Patents by Inventor Mikio Inoue

Mikio Inoue 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: 20110192150
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, reducing agent is diffused and the exhaust resistance is made small. The apparatus includes a reducing agent addition valve that injects reducing agent, a reducing agent addition valve mount portion that has a space in which the reducing agent addition valve injects the reducing agent outside a stream of exhaust gas flowing in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and on which the reducing agent addition valve is mounted, and an impingement portion that is provided in the reducing agent addition valve mount portion and on which the reducing agent injected through the reducing agent addition valve impinges, wherein the direction of injection of the reducing agent from the reducing agent addition valve is oriented toward the impingement portion, and toward downstream of the reducing agent addition valve with respect to the exhaust gas flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Bisaiji, Koichiro Fukuda, Mikio Inoue, Satoru Nitta, Kiyohiko Nagae
  • Publication number: 20110120098
    Abstract: A technique is provided that can complete reduction and release of SOx from a storage-reduction type NOx catalyst in a shorter period of time in a SOx regeneration treatment of bringing an air-fuel ratio and temperature in the storage-reduction type NOx catalyst to a state where the reduction and release of the SOx is possible by alternately executing rich burn in which burning in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine is performed at a rich air-fuel ratio and lean burn in which the burning is performed at a lean air-fuel ratio. By supplying fuel to exhaust gas from a fuel addition valve provided to an exhaust pipe during a lean period in which the lean burn is executed, the temperature of the storage-reduction type NOx catalyst is maintained at a temperature that enables the reduction and release of the SOx. During a rich period in which the rich burn is executed, a rich atmosphere of the storage-reduction type NOx catalyst is achieved to cause the reduction and release of the SOx.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110107749
    Abstract: There is provided an exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine in which exhaust gas that is in a state in which an even concentration distribution of reducing agent is achieved is caused to flow into an exhaust gas purification apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110041488
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables efficient utilization of the purification capability of an exhaust gas purification apparatus. To achieve the object, according to the present invention, in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine provided with a reducing agent supply apparatus that supplies a reducing agent to the exhaust gas before it flows into an exhaust gas purification apparatus, an extension chamber is provided downstream of the position at which the reducing agent supply apparatus supplies the reducing agent to the exhaust gas and upstream of the exhaust gas purification apparatus. The extension chamber is provided with a back step flow creating portion that creates a back step flow of the exhaust gas in the extension chamber and a swirling flow creating portion that creates a swirling flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Bisaiji, Mikio Inoue, Koichiro Fukuda, Satoru Nitta, Kiyohiko Nagae
  • Publication number: 20110036072
    Abstract: An apparatus determines whether or not there is a malfunction in a reducing agent supply apparatus having a reducing agent addition valve provided in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The reducing agent addition valve injects liquid reducing agent into the exhaust gas. A temperature sensing unit that senses the temperature of the exhaust gas is provided at a position in the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine through which the reducing agent injected through the reducing agent addition valve passes. As the reducing agent is injected through the reducing agent addition valve, the temperature decrease of the exhaust gas at the position through which the reducing agent passes is calculated by a temperature decrease calculation unit. Whether or not there is a malfunction in the reducing agent supply apparatus is determined by a diagnosis unit, based on the temperature decrease of the exhaust gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110011063
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control apparatus includes an oxidation catalyst, a compact oxidation catalyst having a smaller cross section than that of an engine exhaust passage, a fuel supply valve, a glow plug, and an electronic control unit. The control modes for the exhaust gas control apparatus include a first control mode where the fuel is supplied from the fuel supply valve, heated by the glow plug, and ignited, a second control mode where the fuel is supplied from the fuel supply valve, and heated by the glow plug but is not ignited, and a third control mode where the fuel is supplied from the fuel supply valve and the glow plug does not provide heating. The electronic control unit selects the first or third control mode in the operation region where ignition is possible, and selects the second or third control mode in the operation region where ignition is not possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100242459
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine in an engine exhaust passage of which an exhaust purification catalyst (13) having an oxidation function is arranged and in the engine exhaust passage upstream of the exhaust purification catalyst (13) of which a small-sized oxidation catalyst (14) and a fuel feed valve (15) for feeding fuel to the small-sized oxidation catalyst (14) are arranged. When activating the exhaust purification catalyst (13), the fuel fed from the fuel injector (15) is used to heat the small-sized oxidation catalyst (14) and when the exhaust purification catalyst (13) is further raised in temperature, the fuel fed from the fuel feed valve (15) is increased and reformed fuel is exhausted from the small-sized oxidation catalyst (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Mikio Inoue, Shinya Hirota
  • Publication number: 20100192550
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent an excessive temperature rise of a precatalyst in the case where the precatalyst is provided in the exhaust passage upstream of an exhaust gas purification apparatus and has a heat capacity smaller than that of the exhaust gas purification apparatus, and reducing agent is added from a reducing agent addition valve toward an upstream end surface of the precatalyst. According to the present invention, the reducing agent addition valve is located in such a way that the reducing agent added through it reaches the precatalyst in a liquid state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100186386
    Abstract: A small oxidation catalyst and a fuel supply valve are arranged in an engine exhaust passage. The small oxidation catalyst has a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the engine exhaust passage, and portion of exhaust gas flowing in the engine exhaust passage flows through the small oxidation catalyst. The fuel supply valve supplies fuel to the small oxidation catalyst. Fuel is intermittently supplied from the fuel supply valve to the small oxidation catalyst to intermittently generate flames downstream of the small oxidation catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100126148
    Abstract: A technique is provided that enables reducer concentrations in exhaust gas flowing into an exhaust purification device on the upstream side and an exhaust purification device on the downstream side provided to an exhaust pipe in series to be controlled separately with a simple configuration. Included are the two exhaust purification devices provided to an exhaust passage in series, a bypass passage that bypasses the exhaust purification device on the upstream side, an exhaust control valve provided to the bypass passage, and reducer supply means provided on the upstream side of a branch portion. A reducer is supplied intermittently from the reducer supply means to periodically change the reducer concentration in the exhaust gas, and the exhaust control valve is opened or closed periodically at a predetermined timing with respect to the change in the reducer concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinori Morishima, Taro Aoyama, Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100122527
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the regeneration of a filter and the purification of NOx are made compatible with each other while suppressing an excessive supply of HC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichiro Fukuda, Mikio Inoue, Yuki Bisaiji
  • Publication number: 20100115922
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce oxide stored in an NOx catalyst in a more preferable manner. According to the present invention, when oxide stored in the NOx catalyst is to be reduced, the combustion mode of the internal combustion engine is switched into a low air-fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the internal combustion engine is low, and supply of fuel is executed at a time when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas has been made low by the switching of the combustion mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Inoue, Akinori Morishima
  • Publication number: 20100077736
    Abstract: In a treatment for regenerating the purification capability of an exhaust emission control system, a technique for improving exhaust emission more positively is provided by supplying a reducing agent to the exhaust emission control system and allowing part of exhaust to bypass the exhaust emission control system. When an addition synchronous bypass control is carried out in which an reducing agent is added when an NSR is subject to NOx reduction treatment and the volume of exhaust passing through a bypass pipe out of exhaust passing an exhaust pipe is increased to thereby decrease the volume of exhaust passing through the NSR, a judgment is made (S106) as to which is larger a reduction in volume of Nox exhausted (S105) due to an increase in conversion efficiency of the NSR as the result of the addition synchronous bypass control carried out or an increase in volume of Nox exhausted (S103) due to an increase in exhaust passing through the bypass pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akinori Morishima, Mikio Inoue
  • Patent number: 7657361
    Abstract: An electronic control unit 30 of a diesel engine 10 stores a relationship between a required fuel injection amount and a corresponding injection command signal. The unit 30 generates the injection command signal corresponding to the required fuel injection amount based on the stored relationship, and drives injectors 20 based on the injection command signal to inject fuel. The unit 30 includes a shifting section, which forcibly changes the engine rotational speed by temporarily shifting the fuel injection mode between a first injection mode and a second injection mode. The first injection mode is a mode in which an after injection is executed after a main injection. The after injection has less fuel injection amount than the main injection. The second injection mode is a mode in which the after injection is not executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Inoue, Yasuyuki Terada
  • Publication number: 20090258206
    Abstract: A porous carbon sheet obtained by binding separate carbon short fibers with a carbonization product of a resin, wherein the pore mode diameter of the sheet is 45 to 90 ?m and the mean fiber diameter of the carbon short fibers is 5 to 20 ?m. The sheet can be produced by thermoforming a precursor fiber sheet comprising carbon short fibers of 15 to 30 g/m2 in basis weight and a thermosetting resin of 30 to 80 g/m2 in basis weight by hot plates having a certain clearance and carbonizing the thermosetting resin contained in thermoformed precursor fiber sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Chida, Mikio Inoue, Kenya Okada
  • Publication number: 20090254261
    Abstract: An electronic control unit 30 of a diesel engine 10 stores a relationship between a required fuel injection amount and a corresponding injection command signal. The unit 30 generates the injection command signal corresponding to the required fuel injection amount based on the stored relationship, and drives injectors 20 based on the injection command signal to inject fuel. The unit 30 includes a shifting section, which forcibly changes the engine rotational speed by temporarily shifting the fuel injection mode between a first injection mode and a second injection mode. The first injection mode is a mode in which an after injection is executed after a main injection. The after injection has less fuel injection amount than the main injection. The second injection mode is a mode in which the after injection is not executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Inoue, Yasuyuki Terada
  • Publication number: 20090084091
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an NOX purification catalyst (14) is arranged in the engine exhaust passage and an intermediate product producing catalyst (12) able to store NOX contained in the exhaust gas is arranged at the upstream of the NOX purification catalyst (14). The intermediate product producing catalyst (12) is fed with mist fuel, and intermediate products (33) comprising bonded molecules comprised of an NOX and hydrocarbon molecules more than an equivalent ratio with respect to an NOX molecule are produced from the NOX trapped in the intermediate product producing catalyst (12) or the NOX contained in the exhaust gas and the fed fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Mikio Inoue, Shinya Hirota
  • Publication number: 20090077950
    Abstract: The exhaust purification system for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes fuel supply means for supplying fuel to the NOx storage-reduction catalyst from the upstream side thereof, and SOx poisoning recovery control executing means that uses the fuel supply means to supply fuel to the NOx storage-reduction catalyst thereby executing the SOx poisoning recovery control at a predetermined interval during operation of the internal combustion engine. In addition, according to the present invention, the execution of the SOx poisoning recovery control by the SOx poisoning recovery control executing means is prohibited during a predetermined period DELTA Qfen2 starting from a point in time that the operation of the internal combustion engine is initially started. The predetermined period DELTA Qfen2 is longer than a predetermined interval DELTA Qfen1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taro Aoyama, Mikio Inoue
  • Publication number: 20090065718
    Abstract: [Problems] To limit an opening of the fluid channel by automatically preventing the stem from upward movement caused by water hammer using a pneumatically-operating valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Hideyuki Miyagawa, Yuki Shimizu, Mikio Inoue
  • Patent number: 7410719
    Abstract: A porous carbon base material includes a sheet containing carbon short fibers dispersed randomly and a carbonized resin, in which the carbon short fibers are bound by the carbonized resin and the volume of pores having a pore diameter of 10 ?m or less is 0.05 to 0.16 cc/g. A method for producing this porous carbon base material includes intermittently transporting a precursor fiber sheet including short carbon fibers dispersed randomly and a resin to a space between heated plates, subjecting the precursor to a heating and pressuring treatment by the heated plates while the transformation stops, carrying out the transportation of the sheet after the treatment, and then carrying out a heat treatment, to thereby carbonize the resin in the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Chida, Kenya Okada, Mikio Inoue, Shinya Isoi