Electronically controlling, fuel injection method for internal combustion engine

• US 4,364,363 A
• Filed: 05/16/1980
• Issued: 12/21/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Jiro, Miyagi, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, Charles J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US06/150,353
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 123/492, 123/491, 123/494, 123/483, 123/493
• US Class Current: 123/492
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/045 Detection of accelerating or decelerating state detection thereof in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/10 for acceleration

Abstract

According to the present invention, an amount of fuel being supplied to an internal combustion engine during acceleration is controlled in association with a desired value of acceleration (a degree of acceleration) and a temperature of the engine. The amount of fuel being supplied increases, as the desired value of acceleration is increased, and as the engine temperature becomes lower. Thus, an engine output necessary for rapid acceleration is positively provided, with the assurance of a desirable driving feeling at slow acceleration.

Claims

1. An electrically controlled, fuel injection method for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

generating an electric fuel signal related to a desired opening-duration of a fuel injection valve during a running mode of said engine;

transmitting said fuel signal to said valve, thereby controlling an amount of fuel being supplied into combustion chambers;

generating, on the basis of one of a throttle valve opening speed and a speed of increasing flow rate of air, at least one acceleration indication each time a commanded degree of acceleration exceeds a predetermined value independent of the position of a throttle valve in an intake system of said engine prior to a generation of said acceleration indication;

increasing a fuel amount increase value R by an incremental amount r in response to each acceleration indication independent of the previous fuel amount increase value R and independent of the rotational position of said engine;

decreasing said fuel amount increase value R with lapse of time;

changing said incremental amount r as a function of engine temperature; and

increasing an amount of fuel being supplied during acceleration in the acceleration mode of the engine by altering said fuel signal by said fuel amount increase value R.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said changing step further comprises the step of increasing said incremental amount r as the temperature of said engine is lowered.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said acceleration indication generating step includes the step of monitoring changes in the degree of opening of said throttle valve to generate said acceleration indications.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said acceleration indication generating step further comprises the step of monitoring variations in voltage of a pair of conductors respectively having equally spaced plural comb-teeth, the plural comb-teeth of one conductor opposing in a staggered relation to the comb-teeth of the other conductor, so that a conductor portion moving integrally with a rod of said throttle valve comes into contact with these comb-teeth of the pair of conductors alternately when said throttle valve is turned to an open position, said variations in voltage in said pair of conductors being related to a commanded degree of acceleration.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said monitoring step further comprises the step of producing one of said acceleration indications only when a voltage at one of said pairs of conductors changes level and a voltage at the other conductor changes level within a predetermined time after said one conductor voltage changes level.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein, said producing step further comprises the step of measuring said predetermined time with retriggerable monostable multivibrators.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 or 3 wherein said acceleration indication generating step further comprises the steps of:

generating with a potentiometer a voltage related to a position of a rotating rod of the throttle valve provided in an intake system; and

detecting the degree of acceleration by monitoring the variation in an output of said potentiometer.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein said detecting step further comprises the steps of detecting an output of said potentiometer at intervals of a given duration, and subtracting the output detected by a former cycle of detection from the output detected at a succeeding cycle of detection, said increasing step occurring only when a value greater than a predetermined value is obtained from said subtracting step.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

said supplied fuel amount increasing step includes the step of increasing said amount of fuel injected per cycle of injection by said fuel-injection valve by an amount independent of acceleration and an amount which has a relation to acceleration; and

said method further comprises the step of decreasing said amount of fuel after said injected fuel amount increasing step with a given gradient over time while said subtracting step produces a value below said predetermined value.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said supplied fuel amount increasing step further comprises the step of discontinuously increasing said amount of fuel by a given amount which has a relation to an engine temperature when said subtracting step produces a value above said predetermined value.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said discontinuously increasing step further comprises the step of increasing said amount of fuel by an amount proportional to the result obtained by said substracting step.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said acceleration indication generating step includes the step of detecting a degree of acceleration by monitoring a variation in a flow rate of intake air.

13. An electrical fuel injection control system for an internal combustion engine, said engine having at least one combustion chamber, a fuel injector controlled by a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into said combustion chamber and a throttle valve for adjusting the amount of air supplied to said engine, comprising:

means for generating an electric fuel signal related to a desired opening-duration of said fuel injection valve during a running mode of said engine;

means for transmitting said fuel signal to said valve, thereby controlling an amount of fuel being supplied into said combustion chamber;

means for generating, on the basis of one of a throttle valve opening speed and a speed of increasing flow rate of air, at least one acceleration pulse each time a commanded degree of acceleration exceeds a predetermined value independent of the position of said throttle valve prior to generation of said acceleration pulse;

coordinating means for;

(1) increasing a fuel amount increase value R by an incremental amount r in response to each acceleration pulse independent of the previous fuel amount increase value R and independent of the rotational position of said engine, (2) decreasing said fuel amount increase value R with lapse of time, and (3) changing said incremental amount r as a function of engine temperature; and

means for increasing an amount of fuel being supplied during acceleration in the acceleration mode of the engine by altering said fuel signal by said fuel amount increase value R.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said coordinating means changing function increases said incremental amount r as the temperature of said engine is lowered.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein a degree of acceleration is detected by a change in a degree of opening of said throttle valve.

16. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein said acceleration pulse generating means further comprises:

a pair of conductors respectively having equally spaced plural comb-teeth, the plural comb-teeth of one conductor opposing in a staggered relation to the comb-teeth of the other conductor;

a contact operatively coupled with a rod of said throttle valve and disposed to contact said comb-teeth of the pair of conductors alternately when said throttle valve is turned to an open position; and

means for applying a voltage to said contact, variations in the voltage on said pair of conductors being related to a commanded degree of acceleration.

17. The system as defined in claim 16, wherein said acceleration pulse generating means generates an acceleration pulse only when a voltage at one of said pairs of conductors changes level and a voltage at the other conductor changes level within a predetermined time after said one conductor voltage changes level.

18. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein, said acceleration pulse generating means further comprises a retriggerable monostable multivibrator for measuring said predetermined time.