Control Of Spark Ignition During Starting Patents (Class 123/179.5)
  • Patent number: 6945220
    Abstract: A starting device for an internal combustion engine is capable of increasing starting torque as well as supplying air to a cylinder that is on the expansion stroke without separately providing a means for supplying high-pressure air. Communication control valves control the states of communication between cylinders of the engine. A crank angle detector detects the crank angle of a crankshaft of the engine. A compression/expansion identification part identifies the compression stroke or the expansion stroke of each cylinder. Fuel is injected into a cylinder on the expansion stroke and ignited therein, and the expansion stroke cylinder is placed in communication with a cylinder on the exhaust stroke by a communication state control part for a prescribed time after the ignition thereof, after which the expansion stroke cylinder is further placed in communication with a cylinder on the compression stroke for a prescribed time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyoshi Hori
  • Patent number: 6935295
    Abstract: A method for enabling combustion-assisted engine starting includes adjusting a throttle valve to provide an air flow rate to an engine of a vehicle that is sufficient to create starting torque. Fuel that is sufficient to create starting torque is injected into a cylinder of the engine during an intake stroke of the cylinder. A spark plug of the cylinder is disabled. An intake and exhaust valve of the cylinder are disabled. The engine is deactivated. A method for activating the engine includes enabling the spark plug. A piston of the cylinder is positioned between a TDC position of a compression stroke and a BDC position of an expansion stroke or between a TDC position of an exhaust stroke and a BDC position of an intake stroke. A fuel/air charge that is sufficient to create starting torque is ignited in the cylinder. The intake and exhaust valve are activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Craig D. Marriott
  • Patent number: 6899078
    Abstract: A starting device for an internal combustion engine is capable of increasing starting torque as well as supplying air to a cylinder that is on the expansion stroke without separately providing a means for supplying high-pressure air. Communication control valves control the states of communication between cylinders of the engine. A crank angle detector detects the crank angle of a crankshaft of the engine. A compression/expansion identification part identifies the compression stroke or the expansion stroke of each cylinder. Fuel is injected into a cylinder on the expansion stroke and ignited therein, and the expansion stroke cylinder is placed in communication with a cylinder on the exhaust stroke by a communication state control part for a prescribed time after the ignition thereof, after which the expansion stroke cylinder is further placed in communication with a cylinder on the compression stroke for a prescribed time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyoshi Hori
  • Patent number: 6877470
    Abstract: In a starting control system for an internal combustion engine, an output shaft is rotated in a reverse direction at a predetermined direction upon start of the internal combustion engine, and then is rotated in a normal direction so as to start a cranking operation. The system serves to combust the fuel in a cylinder in an expansion stroke when the output shaft is rotated in the reverse direction, and the resultant combustion pressure is used for performing the cranking operation. This makes it possible to reduce the load exerted to the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Mitani, Toshiaki Asada, Yasushi Kusaka, Kenji Kataoka
  • Patent number: 6851404
    Abstract: In order to start an engine, a crankshaft is first rotated reversely by a target amount of the reverse rotation and then rotated forwardly. When the crankshaft is rotated reversely, the residual gas is sucked from the exhaust passage into the combustion chamber, and residual gas is discharged from the combustion chamber into the intake passage. Next, when the crankshaft is rotated forwardly, the residual gas is sucked from the intake passage into the combustion chamber together with air, and burnt in the combustion chamber. The target amount of the reverse rotation is set to generate the backward gas flow from the combustion chamber to the intake passage in all cylinders, or to generate the backward gas flow from the exhaust passage through the combustion chamber to the intake passage in at least one cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Susumu Kojima
  • Publication number: 20040216719
    Abstract: The speed of rotation and the angular position of the rotating part (2, 3) of the engine (1) are measured continuously, and the fuel injection is cut off at predetermined speed and angular position values of the rotating part (2, 3) in order to stop the engine in a predetermined position that facilitates restarting the engine. In order to restart the engine, using a starter (4), fuel is injected into at least one cylinder of the engine when the piston moving in the cylinder is in a determined position. The spark ignition and/or fuel injection is interrupted at predetermined speed and angular position values of the rotating part (2, 3) of the engine (1), and fuel is injected into at least one cylinder of the engine (1) during the last revolution of the engine before stopping. In order to restart the engine, ignition is carried out in at least one cylinder, the piston of which is in the compression position at the moment when the engine (1) stops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Eric Condemine, Vincent Basso
  • Publication number: 20040194749
    Abstract: A start control apparatus includes a starter, a number-of-revolutions detection unit of an internal combustion engine, a crank angle sensor, a cam sensor, and a control unit for controlling cylinder ignition based on a crank angle signal and a cam signal. The control unit has a start determination unit for determining whether starting the engine is to be continued or stopped based on the crank angle and fluctuation in the number of revolutions when the starter being switched from on to off is detected, and controls continuing or stopping ignition control in accordance with the determination of the start determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Yonezawa, Ken Tachibana
  • Patent number: 6799547
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1), in particular of a motor vehicle, in the forward direction, wherein the position of a piston (2) in a cylinder (3) of the engine (1) is ascertained, and fuel is injected into a combustion chamber (4) of the particular cylinder (3) whose piston (2) is in a working phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Udo Sieber
  • Publication number: 20040168665
    Abstract: A starting device for an internal combustion engine is capable of increasing starting torque as well as supplying air to a cylinder that is on the expansion stroke without separately providing a means for supplying high-pressure air. Communication control valves control the states of communication between cylinders of the engine. A crank angle detector detects the crank angle of a crankshaft of the engine. A compression/expansion identification part identifies the compression stroke or the expansion stroke of each cylinder. Fuel is injected into a cylinder on the expansion stroke and ignited therein, and the expansion stroke cylinder is placed in communication with a cylinder on the exhaust stroke by a communication state control part for a prescribed time after the ignition thereof, after which the expansion stroke cylinder is further placed in communication with a cylinder on the compression stroke for a prescribed time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuyoshi Hori
  • Patent number: 6782860
    Abstract: An engine starting control apparatus that causes a crankshaft of an engine to rotate reversely to a predetermined position immediately after the engine is stopped to make preparations for next starting of the engine. This action is performed in order to prevent firing by useless ignition upon forward rotation of the crankshaft when the engine is started again. When the engine restarted, the engine starting control apparatus causes the engine to rotate forwardly from the predetermined position. The apparatus includes a starter motor connected to the crankshaft, a reverse rotation means capable of rotating the engine reversely to a predetermined position, an ignition device for igniting the engine in the proximity of the top dead center of a piston, and an ignition suppression device for inhibiting the ignition of the engine for a predetermined period of time after the forward rotation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Makajima, Takeshi Yanagisawa, Taiichi Imaike
  • Patent number: 6772724
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a variable displacement engine during cranking and starting period include a hybrid operating mode to allow intake/exhaust valve operation while preventing fuel delivery or spark, or both, to at least one subsequently deactivated cylinder or bank of cylinders during the cranking and starting period. The system and method provide advantages to starting the engine relative to either a variable displacement mode or a full activation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Glugla, John Ottavio Michelini, Michael Flory
  • Publication number: 20040112318
    Abstract: A method of detecting the phase of a multicylinder spark-ignition internal combustion engine having an even or odd number of cylinders which is operated using an engine management system. The working cycle of the internal combustion engine extends over at least two revolutions. When the phase position is unknown, the internal combustion engine is started with double ignition output under the assumption of a phase position. An intervention in the formation of the mixture with respect to a leaning or enriching of the mixture is performed at one or more cylinders in the internal combustion engine. Based on the detection of and the changes in the air ratio &lgr;, the phase position assumed at the beginning when the internal combustion engine was started is verified or falsified. When the assumed phase position is falsified, an emergency operation of the internal combustion engine with double ignition output is maintained, newly synchronized, or resynchronized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventor: Boerkel Wolfgang
  • Publication number: 20040107950
    Abstract: An ignition control circuit and method of operation provides a very simple but highly effective prevention of engine reverse rotation upon starting by prohibiting ignition when a reverse rotation situation arises.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA MORIC
    Inventors: Akira Masaoka, Atsuschi Shimoishi
  • Patent number: 6739300
    Abstract: A method of starting a multi-cylinder, direct-injection, internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle in particular without using a starter motor is described. The position of a piston in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine is determined, and fuel is injected into a combustion chamber of the cylinder whose piston is in a working phase, and the fuel is ignited immediately thereafter, thus triggering the starting operation. To improve the processing of the mixture during the starting operation, as the starting operation continues, immediately after ignition of the fuel in the cylinder which is in the working phase, fuel is injected into a combustion chamber of another cylinder whose piston is in an intake phase, and the injected fuel is ignited while still in the intake phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Ackermann, Udo Sieber
  • Patent number: 6718928
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1), especially of a motor vehicle. The position of a piston (2) in a cylinder (3) of the engine (1) is determined and fuel is injected into a combustion chamber (4) of that cylinder (3) whose piston (2) is disposed in a work phase. In order to make possible a start of the internal combustion engine (1) as reliable as possible without an electro-motoric starter, it is suggested that the inlet and/or outlet valves (5) of at least one cylinder (3), whose piston (2) is disposed after top dead center (TDC), is brought into a position corresponding to a work phase in advance of the starting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Brueggen, Nikolaus Benninger, Udo Sieber
  • Patent number: 6701880
    Abstract: 15 A method and an assembly 61 for use with a vehicle 10 having a high voltage battery 42 and an internal combustion engine 12 of the type having a selectively rotatable crankshaft 13 After the high voltage battery 42 receives a donor charge, the assembly 61 causes the crankshaft 13 to be rotated at a slow speed for a predetermined period of time before electrical energy is transferred to the internal combustion engine 12 and before combustion occurs within the engine 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Greg Edward Gauthier, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 6684839
    Abstract: An ignition system or a fuel injection system provided with a dedicated auxiliary source for the ignition device or the fuel injection control system and a separation diode to separate the auxiliary source from the battery source for the start-up motor thus to ensure good ignition performance by avoiding voltage drop at an ignition device or the fuel injection control system due to larger current is drawn by a start-up motor while starting an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 6674184
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gasoline motor powered, hand-operated working machine, which is stopped by short-circuiting an electric circuit (70), said stop device being designed in the form of an electric switch comprising a stop control (11), which can be moved manually between two end positions; a drive position for start of the motor and for motion of the motor, in which drive position said circuit is not short-circuited, and a fixed stop position in which the circuit is short-circuited and the stop control is locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux (publ)
    Inventors: Ove Donnerdal, Magnus Söderqvist
  • Patent number: 6642841
    Abstract: A vehicle having a power assist device and an engine protecting apparatus is capable of steering and braking after any abnormality of the engine is detected. The engine protecting apparatus includes a battery, a key switch, a condition switch, a timer and a timer-operative switch. The battery supplies an electric current to the ignition circuit of the engine. The key switch is disposed between the battery and the ignition circuit and has an ignition terminal. The condition switch turns on and off based on engine conditions. The condition switch is connected to the ignition terminal of the key switch. The timer is connected to the ignition terminal of the key switch and has a predetermined period of time. The timer measures a time period from when the condition switch is turned on. The timer-operative switch is actuated by the timer. The timer-operative switch interrupts the electric current flowing to the ignition circuit when the timer measures the predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20030172893
    Abstract: The invention relates to a start method and a start arrangement for an internal combustion engine (10) of motor vehicles having a crankshaft (11) connected to an electric machine (14) for cranking the engine. Crankshaft position and rotation are detected by a start control apparatus (19) and evaluated for controlling each start operation of the engine. The crankshaft (11) is first brought by the electric machine (14) into a start position during a positioning phase for each start operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventor: Manfred Ackermann
  • Publication number: 20030172892
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a variable displacement engine during cranking and starting include a hybrid operating mode to allow intake/exhaust valve operation while preventing fuel delivery and/or spark to at least one of the subsequently deactivated cylinders or bank of cylinders during cranking and starting. The system and method provide advantages to starting the engine relative to either pure variable displacement mode or full activation mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Glugla, John Ottavio Michelini, Michael Flory
  • Publication number: 20030150430
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting an internal combustion engine and to a corresponding starter device. The aim of the invention is to improve the carburetion in the range of the desired idle speed. To this end, the internal combustion engine is brought to a high speed (>800 rpm) using a crankshaft-starter generator (KSG). The throttle valve is adjusted to a defined value, preferably it is kept closed. Due to the higher air mass flow of the internal combustion engine the suction pressure (MAP) decreases quickly. Fuel injection is only released when the suction pressure (MAP) has fallen below a predetermined threshold value (MAP_SW).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Klaus Bayerle, Gerhard Haft, Gregor Probst, Hong Zhang
  • Publication number: 20030140881
    Abstract: An engine starting control apparatus that causes a crankshaft of an engine to rotate reversely to a predetermined position immediately after the engine is stopped to make preparations for next starting of the engine. This action is performed in order to prevent firing by useless ignition upon forward rotation of the crankshaft when the engine is started again. When the engine restarted, the engine starting control apparatus causes the engine to rotate forwardly from the predetermined position. The apparatus includes a starter motor connected to the crankshaft, a reverse rotation means capable of rotating the engine reversely to a predetermined position, an ignition device for igniting the engine in the proximity of the top dead center of a piston, and an ignition suppression device for inhibiting the ignition of the engine for a predetermined period of time after the forward rotation of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Makajima, Takeshi Yanagisawa, Taiichi Imaike
  • Patent number: 6598588
    Abstract: An ignition-timing controlling apparatus for an internal combustion controls a basic ignition timing during cranking of the engine so as to correctively shift the basic ignition timing toward a retard angle side when the number of times of ignitions occurring in the combustion chamber of the engine are detected to have reached a predetermined number of times after the start of cranking operation. The amount of corrective shifting of the basic ignition timing toward the retard angle side is set by the ignition-timing controlling apparatus, on the basis of a temperature rise in the combustion chamber that is estimated by the detection of the number of times of ignitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiko Yuya
  • Patent number: 6588397
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine, especially an engine for a motor vehicle, is described which is provided with a piston, which is movable in a cylinder and acts on a crankshaft. The piston can run through an intake phase, a compression phase, a work phase and a discharge phase. A control apparatus is provided with which the fuel can be injected directly into a combustion chamber delimited by the cylinder and the piston in a first operating mode during a compression phase or in a second operating mode during an intake phase. The control apparatus is so configured that, for starting the engine at standstill of the crankshaft, fuel can be injected into that cylinder (no. 1) whose piston is disposed in the compression phase and can be ignited (20, 21) so that the crankshaft moves rearwardly (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Udo Sieber
  • Publication number: 20030101956
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1), in particular of a motor vehicle, in the forward direction, wherein the position of a piston (2) in a cylinder (3) of the engine (1) is ascertained, and fuel is injected into a combustion chamber (4) of the particular cylinder (3) whose piston (2) is in a working phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventor: Udo Sieber
  • Patent number: 6571769
    Abstract: A capacitor discharge type internal combustion engine ignition device is provided; wherein a capacitor is charged by a positive half-wave output voltage of an exciter coil; wherein an ignition is performed by giving an ignition signal to a thyristor from an ignition control portion for steady state; wherein a pulse signal obtained by waveform-shaping a negative half-wave output voltage of the exciter coil or the signal generated by a signal generator is given to the thyristor as the ignition signal through an ignition control portion for extremely low speed state so as to perform an ignition at a starting time and at an extremely low speed state; and wherein a power supply circuit which gives a power supply voltage to the ignition control portion for steady state and the power supply circuit which gives the power supply voltage to the ignition control portion for extremely low speed state are provided separately whereby the ignition signal for the starting time and the extremely low speed state can be generat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Kokusan Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Uemura
  • Publication number: 20030070663
    Abstract: A method and system for powering an electronic circuit in a vehicle provided with an AC-CDI starting system is described herein. A power converter is connected to the magneto to tap some of the high voltage electricity produced thereby. The power converter converts this voltage to a voltage suitable to be used by an electronic circuit. Another aspect of the present invention consists in powering the interrogator circuit of a transponder system to prevent unwanted starting of the engine of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventor: Richard Pinsonneault
  • Patent number: 6526938
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating cold starting of a direct injected, two-stroke engine. The engine utilizes a fuel injection system that is controlled to inject a fuel into a combustion chamber just before the piston reaches top dead center, at least during cold starting. This permits better atomization of a variety of fuels to promote dependable cold starting of the engine even when combusting a fuel type such as kerosene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Bombardier Motor Corporation of American
    Inventors: Phillip J. Bylsma, Todd D. Craft, Paul Tat-Keung Ng, Karl J. Grajkowski, Peter E. Lucier
  • Publication number: 20030029420
    Abstract: A capacitor discharge type internal combustion engine ignition device is provided; wherein a capacitor is charged by a positive half-wave output voltage of an exciter coil; wherein an ignition is performed by giving an ignition signal to a thyristor from an ignition control portion for steady state; wherein a pulse signal obtained by waveform-shaping a negative half-wave output voltage of the exciter coil or the signal generated by a signal generator is given to the thyristor as the ignition signal through an ignition control portion for extremely low speed state so as to perform an ignition at a starting time and at an extremely low speed state; and wherein a power supply circuit which gives a power supply voltage to the ignition control portion for steady state and the power supply circuit which gives the power supply voltage to the ignition control portion for extremely low speed state are provided separately whereby the ignition signal for the starting time and the extremely low speed state can be generat
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Uemura
  • Patent number: 6505595
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling ignition timing during startup of a two-stroke internal combustion engine while avoiding ignition timing errors caused by engine speed fluctuations. A rotational component of the engine, such as a flywheel, bears a plurality of spaced indicator markers including a plurality of ignition triggering markers, each of which designates a position on the rotational component that is acceptable for triggering ignition in a respective cylinder of the engine. Ignition in each cylinder is triggered upon detecting the associated ignition triggering marker and without taking engine velocity into account. Ignition timing errors that could otherwise be introduced due to erroneous assumptions based on engine speed therefore are avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Bombardier Motor Corporation of America
    Inventor: Scott A. Koerner
  • Publication number: 20020157630
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1), especially of a motor vehicle. The position of a piston (2) in a cylinder (3) of the engine (1) is determined and fuel is injected into a combustion chamber (4) of that cylinder (3) whose piston (2) is disposed in a work phase. In order to make possible a start of the internal combustion engine (1) as reliable as possible without an electro-motoric starter, it is suggested that the inlet and/or outlet valves (5) of at least one cylinder (3), whose piston (2) is disposed after top dead center (TDC), is brought into a position corresponding to a work phase in advance of the starting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Brueggen Gerhard, Nikolaus Benninger, Udo Sieber
  • Patent number: 6467456
    Abstract: An engine ignition timing control system for outboard motor having a propeller connected to the engine to be rotated and mounted on a boat such that the boat is propelled forward or backward. The engine is equipped with a decompression mechanism and is started by a recoil starter. In the system, at the time of engine starting, the ignition timing is set to a predetermined crank angle until the detected engine speed exceeds a first prescribed engine speed, while it is set to a value obtained by retrieving a table by at least the detected engine speed after the detected engine speed exceeds the first prescribed engine speed. And, the ignition timing is advanced until the detected engine speed is equal to or greater than a second prescribed value and is then returned to the retrieved value. With this, the engine speed can be reliably increased at starting, without need for a throttle opener or air-fuel ratio enrichment, thereby enhancing engine starting performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sadafumi Shidara, Kazuhiro Satoh
  • Patent number: 6456034
    Abstract: In a device for controlling the power supply of the electric motor of a starter of a motor vehicle, and of an automobile in particular, a power switch is connected in series with the electric motor to control the motor power. The switch consists of an electronic power unit capable of being controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Valeo Equipments Electriques Moteur
    Inventor: Gérard Vilou
  • Patent number: 6357409
    Abstract: A method for starting a camless internal combustion engine in response to a start signal, the internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and multiple cylinders each having one or more actuators for electronically actuating corresponding intake and exhaust valves, the internal combustion engine being mechanically coupled via the crankshaft to a starter motor, the starter motor being activated in response to the start signal, the method including the steps of: positioning each of the valves in accordance with a predetermined valve initial position, the valves being positioned so as to allow the flow of air in and out of each of the cylinders; rotating the crankshaft via the starter to a target idle speed for the engine; activating each of the valves in accordance with a predetermined valve activation sequence when the rotational speed of the crankshaft equals or exceeds the target idle speed; and activating each of the cylinders in accordance with a predetermined cylinder activation sequence after the valve
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Haghgooie, Mazen Hammoud
  • Publication number: 20020026925
    Abstract: An ignition-timing controlling apparatus for an internal combustion controls a basic ignition timing during cranking of the engine so as to correctively shift the basic ignition timing toward a retard angle side when the number of times of ignitions occurring in the combustion chamber of the engine are detected to have reached a predetermined number of times after the start of cranking operation. The amount of corrective shifting of the basic ignition timing toward the retard angle side is set by the ignition-timing controlling apparatus, on the basis of a temperature rise in the combustion chamber that is estimated by the detection of the number of times of ignitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiko Yuya
  • Patent number: 6334417
    Abstract: A method of cold starting an internal-combustion engine includes the steps of rotating the engine crankshaft by a starter motor to initiate cold starting; and during initial work cycles of the cold start, controlling, by an engine control device, the cylinder valves, the fuel injection device and the ignition device belonging to at least one selected cylinder, such as to operate the selected cylinder in a delayed intake opening mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: FEV Motorentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Salber, Martin Pischinger, Thomas Esch, Jürgen Hagen
  • Patent number: 6314938
    Abstract: A starting system for a manual only pull start internal combustion engine with a starting pulley, a pull cord wrapped around the starting pulley, a rotor selectively engageable with the starting pulley, and an ignition module located adjacent to rotor. The starting pulley has a pull cord groove with an enlarged diameter between about 2.5 to 3.4 inches. The ignition module is adapted to fire a spark plug of the engine with a timing retard of about 8 degrees at a speed of about 500 rpm of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Patrick A. McCreery, Jack Eric Campbell, Charles Gaymon
  • Patent number: 6244247
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an engine control device 40 judges based on a cooling water temperature of an engine in what state the engine is. When judged that the engine is in a cold state, the engine control device 40 produces an ignition signal to feed it to an igniter 6b so as to spark spark plugs 7 which are individually placed in cylinders at an exhaust stroke or expansion stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsubara, Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida, Tetsusi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6233935
    Abstract: A system (40) for starting an internal combustion engine (12) of an automotive vehicle (10) has a controller (54) coupled to a starter/alternator (42). The engine (12) has a crankshaft (50) and a turbocharger (24). The controller (54) initiates the starting of the engine (12) by rotating the crankshaft (50). The rotating crankshaft (50) displaces an amount of air from the cylinders (14) of the engine (12) to rotate the rotor shaft of the turbocharger (21). The turbocharger (25) thus draws in air, compresses the air and provides the compressed air to the cylinders (14). When the engine is started the initial power is increased due to the compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurinder Singh Kahlon, Ning Liu, Robert Joseph Mohan
  • Patent number: 6213086
    Abstract: A process for operating of an internal combustion engine running on fuel that is both externally ignitible and self-ignitible, especially gasoline, the operating region of the engine including self-ignition or compression-ignition (CI) regions and external-ignition or spark-ignition (SI) regions, and a high compression ratio suitable for self-ignition of the fuel being provided, at least in compression-ignition regions, and combustion being initiated by self-ignition of the fuel-air mixture in compression-ignition regions and by spark-ignition of the fuel-air mixture in spark-ignition regions, and part-load operation being assigned to the compression-ignition region, whilst full-load operation and/or operating modes with high engine load as well as cold starts are assigned to the spark-ignition region. In order to improve the quality of the exhaust gases while maintaining high efficiency, a largely homogeneous fuel-air mixture should be produced in the combustion chamber in the compression-ignition region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Chmela, Peter Meurer
  • Patent number: RE38671
    Abstract: A system (40) for starting an internal combustion engine (12) of an automotive vehicle (10) has a controller (54) coupled to a starter/alternator (42). The engine (12) has a crankshaft (50) and a turbocharger (24). The controller (54) initiates the starting of the engine (12) by rotating the crankshaft (50). The rotating crankshaft (50) displaces an amount of air from the cylinders (14) of the engine (12) to rotate the rotor shaft of the turbocharger (21). The turbocharger (25) thus draws in air, compresses the air and provides the compressed air to the cylinders (14). When the engine is started the initial power is increased due to the compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurinder Singh Kahlon, Ning Liu, Robert Joseph Mohan