Electrically-actuated throttle device for general-purpose engine

• US 7,171,947 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Tomoki, Ono, Yasuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): ARGENBRIGHT, TONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/439,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20060266330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 123/179.16, 123/179.18, 123/361, 123/399, 123/438, 261/39.1, 261/DIG.74
• US Class Current: 123/399
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/067 with control of the choke non electronic control of choke see F02M1/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/74 Valve actuation; electrical

Abstract

In an electrically-actuated throttle device for a general-purpose engine, supply of current to the throttle motor and choke motor for moving the throttle valve and choke valve is started when cranking is detected after activation (power-up) of the electronic control unit (ECU). In other words, supply of current is not started simultaneously with activation of the ECU but is delayed until cranking is detected. Owing to this configuration, no power of the battery is consumed unnecessarily between power-up and starting of the engine. Decrease in the power supplied to the starter motor is therefore prevented, thereby improving the starting performance of the engine. In addition, even if starting of the engine is not commenced after power-up, the battery is not likely to be excessively discharged.

Claims

1. An electrically-actuated throttle device for a general-purpose engine having a throttle valve and a choke valve both installed in an air intake passage and an electrically-driven actuator moving at least one of the throttle valve and the choke valve, comprising:

an electronic control unit controlling current supply to the actuator to regulate an opening of at least one of the throttle valve and the choke valve;

a main switch located to be operable by an operator and when turned on, activating the electronic control unit; and

a power coil generating a pulse signal indicative of a rotating speed of the engine;

wherein the electronic control unit starts the supply of current to the actuator when the engine is detected to be cranked from the pulse signal generated by the power coil after activated by the main switch by the operator.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit starts the supply of current to the actuator when the engine is detected to be cranked after activated to initialize an opening of at least one of the throttle valve and the choke valve.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the actuator is a stepper motor.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the electronic control unit starts the supply of current to the stepper motor when the engine is detected to be cranked after activated to initialize an opening of the throttle valve by fully opening the throttle valve and by storing a position of the stepper motor at that time in a memory as an initial position.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the electronic control unit starts the supply of current to the stepper motor when the engine is detected to be cranked after activated to initialize an opening of the choke valve by fully closing the choke valve and by storing a position of the stepper motor at that time in a memory as an initial position.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit controls operation of the actuator to fully close the choke valve when the main switch is turned off by the operator.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control unit controls operation of the actuator to move the choke valve to an initial opening determined from a temperature of the engine when the engine is detected to be cranked after activated.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the initial opening is determined to be increased with decreasing temperature of the engine.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control unit determines a transition time to fully-opened based on a temperature of the engine when the engine is detected to be started.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the transition time is determined to be decreased with decreasing temperature of the engine.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the electronic control unit determines a desired opening such that it gradually increases from the initial opening to fully-opened over the transition time.