Abstract: An intake device for an internal combustion engine comprises an outwardly extending flange attached to a throttle barrel and a saucer-like member attached to the flange to form a ring-shaped intake passage therebetween. An air flow meter duct is arranged with the outlet disposed at the portion of the ring-shaped intake passage having the smallest cross-sectional area. The air flow velocity within the duct is equal to the velocity at this smallest cross-sectional area section, thus permitting measurement thereof by measuring the flow through the meter and scaling appropriately by the ratio of meter flow passage to intake passage cross-sectional areas.

Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus comprising an actuator for driving a member for controlling the amount of fuel injected, a computing circuit for computing a first signal representing an optimum amount of fuel injected on the basis of the engine operation conditions and a signal generator for generating a second signal representing the amount of fuel injected from an injection nozzle, the signal generator has a detector for generating a position signal indicative of the position of needle valve of the injection nozzle at the instant of injection, a converting circuit for converting the position signal into an open area signal representing an open area of the injection nozzle and a computing circuit for computing a signal indicative of the actual amount of fuel injected on the basis of the open area signal.

Abstract: A sensor (10) optically coupled to the combustion chamber (10') of an internal combustion (IC) engine is kept free from contaminating or dirt deposits, or the like, by subjecting the sensor to mechanical shocks or vibration. The mechanical shocks or vibration are obtained by the engine itself by controlling the engine to operate for a predetermined time period as set by a monostable flip-flop (FF) (18) under controlled knocking conditions, the shock waves within the combustion chamber causing flaking off or dropping off of contaminating deposits. Controlled knocking can be obtained by advancing ignition timing by additional control of an ignition system (19) in a direction of excessive spark advance, or overriding a knocking inhibiting system already present on the engine.

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio control system for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio of a mixture being supplied to an internal combustion engine is provided which comprises an absolute pressure sensor for detecting the absolute pressure in the intake pipe of the engine, and means operable to interrupt the air/fuel feedback control operation and immediately move an actuator for driving an air/fuel ratio control valve to a predetermined position and hold it there when the absolute pressure in the intake pipe, detected by the absolute pressure sensor is lower than a predetermined value at engine deceleration. This arrangement can ensure best driveability and best exhaust gas emission characteristics of the engine at engine deceleration.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an amount of fuel being supplied to an internal combustion engine during acceleration is controlled in association with a desired value of acceleration (a degree of acceleration) and a temperature of the engine. The amount of fuel being supplied increases, as the desired value of acceleration is increased, and as the engine temperature becomes lower. Thus, an engine output necessary for rapid acceleration is positively provided, with the assurance of a desirable driving feeling at slow acceleration.

Abstract: A control system for use with an internal combustion engine, which includes a timer for producing a trouble indicative signal when there is continued over a predetermined period of time a concurrence of a first signal produced when the pressure in the intake pipe of the engine is lower than a first predetermined value and a second signal produced when the engine speed is lower than a second predetermined value. The first and second predetermined values are set such that they are incompatible with each other during normal operation of the engine. The control system includes an air/fuel ratio control system which is provided with means responsive to the above trouble-indicative signal to carry out at least one of actions of moving an air/fuel ratio control valve actuator to a predetermined position and holding the same thereat, giving the alarm and memorizing and displaying of a corresponding failure code.

Abstract: A suction air volume detecting means to be provided in a suction system in an engine, in particular an automotive engine to electrically detect the air volume to be sucked into the engine is mounted within a suction air expansion chamber of the suction system provided to reduce the pulsation of the suctioned air for the purpose that the electrical circuit elements of the suction air volume detecting means, in particular, transistors, etc. are protected from being heated by heat radiated from the engine and from being caused to misoperate by external electrical waves.

Abstract: The acceleration of an internal combustion engine is detected for generating at least one electrical signal indicating when acceleration exceeds a predetermined degree. In response to this signal, the fuel feeding rate of the engine is instantly increased by a predetermined increment. After each increasing operation is executed, the increased fuel feeding rate is decreased with a variable reduction rate. The variable reduction rate, according to the present invention, is decreased in accordance with the lapse of time after the increasing operation has been executed.

Abstract: An electrical resistance apparatus adapted for the measurement of the position of the throttle blade of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a generally annular housing which has an inside surface that supports a flexible resistive element. The resistive element comprises a flexible web on which two parallel resistive tracks have been overlaid. A generally cylindrical rotor mounts within the housing and electrically couples the two tracks by means of a U-shaped conductive wiper that bridges the separation between the resistive tracks. The rotor is mechanically connected to the throttle blade of the internal combustion engine and rotates therewith. By applying the leads of a power supply to one resistive track and reading a voltage signal from the other resistive track, a potentiometric signal related to the position of the throttle blade is developed.

Abstract: A fuel feed device for an engine comprises an electric control to control opening and closing of a fuel injection valve in accordance with electric signals output from an operating condition detector prior to the electric signals from an air flow rate detecting device, when the engine is operated under a specific driving condition such as a low speed and high load driving condition. Another electric control can control opening and closing of the fuel injection valve in accordance with the electric signal output from the air flow rate detecting device when the engine is under other driving conditions, so that the present invention has the advantage that highly reliable electronically controlled fuel feed is effected.

Abstract: In an electronic fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a vacuum switch and a throttle valve switch respectively monitor the intake manifold pressure and the opening of the throttle valve. Fuel enrichment is achieved in response to these two switches in such a manner that the fuel enrichment is performed even in the case of low speed and relatively high load engine operating conditions, as well as at full throttle. In such a low speed, relatively high load range, the amount of fuel enrichment may be less than at full throttle. Optionally the fuel enrichment is achieved only by the vacuum switch without the throttle switch. The vacuum switch optionally has an altitude compensation mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a hot-wire air-flow sensor of constant temperature difference type includes a hot wire and a temperature sensitive compensating element such as a resistor for compensating temperature of air. The hot wire and the resistor are formed of identical elements. A pulse train signal having a pulse width varying in correspondence to difference between voltage drops produced, respectively, across the hot wire and the compensating resistor supplied with a constant current is produced for interrupting the current supplied to the hot wire.

Abstract: An engine control system is disclosed which comprises a means for storing engine control data with such parameters as throttle valve opening angle for regulating the quantity of the air taken into an engine cylinder, an intake manifold depression and an engine speed, a means for reading-out said engine control data with the parameters of the intake manifold depression and the engine speed in light load condition and with the parameters of the throttle valve opening angle and the engine speed in heavy load condition, and a means for controlling the engine using the read-out data. The change of parameter in said system is achieved by using at least one of the throttle valve opening angle, intake manifold depression, engine speed and the engine control data. The locus or the valve of the changing point in parameter replacement from the intake manifold depression to the throttle valve opening angle, or vice versa, may have a hysteresis characteristic.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine comprises a transducer for issuing a signal representative of combustion pressure in a combustion chamber, a unit consisting of a bandpass filter and a wave-form shaping circuit for issuing a signal representative of existing combustion timing of the combustion chamber by processing the signal from the transducer for detection of rapid increase of the combustion pressure; a reference timing circuit for issuing a signal representative of a predetermined reference combustion timing of the combustion chamber in accordance with operation modes of the engine, a comparator circuit for issuing a signal representative of a difference between the signal from the unit and the signal from the reference timing circuit, and a unit consisting of a discriminating circuit and an actuator driving circuit for controlling the ignition timing, the air-fuel ratio of air-fuel mixture and the amount of exhaust gas recirculated into the intake system of the engine, by processing the

Abstract: An acceleration signal detector is provided for detecting an acceleration condition of an engine based on the open-and-close operation of a throttle valve. Switching arrangements associated with the throttle valve are provided for detecting the fully closed condition of the throttle valve and for detecting a partially closed condition of the throttle valve. Signal processing apparatus receives output signals from the switching arrangements, and a change in the output of the means for detecting a partially closed condition subsequent to a change in the output of the means for detecting the fully closed condition is indicative of acceleration. This arrangement eliminates erroneous signals that might otherwise be caused by chattering of switch contacts.

Abstract: The invention contemplates an electrical network associated with a throttle-control potentiometer whereby a standard commercially available linear potentiometer having an given angle of electrical-resistance variation may be employed, over an entire lesser angle range of throttle rotation, to provide an output voltage which, for an initial fraction of throttle displacement, is a predetermined substantially linear variation of a given input voltage, and which, for the remaining fraction of throttle displacement, remains substantially constant at the level of the upper end of the linearly varying fraction. A feature of the invention is that the slope and extent of linear variation are selectable, without modification of the linear potentiometer.

Abstract: Electric control apparatus for providing an enabling control signal and a steering control signal to control the electronic fuel injectors of a sequential fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a rotatable disc which rotates in synchronism with the engine. The disc has a plurality of spaced sensible elements contained thereon, one of the sensible elements defining a reference element which has a recognizable characteristic distinguishing it from the other sensible elements. The distance between the reference element and an adjacent element defines a predetermined distance different than the distance between any two adjacent nonreference elements. A single sensor senses the spaced sensible elements and provides corresponding electrical pulses. A pulse processing circuit electrically connected to the output of the sensor processes the pulses.

Abstract: An electronic fuel feed system wherein pulses generated in synchronism with the revolutions of an engine are multiplied by N, the suction air of the engine is measured by a swirl-type air flow meter, the pulses increased N times as fall within a pulse of the air flow meter are counted, and the quantity of fuel supply is calculated from the inverse number of the count value.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the flow rate of suction air in an internal combustion engine in which the heat radiation characteristic of a heat generator disposed in the suction air passage, which characteristic varies with the lapse of time due to dust and like foreign matters depositing on the heat generator, is calibrated on the basis of the air flow rate value measured by an air flow rate measuring device of differential pressure type so as to insure accurate measurement of the suction air flow rate.

Abstract: A restrained turbine high dynamic response mass rate of fluid flow sensor for applications to air flow sensing in internal combustion engine fuel controls. The turbine rotor vanes impart an angular momentum change to the fluid in passing through the turbine vanes and signals are generated corresponding to the resulting reaction forces, these signals combined with signals corresponding to the fluid temperature and downstream pressure to yield mass rate of flow output signals. Variations of the turbine rotor support configurations include a friction free flexural restraint comprised of radial webs which may also act as stator vanes, secured to the turbine hub. In several embodiments, reaction forces are sensed by measuring the reactive torque imposed on the turbine rotorand the flexural restraint supporting the rotor provides a rigid support for absorbing the radial and axial forces while being compliant to torque.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for controlling at least one electrical switching element in internal combustion engines, particularly the main relay of the voltage supply, in accordance with one operating characteristic and with a switch position which indicates an operating condition, in which the signal corresponding to the operating characteristic can be fed to a storage device whose charging and/or discharging process can be influenced by the switch relative to the ignition with the value of the storage signal serving to control the electrical switching element. Furthermore, the signal in accordance with the operating condition and, indirectly or directly, corresponding to the operating characteristic can be fed to a connection point whose output signal can be switched to a switching device for heating the heating wire in an air flow rate meter to a red-hot condition.

Abstract: A cylindrical vortex generator of a Karman shedding flow meter is set in an inlet tube of an air cleaner of a combustion engine. An air flow uniforming device such as a wire netting is disposed in the inlet tube at a position upstream of the vortex generator for producing in the inlet tube a turbulent but considerably uniformed air flow directed toward the vortex generator. A bypass means is arranged in the inlet tube to make a bypass flow of air directed toward the vortex generator when the combustion engine is under high speed operation.

Abstract: An air flow rate compensation circuit is provided to compensate for an erroneous air flow rate signal produced in response to the movement of the flap of an air flow meter disposed in the intake air passage of an internal combustion engine where the erroneous nature of the signal occurs because of an overshoot characteristic of the flap. The compensation circuit produces an output signal with which either an air/fuel ratio control signal produced in response to the air flow rate signal or the air flow rate signal per se is modified where the output signal is produced in response to the movement of the throttle valve or the variation of the air flow rate signal.

Abstract: A fuel injection system equipped with a fuel increase command signal generator for an automotive internal combustion engine, comprising an airflow meter for measuring the airflow rate of the intake air for determining the pulse width of a pulse signal with which fuel injection valves are energized; and a fuel increase command signal generator for producing a command signal with which the fuel flow rate is momentarily increased. The fuel increase command signal generator includes a differentiator and a comparator for detecting the rate of decrease of the airflow, another comparator for detecting the opening degree of the throttle valve of the engine, and an AND gate for producing the fuel increase command signal so that the fuel flow rate is increased only when the rate of decrease of the airflow is over a predetermined value while the throttle valve is closed or nearly closed.