Patents by Inventor Masatoshi Seto

Masatoshi Seto 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: 11835001
    Abstract: A control system for an engine including intake and exhaust valve phase variable devices and a control device is provided. At an engine temperature below a first determination temperature, the control is performed so that an exhaust valve close timing is at or retarded from the exhaust top dead center, an intake valve open timing is retarded from the exhaust valve close timing, and the fuel supply to the combustion chamber starts in an intake stroke on a retarding side of the exhaust valve close timing. At the engine temperature above the first determination temperature and below a second determination temperature, the control is performed so that a negative overlap with both the exhaust and intake valves closed during a period including the exhaust top dead center, or a positive overlap with both the exhaust and intake valves opened during a period including the exhaust top dead center, occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takeaki Kudo, Junki Hori, Masatoshi Seto, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Masahisa Yamakawa
  • Publication number: 20230383702
    Abstract: A control system for an engine including intake and exhaust valve phase variable devices and a control device is provided. At an engine temperature below a first determination temperature, the control is performed so that an exhaust valve close timing is at or retarded from the exhaust top dead center, an intake valve open timing is retarded from the exhaust valve close timing, and the fuel supply to the combustion chamber starts in an intake stroke on a retarding side of the exhaust valve close timing. At the engine temperature above the first determination temperature and below a second determination temperature, the control is performed so that a negative overlap with both the exhaust and intake valves closed during a period including the exhaust top dead center, or a positive overlap with both the exhaust and intake valves opened during a period including the exhaust top dead center, occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Takeaki Kudo, Junki Hori, Masatoshi Seto, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Masahisa Yamakawa
  • Publication number: 20220065158
    Abstract: An engine is provided, which includes a combustion chamber defined by a cylinder head and a piston inside a cylinder of a cylinder block, a fuel injection nozzle provided to the cylinder head and formed in a tip-end part with a plurality of injection holes from which fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, the tip-end part being exposed to the combustion chamber, and a passage-forming member formed with a passage through which the injected fuel passes. The injection holes include first and second injection holes, and the passage-forming member is disposed around the tip-end part of the nozzle so as to cause a difference between a speed at which fuel injected from the first injection hole flows toward a circumferential part of the combustion chamber, and a speed at which fuel injected from the second injection hole flows toward the circumferential part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Akira Kuramochi, Yuji Harada, Takeshi Nagasawa, Masatoshi Seto, Junki Hori, Yudai Koshiro, Yoshiyuki Koga, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20220065190
    Abstract: An engine is provided, which includes a combustion chamber defined by a cylinder head and a piston inside a cylinder of a cylinder block, a fuel injection nozzle provided to the cylinder head and formed in a tip-end part with an injection hole from which fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, the tip-end part being exposed to the combustion chamber, and a passage-forming member formed with a passage through which the fuel injected from the injection hole passes. An outer circumferential surface of the passage-forming member contacts a combustion-chamber ceiling surface of the cylinder head, and the passage of the passage-forming member includes an enlarged part gradually increasing in a cross-sectional area thereof from an upstream side to a downstream side of the passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Akira Kuramochi, Yuji Harada, Takeshi Nagasawa, Masatoshi Seto, Junki Hori, Yudai Koshiro, Yoshiyuki Koga, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20210131375
    Abstract: A structure of a combustion chamber applied to an engine provided with a piston that reciprocates inside a cylinder, and a fuel supply system that supplies fuel to the combustion chamber defined by the cylinder and the piston, mixture gas of fuel from the fuel supply system and air combusting inside the combustion chamber, is provided. The structure includes a first heat insulating layer covering at least a part of a combustion chamber wall surface defining the combustion chamber and made of a material with a lower thermal conductivity than the combustion chamber wall surface, and a second heat insulating layer covering the first heat insulating layer and facing toward the combustion chamber, a thermal diffusivity of the second heat insulating layer being larger than the thermal diffusivity of the first heat insulating layer. The second heat insulating layer has a thickness less than the first heat insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Ryo Kiyosue, Hiroyasu Uchida, Akira Kageyama, Tsugio Fukube, Yoshiyuki Koga, Masatoshi Seto, Yudai Koshiro, Junki Hori
  • Patent number: 9874173
    Abstract: An engine has an engine body, an injector, and a control section which controls a fuel injection amount and an injection state of the injector. The control section predicts a state of temperature in the combustion chamber, and controls the injector such that a volume of an air-fuel mixture layer formed in the combustion chamber is larger when the predicted temperature is high, than when the predicted temperature is low, even when same fuel amounts are injected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Hiroyuki Yamashita, Masahiko Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto
  • Patent number: 9638146
    Abstract: A gasoline direct-injection engine is provided. The engine performs compression self-ignition combustion, and includes a cylinder, an injector, intake and exhaust ports, intake and exhaust valves, and an ozone generating system for generating ozone inside the cylinder. The system includes an electrode projecting into the cylinder while being partially electrically insulated from walls of the cylinder, and a high-voltage control device for applying a controlled pulse-shaped voltage to the electrode. When the voltage is applied, electric discharge occurs between the non-insulated part of the electrode and the walls of the cylinder, and ozone is generated inside the cylinder due to an effect of the electric discharge. A combustion pattern is provided, in which a compression stroke injection is performed and mixture gas formed by the fuel injection self-ignites to combust. When the combustion pattern is applied, the high-voltage control device is operated on intake stroke or the compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Fujimoto, Yuji Harada, Masatoshi Seto, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9624820
    Abstract: A control device for direct injection gasoline engines includes a fuel injection control part (engine control device) composed to control a fuel injection aspect of an injector. The fuel injection control part changes an injection mode of the injector by changing the lift amount of the injector and the injection interval of the fuel respectively. The fuel injection control part switches between a first injection mode, which includes multiple times of the fuel injection with the small lift amount of the injector and the small interval of the fuel injection, and a second injection mode, which includes multiple times of the fuel injection with the bigger lift amount of the injector and the larger interval of the fuel injection than those of the first injection mode, according to an operating state of the engine body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Tatsuya Tanaka, Masatoshi Seto, Hiroyuki Yamashita, Tsugio Fukube
  • Patent number: 9599058
    Abstract: A control device of a gasoline direct-injection engine is provided. The control device includes an engine body, an injector, and a controller. Within a high load operating range, the controller causes the injector to perform a pre-injection and a post injection. In the pre-injection, the fuel is injected to cause a fuel concentration within an in-cylinder radially peripheral section to be higher than a fuel concentration within an in-cylinder radially central section at a timing for the fuel to ignite. In the post injection, the fuel is injected to cause the fuel concentration within the radially central section to be higher than the fuel concentration within the radially peripheral section at a timing for the fuel to ignite. The timing for the fuel injected in the post injection to ignite is after an oxidative reaction of the fuel injected in the pre-injection occurs and after a compression top dead center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Hiroyuki Yamashita, Masahiko Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto
  • Patent number: 9488094
    Abstract: A direct injection engine includes an ignition assistance section applying energy to fuel injected into a cylinder using an injector to assist auto-ignition combustion of the fuel when the engine is within an auto-ignition combustion operation range. A start time of fuel injection is set within a period from a terminal stage of a compression stroke to a compression top dead center. The energy is applied to the fuel injected into the cylinder in a period from start of the fuel injection to an initial stage of an expansion stroke such that a time of a specific crank angle when an increase rate of in-cylinder pressure, which is a ratio of a change in the in-cylinder pressure to a change in a crank angle in motoring the engine, reaches a negative maximum value overlaps a combustion period when a combustion mass percentage of the fuel ranges from 10% to 90%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Kazuaki Narahara, Tatsuya Tanaka, Yoshitomo Takahashi, Yusuke Nakao, Takashi Ikai, Hidefumi Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto, Yoshio Tanita, Kazuo Ichikawa, Shingo Kai, Susumu Masuyama, Hirokazu Nakahashi, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 9488125
    Abstract: A control device of a direct-injection engine is provided. The control device includes an engine body having a piston provided inside a cylinder and a combustion chamber formed by the cylinder and the piston, an injector for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, an ozone generator for generating ozone inside the combustion chamber, and a controller for controlling the injector and the ozone generator. The controller controls the injector to inject a first amount of the fuel and, after this fuel is ignited, to inject a second amount of the fuel, and the controller controls the ozone generator to generate ozone in synchronization with the fuel injection that is performed by the injector after the fuel ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Fujimoto, Noriyuki Ota, Masatoshi Seto
  • Publication number: 20160252041
    Abstract: An engine has an engine body, an injector, and a control section which controls a fuel injection amount and an injection state of the injector. The control section predicts a state of temperature in the combustion chamber, and controls the injector such that a volume of an air-fuel mixture layer formed in the combustion chamber is larger when the predicted temperature is high, than when the predicted temperature is low, even when same fuel amounts are injected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji HARADA, Hiroyuki YAMASHITA, Masahiko FUJIMOTO, Masatoshi SETO
  • Publication number: 20150275818
    Abstract: A control device of a direct-injection engine is provided. The control device includes an engine body having a piston provided inside a cylinder and a combustion chamber formed by the cylinder and the piston, an injector for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, an ozone generator for generating ozone inside the combustion chamber, and a controller for controlling the injector and the ozone generator. The controller controls the injector to inject a first amount of the fuel and, after this fuel is ignited, to inject a second amount of the fuel, and the controller controls the ozone generator to generate ozone in synchronization with the fuel injection that is performed by the injector after the fuel ignition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiko Fujimoto, Noriyuki Ota, Masatoshi Seto
  • Publication number: 20150240758
    Abstract: A gasoline direct-injection engine is provided. The engine performs compression self-ignition combustion, and includes a cylinder, an injector, intake and exhaust ports, intake and exhaust valves, and an ozone generating system for generating ozone inside the cylinder. The system includes an electrode projecting into the cylinder while being partially electrically insulated from walls of the cylinder, and a high-voltage control device for applying a controlled pulse-shaped voltage to the electrode. When the voltage is applied, electric discharge occurs between the non-insulated part of the electrode and the walls of the cylinder, and ozone is generated inside the cylinder due to an effect of the electric discharge. A combustion pattern is provided, in which a compression stroke injection is performed and mixture gas formed by the fuel injection self-ignites to combust. When the combustion pattern is applied, the high-voltage control device is operated on intake stroke or the compression stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiko Fujimoto, Yuji Harada, Masatoshi Seto, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20150211431
    Abstract: A control device of a gasoline direct-injection engine is provided. The control device includes an engine body, an injector, and a controller. Within a high load operating range, the controller causes the injector to perform a pre-injection and a post injection. In the pre-injection, the fuel is injected to cause a fuel concentration within an in-cylinder radially peripheral section to be higher than a fuel concentration within an in-cylinder radially central section at a timing for the fuel to ignite. In the post injection, the fuel is injected to cause the fuel concentration within the radially central section to be higher than the fuel concentration within the radially peripheral section at a timing for the fuel to ignite. The timing for the fuel injected in the post injection to ignite is after an oxidative reaction of the fuel injected in the pre-injection occurs and after a compression top dead center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Hiroyuki Yamashita, Masahiko Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto
  • Publication number: 20150144093
    Abstract: A control device for direct injection gasoline engines includes a fuel injection control part (engine control device) composed to control a fuel injection aspect of an injector. The fuel injection control part changes an injection mode of the injector by changing the lift amount of the injector and the injection interval of the fuel respectively. The fuel injection control part switches between a first injection mode, which includes multiple times of the fuel injection with the small lift amount of the injector and the small interval of the fuel injection, and a second injection mode, which includes multiple times of the fuel injection with the bigger lift amount of the injector and the larger interval of the fuel injection than those of the first injection mode, according to an operating state of the engine body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Tatsuya Tanaka, Masatoshi Seto, Hiroyuki Yamashita, Tsugio Fukube
  • Publication number: 20140216396
    Abstract: A direct injection engine includes an ignition assistance section applying energy to fuel injected into a cylinder using an injector to assist auto-ignition combustion of the fuel when the engine is within an auto-ignition combustion operation range. A start time of fuel injection is set within a period from a terminal stage of a compression stroke to a compression top dead center. The energy is applied to the fuel injected into the cylinder in a period from start of the fuel injection to an initial stage of an expansion stroke such that a time of a specific crank angle when an increase rate of in-cylinder pressure, which is a ratio of a change in the in-cylinder pressure to a change in a crank angle in motoring the engine, reaches a negative maximum value overlaps a combustion period when a combustion mass percentage of the fuel ranges from 10% to 90%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Kazuaki Narahara, Tatsuya Tanaka, Yoshitomo Takahashi, Yusuke Nakao, Takashi Ikai, Hidefumi Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto, Yoshio Tanita, Kazuo Ichikawa, Shingo Kai, Susumu Masuyama, Hirokazu Nakahashi, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 8417437
    Abstract: When it is determined that an engine operating condition is in a high-engine load HCCI range (A2) where an engine load is higher than a specified load X1 within a HCCI range A where a compression self combustion is performed, an after-TDC injection F2s is executed at a point T1 when an internal pressure of a combustion chamber drops below a specified pressure Y after the top dead center of an exhaust stroke during a minus valve overlap period NVO during which intake and exhaust valves are both closed. Then, a main injection F2m as a main injection is executed. Accordingly, any improper detonation or deterioration of NOx emission which may be caused by the compression self-ignition combustion in the range where the engine load is relatively high can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Masatoshi Seto, Yusuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 7992538
    Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine and system including the engine is provided. The method may include closing an exhaust valve of a combustion chamber of said engine during a cylinder cycle prior to opening an intake valve of said combustion chamber. The method may include, when a desired engine torque is a predetermined torque or greater, supplying a first pilot fuel into said combustion chamber after said exhaust valve closing and supplying a first main fuel into said combustion chamber after the combustion of said first preliminary fuel during the cylinder cycle. The method may include, when a desired engine torque is less than said predetermined torque, supplying a second pilot fuel into said combustion chamber after said exhaust valve closing during the cylinder cycle and supplying a second main fuel into said combustion chamber after the supplying of said second pilot fuel into said combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Takeo Yamauchi, Masatoshi Seto
  • Publication number: 20100312455
    Abstract: When it is determined that an engine operating condition is in a high-engine load HCCI range (A2) where an engine load is higher than a specified load X1 within a HCCI range A where a compression self combustion is performed, an after-TDC injection F2s is executed at a point T1 when an internal pressure of a combustion chamber drops below a specified pressure Y after the top dead center of an exhaust stroke during a minus valve overlap period NVO during which intake and exhaust valves are both closed. Then, a main injection F2m as a main injection is executed. Accordingly, any improper detonation or deterioration of NOx emission which may be caused by the compression self-ignition combustion in the range where the engine load is relatively high can be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki YAMASHITA, Masatoshi SETO, Yusuke KAWAI