Device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine

• US 6,223,719 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yano, Takayuki, Nishimoto, Koji, Hanazaki, Ryoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Solis, Erick
• Application Number:
  US09/438,394
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 123/399, 123/339.14, 123/339.25
• US Class Current: 123/339.14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque

Abstract

A device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine, for improving the starting performance of when the accelerator pedal is depressed from the idling state. The device comprises a throttle control means 10A for operating a target throttle opening degree θo of a throttle valve 6 based on said throttle opening degree θ, an accelerator opening degree α and an idle signal D, and a throttle actuator 7 for opening and closing said throttle valve so that said throttle opening degree comes into agreement with said target throttle opening degree, wherein said throttle control means includes a means 11 for operating a first target throttle opening degree θo1 based on said accelerator opening degree, a means 12 for operating a second target throttle opening degree θo2 based on the idle signal, and a means 13 for operating a target throttle opening degree θo by adding up the first and second target throttle opening degrees together.

Claims

1. A device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine comprising:

a throttle valve provided in the intake pipe of the engine for adjusting the amount of the air taken in by said engine;

a throttle opening degree detection means for detecting the opening degree of said throttle valve as a throttle opening degree;

an accelerator opening degree detection means for detecting the opening degree of the accelerator pedal as an accelerator opening degree;

an idle detection means for producing an idle signal that corresponds to the fully closed position of said accelerator pedal;

a throttle control means for operating a target throttle opening degree of said throttle valve based on said throttle opening degree, said accelerator opening degree and said idle signal; and

a throttle actuator for opening and closing said throttle valve so that said throttle opening degree comes into agreement with said target throttle opening degree;

wherein said throttle control means includes;

a first opening degree operation means for operating a first target throttle opening degree based on said accelerator opening degree;

a second opening degree operation means for operating a second target throttle opening degree based on said idle signal; and

a target throttle opening degree operation means for operating said target throttle opening degree by adding up said first and second target throttle opening degrees together.

2. A device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine according to claim 1, wherein said target throttle opening degree operation means includes a proportional correction means for operating a proportional correction value for said first target throttle opening degree and adds said proportional correction value to said second target throttle opening degree to obtain said target throttle opening degree, and said proportional correction means so operates said proportional correction value that the fully opened position in said accelerator opening degree corresponds to the fully opened position in said throttle opening degree.

3. A device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine according to claim 2, wherein said proportional correction means operates said proportional correction value θ

oc1 by using the operation range Wθ

of said throttle opening degree, said second target throttle opening degree θ

o2, said accelerator opening degree α and

the operation range Wα

of said accelerator opening degree in compliance with the following formula,

4. A device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine according to claim 1, wherein said throttle control means includes a learning means which learns said target throttle opening degree in response to said idle signal, and said target throttle opening degree operation means sets said first target throttle opening degree corresponding to the accelerator opening degree of smaller than a predetermined opening degree to substantially zero in response to said idle signal.

5. A device for controlling the amount of the air taken in by an engine according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined opening degree is set to correspond to an upper limit value in the accelerator opening degree at which the idle detection means forms the idle signal.