Intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus for engine

• US 7,174,883 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Mamoru, Sonoda, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): MCMAHON, MARGUERITE J
• Application Number:
  US11/219,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20060060175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 123585-587, 123/339.1, 123/339.11, 123/339.14
• US Class Current: 123/586
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/1015 Details of the edge of the flap, e.g. for lowering flow noise or improving flow sealing in closed flap position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/104 Shaping of the flow path in the vicinity of the flap, e.g. having inserts in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/1055 having a fluid by-pass
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 23/02 with personal control, or with secondary-air valve controlled by main combustion-air throttle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus is disclosed, for use with an engine, and comprises a bypass passage extending from an intake pipe portion in the neighborhood of the throttle valve to an intake pipe portion downstream of the intake pipe portion in the neighborhood of the throttle valve. A negative pressure is generated by the air flowing through the bypass passage and is supplied to an actuator operated by the negative pressure as the driving power. At least one air inlet opening of the bypass passage open to the intake pipe portion in the neighborhood of the throttle valve is formed in the intake pipe in such a manner that as long as the opening degree of the throttle valve is within a specified range, a part of the air inlet opening is closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve, and the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and kept open upstream of the throttle valve can be changed by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

Claims

1. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus for an engine comprising a bypass passage extending from an intake pipe portion in the neighborhood of the throttle valve to an intake pipe portion downstream of the intake pipe portion in the neighborhood of the throttle valve, wherein a negative pressure is generated by the air flowing through the bypass passage and is supplied to an actuator operated with the negative pressure as the driving power, and wherein at least one air inlet opening of the bypass passage open to the intake pipe portion in the neighborhood of the throttle valve is formed in the intake pipe in such a manner that as long as the opening degree of the throttle valve is within a specified range, a part of the air inlet opening is closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve, and the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and kept open upstream of the throttle valve can be changed by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

2. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bypass passage includes a restricted portion, a negative pressure is generated by the air passing through the restricted portion, and a path of the cooling water for cooling the engine is formed in the neighborhood of the restricted portion.

3. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve during the warm-up idling operation is smaller than the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve during the cold idling operation.

4. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the air inlet opening is formed in the intake pipe in such a manner that the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve is substantially zero when the throttle valve is closed completely during the warm-up idling operation and that the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve is a maximum when the throttle valve is set to a predetermined opening degree during the cold idling operation.

5. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet opening is formed in the intake pipe in such a manner that the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve is not zero but is smaller than the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open downstream of the throttle valve when the throttle valve is closed completely during the warm-up idling operation and that the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve is a maximum when the throttle valve is set to a predetermined opening degree during the cold idling operation.

6. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet opening is formed in the intake pipe in such a manner that the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve is zero and the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open downstream of the throttle valve is a maximum when the throttle valve is closed completely during the warm-up idling operation and that the area of the part of the air inlet opening not closed by the outer peripheral end surface of the throttle valve and open upstream of the throttle valve is not zero when the throttle valve is set to a predetermined opening degree during the cold idling operation.

7. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a negative pressure introduction path for introducing the negative pressure generated by the air of the bypass passage into the actuator includes a check valve for shutting off the negative pressure introduction path to prevent the negative pressure introduced into the actuator from leaking to the bypass passage.

8. An intake-negative-pressure-increasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a brake booster.