Patents by Inventor Masami Nagano

Masami Nagano 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).

  • Publication number: 20050103309
    Abstract: Disclosed is an internal combustion engine controller, which is used with a fuel-based torque-on-demand control type, multi-cylinder, direct-injection internal combustion engine to provide an air flow rate control means that excels in response and convergence. This internal combustion engine controller comprises means for computing a target throttle opening from operating conditions. The means for computing a target throttle opening includes: a first computing means for determining a target throttle opening by exercising feedback control in accordance with operating conditions including an intake air flow rate; a second computing means for determining a target throttle opening by exercising feed-forward control in accordance with operating conditions; and a third computing means for determining a target throttle opening in accordance with a target throttle opening value determined by the first computing means and a target throttle opening value determined by the second computing means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Oosuga, Masami Nagano, Mamoru Nemoto, Toshio Hori
  • Publication number: 20050056002
    Abstract: A control apparatus capable of separately detecting an unexpected fluctuation in the amount of NOx discharged from an engine (combustion chamber), separately from deterioration of lean NOx catalyst performance, thereby avoiding incorrect diagnosis of deterioration of the lean NOx catalyst, and ensuring the optimum control of the catalyst. A control apparatus of an engine wherein a lean NOx catalyst having a function of storing the NOx discharged from a combustion chamber in the lean operation mode, and desorbing and cleaning the stored NOx in the rich operation mode is provided in an exhaust path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Toshio Hori, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20050056003
    Abstract: An HC absorption combustion catalyst is provided in the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine and shifts from an HC absorption phase to an HC purification phase through an HC release phase as a temperature of the HC absorption combustion catalyst increases from a low value to a high value. The temperature of the HC absorption combustion catalyst is controlled in accordance with the HC absorption phase, the HC release phase and the HC purification phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Kozo Katogi, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20050056259
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injection device comprising an intake pipe having interior wall surfaces for providing air from an upstream side to a downstream side and a fuel injection port disposed in the intake pipe between the surfaces for providing fuel into the intake pipe and an air guide member disposed in the intake pipe in a plane substantially parallel to the surfaces for guiding air separately towards an air flow layer passage and a main air passage wherein the air guided towards the air flow layer passage has a speed at least greater than the air guided towards the main air passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Patent number: 6854448
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an amount of spray attaching onto an inner wall surface of an intake pipe is reduced by forming a two-directional spray of highly atomized fuel. The highly atomized two-directional spray can be obtained by a spray forming means constructed by piling a fuel in-plate forming fuel passages, a swirl plate forming fuel passages for adding swirl forces to the fuel, and an injection plate for determining injection directions of the fuel. Further, penetrations of the sprays injected toward two directions are made different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Motoyuki Abe, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20050022783
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronically-controlled fuel injector, for an internal combustion engine, comprising a downstream fuel injection valve located near an air intake port of each cylinder or inside a cylinder, an air intake passage which bypasses the throttle valve located upstream of a downstream fuel injection valve, and a fuel vaporizing section including an upstream fuel injection valve, and a heater which vaporizes fuel injected from the upstream fuel injection valve; and further having an air intake port located upstream of the throttle valve, air flow control section for controlling an amount of air, said fuel vaporizing section, vaporized-fuel branch section for supplying vaporized fuel to each cylinder, and a vaporized-fuel distribution passage which extends from the vaporized-fuel branch section to an opening located in each air intake pipe located downstream of the throttle valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki
  • Publication number: 20050013756
    Abstract: To provide an engine exhaust gas treatment system that can efficiently reduce and remove NOx using easy-to-handle urea as the reducing agent, regardless of the engine operating conditions. An exhaust gas denitration system in which an exhaust gas is introduced into the denitration catalyst reactor 5 provided in the exhaust gas flue 3, where NOx is reduced and removed in the presence of the denitration catalyst, wherein a diversion means provided in the exhaust gas flue 3 introduces part or all of the exhaust gas into a urea solution injection evaporator having a heating means by the heater 30, and the heat from the exhaust gas and the heat from the heater serve to generate ammonia that is then circled and mixed with the exhaust gas and introduced into the denitration catalyst reactor 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Makoto Yamakado, Hiroshi Kusumoto, Masami Nagano, Ikuhisa Hamada, Toshifumi Mukai, Hiroshi Yokota
  • Publication number: 20040237931
    Abstract: To maintain a favorable combustion states, the quantity and quality of a fuel-air mixture to be supplied to cylinders in an internal-combustion engine having multi-cylinder combustors, is where motor-driven fuel spraying mechanisms are provided corresponding to respective cylinders, is controlled with a high response. For this purpose, a mixture supply device has a motor-driven exhaust recirculating mechanism for collecting part of the exhaust generated by combustion in the internal-combustion engine and then remixing the exhaust into the mixture, and an integrated controller for transmitting control signals simultaneously to the above-mentioned three types of mechanisms which are built into a motor-driven multiple-throttle mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Tomonaga Oyamada, Makoto Yamakado, Teruhiko Minegishi, Akihiro Munakata, Yuzo Kadomukai, Masami Nagano, Takehiko Kowatari
  • Patent number: 6820864
    Abstract: Atomization and vaporization of spray in a fuel supply system is promoted at the time of cold startup and the amount of fuel depositing on the inner wall of the intake manifold is reduced, thereby ensuring improved startability of an internal combustion engine of a car, reduced fuel costs and improved purification of exhaust gas. A very fine groove is formed on a heat transfer surface in a fuel vaporization promoting apparatus, wherein this groove is shaped in such a way that fuel is dispersed by the surface tension of the heat transfer surface and the fuel. This configuration ensures uniform dispersion of fuel on the heat transfer surface and effective promotion of vaporization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yuzo Kadomukai, Hiroaki Saeki, Kenji Watanabe, Takanobu Ichihara, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20040200212
    Abstract: In order to improve the decrease of the catalytic action and the deterioration of the exhaust purification performance, a catalyst installed in the exhaust pipe of an engine and a secondary air pump for supplying secondary air into the exhaust pipe are provided, and the secondary air pump is operated even after the engine has stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Kozo Katogi, Masami Nagano, Hiroshi Sekine, Hiroyuki Takamura, Shinji Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 6782694
    Abstract: A control method of an engine including at least an HC adsorbing catalyst for adsorbing HC at a low temperature, and emitting adsorbed HC at a high temperature, and a three-way purifying function on the same carrier, and an NOx adsorbing catalyst having an NOx adsorbing function for adsorbing or occluding NOx in oxidizing atmosphere, and emitting NOx in reducing atmosphere, and a three-way purifying function. The engine operated with stoichiometric value or a rich air-fuel when a temperature of the HC adsorbing catalyst and/or a temperature of the NOx adsorbing catalyst is equal to/lower than a predetermined value. The engine is operated with a lean air-fuel ratio when a temperature of the HC adsorbing catalyst and/or a temperature of the NOx adsorbing catalyst is equal to/higher than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20040139944
    Abstract: A bi-fuel internal combustion engine is intended for suppressing consumption of gasoline fuel and reducing exhaust emissions; under ordinary operations, a CNG fuel emitting smaller amounts of NOx, HC, CO, and the like as compared with a gasoline fuel, is used as a supply fuel to reduce the exhaust emissions; in this case, a fuel injection device is required for each of the two types of fuel, that is, the gasoline fuel and the CNG fuel and the problem is torque change and fluctuation occurring when the fuel is switched from gasoline to CNG, or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2004
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Nakano, Masami Nagano, Matsuo Amano
  • Publication number: 20040089271
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injection device comprising an intake pipe having interior wall surfaces for providing air from an upstream side to a downstream side and a fuel injection port disposed in the intake pipe between the surfaces for providing fuel into the intake pipe and an air guide member disposed in the intake pipe in a plane substantially parallel to the surfaces for guiding air separately towards an air flow layer passage and a main air passage wherein the air guided towards the air flow layer passage has a speed at least greater than the air guided towards the main air passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Publication number: 20040060285
    Abstract: A control unit for an internal combustion engine can activate a three-way catalyst at the early stage and can lessen the deterioration of the exhaust in an internal combustion engine such as HC, CO, and NOx, etc. from the exhaust gas when starting. The control unit for an internal combustion engine is provided with the three-way catalyst and HC adsorbent on an exhaust side. The control unit alternately controls the A/F between a rich state and a lean state in order to quicken the activation of the three-way catalyst when the internal combustion engine starts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20040031472
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising: an intake passage; a downstream fuel injection valve near the port of each cylinder of the engine and downstream of the intake passage; and a controller, wherein the intake passage includes a fuel injection/evaporation device which has an upstream fuel injection valve; a heater for evaporating injected fuel; and an air passage for supplying the injected fuel with air. The controller is adapted to control the amount of fuel injected from the downstream fuel injection valve and the upstream fuel injection valve, thereby controlling the fuel-air ratio of the injected fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20040016416
    Abstract: To improve startability and reduce the amount of HC emission at start-up with the aid of a construction where vaporized fuel is supplied to the bypass passage that bypasses the main passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Applicants: HITACHI, LTD., HITACHI CAR ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takanobu Ichihara, Masami Nagano, Kozo Katogi, Hiroaki Saeki
  • Patent number: 6675574
    Abstract: A control unit for an internal combustion engine can activate a three-way catalyst at the early stage and can lessen the deterioration of the exhaust in an internal combustion engine such as HC, CO, and NOx, etc. from the exhaust gas when starting. The control unit for an internal combustion engine is provided with the three-way catalyst and HC adsorbent on an exhaust side. The control unit alternately controls the A/F between a rich state and a lean state in order to quicken the activation of the three-way catalyst when the internal combustion engine starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Masami Nagano
  • Patent number: 6668794
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injection device comprising an intake pipe having interior wall surfaces for providing air from an upstream side to a downstream side and a fuel injection port disposed in the intake pipe between the surfaces for providing fuel into the intake pipe and an air guide member disposed in the intake pipe in a plane substantially parallel to the surfaces for guiding air separately towards an air flow layer passage and a main air passage wherein the air guided towards the air flow layer passage has a speed at least greater than the air guided towards the main air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Publication number: 20030155666
    Abstract: The present invention promotes atomization and vaporization of spray at the time of cold startup and reduces the amount of fuel depositing on the inner wall of the intake manifold, thereby ensuring improved startability of an internal combustion engine of a car, reduced fuel costs and improved purification of exhaust gas. A very fine groove 201 is formed on a heat transfer surface 76 in a fuel vaporization promoting apparatus 100, wherein this groove 201 is shaped in such a way that fuel 24 is dispersed by the surface tension of a heat transfer surface 76 and fuel 24.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yuzo Kadomukai, Hiroaki Saeki, Kenji Watanabe, Takanobu Ichihara, Masami Nagano
  • Patent number: 6606976
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising: an intake passage; a downstream fuel injection valve near the port of each cylinder of the engine and downstream of the intake passage; and a controller, wherein the intake passage includes a fuel injection/evaporation device which has an upstream fuel injection valve; a heater for evaporating injected fuel; and an air passage for supplying the injected fuel with air. The controller is adapted to control the amount of fuel injected from the downstream fuel injection valve and the upstream fuel injection valve, thereby controlling the fuel-air ratio of the injected fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara