unit that retains the catalyst carrier and has an electrical insulation property. The vehicle control device includes an insulation resistance determination unit which determines whether or not an insulation resistance of the carrier retention unit decreases to a value equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and an applying current prohibition unit which prohibits applying the current to the electrically heated catalyst when the insulation resistance determination unit determines that the insulation resistance decreases to the value equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a technique which is capable of improving detection accuracy at the time of performing failure detection of a particulate filter by the use of a PM sensor. In the present invention, the PM sensor is arranged in an exhaust passage at the downstream side of the particulate filter. Then, the presence or absence of a failure in the particulate filter is determined by making a comparison between an output value of the PM sensor at the time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the execution of PM removal processing to remove the particulate matter deposited on the PM sensor is completed, and a predetermined threshold value. At this time, the threshold value is set based on an average value of an amount of intake air in an internal combustion engine during the passage of the predetermined period of time.

Abstract: The fuel injection apparatus for the internal combustion engine includes: a fuel injector having a leading end portion that has an internal space in which fuel is accumulated and an injection port for injecting fuel; and an adsorbent disposed in the internal space, the adsorbent being capable of selectively adsorbing an alcohol component in a blended fuel of gasoline and alcohol. In this fuel injection apparatus, it is determined whether or not a fuel pressure is higher than a predetermined low fuel pressure when a request is issued for bringing an internal combustion engine to a stop. If it is determined that the fuel pressure is higher than the low fuel pressure, the fuel pressure is kept at the low fuel pressure for a predetermined period of time before the internal combustion engine is brought to a stop.

Abstract: Electricity is suppressed from flowing to a case (2) of an electric heating type catalyst (1).

Abstract: The present invention is intended to suppress a reduction in insulation between a heat generation element and a case resulting from PM in an electric heating catalyst. In the electric heating catalyst which has an inner pipe (6a) arranged so as to be located between the heat generation element and the case, a precious metal band (10) is formed on at least either one of an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of that portion (6a) of the inner pipe which protrudes from an end face of an insulating support member into an exhaust gas, in such a manner as to extend around on a circumferential surface thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to suppress a short circuit between a heat generation element and a case in an electrically heated catalyst. An electrically heated catalyst (1) according to the present invention is provided with a heat generation element (3), a case (4), an insulating support member (5) arranged between said heat generation element (3) and said case (4), an inner pipe (6) inserted into said insulating support member (5) with its ends protruding into an exhaust gas from end faces of said insulating support member (5), and a catalyst (10) having an oxidation function that covers at least outer peripheral surfaces of protrusion portions (6a, 6b) of said inner pipe (6) protruding into the exhaust gas from the end faces of said insulating support member (5), except for predetermined ranges which are in contact with the end faces of said insulating support member (5).

Abstract: An EGR apparatus includes an EGR passage and an EGR valve including a valve seat, valve element, and step motor. In a fully closed state of the EGR valve with the valve element seated on the valve seat, a front-side pressure of the valve element is detected by an air flow meter and a back-side pressure of the valve element is detected by an intake pressure sensor. An ECU calculates a differential pressure between the front-side pressure and the back-side pressure as a front-and-back differential pressure. When the front-and-back differential pressure is smaller than a predetermined reference value, the ECU allows opening of the EGR valve from the fully closed state and allows driving of the step motor. The ECU can also correct the reference value according value according to voltage of a battery that supplies electric power to the step motor.