ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL

• US 20110297462A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Koenig, David J., Grajkowski, Karl J., Erickson, Steve C.
• Application Number:
  US13/152,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20110297462A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/54.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0091 Speed limiters or speed cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/04 of means connecting initiating means or elements to propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/101 Infinitely variable gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/01 Occupants other than the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/124 Buggies, Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 3/10 characterised by having pitch control conjoint with propulsion plant control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/102 Switching from sequential injection to simultaneous injection
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

An electronic throttle control (ETC) system is disclosed for use on a recreational or a utility vehicle. The ETC system includes a drive mode selection device for selecting between a plurality of drive modes. The ETC system provides an adjustable engine idle speed and an engine power limiting feature.

Claims

1. A recreational vehicle including:

a chassis;

a ground engaging mechanism configured to support the chassis;

an engine supported by the chassis;

a throttle valve configured to regulate air intake into the engine;

an engine control module configured to control the throttle valve;

an operator input device in communication with the engine control module for controlling a position of the throttle valve; and

a drive mode selection device in communication with the engine control module for selecting one of a plurality of drive modes, the plurality of drive modes providing variable movement of the throttle valve in response to a movement of the operator input device.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive modes includes a first mode wherein the throttle valve opens at a first rate in response to the movement of the operator input device.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein in the first mode the throttle valve opens substantially linearly with the movement of the operator input device.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plurality of drive modes includes a second mode wherein the throttle valve opens at a faster rate than the first rate in response to the movement of the operator input device.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plurality of drive modes includes a second mode wherein, at low engine speeds, the throttle valve opens at a slower rate than the first rate in response to the movement of the operator input device.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plurality of drive modes includes a second mode wherein, at low engine speeds, the throttle valve opens slower than the first rate in response to the movement of the operator input device, and wherein, at high engine speeds, the throttle valve opens at least the first rate in response to the movement of the operator input device.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the throttle valve includes a maximum opening, wherein the engine control module is configured to reduce the maximum opening of the throttle valve upon detection of damage to the engine.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operator input device comprises a throttle control configured to receive an input from an operator and a position sensor configured to detect a position of the throttle control, the position sensor providing a signal representative of the position of the throttle control to the engine control module for controlling the position of the throttle valve.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine control module communicates with the operator input device and the throttle valve via controller area network protocol.

10. The electronic throttle control system of claim 1, further comprising a maximum speed device in communication with the engine control module for selecting a maximum speed of the vehicle and providing a signal representative of the selected maximum speed to the engine control module.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the maximum speed device comprises a key including a transmitter, the key being received in an ignition of the vehicle, the transmitter of the key providing maximum speed information to the engine control module.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a ground speed control device in communication with the engine control module for selecting a vehicle ground speed and providing a signal representative of the selected vehicle ground speed to the engine control module, the engine control module controlling the throttle valve to substantially maintain the selected vehicle ground speed.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a transmission driven by the engine and including a plurality of gears, wherein the plurality of drive modes includes a first drive mode and a second drive mode associated with a first gear of the transmission and a third drive mode and a fourth drive mode associated with a second gear of the transmission, each of the first, second, third, and fourth drive modes providing variable movement of the throttle valve in response to the movement of the operator input device.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein in the first drive mode and in the third drive mode the throttle valve opens substantially linearly with the movement of the operator input device, wherein the throttle valve opens at a slower rate in the first drive mode than in the third drive mode based on the movement of the operator input device.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein in the second drive mode and in the fourth drive mode the throttle valve opens at a substantially nonlinear rate with the movement of the operator input device, wherein the throttle valve opens at a slower rate in the second drive mode than in the fourth drive mode based on the movement of the operator input device.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the throttle valve opens at a slower rate in the first drive mode than in the second drive mode based on the movement of the operator input device and at a slower rate in the third drive mode than in the fourth drive mode based on the movement of the operator input device.

17. A recreational vehicle including:

a chassis;

a ground engaging mechanism configured to support the chassis;

an engine supported by the chassis;

a throttle valve configured to regulate air intake into the engine;

an engine control module configured to control the throttle valve;

an operator input device in communication with the engine control module, the engine control module controlling an opening of the throttle valve based on the operator input device; and

an idle speed control device in communication with the engine control module for selecting an idle speed of the engine and providing a signal representative of the selected idle speed to the engine control module, the engine control module controlling the throttle valve to substantially hold the engine at the selected idle speed.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the idle speed control device includes at least one of a gauge, switch, and a button selectable by an operator.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the idle speed control device is configured to select between a plurality of discrete idle speeds.

20. The vehicle of claim 17, further including a sensor configured to detect a speed of the engine, wherein the engine control module controls the throttle valve based on the engine speed detected with the sensor.