Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Imaoka
Yoshihiro Imaoka 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: 11060477Abstract: A spark ignition internal combustion engine includes: intake and exhaust valves disposed at a ceiling part of a combustion chamber; and a fuel injection valve including a tip end portion including injection holes, and being structured to inject fuel through the injection holes toward a crown of a piston, wherein the tip end portion of the fuel injection valve is arranged in a region of the ceiling part surrounded by the intake and exhaust valves. A fuel injection control includes: determining a tip end portion fuel temperature directly or indirectly, which is a temperature of fuel at the tip end portion of the fuel injection valve; and setting a fuel injection timing advanced, in response to a condition that the tip end portion fuel temperature is higher than a temperature threshold value, wherein the temperature threshold value relates to flash boiling of fuel at the injection holes.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2017Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Yoshihiko Iwabuchi
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Publication number: 20200232410Abstract: A spark ignition internal combustion engine includes: intake and exhaust valves disposed at a ceiling part of a combustion chamber; and a fuel injection valve including a tip end portion including injection holes, and being structured to inject fuel through the injection holes toward a crown of a piston, wherein the tip end portion of the fuel injection valve is arranged in a region of the ceiling part surrounded by the intake and exhaust valves. A fuel injection control includes: determining a tip end portion fuel temperature directly or indirectly, which is a temperature of fuel at the tip end portion of the fuel injection valve; and setting a fuel injection timing advanced, in response to a condition that the tip end portion fuel temperature is higher than a temperature threshold value, wherein the temperature threshold value relates to flash boiling of fuel at the injection holes.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2017Publication date: July 23, 2020Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Yoshihiko Iwabuchi
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Patent number: 10626810Abstract: A control apparatus for a diesel engine includes a neighboring temperature estimating section which estimates a temperature of a neighborhood of a glow plug that heats an interior of a cylinder upon startup, and a supercharging pressure control section which controls a supercharging pressure in such a way that a rotation fluctuation of the engine does not increase, on the basis of the estimated temperature of the neighborhood of the glow plug.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2017Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Toru Nishizawa, Shuichi Iio, Kiyoshi Ohga, Ryota Nakayama, Takashi Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Imaoka, Yasushi Ohmura, Isshou Uehara, Masahiko Nakano, Manabu Hasegawa
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Patent number: 10428785Abstract: An engine controller controls a direct fuel-injection, spark ignition engine including a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject a fuel into a cylinder, and an ignition plug that spark-ignites a mixture in the cylinder. The engine controller is provided with an acceleration request sensor configured to detect an acceleration request of a driver, and when the acceleration request occurs and a top surface temperature of a piston in the cylinder is lower than a predetermined temperature, the engine controller retards an ignition timing so that a period of time until a flame after the ignition reaches the piston top surface is extended.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2015Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takeshi Tsuyuki, Takao Inoue
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Patent number: 10280858Abstract: An engine control device controls a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine provided with a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel into a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder. The engine control device executes a catalyst warm-up operation for retarding an ignition timing, during a compression stroke of the fuel injection timing, in a case where it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst inserted into an exhaust passage. In addition, the engine control device increases a valve overlap period as a piston crown surface temperature increases during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2015Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Takeshi Tsuyuki, Yoshihiro Imaoka, Ryo Uchida, Takao Inoue
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Patent number: 10273922Abstract: An object of a control method to control a direct injection internal combustion engine that directly injects fuel in a cylinder is to reduce an increase in PN caused by attachment of the fuel to a fuel injection valve distal end. The control method cools the fuel before a fuel temperature when the fuel passes through an injection hole on a fuel injection valve reaches a temperature at which an amount of attached fuel to the fuel injection valve distal end increases.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takao Inoue, Takeshi Tsuyuki
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Publication number: 20190040830Abstract: An object of a control method to control a direct injection internal combustion engine that directly injects fuel in a cylinder is to reduce an increase in PN caused by attachment of the fuel to a fuel injection valve distal end. The control method cools the fuel before a fuel temperature when the fuel passes through an injection hole on a fuel injection valve reaches a temperature at which an amount of attached fuel to the fuel injection valve distal end increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2016Publication date: February 7, 2019Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Takao INOUE, Takeshi TSUYUKI
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Patent number: 10119486Abstract: An engine control device controls a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine provided with a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel to a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder. In a case where it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage, the engine control device executes a catalyst warm-up operation in which a fuel is injected at a timing during the compression stroke, and at a timing when the fuel spray colliding with the piston crown surface moves toward the ignition plug along the shape of the piston crown surface, and in which the ignition timing is after compression top dead center. The engine control device advances the fuel injection timing in accordance with an increase in an estimation amount of a liquid fuel remaining on the top surface of the piston during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2015Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takeshi Tsuyuki, Takao Inoue
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Patent number: 10047693Abstract: A fuel injection control device controls fuel injection of a spark-ignition internal combustion engine for direct injection into a cylinder and independently controls circulation of a coolant in a head-side cooling channel and in a block-side cooling channel. The fuel injection control device is provided with a controller that sets a fuel injection timing for cooling the inside of the cylinder such that an intake valve closing timing occurs during a reduction in gas temperature inside the cylinder due to evaporative latent heat of the injected fuel, while the coolant circulates in the head-side cooling channel and the circulation of the coolant in the block-side cooling channel is stopped. The controller injects the fuel based on the fuel injection timing for cooling the inside of the cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2014Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takao Inoue
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Publication number: 20180135546Abstract: An engine control device controls a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine provided with a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel into a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder. The engine control device executes a catalyst warm-up operation for retarding an ignition timing, during a compression stroke of the fuel injection timing, in a case where it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst inserted into an exhaust passage. In addition, the engine control device increases a valve overlap period as a piston crown surface temperature increases during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2015Publication date: May 17, 2018Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Takeshi TSUYUKI, Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Takao INOUE
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Publication number: 20180128235Abstract: An engine controller controls a direct fuel-injection, spark ignition engine including a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject a fuel into a cylinder, and an ignition plug that spark-ignites a mixture in the cylinder. The engine controller is provided with an acceleration request sensor configured to detect an acceleration request of a driver, and when the acceleration request occurs and a top surface temperature of a piston in the cylinder is lower than a predetermined temperature, the engine controller retards an ignition timing so that a period of time until a flame after the ignition reaches the piston top surface is extended.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2015Publication date: May 10, 2018Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Takeshi TSUYUKI, Takao INOUE
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Patent number: 9945297Abstract: An engine controller controls a direct fuel-injection engine including a fuel injection valve for directly injecting a fuel into a cylinder and a valve overlap period adjusting mechanism for adjusting a valve overlap period between an open period of an intake valve and an open period of an exhaust valve. The engine controller is provided with an acceleration request sensor for detecting an acceleration request of a driver, and when the acceleration request occurs and a top surface temperature of a piston in the cylinder is lower than a predetermined temperature, the engine controller extends the valve overlap period between the open period of the intake valve and the open period of the exhaust valve, ranging before and after an exhaust top dead center.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2015Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Takeshi Tsuyuki, Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takao Inoue
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Publication number: 20180080400Abstract: An engine control device controls a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine provided with a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel to a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder. In a case where it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage, the engine control device executes a catalyst warm-up operation in which a fuel is injected at a timing during the compression stroke, and at a timing when the fuel spray colliding with the piston crown surface moves toward the ignition plug along the shape of the piston crown surface, and in which the ignition timing is after compression top dead center. The engine control device advances the fuel injection timing in accordance with an increase in an estimation amount of a liquid fuel remaining on the top surface of the piston during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2015Publication date: March 22, 2018Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Takeshi TSUYUKI, Takao INOUE
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Publication number: 20180080394Abstract: A control apparatus for a diesel engine includes a neighboring temperature estimating section which estimates a temperature of a neighborhood of a glow plug that heats an interior of a cylinder upon startup, and a supercharging pressure control section which controls a supercharging pressure in such a way that a rotation fluctuation of the engine does not increase, on the basis of the estimated temperature of the neighborhood of the glow plug.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2017Publication date: March 22, 2018Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Toru NISHIZAWA, Shuichi IIO, Kiyoshi OHGA, Ryota NAKAYAMA, Takashi YAMAZAKI, Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Yasushi OHMURA, Isshou UEHARA, Masahiko NAKANO, Manabu HASEGAWA
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Publication number: 20180073445Abstract: An engine controller controls a direct fuel-injection engine including a fuel injection valve for directly injecting a fuel into a cylinder and a valve overlap period adjusting mechanism for adjusting a valve overlap period between an open period of an intake valve and an open period of an exhaust valve. The engine controller is provided with an acceleration request sensor for detecting an acceleration request of a driver, and when the acceleration request occurs and a top surface temperature of a piston in the cylinder is lower than a predetermined temperature, the engine controller extends the valve overlap period between the open period of the intake valve and the open period of the exhaust valve, ranging before and after an exhaust top dead center.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2015Publication date: March 15, 2018Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Takeshi TSUYUKI, Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Takao INOUE
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Patent number: 9890719Abstract: A control apparatus for a diesel engine includes a neighboring temperature estimating section which estimates a temperature of a neighborhood of a glow plug that heats an interior of a cylinder upon startup, and a supercharging pressure control section which controls a supercharging pressure in such a way that a rotation fluctuation of the engine does not increase, on the basis of the estimated temperature of the neighborhood of the glow plug.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Toru Nishizawa, Shuichi Iio, Kiyoshi Ohga, Ryota Nakayama, Takashi Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Imaoka, Yasushi Ohmura, Isshou Uehara, Masahiko Nakano, Manabu Hasegawa
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Publication number: 20170030286Abstract: A fuel injection control device controls fuel injection of a spark-ignition internal combustion engine for direct injection into a cylinder and independently controls circulation of a coolant in a head-side cooling channel and in a block-side cooling channel. The fuel injection control device is provided with a controller that sets a fuel injection timing for cooling the inside of the cylinder such that an intake valve closing timing occurs during a reduction in gas temperature inside the cylinder due to evaporative latent heat of the injected fuel, while the coolant circulates in the head-side cooling channel and the circulation of the coolant in the block-side cooling channel is stopped. The controller injects the fuel based on the fuel injection timing for cooling the inside of the cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2014Publication date: February 2, 2017Inventors: Yoshihiro IMAOKA, Takao INOUE
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Publication number: 20150083071Abstract: A control apparatus for a diesel engine includes a neighboring temperature estimating section which estimates a temperature of a neighborhood of a glow plug that heats an interior of a cylinder upon startup, and a supercharging pressure control section which controls a supercharging pressure in such a way that a rotation fluctuation of the engine does not increase, on the basis of the estimated temperature of the neighborhood of the glow plug.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2013Publication date: March 26, 2015Inventors: Toru Nishizawa, Shuichi Iio, Kiyoshi Ohga, Ryota Nakayama, Takashi Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Imaoka, Yasushi Ohmura, Isshou Uehara, Masahiko Nakano, Manabu Hasegawa
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Publication number: 20140123935Abstract: A fuel injection control device of an in-cylinder direct injection spark ignition-type internal combustion engine 1 in which fuel injection is carried out once or multiple times from an intake stroke to a compression stroke during homogeneous combustion, wherein a fuel injection timing at which a charging efficiency is improved in accordance with a pressure oscillation is calculated based on a frequency determined based on an in-cylinder volume of pressure oscillation generated in the cylinder in accordance with fuel injection, and one of the fuel injection(s) is carried out at the fuel injection timing.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2012Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takao Inoue, Takuma Suzuki