Patents by Inventor Takaaki Itou
Takaaki Itou 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).
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Patent number: 6122910Abstract: An exhaust purifying apparatus purifies an unburnt gas component, such as unburnt hydrocarbon (HC), discharged from an internal combustion engine without fail and prevents the unburnt hydrocarbon from being discharged into the atmosphere. In order to achieve this, the exhaust gas purifying apparatus is provided with a plurality of exhaust passages connected to the internal combustion engine. A joint exhaust passage is formed by merging the exhaust passages and an exhaust gas flows through the joint exhaust passage. An adsorption/desorption unit is provided in each of the exhaust passages for adsorbing an unburnt gas component contained in the exhaust gas that flows through each of the exhaust passages at a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature. The adsorption/desorption unit desorbs the adsorbed unburnt gas component at a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 1999Date of Patent: September 26, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Hoshi, Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 6119452Abstract: A three-way catalyst (8a) is connected to a first cylinder group 1a. The exhaust gas of the first cylinder group (1a), which has passed through the three-way catalyst (8a), and the exhaust gas of a second cylinder group (1b) are introduced to an exhaust gas purifying catalyst (14). The second cylinder group (1b) performs the lean operation. The first cylinder group (1a) performs the rich operation to synthesize NH.sub.3 from NO.sub.X in the exhaust gas of the first cylinder group (1a) in the three-way catalyst (8a). In the exhaust gas purifying catalyst (14), NO.sub.X in the exhaust gas of the second cylinder group 1b is purified by NH.sub.3 from the three-way catalyst (8a). The amount of HC flowing to the three-way catalyst (8a) is obtained. When the HC amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the first cylinder group 1a must perform the lean operation temporarily, to thereby maintain the excellent catalytic activity of the three-way catalyst (8a).Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1998Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou, Naoto Suzuki, Takehisa Yaegashi, Toshiaki Tanaka, Naoto Miyoshi
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Patent number: 6109024Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification device, a three-way catalyst, an NO.sub.x absorbing-reducing catalyst and an NH.sub.3 adsorbing-denitrating catalyst are disposed in an exhaust gas passage of the internal combustion engine. The engine is provided with direct cylinder injection valves which inject fuel directly into the respective cylinders. A control circuit controls the amount of fuel injected from the injection valve so that the air-fuel ratio of the combustion in the cylinders becomes a lean air-fuel ratio during the normal operation of the engine. Therefore, a lean air-fuel ratio exhaust gas is discharged from the cylinders during the normal operation and NO.sub.x, in the exhaust gas is absorbed by the NO.sub.x absorbing-reducing catalyst. When the amount of NO.sub.x absorbed in the NO.sub.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 1998Date of Patent: August 29, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou, Koichi Takeuchi
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Patent number: 6047542Abstract: An engine (1) has first and second cylinder groups (1a) and (1b). The first cylinder group (1a) is connected to a three way (TW) catalyst (8a). The second group (1b) and the TW catalyst (8a) are connected, via an interconnecting duct (13) to an NH.sub.3 adsorbing and oxidizing (NH.sub.3 -AO) catalyst (14a). The first group (1a) performs the rich operation, and the second group (1b) performs the lean operation. In the TW catalyst (8a), NO.sub.x exhausted from the first group (1a) is converted to NH.sub.3, and the NH.sub.3 reduces the NO.sub.x exhausted from the second group (1b) in the NH.sub.3 -AO catalyst (14a). A NO.sub.x occluding and reducing (NO.sub.x -OR) catalyst (11a) is arranged in the exhaust passage between the second group (1b) and the interconnecting duct (13), to thereby suppress the NO.sub.x amount flowing into the NH.sub.3 -AO catalyst (14a).Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1998Date of Patent: April 11, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou, Naoto Suzuki, Takehisa Yaegashi, Kouichi Takeuchi
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Patent number: 6032461Abstract: To provide an exhaust gas purifying system for an internal combustion engine capable of executing an optimal regenerative operation by predicting a temperature of an absorbent based on running state information.There are predicted the amount of nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) to be absorbed by an absorbent 125 incorporated in a catalyst 124 and the temperature of the absorbent, based on the running state information obtained from a car navigation system 141 or traffic information service receiver 142, and the regenerative operation schedule is determined based on the prediction. Thus, the regenerative operation is conducted at the timing where NO.sub.x has been duly absorbed by the absorbent and the absorbent temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, so that the leakage of NO.sub.x into the exterior of a vehicle can be restrained.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 1998Date of Patent: March 7, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 6014859Abstract: An engine has a plurality of the cylinders. The cylinders are divided into a first cylinder group and a second cylinder group, and each cylinder group is connected, via a corresponding branch exhaust passage, to a common interconnecting exhaust passage. In the interconnecting exhaust passage, an exhaust gas purifying catalyst is arranged. The air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas of the first cylinder group is made lean to feed oxygen to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst, and the air-fuel ratio of the second cylinder group is made rich to feed fuel for heating to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst, so that the oxygen and the fuel for heating react with each other to heat the exhaust gas purifying catalyst to reactivate the exhaust gas purifying catalyst when the reactivation of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst is must be performed. In each branch exhaust passage, a start catalyst is arranged.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1998Date of Patent: January 18, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kouji Yoshizaki, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 5979157Abstract: A device for purifying exhaust gas includes an HC adsorbent and an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust gas passage in this order from the upstream side. The exhaust gas purifying catalyst is provided with an O.sub.2 storage capability, i.e., the exhaust gas purifying catalyst is capable of absorbing oxygen in the exhaust gas when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is lean, and is capable of releasing the absorbed oxygen when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes rich. When the engine starts, the HC adsorbent adsorbs HC in the exhaust gas. When the temperature of the exhaust gas becomes high, the HC adsorbent releases the adsorbed HC. The device also includes an engine control unit which operates the engine at a lean air-fuel ratio during a predetermined period before the releasing of the HC from the HC adsorbent occurs. Therefore, oxygen is absorbed and stored in the exhaust gas purifying catalyst before the releasing of HC occurs.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 1997Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou, Koichi Hoshi, Koichi Takeuchi
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Patent number: 5974793Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification device, a No. 1 cylinder of the engine is operated at a rich air-fuel ratio and other cylinders (No. 2 to No. 4) are operated at a lean air-fuel ratio. The exhaust gases from the No. 1 and No. 2 cylinders are mixed with each other to form a rich air-fuel ratio exhaust gas mixture. Further, since the air-fuel ratio of the No. 2 cylinder is lean, the exhaust gas from the No. 2 cylinder contains a relatively large amount of NO.sub.x. This rich air-fuel ratio exhaust gas mixture which contains a relatively large amount of NO.sub.X is supplied to a three-way catalyst. At the three-way catalyst, part of the NO.sub.X in the exhaust gas mixture is converted to NH.sub.3. The exhaust gas mixture flowing out from the three-way catalyst and the lean exhaust gas from the No. 3 and No. 4 flow into a common exhaust gas passage where they mix with each other to form a lean exhaust gas containing NH.sub.3 from the three-way catalyst and NO.sub.X from the No. 3 and No. 4 cylinders.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 1997Date of Patent: November 2, 1999Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou, Naoto Suzuki, Koichi Takeuchi, Hiroshi Tanaka, Naohide Fuwa
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Patent number: 5971255Abstract: In the production of a metallic honeycomb body for use as a metallic carrier, for supporting a catalyst, in the purification of an exhaust gas from automobiles or the like, a desired joint site for each layer constituting the metallic honeycomb body is preset, and, when a portion of contact between a metallic corrugated foil and a metallic flat foil for forming the metallic honeycomb body has reached the joint site, a brazing foil which has been cut into a predetermined length is inserted and enfolded in the contact portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 1997Date of Patent: October 26, 1999Assignees: Nippon Steel Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukihiro Yamamoto, Takuzou Kako, Kazuo Yoshida, Yuuji Nakashima, Kouji Yoshizaki, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 5964088Abstract: A device for purifying the exhaust gas of an engine having a plurality of cylinders divided into first and second cylinder groups, the first and the second cylinder groups being connected to first and second exhaust passage, respectively, and performing a lean operation, comprises an NH.sub.3 synthesizing catalyst arranged in the first exhaust passage, and an exhaust gas purifying catalyst arranged in an interconnecting passage, which interconnects the first passage downstream of the NH.sub.3 synthesizing catalyst and the second exhaust passage, for purifying the inflowing NO.sub.X and NH.sub.3. An additional engine performing a rich operation is provided and the exhaust gas thereof is fed to the first exhaust gas passage upstream of the NH.sub.3 synthesizing catalyst to make the exhaust gas air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NH.sub.3 synthesizing catalyst rich, to thereby synthesize NH.sub.3 therein. An amount of NH.sub.3 or NO.sub.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 1997Date of Patent: October 12, 1999Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou, Koichi Hoshi, Naoto Suzuki, Koichi Takeuchi, Takehisa Yaegashi, Kouhei Igarashi
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Patent number: 5956947Abstract: An adsorbent may be positively regenerate by a technique to remove adhered materials such as soot adhered to the adsorbent so that the durability of the adsorbent is enhanced. To meet this, an exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprises a path switcher for introducing exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine into at least one of a first exhaust gas path and a second exhaust gas path branched downstream of catalysts, an adsorbent disposed in the first exhaust gas path for adsorbing unburnt gas components contained in the exhaust gas, a recirculating device for recirculating the unburnt gas components separated from the adsorbent to an upstream side of the catalysts, and a temperature elevator for elevating a temperature of the adsorbent after the unburnt gas components separated from the adsorbent has been recirculated by the recirculating device.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1997Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 5924406Abstract: An apparatus for controlling auxiliary equipment driven by an internal combustion engine, which can suppress the deterioration of a specific fuel consumption by controlling the auxiliary equipment based on running environment information provided from a car navigation system or the like. Namely, this apparatus predicts the future maximum output of the internal combustion engine and a running load thereof according to running environment information and vehicle information. Further, if the maximum output is larger than the running load, the auxiliary equipment (for example, a light and an air conditioner) are directly driven by the internal combustion engine. Moreover, surplus energy is stored in an energy storing device. When the maximum output is nearly equal to the running load and that the specific fuel consumption is deteriorated when driving the auxiliary equipments, they are driven by using the energy stored in the energy storing device.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1997Date of Patent: July 20, 1999Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 5911681Abstract: To complete a regeneration process of an adsorbent adsorbing unburnt gas components, for a short period of time without making an operational condition of an internal combustion engine unstable and to prevent an ability of the adsorbent from being degraded, an exhaust gas purifying apparatus includes a first exhaust flow path and a second exhaust flow path branched downstream of the catalyst; a n adsorbent disposed in the first exhaust flow path for adsorbing unburnt gas components contained in the exhaust gas; and a recirculating device for recirculating at least part of the exhaust gas discharged from the adsorbent to an intake side of the internal combustion engine. A operational condition of the internal combustion engine is detected. A recirculation amount of the exhaust gas is changed in accordance with the detected operational condition.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1997Date of Patent: June 15, 1999Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 5859365Abstract: In a remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus for a fuel tank which is suited to the fuel tank designed to suppress generation of fuel vapor, a CPU actuates a piston to supply a prescribed amount of air into a pressure adjusting chamber, thereby increasing the pressure within the pressure adjusting chamber. From the Boyle's law, the increasing rate of air before air supply is inversely proportional to the volume V of the pressure adjusting chamber. Therefore, the CPU, referring to the pressure within the pressure adjusting chamber before and after the air supply, acquires the volume V of the pressure adjusting chamber, and subtracts the volume V of the pressure adjusting chamber from the internal volume of a tank body to acquire the volume of a fuel chamber, i.e. remaining fuel amount.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1997Date of Patent: January 12, 1999Assignees: Yazaki Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ichiro Kataoka, Kazuyuki Sasaki, Kunimitsu Aoki, Shozo Ashizawa, Shinji Narama, Takaaki Itou, Toru Kidokoro, Yoshihiko Hyodo
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Patent number: 5836291Abstract: An evaporative fuel processing apparatus which can optimally process fuel gas according to navigation information or the like. This apparatus obtains future running information from a navigation system and further predicts an amount quantity of fuel vapor generated in a fuel tank (13) according to the running information. Further, the apparatus determines an amount of fuel vapor to be purged from a canister (14), namely, a valve opening of a purge control valve (142) so that an amount of fuel vapor adsorbed in the canister (14) is not more than a predetermined upper limit and that an amount of fuel adsorbed in the canister (14) after running is almost zero. Thus, an evaporation emission is reduced and the durability of the canister is prolonged by controlling the purge control valve.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1997Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou, Yoshihiko Hyodo, Toru Kidokoro, Naoya Takagi
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Patent number: 5816214Abstract: The emission control system of the present invention removes the small amounts of polluting gases released from various parts of the automobile. These polluting gases are released from, for example, fuel oozing out from connections of the pipes in the fuel system, lubricating oil oozing out from engine body, and solvents and adhesives remaining in the interior and exterior parts of the automobile. In the emission control system of the present invention, collectors and suction pipes are provided. The collectors are disposed at the parts of the automobile from where the polluting gases are released in such a manner that the collectors enclose these parts. The suction pipes connect the respective collectors to an intake nose of an air cleaner disposed in an intake air passage of the engine. Therefore, the polluting gases released from various parts of the automobile are drawn into the engine through the respective suction pipes before they diffuse into the atmosphere, and are burned in the engine.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1996Date of Patent: October 6, 1998Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Toru Kidokoro, Takaaki Itou
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Patent number: 5783160Abstract: The method for purifying combustion exhaust gas according to the present invention utilizes a NH.sub.3 decomposing catalyst. The NH.sub.3 decomposing catalyst in the present invention is capable of converting substantially all of the NH.sub.3 in the combustion exhaust gas to N.sub.2 when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is lean and the temperature of the catalyst is within a predetermined optimum temperature range. Further, when the exhaust gas contains NO.sub.x in addition to NH.sub.3, the NH.sub.3 decomposing catalyst is capable of reducing the NO.sub.x in the optimum temperature range even though the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is lean. In the present invention, the conditions of the exhaust gas containing NO.sub.x are adjusted before it is fed to the NH.sub.3 decomposing catalyst in such a manner that the temperature of the exhaust gas is within the optimum temperature range and the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is lean. Further, NH.sub.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 1996Date of Patent: July 21, 1998Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou, Toshifumi Takaoka, Michihiro Ohashi, Koji Yokota
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Patent number: 5782087Abstract: An exhaust manifold of an engine is connected to a three way (TW) catalyst, and the TW catalyst is connected to an NH.sub.3 adsorbing and oxidizing (NH.sub.3 -AO) catalyst, such as the Cu-zeolite catalyst. The engine performs the lean and the rich operations alternately and repeatedly. When the engine performs the rich operation, the TW catalyst synthesizes NH.sub.3 from NO.sub.x in the inflowing exhaust gas, and the NH.sub.3 is then adsorbed in the NH.sub.3 -AO catalyst. Next, when the engine performs the lean operation, NO.sub.x passes through the TW catalyst, and the adsorbed NH.sub.3 is desorbed and reduces the inflowing NO.sub.x. When the rich operation is in process, or is to be started, the exhaust gas temperature flowing into the NH.sub.3 -AO catalyst is detected. If the temperature is equal to or higher than the upper threshold representing the rich endurance temperature, the lean or the stoichiometric operation is performed.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1996Date of Patent: July 21, 1998Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou, Naoto Suzuki, Takehisa Yaegashi, Toshiaki Tanaka
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Patent number: 5778667Abstract: In the present invention, the No. 1 cylinder of an engine is connected to a first exhaust passage and the No. 2 to No. 4 cylinders are connected to a second exhaust passage. A three-way catalyst and a NO.sub.X absorbent are disposed in the first and second exhaust passage, respectively. A denitrating catalyst is disposed in a common exhaust passage to which the first and second exhaust passage merge. The NO.sub.X absorbent absorbs NO.sub.X when the No. 2 to No. 4 cylinders are operated at a lean air-fuel ratio, and is regenerated, i.e., releases and reduces the absorbed NO.sub.X when the No. 2 to No. 4 cylinders are operated at a rich air-fuel ratio. However, NO.sub.X, without being reduced, is released from the NO.sub.X absorbent during a short period at the beginning of the regenerating operation. In the present invention, the No. 1 cylinder is operated at a rich air-fuel ratio during the short period at the beginning of the regenerating operation in order to produce NH.sub.3 at the three-way catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 1997Date of Patent: July 14, 1998Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki, KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Takaaki Itou, Naoto Suzuki
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Patent number: 5746052Abstract: In the present invention, the exhaust gas from the engine is divided into a first and a second branch exhaust passages after it passes through a three-way reducing and oxidizing catalyst, and the two branch exhaust passages merge into an exhaust gas outlet passage. In the first branch exhaust passage, an oxidizing catalyst is disposed, and in the exhaust gas outlet passage, a denitrating and oxidizing catalyst is disposed. NO.sub.x in the exhaust gas from the engine is all converted to N.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 by the three-way reducing and oxidizing catalyst and a part of the NH.sub.3 generated by the three-way catalyst flows into the first branch exhaust passage and is converted to NO.sub.x again by the oxidizing catalyst. The amount of NO.sub.x produced by the oxidizing catalyst and the amount of NO.sub.x flowing through the second branch exhaust passage is determined by the flow distribution ratio of the first and the second branch exhaust passages.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1995Date of Patent: May 5, 1998Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Kinugasa, Kouhei Igarashi, Takaaki Itou, Takehisa Yaegashi, Toshifumi Takaoka