Electromagnetic fuel injector and control method thereof

• US 5,992,391 A
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Namaizawa, Yasuo, Okamoto, Yoshio, Yamakado, Makoto, Hamada, Yasunaga, Tabuchi, Kenji, Kadomukai, Yuzo, Tanabe, Yoshiyuki, Kubo, Hiromasa, Arai, Nobukatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): ARGENBRIGHT, TONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/105,208
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 123/490, 123/494, 239/5, 239/585.1, 251/129.03, 251/129.09, 251/129.1, 361/147, 361/154, 361/155
• US Class Current: 123/490
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2017 using means for creating a boost current or using reference switching
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2031 Control of the current by means of delays or monostable multivibrators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2058 using information of the actual current value
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2072 Bridge circuits, i.e. the load being placed in the diagonal of a bridge to be controlled in both directions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2079 the circuit having several coils acting on the same anchor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/20 Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2200/24 Fuel-injection apparatus with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0621 acting on one mobile armature F02M51/0628 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0625 characterised by arrangement of mobile armatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0671 the armature having an elongated valve body attached thereto

Abstract

An electromagnetic fuel injection valve for injecting fuel by opening/closing a fuel flow path, includes a valve seat, a valve element for opening/closing the fuel flow path formed between the valve seat and the valve element, and a drive unit having at least one coil for driving the valve element. The drive unit includes a first magnetomotive force generating device using the at least one coil and a second magnetomotive force generating device, the first magnetomotive force generating device and the second magnetomotive force generating device being composed so that the first magnetomotive force generating device generates and raises its magnetomotive force at a larger rate of change in time in comparison with the second magnetomotive force generating device. A valve open state is held by the second magnetomotive force generating device which uses a smaller current flow in comparison with the first magnetomotive force generating device.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic fuel injection valve for injecting fuel by opening/closing a fuel flowing path, including a valve seat, a valve element for opening/closing said fuel flowing path formed between said valve seat and said valve element, and drive means having at least one coil for driving said valve element, wherein said drive means includes first magnetomotive force generating means using said at least one coil and second magnetomotive force generating means, said first magnetomotive force generating means and said second magnetomotive force generating means being composed so that said first magnetomotive force generating means generates and raises its magnetomotive force at a larger rate of change in time in comparison with that of said second magnetomotive force generating means.

2. An electromagnetic fuel injection valve according to claim 1, wherein one of a permanent magnet and a coil in which a constant current continuously flows through both an opened valve period and a closed valve period, is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

3. An electromagnetic fuel injection valve according to claim 1, wherein said second magnetomotive force generating means includes a second coil of which the number of turns is larger than that of said at least one coil.

4. An electromagnetic fuel injection valve according to claim 1, wherein the wire diameter of a first coil used as said at least one coil is larger than that of a second coil used as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

5. An electromagnetic fuel injection valve according to claim 1, wherein said drive means includes said at least one first coil and a second coil provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means, said first coil and said second coil being composed so that if the same voltage having a rectangular waveform is applied to said first and second coils, the rise time of magnetomotive force generated in said second coil is longer than that in said first coil, and a saturation value of current flowing in said second coil is smaller than that flowing in said first coil.

6. A fuel injection apparatus for injecting fuel by opening/closing a fuel flowing path, which includes an electromagnetic fuel injection valve having a valve seat, a valve element for opening/closing said fuel flowing path formed between said valve seat and said valve element, and drive means having at least one coil for driving said valve element, and control means for operating said electromagnetic fuel injection valve by controlling current flowing in said at least one coil, wherein said drive means includes first magnetomotive force generating means using said at least one coil and second magnetomotive force generating means, said coil and said second magnetomotive force generating means generating a combined magnetomotive force in a direction in which said force generated by said coil and said force generated by said second means strengthen each other at an initial valve opening time at which said valve element is driven from a closed valve state to an valve opening state, said coil raising its magnetomotive force at a larger rate of change in time in comparison with that of said second magnetomotive force generating means, and said current flowing in said coil is stopped during a valve opening hold period for which a valve opening position of said valve element is held by magnetomotive force generated by said second magnetomotive force generating means.

7. A fuel injection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein one of a permanent magnet and a coil in which a constant current continuously flows through both an opened valve period and a closed valve period, is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

8. A fuel injection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a first coil is provided as said at least one first coil, and a second coil is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

9. A fuel injection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein reverse current flows in said first coil for a preset period, after which the current flow in said first coil is stopped, and reverse current flows in at least one of said first coil and said second coil for a preset period at the end of a fuel injection demand signal.

10. A fuel injection apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, further including at least one of a pressure sensor for detecting pressure of fuel fed to said fuel injection valve and a voltage sensor for detecting voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means, wherein said control means includes storage means for storing at least one of a relation between fuel pressure and timing of stopping current flow in said coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means and a relation between voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means and timing of stopping current flow in said coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means, and determines timing of stopping current flow in said coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means, based on at least one of fuel pressure and voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means which have been detected by said pressure sensor and said voltage sensor, respectively, and a corresponding one of said relations.

11. An internal combustion engine into which fuel is injected by opening/closing a fuel flowing path, which includes a fuel tank, a fuel pump for feeding and pressurizing fuel from said fuel tank, an electromagnetic fuel injection valve for injecting fuel pressurized by said fuel pump, which has a valve seat, a valve element for opening/closing said fuel flowing path formed between said valve seat and said valve element, and drive means having at least one coil for driving said valve element, and control means for determining fuel injection timing and necessary fuel injection amount to be injected from said electromagnetic fuel injection valve and for operating said electromagnetic fuel injection valve by controlling current flowing in said coil, wherein said drive means includes coil first magnetomotive force generating means using said at least one coil and second magnetomotive force generating means, said coil and said second magnetomotive force generating means generating magnetomotive force in the same direction in which said force generated in said coil and said force generated in said second means strengthen each other at an initial valve opening time at which said valve element is driven from a closed valve state to a valve opening state, said coil raising its magnetomotive force at a larger rate of change in time in comparison with that of said second magnetomotive force generating means, and current flowing in said coil is stopped during a valve hold period in which a valve opening position of said valve element is held by magnetomotive force generated by said second magnetomotive force generating means.

12. An internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein one of a permanent magnet and a coil in which a constant current continuously flows through both an opened valve period and a closed valve period is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

13. An internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein a first coil is provided as said at least one coil, and a second coil is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

14. An internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein reverse current is flows in said first coil for a preset period, after which current flow in said first coil is stopped, and reverse current flows in at least one of said first coil and said second coil for a preset period at the end of a fuel injection demand signal.

15. An internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 11 to 14, further including at least one of a pressure sensor for detecting pressure of fuel fed to said fuel injection valve and a voltage sensor for detecting voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means, wherein said control means includes storage means for storing at least one of a relation between fuel pressure and timing of stopping current flow in said coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means and a relation between voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means and timing of stopping current flow in said coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means, and determines timing of stopping current flow in said coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means, based on at least one of fuel pressure and voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means which have been detected by said pressure sensor and said voltage sensor, respectively, and a corresponding one of said relations.

16. A method of injecting fuel by opening/closing a fuel flowing path with a valve element of an electromagnetic fuel injection valve including first magnetomotive force generating means and second magnetomotive force generating means, which valve element is driven by magnetomotive force generated by using said first magnetomotive force generating means and said second magnetomotive force generating means, said fuel flowing path being formed between said driven valve element and a valve seat to which said valve element is seated, said method comprising the steps of:

generating magnetomotive force with at least one coil provided as said first magnetomotive force generating means and with second magnetomotive force generating means in a force direction in which said force generated with said at least one coil and said force generated with said second means strengthen each other at an initial valve opening time at which said valve element is driven from a closed valve state to a valve opening state, so that said force generated with said at least one coil is raised with a larger rate of change in time in comparison with that generated with said second magnetomotive force generating means; and

stopping current flowing in said at least one coil during a valve hold period in which an open position of said valve element is held by said force generated with said second magnetomotive force generating means.

17. A method of injecting fuel, according to claim 16, wherein one of a permanent magnet and a coil in which a constant current continuously flows through both an opened valve period and a closed valve period is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

18. A method of injecting fuel, according to claim 16, wherein a first coil is provided as said at least one coil, and a second coil is provided as said second magnetomotive force generating means.

19. A method of injecting fuel, according to claims 18, wherein reverse current flows in said first coil for a preset period, after which current flow in said first coil is stopped, and reverse current flows in at least one of said first coil and said second coil for a preset period at the end of a fuel injection demand signal.

20. A method of injecting fuel, according to claim 16, further including the step of storing in advance at least one of a relation between fuel pressure and timing of stopping current flow in said at least one coil as said first magnetomotive force generating means and a relation between voltage applied to said first and second magnetomotive force generating means and timing of stopping current flow in said at least one coil used as said first magnetomotive force generating means.

21. A method of injecting fuel, according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein pressure of fuel fed to said electromagnetic fuel injection valve is detected, and if said detected pressure is higher than in a usual state, a period for which current is allowed to flow in said at least one coil used as said first magnetomotive force generating means is controlled to be extended.

22. A method of injecting fuel, according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein voltage applied to said first coil is detected, and if said detected voltage is lower than in a usual state, a period for which current is allowed to flow in said at least one coil used as said first magnetomotive force generating means is controlled to be extended.