Patents by Inventor Shinji Sadakane

Shinji Sadakane 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: 10920712
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a plurality of cylinders and transmission arranged adjoining the engine. If designating an average height of a combustion chamber in a region inside from a virtual cylindrical surface passing through center of a valve body of an intake valve and extending in a circumferential direction of each cylinder when a piston is at top dead center, as “center height”, and designating average of a height of the combustion chamber in a region outside from the virtual cylindrical surface when the piston is at top dead center, as “peripheral height”, the combustion chambers form a center height of a transmission side cylinder positioned most to the transmission side among the plurality of cylinders is higher than center heights of usual cylinders including one cylinder other than the transmission side cylinder and a peripheral height at the transmission side cylinder lower than peripheral heights of usual cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Susumu Hashimoto, Shinji Sadakane, Hiroshi Tada, Fumio Takamiya, Akira Hojo
  • Patent number: 10697378
    Abstract: A control system of a Miller cycle engine includes an ECU. The ECU executes an early closing Miller cycle operating mode in which a variable valve mechanism is controlled to close an intake valve before an intake bottom dead center. The ECU executes a decompression mode in which the variable valve mechanism is controlled to close the intake valve at a point later than the intake BDC, when the engine is started. The electronic control unit executes the early closing Miller cycle operating mode after completion of the decompression mode. A later closing amount of the intake valve relative to the intake BDC, for use in the decompression mode, is larger than an early closing amount of the intake valve relative to the intake BDC when the closing timing of the intake valve is most advanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Shinji Sadakane, Fumio Takamiya, Akira Hojo, Kohei Umehara
  • Publication number: 20200072135
    Abstract: A control system of a Miller cycle engine includes an ECU. The ECU executes an early closing Miller cycle operating mode in which a variable valve mechanism is controlled to close an intake valve before an intake bottom dead center. The ECU executes a decompression mode in which the variable valve mechanism is controlled to close the intake valve at a point later than the intake BDC, when the engine is started. The electronic control unit executes the early closing Miller cycle operating mode after completion of the decompression mode. A later closing amount of the intake valve relative to the intake BDC, for use in the decompression mode, is larger than an early closing amount of the intake valve relative to the intake BDC when the closing timing of the intake valve is most advanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro HOTTA, Shinji SADAKANE, Fumio TAKAMIYA, Akira HOJO, Kohei UMEHARA
  • Patent number: 10544713
    Abstract: A control device is configured, if, although the control device has caused a cam switching device to perform a first cam switching operation for switching the profiles of all the valve-driving cams of a plurality of cylinders from a first profile to a second profile, the profiles of all the valve-driving cams of the plurality of cylinders do not coincide with the second profile, to cause the cam switching device to perform a second cam switching operation for switching the profile of the valve-driving cam for at least one or more normal cylinders that are one or more cylinders at which the switching of profiles to the second profile has succeeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Sadakane, Hiroyuki Sugihara, Noriyasu Adachi, Keisuke Sasaki, Shigehiro Sugihira, Takayoshi Kawai, Kaoru Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 10513950
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an internal combustion engine equipped with a cam switching device including a cam groove provided on the outer peripheral surface of a camshaft and an electromagnetic solenoid type actuator capable of protruding, toward the camshaft, an engagement pin that is engageable with the cam groove. The control device is configured, in causing the cam switching device to perform a cam switching operation, to perform energization of the actuator such that the engagement pin is seated on a forward outer peripheral surface, and to more lower, when an electric current (coil current) flowing through the actuator as a result of the energization is greater, an average electric voltage per unit time applied to the actuator in protruding the engagement pin toward the cam groove from the forward outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyasu Adachi, Keisuke Sasaki, Shigehiro Sugihira, Takayoshi Kawai, Shinji Sadakane, Hiroyuki Sugihara, Kaoru Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20190383230
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a plurality of cylinders and transmission arranged adjoining the engine. If designating an average height of a combustion chamber in a region inside from a virtual cylindrical surface passing through center of a valve body of an intake valve and extending in a circumferential direction of each cylinder when a piston is at top dead center, as “center height”, and designating average of a height of the combustion chamber in a region outside from the virtual cylindrical surface when the piston is at top dead center, as “peripheral height”, the combustion chambers form a center height of a transmission side cylinder positioned most to the transmission side among the plurality of cylinders is higher than center heights of usual cylinders including one cylinder other than the transmission side cylinder and a peripheral height at the transmission side cylinder lower than peripheral heights of usual cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro HOTTA, Susumu HASHIMOTO, Shinji SADAKANE, Hiroshi TADA, Fumio TAKAMIYA, Akira HOJO
  • Patent number: 10502154
    Abstract: An electronic control unit of a control device for an internal combustion engine executes, for a first cycle, first drive processing for controlling an actuator such that a pin drive operation is executed for switching from a first cam to a second cam, executes second drive processing for controlling the actuator such that the pin drive operation is executed again for a second cycle, and executes abnormality determination processing for determining that a cam switching mechanism has an abnormality in a case where a pin returns to a reference position by using a pin return section following a cam switching section of the first cycle after the execution of the first drive processing and the pin returns to the reference position by using the pin return section following the cam switching section of the second cycle after the execution of the second drive processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Sasaki, Noriyasu Adachi, Shigehiro Sugihira, Takayoshi Kawai, Shinji Sadakane, Kaoru Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10494988
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine can prevent misfiring in cylinders of the internal combustion engine. When a deceleration request is issued while the engine load of an internal combustion engine is in a predetermined high-load region, and the vehicle is decelerated so that the engine load transitions from the high-load region to a low-load region to respond to the deceleration request, the control device performs control that continues a fuel supply from injectors of a first cylinder and a fourth cylinder, and cuts a fuel supply from injectors of a second cylinder and a third cylinder. Furthermore, condensed water generated in an intercooler is caused to flow between two guide devices provided at the bottom of a convergence portion of an intake manifold to thereby flow into intake branch pipes of the second cylinder and third cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinji Sadakane
  • Patent number: 10465573
    Abstract: In a system that selects a large-cam as a driving cam at a time of a start of an engine, when an engine stop request is output, it is determined whether there is a small-cam cylinder for which a small-cam is selected as the driving cam. In a case where it is determined that there is a small-cam cylinder, a switching command for switching the driving cam from the small-cam to the large-cam is output. When an engine start request is output, the above determination is performed again. In a case where it is determined that there is a small-cam cylinder, the switching command is output to all solenoid actuators again. In addition, the drive of the fuel injector is suspended until the switching operation of the driving cam is completed for all cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigehiro Sugihira, Noriyasu Adachi, Keisuke Sasaki, Takayoshi Kawai, Kaoru Otsuka, Shinji Sadakane, Hiroyuki Sugihara
  • Patent number: 10344638
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is provided with a cam switching device including a cam groove provided on the outer peripheral surface or a camshaft and an actuator capable of protruding, toward the camshaft, an engagement pin that is engageable with the cam groove. The internal combustion engine system is configured, in causing the cam switching device to perform a cam switching operation, to control the actuator such that the engagement pin is seated on a forward outer peripheral surface which is located more forward than an end of the cam groove on the forward side with respect to an insert section of the cam groove in the rotational direction of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Sasaki, Noriyasu Adachi, Shigehiro Sugihira, Takayoshi Kawai, Shinji Sadakane, Hiroyuki Sugihara, Kaoru Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 10329962
    Abstract: At crank angle CA10 at which the switch request of the drive cam was issued, the ejection operations of the pins at all the solenoid actuators started simultaneously. The ejected pins are seated on the cam carriers at crank angle CA12. The pin seated on the cam carrier moves along the grooves in accordance with the rotation of the cam carrier. The earliest finish timing of the switch operation of the drive cam is at crank angle CA13 (#4 cylinder). At the crank angle CA13, drive of the fuel injector and the ignition device in each cylinder is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayoshi Kawai, Noriyasu Adachi, Shigehiro Sugihira, Keisuke Sasaki, Kaoru Otsuka, Shinji Sadakane, Hiroyuki Sugihara
  • Patent number: 10294835
    Abstract: When a stop request to the engine is issued, it is determined whether or not all of the drive cams are large cams. When it is determined that at least one of the small cams is included in the drive cams, the engine is continued to drive for a while and a switch control for switching the drive cams from the small cams to the large cams is executed within the duration. A self-holding type solenoid is used to switch between the small cams and the large cams. In the switch control, a permission to stop the engine is output at a timing when the “pin protrudable section” of the final cylinder #2 has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaoru Ohtsuka, Hiroyuki Sugihara, Shinji Sadakane, Noriyasu Adachi, Shigehiro Sugihara, Keisuke Sasaki, Takayoshi Kawai
  • Publication number: 20190010887
    Abstract: An electronic control unit of a control device for an internal combustion engine executes, for a first cycle, first drive processing for controlling an actuator such that a pin drive operation is executed for switching from a first cam to a second cam, executes second drive processing for controlling the actuator such that the pin drive operation is executed again for a second cycle, and executes abnormality determination processing for determining that a cam switching mechanism has an abnormality in a case where a pin returns to a reference position by using a pin return section following a cam switching section of the first cycle after the execution of the first drive processing and the pin returns to the reference position by using the pin return section following the cam switching section of the second cycle after the execution of-the second drive processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke SASAKI, Noriyasu ADACHI, Shigehiro SUGIHIRA, Takayoshi KAWAI, Shinji SADAKANE, Kaoru OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20180306069
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an internal combustion engine equipped with a cam switching device including a cam groove provided on the outer peripheral surface of a camshaft and an electromagnetic solenoid type actuator capable of protruding, toward the camshaft, an engagement pin that is engageable with the cam groove. The control device is configured, in causing the cam switching device to perform a cam switching operation, to perform energization of the actuator such that the engagement pin is seated on a forward outer peripheral surface, and to more lower, when an electric current (coil current) flowing through the actuator as a result of the energization is greater, an average electric voltage per unit time applied to the actuator in protruding the engagement pin toward the cam groove from the forward outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyasu ADACHI, Keisuke SASAKI, Shigehiro SUGIHIRA, Takayoshi KAWAI, Shinji SADAKANE, Hiroyuki SUGIHARA, Kaoru OHTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20180283225
    Abstract: A control device is configured, if, although the control device has caused a cam switching device to perform a first cam switching operation for switching the profiles of all the valve-driving cams of a plurality of cylinders from a first profile to a second profile, the profiles of all the valve-driving cams of the plurality of cylinders do not coincide with the second profile, to cause the cam switching device to perform a second cam switching operation for switching the profile of the valve-driving cam for at least one or more normal cylinders that are one or more cylinders at which the switching of profiles to the second profile has succeeded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji SADAKANE, Hiroyuki Sugihara, Noriyasu Adachi, Keisuke Sasaki, Shigehiro Sugihira, Takayoshi Kawai, Kaoru Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20180274393
    Abstract: At crank angle CA10 at which the switch request of the drive cam was issued, the ejection operations of the pins at all the solenoid actuators started simultaneously. The ejected pins are seated on the cam carriers at erank angle CA12. The pin seated on the cam carrier moves along the grooves in accordance with the rotation of the cam carrier. The earliest finish timing of the switch operation of the drive cam is at crank angle CA13 (#4 cylinder). At the crank angle CA13, drive of the fuel injector and the ignition device in each cylinder is permitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayoshi KAWAI, Noriyasu ADACHI, Shigehiro SUGIHIRA, Keisuke SASAKI, Kaoru OTSUKA, Shinji SADAKANE, Hiroyuki SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20180252125
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is provided with a cam switching device including a cam groove provided on the outer peripheral surface or a camshaft and an actuator capable of protruding, toward the camshaft, an engagement pin that is engageable with the cam groove. The internal combustion engine system is configured, in causing the cam switching device to perform a cam switching operation, to control the actuator such that the engagement pin is seated on a forward outer peripheral surface which is located more forward than an end of the cam groove on the forward side with respect to an insert section of the cam groove in the rotational direction of the camshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke SASAKI, Noriyasu ADACHI, Shigehiro SUGIHIRA, Takayoshi KAWAI, Shinji SADAKANE, Hiroyuki SUGIHARA, Kaoru OHTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20180230869
    Abstract: In a system that selects a large-cam as a driving cam at a time of a start of an engine, when an engine stop request is output, it is determined whether there is a small-cam cylinder for which a small-cam is selected as the driving cam. In a case where it is determined that there is a small-cam cylinder, a switching command for switching the driving cam from the small-cam to the large-cam is output. When an engine start request is output, the above determination is performed again. In a case where it is determined that there is a small-cam cylinder, the switching command is output to all solenoid actuators again. In addition, the drive of the fuel injector is suspended until the switching operation of the driving cam is completed for all cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigehiro SUGIHIRA, Noriyasu ADACHI, Keisuke SASAKI, Takayoshi KAWAI, Kaoru OTSUKA, Shinji SADAKANE, Hiroyuki SUGIHARA
  • Patent number: 10030596
    Abstract: In starting the engine, if it is determined that large cams are not completely prepared for all driving cams, valve closing timings of all intake valves are changed by driving the VVT so that all of the cylinders have equal in-cylinder filling efficiency. A fuel injection amount of each cylinder is determined by a feedforward control assuming that the large cams are completely prepared for all of the driving cams. When the valve closing timing of all of the intake valves are changed by driving the VVT to equalize the in-cylinder filling efficiencies of all of the cylinders, all of the cylinders have substantially equal in-cylinder air-fuel ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sugihara, Kaoru Otsuka, Shinji Sadakane, Noriyasu Adachi, Shigehiro Sugihira, Keisuke Sasaki, Takayoshi Kawai
  • Publication number: 20180202329
    Abstract: When a stop request to the engine is issued, it is determined whether or not all of the drive cams are large cams. When it is determined that at least one of the small cams is included in the drive cams, the engine is continued to drive for a while and a switch control for switching the drive cams from the small cams to the large cams is executed within the duration. A self-holding type solenoid is used to switch between the small cams and the large cams. In the switch control, a permission to stop the engine is output at a timing when the “pin protrudable section” of the final cylinder #2 has elapsed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaoru OHTSUKA, Hiroyuki SUGIHARA, Shinji SADAKANE, Noriyasu ADACHI, Shigehiro SUGIHIRA, Keisuke SASAKI, Takayoshi KAWAI