APPARATUS FOR INSURING AUTOMATIC CLOSURE OF AN ENGINE THROTTLE VALVE UPON RELEASE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL

• US 3,722,491 A
• Filed: 12/15/1970
• Issued: 03/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Noriyuki Maeda
• Original Assignee: Noriyuki Maeda
• Inventors: Maeda, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, Charles J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heald, Randall
• Application Number:
  US05/098,379
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198D,98 192/3R 74/89.2,96,513
• US Class Current: 123/198.00D
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/00 Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear lift-valve and valve-seat assemblies per se F01L3/00; slide-valve gear F01L5/00; actuated non-mechanically F01L9/00; valve arrangements in working piston or piston rod F01L11/00; modifications of valve-gear to facilitate reversing, braking, starting, changing compression ratio, or other specific operations F01L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2710/006 Safety devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18832 including flexible drive connector [e.g., belt, chain, strand, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20534 Accelerator

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for insuring closure of a throttle valve in a suction passage in an internal combustion engine when an acceleration member such as an acceleration pedal or the like is released. The throttle valve is urged by a spring to its closed position and a normally closed clutch is incorporated in an operation mechanism which couples the throttle valve and the acceleration pedal. The clutch is opened by an electro magnet when both a first detecting switch is closed upon release of the acceleration pedal and a second detecting switch is closed when the throttle valve remains in its open position.

Claims

1. In combination:

a throttle valve in a suction passage of an internal combustion engine, an acceleration operation member operatively engageable to open the throttle valve, means for automatically insuring closure of the throttle valve when the acceleration operation member is released, the latter said means comprising bias means acting on said throttle valve to urge the same to its closed position, operation means coupling said throttle valve and said acceleration operation member such that the throttle valve follows the operation of said acceleration operation member against the action of said bias means, and detection means for detecting the position of said acceleration operation member and the position of said throttle valve to decouple the operation means for the throttle valve and permit the throttle valve to return to its closed position under the action of said bias means when the operation member has been released and the throttle valve remains open.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said operation means comprises a clutch which is normally closed to enable the throttle valve to follow the operation of tHe acceleration operation member, said detection means including means for opening the clutch when the operation member has been released and the throttle valve remains open.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for opening the clutch comprises an electromagnet coupled to said clutch.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said detection means comprises a first switch coupled to said acceleration operation member to close when the acceleration operation member is released, a second switch coupled to said throttle valve to close when the throttle valve is opened, and means connecting the first and second switches in a circuit with the electromagnet so that the electromagnet is energized when the first and second switches are closed.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first and second switches are connected in series.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said clutch comprises first and second opposed clutch members coupled respectively to said throttle valve and said electromagnet, said bias means comprising a spring acting on said first clutch member.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein said operation means comprises an actuating member operatively engaging said second clutch member, and coupled to said acceleration operation member.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7 comprising a second spring acting on the second clutch member to urge the second clutch member into engagement with the first clutch member.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 7 wherein said actuating member is a flexible wire.