Variable intake system monitoring apparatus

• US 20050120785A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Shin, Chang-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 7,114,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.370
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/107 Safety-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/1065 Mechanical control linkage between an actuator and the flap, e.g. including levers, gears, springs, clutches, limit stops of the like
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/1095 Rotating on a common axis, e.g. having a common shaft

Abstract

Variable intake systems are provided that include a variable intake valve shaft, potentiometer, pneumatic actuator, Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor, Throttle Position Sensor and controller. Preferred systems of the invention can monitor whether valves of a variable intake system are properly working, thereby stabilizing the operation of the variable intake system in a simplified manner and at low costs.

Claims

1. A variable intake system monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a variable intake valve shaft comprising a plurality of flaps;

a potentiometer that measures the pivot amount of the variable intake valve shaft;

a pneumatic actuator that pivots the variable intake valve shaft;

a vacuum line connecting a surge tank and the pneumatic actuator to provide operational pressure of the pneumatic actuator;

a Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor positioned proximate to the surge tank connected with the vacuum hose;

a Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) located at a throttle body; and

a controller that detects the operation state of the variable intake valve shaft by receiving signals from the potentiometer, MAP sensor, and TPS.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the potentiometer is a sensor of the same type as the the TPS.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the potentiometer is formed with a line-shaped protrusion at one end of a sensing shaft, and the variable intake valve shaft is formed at one end of thereof with a line-shaped groove into which the line-shaped protrusion is inserted.

5. A motor vehicle that comprises the variable intake system monitoring apparatus of claim 1.

4. A variable intake system monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a variable intake valve shaft comprising a plurality of flaps;

a potentiometer that can measure the pivot amount of the variable intake valve shaft;

a pneumatic actuator that can pivot the variable intake valve shaft;

a Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor;

a Throttle Position Sensor located at a throttle body; and

a controller that detects the operation state of the variable intake valve shaft by input from one or more of the potentiometer, Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor, or Throttle Position Sensor.

6. A motor vehicle that comprises the variable intake system monitoring apparatus of claim 4.