Patents by Inventor Takayuki Hikita

Takayuki Hikita 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: 11802518
    Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a vehicle-mounted engine having an injector, a spark plug, an intake valve operating mechanism, and an exhaust valve operating mechanism, an accelerator opening sensor, and a controller. The engine is configured to execute flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion. The controller performs a combustion control so that a target torque set based on an accelerator opening is realized in a specific cycle in the future from a present time by a given delay time. The controller sets beforehand the combustion mode based on a target load, estimates an in-cylinder property when the intake valve is closed in the present cycle, sets a target in-cylinder property so that the set combustion mode is realized in the specific cycle, and sets a target operating amount of each of the intake and exhaust valve operating mechanisms based on the set target in-cylinder property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Patent number: 11639699
    Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a vehicle-mounted engine having an injector, a spark plug, and a property adjusting device, an accelerator opening sensor, and a controller. The controller performs a combustion control for controlling the injector, the spark plug, and the property adjusting device so that a target torque set based on a present accelerator opening detected by the accelerator opening sensor is outputted in a specific cycle in the future from a present time by a given delay time. In the combustion control, the controller sets a target load of the engine in the specific cycle based on the present accelerator opening, and sets a combustion transition from the present cycle to the specific cycle by selecting beforehand combustion from the present cycle to the specific cycle, from flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion, based on the set target load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Patent number: 11635040
    Abstract: A method of controlling an engine is provided, which includes setting, by a controller, a target torque of the engine in a specific cycle in the future by a given delay time from the present time based on a present accelerator opening. The method includes selecting beforehand, by the controller, combustion in the specific cycle according to the target torque, from flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion. The method includes outputting, by the controller, a control signal to a property adjusting device before the specific cycle so that a property inside the cylinder in the specific cycle becomes a property corresponding to the selected combustion. The method includes estimating, by the controller, the property at a timing when an intake valve is closed in the specific cycle. The method includes outputting, by the controller, a control signal corresponding to the estimated property to a spark plug or an injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Publication number: 20230105260
    Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a vehicle-mounted engine having an injector, a spark plug, and a property adjusting device, an accelerator opening sensor, and a controller. The controller performs a combustion control for controlling the injector, the spark plug, and the property adjusting device so that a target torque set based on a present accelerator opening detected by the accelerator opening sensor is outputted in a specific cycle in the future from a present time by a given delay time. In the combustion control, the controller sets a target load of the engine in the specific cycle based on the present accelerator opening, and sets a combustion transition from the present cycle to the specific cycle by selecting beforehand combustion from the present cycle to the specific cycle, from flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion, based on the set target load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Publication number: 20230108724
    Abstract: A method of controlling an engine is provided, which includes setting, by a controller, a target torque of the engine in a specific cycle in the future by a given delay time from the present time based on a present accelerator opening. The method includes selecting beforehand, by the controller, combustion in the specific cycle according to the target torque, from flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion. The method includes outputting, by the controller, a control signal to a property adjusting device before the specific cycle so that a property inside the cylinder in the specific cycle becomes a property corresponding to the selected combustion. The method includes estimating, by the controller, the property at a timing when an intake valve is closed in the specific cycle. The method includes outputting, by the controller, a control signal corresponding to the estimated property to a spark plug or an injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Publication number: 20230107773
    Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a vehicle-mounted engine having an injector, a spark plug, an intake valve operating mechanism, and an exhaust valve operating mechanism, an accelerator opening sensor, and a controller. The engine is configured to execute flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion. The controller performs a combustion control so that a target torque set based on an accelerator opening is realized in a specific cycle in the future from a present time by a given delay time. The controller sets beforehand the combustion mode based on a target load, estimates an in-cylinder property when the intake valve is closed in the present cycle, sets a target in-cylinder property so that the set combustion mode is realized in the specific cycle, and sets a target operating amount of each of the intake and exhaust valve operating mechanisms based on the set target in-cylinder property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Publication number: 20230103525
    Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a vehicle-mounted engine having an injector, a spark plug, an intake valve operating mechanism, and an exhaust valve operating mechanism, an accelerator opening sensor, and a controller. The controller sets beforehand a combustion mode so that a target torque set based on an accelerator opening is realized in a specific cycle in the future from a present time by a given delay time, sets an in-cylinder property when an intake valve is closed in the specific cycle so that the set combustion mode is realized in the specific cycle, estimates the actual in-cylinder property when the intake valve is closed in the specific cycle, when the delay time passes and the cycle becomes the specific cycle, and adjusts an operating amount of at least one of the injector and the spark plug, when the estimated in-cylinder property deviates from the target in-cylinder property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Takuma Fujii, Takayuki Hikita, Saori Mizuno, Mitsuhiro Muto
  • Patent number: 10309294
    Abstract: An engine includes: a piston including a cavity; a cylinder head configured so as to form a combustion chamber having a pent roof shape; a fuel injection valve configured to inject fuel from a second half of a compression stroke until a first half of an expansion stroke; and a spark plug arranged at a position corresponding to an upper side of the cavity. Injection openings which are arranged in a circumferential direction surrounding a longitudinal axis of the valve and through each of which the fuel is injected in a direction inclined relative to the longitudinal axis by a predetermined angle is formed such that when a height of a ceiling of the combustion chamber at a position corresponding to an edge end portion of the cavity in an injection direction of the injection opening is large, the injection angle of the injection opening is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignees: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Hikita, Masahisa Yamakawa, Tomonori Urushihara, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Youso, Takaaki Nagano, Yuuki Kawai, Toshifumi Hayami
  • Patent number: 10280831
    Abstract: An engine includes: a piston including a cavity; a cylinder head configured to form a combustion chamber having a pent roof shape; a fuel injection valve configured to inject fuel from a second half of a compression stroke until a first half of an expansion stroke; and a spark plug arranged at a position corresponding to an upper side of the cavity. Injection openings are arranged in a circumferential direction surrounding a longitudinal axis of the valve. The combustion chamber at a compression top dead center is divided into a plurality of fuel injection regions, located in respective injection directions of the injection openings, by vertical surfaces extending radially from the longitudinal axis through a middle between adjacent injection openings. When a volume of the fuel injection region located in the injection direction of the injection opening is large, an opening area of the injection opening is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Hikita, Masahisa Yamakawa, Tomonori Urushihara, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Youso, Takaaki Nagano, Yuuki Kawai, Toshifumi Hayami
  • Publication number: 20180258884
    Abstract: An engine includes: a piston including a cavity; a cylinder head configured so as to form a combustion chamber having a pent roof shape; a fuel injection valve configured to inject fuel in a period from a second half of a compression stroke until a first half of an expansion stroke; and a spark plug arranged at a position corresponding to an upper side of the cavity. Injection openings which are arranged in a circumferential direction surrounding a longitudinal axis of the valve and through each of which the fuel is injected in a direction inclined relative to the longitudinal axis by a predetermined angle is formed such that when a height of a ceiling of the combustion chamber at a position corresponding to an edge end portion of the cavity in an injection direction of the injection opening is large, the injection angle of the injection opening is large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Takayuki Hikita, Masahisa Yamakawa, Tomonori Urushihara, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Youso, Takaaki Nagano, Yuuki Kawai, Toshifumi Hayami
  • Publication number: 20180252151
    Abstract: An engine includes: a piston including a cavity; a cylinder head configured to form a combustion chamber having a pent roof shape; a fuel injection valve configured to inject fuel from a second half of a compression stroke until a first half of an expansion stroke; and a spark plug arranged at a position corresponding to an upper side of the cavity. Injection openings are arranged in a circumferential direction surrounding a longitudinal axis of the valve. The combustion chamber at a compression top dead center is divided into a plurality of fuel injection regions, located in respective injection directions of the injection openings, by vertical surfaces extending radially from the longitudinal axis through a middle between adjacent injection openings. When a volume of the fuel injection region located in the injection direction of the injection opening is large, an opening area of the injection opening is large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Takayuki Hikita, Masahisa Yamakawa, Tomonori Urushihara, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Youso, Takaaki Nagano, Yuuki Kawai, Toshifumi Hayami