Throttle body and engine of motorcycle having throttle body

• US 20050247287A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.), Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Hiroshi, Mori, Tetsuya, Kondo, Yasushi, Fukami, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,140,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/337
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/1095 Rotating on a common axis, e.g. having a common shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/024 using filters, e.g. moistened F02M35/026 takes precedence; cleaning of the filtering material F02M35/08
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10039 Intake ducts situated partly within or on the plenum chamber housing
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10177 Engines having multiple fuel injectors or carburettors per cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10216 Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10255 Arrangements of valves; Multi-way valves F02M35/10032 takes precedence; valves in the plenum chamber F02M35/10065; check valves F02M35/10275
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/162 Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts

Abstract

A throttle body configured to supply air to an air-intake port of an engine is disclosed. The throttle body typically includes an air-intake passage through which air flows. The air-intake passage at least partially has a non-perfect circle portion with a cross-section of a non-perfect circle shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of an air flow of air taken in from outside. The non-perfect circle shape typically has long and short axes. At least one of a first throttle valve and a second throttle valve typically is mounted within the non-perfect circle portion of the air-intake passage. The first throttle valve and second throttle valve may include throttle valve members each having a shape conforming to the non-perfect circle shape of the cross-section of the non-perfect circle portion of the air-intake passage. Typically, the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve are each configured to control an amount of the air flow. At least one of the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve is configured to open and close to substantially open and close the air-intake passage.

Claims

1. A throttle body configured to supply air to an air-intake port of an engine, comprising:

an air-intake passage through which air flows, the air-intake passage at least partially having a non-perfect circle portion with a cross-section of a non-perfect circle shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of an air flow of air taken in from outside, the non-perfect circle shape having long and short axes, the short axis extending in a width direction of the throttle body; and

at least one of a first throttle valve and a second throttle valve which are mounted within the non-perfect circle portion of the air-intake passage and include throttle valve members each having a shape conforming to the non-perfect circle shape of the cross-section of the non-perfect circle portion of the air-intake passage, the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve being each configured to control an amount of the air flow;

wherein the at least one of the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve is configured to be opened and closed to substantially open and close the air-intake passage.

2. The throttle body according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the non-perfect circle portion has a substantially oval shape or a substantially elongated circle shape.

3. A throttle body configured to supply air to an air-intake port of an engine, comprising:

an air-intake passage through which the air flows, the air-intake passage being configured to extend within the throttle body;

a main throttle valve member pivotally mounted within the air-intake passage and attached to a main throttle valve shaft;

a sub-throttle valve member that is pivotally mounted within a region of the air-intake passage which is located upstream of the main throttle valve member and that is attached to a sub-throttle valve shaft, the sub-throttle valve member being configured to be driven by a motor;

wherein the region of the air-intake passage which is located upstream of the main throttle valve member has a substantially oval shape having long and short axes or a substantially elongated circle shape having long and short axes, the short axis extending to conform to an axis of the sub-throttle valve shaft and the long axis extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sub-throttle valve shaft.

4. An engine of a motorcycle comprising:

a cylinder having a cylinder head;

an intake passage formed within the cylinder head;

a throttle body disposed upstream of the intake passage in an air flow of air taken in from outside, the throttle body including;

an air-intake passage through which air flows, the air-intake passage at least partially having a non-perfect circle portion with a cross-section of a non-perfect circle shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of the air flow, the non-perfect circle shape having long and short axes, the short axis extending in a width direction of the throttle body; and

a first throttle valve or a second throttle valve, or the first and the second throttle valves which are mounted within the non-perfect circle portion of the air-intake passage and include throttle valve members each having a shape conforming to the non-perfect circle shape of the cross-section of the non-perfect circle portion of the air-intake passage, the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve being each configured to control an amount of the air flow;

wherein the at least one of the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve is configured to be opened and closed to substantially open and close the air-intake passage.

5. The engine according to claim 4, wherein the cross-section of the non-perfect circle portion has a substantially oval shape or a substantially elongated circle shape.

6. The engine according to claim 4, further comprising:

an introducing duct connected to an upstream end of the air-intake passage of the throttle body and configured to extend to cross the air flow such that a downstream portion of a wall of the introducing duct in an air flow of the air before being introduced into the duct is longer than an upstream portion of the wall of the introducing duct.

7. The engine according to claim 6, further comprising:

a fuel injector having a fuel injection port configured to open toward an opening of the introducing duct,

wherein the downstream portion of the wall of the introducing duct is configured to extend so as to be slightly shorter or longer than a length from a base end of the downstream portion to a location in a longitudinal direction of the introducing duct at which the fuel injection port and a tip end of the downstream portion conform to each other.

8. The engine according to claim 6, wherein the introducing duct is configured to open such that a line connecting a tip end of the upstream portion of the wall of the duct to a tip end of the downstream portion of the wall of the duct is concave-shaped as seen from a side.

9. The engine according to claim 4, wherein the cross-section of the non-perfect circle portion has a substantially oval shape or a substantially elongated circle shape, the engine further comprising:

an introducing duct connected to an upstream end of the air-intake passage of the throttle body,

wherein the introducing duct has a cross-section of a substantially oval shape or a substantially elongated circle shape to conform to the non-perfect circle shape of the cross-section of the air-intake passage of the throttle body when sectioned in a direction which is perpendicular to the air flow of the taken-in air.

10. The engine according to claim 4, wherein the cylinder is one of a plurality of cylinders of the engine, and the throttle body includes a plurality of throttle bodies respectively attached to the cylinders and having air-intake passages, the engine further comprising:

a plurality of introducing ducts connected to upstream ends of the air-intake passages of the throttle bodies, at least one of the introducing ducts being configured not to have a length equal to lengths of remaining introducing ducts.

11. The engine according to claim 4, wherein one of the first and second throttle valves which is located on an upstream side in the air flow is configured to be opened and closed by an actuator.