Controlling apparatus for introduction air into exhaust pipe of internal combustion engine

• US 5,493,858 A
• Filed: 06/18/1993
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Toshiki, Katashiba, Hideaki, Hosoya, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US08/078,465
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 60/284, 60/289, 60/290, 60/274
• US Class Current: 60/289
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2410/00 By-passing, at least partially, exhaust from inlet to outlet of apparatus, to atmosphere or to other device
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/0422 measuring the elapsed time
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2006 Periodically heating or cooling catalytic reactors, e.g. at cold starting or overheating by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2046 Periodically cooling catalytic reactors
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/22 Control of additional air supply only, e.g. using by-passes or variable air pump drives
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/222 using electric valves only
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/306 Preheating additional air
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/32 using air pump using jet air pumps F01N3/34; pumps in general F04
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/00 Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling the introduction of air into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine in which air is introduced from the intake side to the exhaust side to improve the efficiency of purifying exhaust gases, to prevent a decline in the purification efficiency of a catalyst in a state in which the exhaust gas temperature immediately after starting is low. A control valve 11 is provided in an air introducing pipe 9 for introducing air from the intake side to the exhaust side, and the control valve 11 is set in a shut-off state during starting or during starting and a predetermined time duration immediately after starting.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the introduction of air into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, comprising;

means for improving the efficiency of purification of exhaust gases in said exhaust pipe, said improving means comprising;

means for introducing air into said exhaust pipe of said internal combustion engine upstream of a catalyst via an air introducing pipe; and

controlling means for stopping the introduction of air to an exhaust side during the starting of said internal combustion engine or during starting and a predetermined time duration after starting.

2. An apparatus for controlling the introduction of air into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, comprising;

means for improving the efficiency of purification of exhaust gases in said exhaust pipe, said improving means comprising;

means for introducing air into said exhaust pipe of said internal combustion engine upstream of a catalyst via an air introducing pipe;

heating means for heating the air introduced into said air inducing pipe; and

controlling means for stopping the introduction of the heated air to an exhaust side during the starting of said internal combustion engine or during a predetermined time duration after starting.

3. An apparatus for controlling the introduction of air into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, comprising;

means for improving the efficiency of purification of exhaust gases in said exhaust pipe, said improving means comprising;

means for introducing air into said exhaust pipe of said internal combustion engine upstream of a catalyst via an air introducing pipe;

heating means for heating the air introduced into said air introducing pipe; and

controlling means for varying an amount of air introduced into said exhaust pipe at predetermined times.

4. The controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one of a time interval at which the amount of air introduced into said exhaust pipe is varied, an amount of variation, and an amount of heating by said heating means is varied in accordance with an operational parameter of said engine.

5. An apparatus for controlling the introduction of air into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, comprising;

means for improving the efficiency of purification of exhaust gases in said exhaust pipe, said improving means comprising;

means for introducing an amount of air into said exhaust pipe of said internal combustion engine upstream of a catalyst via an air introducing pipe;

heating means for heating the air introduced into said air inducing pipe; and

controlling means for alternatively varying said amount of air between a first amplitude and a second amplitude at predetermined times and for varying the value of said first amplitude and said second amplitude.