Engine protecting system

• US 5,265,022 A
• Filed: 02/08/1993
• Issued: 11/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Japan Electronic Control Systems Company Limited, Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Chonan, Mitsugu, Yuzuriha, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, COLLIN
• Application Number:
  US08/015,045
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 364/431.03, 364/431.04, 364/431.05, 364/431.09, 364/424.05, 364/431.11, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 123/445, 123/472, 123/478, 123/479, 123/480, 123/488, 123/198 D, 123/490, 123/491, 123/425, 340/428, 340/438, 340/439, 340/660, 340/661, 340/663, 307/10.6, 307/10.7
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/227 Limping Home, i.e. taking specific engine control measures at abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/503 Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/02 Circuit arrangements for generating control signals
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809

Abstract

A system for protecting an engine equipped with an electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus, in which a battery voltage is detected. When the detected battery voltage is smaller than a predetermined reference value, performance of the engine is degraded, and when the detected battery voltage is smaller than a reference value, that is smaller than the predetermined value, the engine is stopped.

Claims

1. A protecting system for an engine having a battery which generates a battery voltage, battery voltage detecting means responsive to said battery voltage for producing a voltage signal, and an electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus for injecting a fuel injection quantity into an intake manifold of said engine, comprising:

(A) first judging means responsive to said voltage signal for comparing said voltage signal with a predetermined value and for outputting a first signal when said voltage signal is lower than said predetermined value;

(B) second judging means responsive to said voltage signal for comparing said voltage signal with a reference value and for outputting a second signal when said voltage signal is lower than said reference value, wherein said reference value is smaller than said predetermined value;

(C) first control means responsive to said first signal for for detrimentally changing an operating condition of said engine such that said engine does not function properly thereby warning that a malfunction of said engine has occurred; and

(D) second control means responsive to said second signal for immediately stopping said engine so as to prevent said engine from being damaged.

2. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battery voltage detecting means includes means for computing an averaged value of the battery voltage and for outputting the averaged value.

3. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control means includes means for controlling the electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus such that at least one of excessive increase and excessive decrease of the fuel injection quantity is performed.

4. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control means includes means for performing at least one of excessive delay and excessive advance of an ignition timing of the engine.

5. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control means includes means for rendering an air-fuel mixing ratio too rich by excessively increasing the fuel injection quantity in response to said first signal.

6. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control means includes means for stopping injection of said fuel injection quantity into the engine in response to said first signal.

7. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control means includes means for stopping an engine in response to said first signal.

8. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second control means includes means for stopping injection of said fuel injection quantity by controlling the electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus.

9. An engine protecting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second control means includes means for stopping an engine ignition.