Electromagnetically operated valve control system and the method thereof

• US 5,964,192 A
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Mitsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Application Number:
  US09/032,598
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 123/90.11, 251/129.01, 251/129.1
• US Class Current: 123/90.11
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means

Abstract

The system and method for controlling an electomagnetically operated valve driving mechanism comprises an actuator, an actuator drive circuit, a lift sensor, an actuator control apparatus, and a micro-computer. The actuator includes a valve opening solenoid and a valve closing solenoid. The actuator control apparatus generates signals for energizing and deenrgizing the valve opening solenoid and the valve closing solenoid based on control data supplied from the lift sensor and the micro-computer. The feature of this system is to control the elecromagnetically operated valve driving mechanism only by the actuator control apparatus but not by the micro-computer in a precise and sophisticated manner, thereby a burden on the micro-computer can be lightened.

Claims

1. An electromagnetically operated valve control system for an engine having a combustion chamber, a valve body reciprocating between a fully closed position and a fully open position so as to open and close said combustion chamber, an actuator connected with said valve body for driving said valve body by energizing and deenergizing a valve closing solenoid and a valve opening solenoid, and an actuator drive circuit for energizing and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid and said valve opening solenoid of said actuator, comprising:

control data generating means for generating a control data based on operating conditions of said engine;

valve position detecting means for detecting reference positions of said valve body;

valve closing acceleration means for energizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a first reference position established apart from said fully open position and for deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a second reference position closer to said fully closed position than said first reference position;

valve seating velocity adjusting means for energizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a third reference position closer to said fully closed position than said second reference position and for deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a fourth reference position closer to said fully closed position than said third reference position so as to adjust a seating velocity of said valve body; and

valve closing hold means for repeatedly energizing and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes said fourth reference position and for deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when a first specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said fourth reference position.

2. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

valve opening acceleration means for energizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes a fifth reference position apart from said fully closed position and for deenergizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes a sixth reference position closer to said fully open position than said fifth reference position;

valve opening velocity adjusting means for energizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes a seventh reference position closer to said fully open position than said sixth reference position and for deenergizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes an eighth reference position closer to said fully open position than said seventh reference position so as to adjust an opening velocity of said valve body; and

valve opening hold means for repeatedly energizing and deenergizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes said eighth reference position and for deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when a second specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said eighth reference position so as to hold said valve body at said fully open position.

3. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 1, wherein

said control data include data of said first specified period and said reference positions comprise said first reference position, said second reference position, said third reference position and said fourth reference position.

4. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 2, wherein

said control data include data of said second specified period and said reference positions comprise said fifth reference position, said sixth reference position, said seventh reference position and said eighth reference position.

5. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 1, wherein

said valve seating velocity adjusting means energize said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes said third reference position and deenergize said valve closing solenoid when a third specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said third reference position so as to adjust a seating velocity of said valve body.

6. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 2, wherein

said valve opening velocity adjusting means energize said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes said seventh reference position and deenergize said valve opening solenoid when a fourth specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said seventh reference position so as to adjust an opening velocity of said valve body.

7. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 1, wherein

said valve closing acceleration means energize said valve closing solenoid when a fifth specified period has elapsed since said valve opening solenoid is deenergized and deenergize said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes said second reference position.

8. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 2, wherein

said valve opening acceleration means energize said valve opening solenoid when a sixth specified period has elapsed since said valve closing solenoid is deenergized and deenergize said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes said sixth reference position.

9. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 1, wherein

valve closing acceleration means energize said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes said first reference position and deenergize said valve closing solenoid when a seventh specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said first reference position.

10. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 2, wherein

valve opening acceleration means energize said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes said fifth reference position and deenergize said valve opening solenoid when an eighth specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said fifth reference position.

11. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 5, wherein

said third specified period is included in said control data.

12. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 6, wherein

said fourth specified period is included in said control data.

13. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 7, wherein

said fifth specified period is included in said control data.

14. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 8, wherein

said sixth specified period is included in said control data.

15. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 9, wherein

said seventh specified period is included in said control data.

16. The electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 10, wherein

said eighth specified period is included in said control data.

17. A method for operating an electromagnetically operated valve control system of an engine having a combustion chamber, a valve body reciprocating between a fully closed position and a fully open position so as to open and close said combustion chamber, an actuator connected with said valve body for driving said valve body by energizing and deenergizing a valve closing solenoid and a valve opening solenoid, and an actuator drive circuit for energizing and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid and said valve opening solenoid of said actuator, comprising the steps of:

generating a control data based on operating conditions of said engine;

detecting reference positions of said valve body;

energizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a first reference position apart from said fully open position and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a second reference position closer to said fully closed position than said first reference position;

energizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a third reference position closer to said fully closed position than said second reference position and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes a fourth reference position closer to said fully closed position than said third reference position so as to adjust a seating velocity of said valve body; and

repeatedly energizing and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when said valve body passes said fourth reference position and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when a first specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said fourth reference position.

18. The method for operating the electromagnetically operated valve control system according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

energizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes a fifth reference position apart from said fully closed position and deenergizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes a sixth reference position closer to said fully open position than said fifth reference position;

energizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes a seventh reference position closer to said fully open position than said sixth reference position and deenergizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes an eighth reference position closer to said fully open position than said seventh reference position so as to adjust an opening velocity of said valve body; and

repeatedly energizing and deenergizing said valve opening solenoid when said valve body passes said eighth reference position and deenergizing said valve closing solenoid when a second specified period has elapsed since said valve body passes said eighth reference position so as to hold said valve body at said fully open position.