Intake air flow rate measuring device of an internal combustion engine

• US 7,089,788 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yonezawa, Fumiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kirkland, III, Freddie
• Application Number:
  US10/828,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 731/182
• US Class Current: 73/114.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6842 with means for influencing the fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/12 Cleaning arrangements; Filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow

Abstract

A measurement structure that projects into an intake passage is provided with a shunt plate adjacent to a first passage that extends from an air inlet to an air outlet. A second passage is formed around the shunt plate so as to bypass the first passage. An air flow rate measuring element is disposed in the second passage. An edge of the shunt plate is located on a imaginary line or distant from the imaginary line to the second passage side, in which the imaginary line is parallel to the axis of the intake passage and passing through the top of the air inlet, whereby dust or liquid matter is prevented from entering the second passage. Alternatively, the shunt plate is provided with an inclined portion which is projected to the first passage so that the inclined portion is inclined toward the air outlet. As a further alternative, the shunt plate is provided with an inclined portion that is inclined toward the air inlet and has a through-hole.

Claims

1. An intake air flow rate measuring device of an internal combustion engine, comprising a measurement structure that is attached to an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine so as to project into an intake passage and measures an intake air flow rate of the internal combustion engine, the measurement structure including:

an air inlet located in the intake passage on an upstream side;

an air outlet located in the intake passage on a downstream side;

a first passage extending from the air inlet to the air outlet;

a shunt plate extending in a direction that crosses an axis of the intake passage and having a bottom edge that is adjacent to the first passage;

a second passage formed around the shunt plate to bypass the first passage; and

an air flow rate measuring element disposed in the second passage,

wherein the bottom edge of the shunt plate is located on or above an imaginary line in which the imaginary line is parallel to the axis of the intake passage and passing through an uppermost edge of the air inlet.

2. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the second passage comprises an inlet-side passage extending in a direction that crosses the first passage, an internal passage that is bent from the inlet-side passage so as to extend approximately parallel with the axis of the intake passage, and an outlet-side passage that is bent from the internal passage and merges into the first passage.

3. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the measurement structure includes a step portion that is adjacent to the intake passage so as to be opposed to the outlet-side passage of the second passage and to widen the first passage.

4. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the measurement structure is attached to the intake pipe in such a manner that the internal passage of the second passage is located above the first passage.

5. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 4, wherein the first passage extends approximately parallel with the axis of the intake passage and a top end of the air outlet is approximately at the same height as that of the air inlet.

6. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the shunt plate has a branch that extends approximately parallel with the axis of the intake passage and forms an auxiliary air outlet of the second passage that is separate from the air outlet of the measurement structure.

7. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the intake axis extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

8. The intake air flow rate measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an inside portion disposed inside of the intake pipe and housing an air flow rate measuring element for generating a flow signal;

an outside portion disposed on the outside of the intake pipe housing an electronic circuit for calculating the intake flow rate; and

an electrical connecting line to supply the flow signal to the electronic circuit.

9. An intake air flow rate measuring device of an internal combustion engine, comprising a measurement structure that is attached to an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine so as to project into an intake passage and measures an intake air flow rate of the internal combustion engine, the measurement structure including:

an air inlet located in the intake passage on an upstream side;

an air outlet located in the intake passage on a downstream side;

a first passage extending from the air inlet to the air outlet;

a plate-like shunt plate having a plate-like portion extending in a direction that crosses an axis of the intake passage and having first inclined surface on an upstream side of the plate-like portion and a second inclined surface on a downstream side of the plate-like portion wherein both the first and second inclined portions are inclined toward the downstream side of the first passage and projects into the first passage;

a second passage formed around the shunt plate to bypass the first passage; and

an air flow rate measuring element disposed in the second passage.

10. An intake air flow rate measuring device of an internal combustion engine, comprising a measurement structure that is attached to an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine so as to project into an intake passage and measures an intake air flow rate of the internal combustion engine, the measurement structure including:

an air inlet located in the intake passage on an upstream side;

an air outlet located in the intake passage on a downstream side;

a first passage extending from the air inlet to the air outlet;

a shunt plate having a plate-like portion extending in a direction that crosses an axis of the intake passage and an inclined portion that is continuous with the plate-like portion, projects into the first passage so as to be inclined toward the air inlet, and has a through-hole extending parallel with the axis of the intake passage;

a second passage formed around the shunt plate to bypass the first passage; and

an air flow rate measuring element disposed in the second passage.

11. An intake air flow rate measuring device of an internal combustion engine, comprising a measurement structure that is attached to an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine so as to project into an intake passage and measures the intake air flow rate of the internal combustion engine, the measurement structure comprising:

an air inlet located in the intake passage on an upstream side;

an air outlet located in the intake passage on a downstream side;

a first passage extending from the air inlet to the air outlet;

a shunt plate extending in a direction that crosses an axis of the intake passage and having a bottom edge that is adjacent to the first passage;

a second passage formed around the shunt plate to bypass the first passage; and

an air flow rate measuring element disposed in the second passage,

wherein the air inlet has an inlet end positioned at the side of the passage, and the bottom edge of the shunt plate is located on or above an imaginary line, wherein said imaginary line is parallel to the axis of the intake passage and passes through an uppermost edge of the air inlet.