Method of operating a single spot fuel injected internal combustion engine and apparatus for same

• US 4,485,791 A
• Filed: 09/24/1980
• Issued: 12/04/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tadahiro, Arai, Motomi, Saito, Masaaki, Sugo, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cox, Ronald B.
• Application Number:
  US06/190,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 123/502, 123/501, 123/490, 123/478, 123/472, 123/445
• US Class Current: 123/478
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/32 of the low pressure type F02D41/3082 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/345 Controlling injection timing F02D41/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/02 specially for low-pressure fuel-injection F02M51/005 takes precedence; pumpsper se F02M51/04; injectors per se F02M51/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A single spot fuel injector is energized only twice per revolution of the crankshaft of the engine so that under given operating conditions the injections coincide with the TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected cylinder of the engine. Under higher engine speed operation, the injection timing is advanced to improve the fuel distribution to the cylinders. When the engine operates at an engine speed below a predetermined level it is possible for the injector to be energized three times per revolution of the crankshaft.

Claims

1. A method of operating a six cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, comprising the steps of:

forming an air-fuel mixture for said six cylinder engine using a single fuel injector;

detecting angular displacement of said crankshaft;

producing two fuel injection trigger pulses per crankshaft revolution for causing said single fuel injector to inject fuel twice per crankshaft revolution;

timing the output of said trigger pulses to correspond to the TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected one of said six cylinders;

detecting at least one operating parameter indicative of engine speed;

and

variably advancing the initiation of said trigger pulses according to said engine speed whereby the onset of each of said fuel injections is variably advanced according to said engine speed.

2. A method of operating a six-cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, comprising the steps of:

using a single fuel injector for forming the air-fuel mixture fed to the cylinders of said engine;

detecting the angular displacement of said crankshaft of said engine;

producing two fuel injection trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft;

timing the output of said trigger pulses to said injector so as to correspond to the TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected one of said cylinders;

detecting various operating parameters of said engine;

variably advancing the initiation of said trigger pulses in response to the detection of said engine operating parameters indicating increasing engine speed; and

producing three trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft when the revolution speed of said crankshaft is below a predetermined level.

3. In a six cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, a fuel injection apparatus comprising:

a single fuel injector for forming an air-fuel mixture fed to the cylinders;

means for detecting the angular displacement of said crankshaft;

a control unit responsive to said detecting means for producing two fuel injection trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft;

said control unit being adapted to issue said trigger pulses in correspondence with the TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected one of said cylinders;

and

means responsive to operating parameters of said engine for outputting data signals to said control unit for varying the initiation timing of said trigger pulses with respect to said TDC and BDC positions of said piston and for producing three injection trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft when said means responsive to the operating parameters of said engine indicates that the engine rotational speed is below a predetermined level.

4. In a six cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, a fuel injection apparatus comprising:

a single fuel injector for forming an air-fuel mixture for said six cylinders;

first means for detecting the angular displacement of said crankshaft;

second means for detecting at least one operating parameter of the engine indicative of engine speed;

a control unit, responsive to said first and second detecting means for producing two fuel injection trigger pulses per crankshaft revolution, said trigger pulses being variably timed with respect to TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected one of said six cylinders so as to cause said single fuel injector to inject fuel twice per crankshaft revolution, said variable timing being a function of the engine speed.

5. A method of operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, comprising the steps of:

using a single fuel injector for forming the air-fuel mixture fed to said multiple cylinders of said engine;

detecting the angular displacement of said crankshaft of said engine;

producing two fuel injection trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft;

timing the output of said trigger pulses to said injector so as to correspond to the TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected one of said multiple cylinders;

detecting various operating parameters of said engine;

variably advancing the initiation of said trigger pulses in response to the detection of said engine operating parameters indicating increasing engine speed; and

producing three trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft when the revolution speed of said crankshaft is below a predetermined level.

6. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, a fuel injection apparatus comprising:

a single fuel injector for forming an air-fuel mixture fed to said multiple cylinders;

means for detecting the angular displacement of said crankshaft;

a control unit responsive to said detecting means for producing two fuel injection trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft;

said control unit being adapted to issue said trigger pulses in correspondence with the TDC and BDC positions of a piston of a selected one of said multiple cylinders; and

means responsive to operating parameters of said engine for outputting data signals to said control unit for varying the initiation timing of said trigger pulses with respect to said TDC and BDC positions of said piston and for producing three injection trigger pulses per single revolution of said crankshaft when said means responsive to the operating parameters of said engine indicates that the engine rotational speed is below a predetermined level.