VALVE WORKING ANGLE VARIABLE SYSTEM

• US 20120158267A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Habara, Shunsuke, Nakashima, Toyokazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,850,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/185 Overhead end-pivot rocking arms
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/2405 by means of a hydraulic adjusting device located between the cylinder head and rocker arm
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/462 Valve return spring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 13/0063 by modification of cam contact point by displacing an intermediate lever or wedge-shaped intermediate element, e.g. Tourtelot
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2305/00 Valve arrangements comprising rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2800/14 Determining a position, e.g. phase or lift
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2820/032 Electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/107 Safety-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0203 Variable control of intake and exhaust valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/28 Interface circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A drive circuit (203) of an actuator (2) calculates an actual working angle from an actual operation quantity with reference to a reference table used to calculate a target operation quantity, and transmits the actual working angle and the actual operation quantity to a command unit (4). The command unit (4) determines whether or not the received values of the actual working angle and the operation quantity correspond to the valve working angle and the operation quantity of the reference table stored in the command unit (4), to detect a discrepancy between the operation modes of the actuator (2) and the command unit (4).

Claims

1. A valve working angle variable system, comprising:

an actuator that calculates an operation quantity necessary for achieving a valve working angle commanded by a command unit based on a relationship between a valve working angle and an operation quantity stored in the actuator, and performs an operation, wherein

the command unit gives the actuator a command for an operation mode, and stores a relationship between the valve working angle and a parameter correlated to this valve working angle for the commanded operation mode,

the actuator transmits values of the valve working angle and the parameter recognized by the actuator to the command unit, and the command unit determines whether or not the transmitted two values satisfy the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit, and

when a negative result is derived from the determination, at least one of notification of abnormality and stopping operation of the actuator is performed.

2. The valve working angle variable system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is the operation quantity.

3. The valve working angle variable system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is a change speed upper limit value of the valve working angle.

4. The valve working angle variable system according to claim 1,

wherein the command unit performs the determination by calculating one of the value of the valve working angle and the value of the parameter received from the actuator using the other of the values based on the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit, and checking whether or not the calculated value matches with the received value.

5. A valve working angle variable system, comprising:

an actuator that calculates an operation quantity necessary for achieving a valve working angle commanded by a command unit based on a relationship between valve working angle and an operation quantity stored in the actuator, and performs an operation, wherein

the command unit gives the actuator a command for an operation mode, and stores a relationship between the valve working angle and the operation quantity for the commanded operation mode,

the actuator calculates a value of the valve working angle using a value of the operation quantity based on the relationship stored in the actuator, and transmits the value of the operation quantity used for the calculation and the calculated value of the valve working angle to the command unit,

the command unit determines whether or not the values of the valve working angle and the operation quantity received from the actuator satisfy the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit, and

when a negative result is derived from the determination, at least one of notification of abnormality and stopping operation of the actuator is performed.

6. The valve working angle variable system according to claim 5, wherein

the command unit stores a relationship between the valve working angle and a change speed upper limit value of this valve working angle for an operation mode commanded of the actuator,

the actuator stores a relationship between the valve working angle and the change speed upper limit value for an operation mode used by the actuator,

the actuator calculates the change speed upper limit value using the value of the valve working angle based on the relationship between the two values stored in the actuator, and transmits the two values to the command unit, and

the command unit determines whether or not the value of the valve working angle and the change speed upper limit value received from the actuator satisfy the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit.

7. The valve working angle variable system according to claim 5, wherein the command unit performs the determination by calculating one of the value of the valve working angle and the value of the operation quantity received from the actuator using the other of the values based on the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit, and checking whether or not the calculated value matches with the received value.

8. A valve working angle variable system, comprising:

an actuator that calculates an operation quantity necessary for achieving a valve working angle commanded by a command unit based on a relationship between valve working angle and an operation quantity stored in the actuator, and performs an operation, wherein

the command unit gives the actuator a command for an operation mode, and stores a relationship between the valve working angle and the operation quantity for the commanded operation mode,

the actuator calculates a value of the operation quantity using a value of the commanded valve working angle based on the relationship stored in the actuator, and transmits the calculated value of the operation quantity to the command unit,

the command unit calculates a value of the operation quantity using the value of the valve working angle commanded of the actuator based on the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit, and determines whether or not the calculated value of the operation quantity matches with the value of the operation quantity received from the actuator, and

when a negative result is derived from the determination, at least one of notification of abnormality and operation stop of the actuator is performed.

9. The valve working angle variable system according to claim 8, wherein

the command unit stores a relationship between the valve working angle and a change speed upper limit value of this valve working angle for the operation mode commanded of the actuator, the actuator stores a relationship between the valve working angle and the change speed upper limit value for an operation mode used by the actuator,

the actuator calculates the change speed upper limit value using the value of the valve working angle commanded from the command unit based on the relationship between the two values stored in the actuator, and transmits the calculated value to the command unit, and

the command unit calculates the change speed upper limit value using a value of the valve working angle commanded of the actuator based on the relationship between the two values stored in the command unit, and determines whether or not the calculated value matches with the change speed upper limit value received from the actuator.

10. A valve working angle variable system, comprising:

an actuator that calculates an operation quantity necessary for achieving a valve working angle commanded by a command unit based on a relationship between a valve working angle and an operation quantity stored in the actuator, and performs an operation, wherein

the command unit gives the actuator a command for an operation mode,

the actuator transmits an operation mode set according to the command to the command unit,

the command unit determines whether or not the operation mode received from the actuator matches with the operation mode commanded of this actuator, and

when a negative result is derived from the determination, at least one of notification of abnormality and stopping operation of the actuator is performed.