Engine for leisure vehicle

• US 7,287,511 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Matsuda, Yoshimoto
• Primary Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US11/529,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20070068490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 123/399, 123/361
• US Class Current: 123/399
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/105 having a throttle position sensor detection of actuation F02D11/106
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/1095 Rotating on a common axis, e.g. having a common shaft

Abstract

An engine for a leisure vehicle equipped with an electronic control throttle system configured to operate an actuator based on a drive signal sent from a controller to the actuator in response to a rider'"'"'s operation of a throttle operation device to cause a throttle valve of an air-intake device to open or close, including a first throttle position sensor configured to detect a movement position of the throttle valve; and a detection device configured to detect at least a predetermined position in an open state or a closed state of the throttle valve; wherein the controller determines a deviation between the predetermined position and the movement position of the throttle valve, compensates for a deviation by adjusting the drive signal based on a deviation if the deviation is above a preset value, and sends the adjusted drive signal to the actuator to cause the throttle valve to open or close.

Claims

1. An engine for a leisure vehicle equipped with an electronic control throttle system configured to operate an actuator for driving a throttle valve based on a drive signal sent from a controller to the actuator in response to a rider'"'"'s operation of a throttle operation device to cause the throttle valve of an air-intake device to open or close, the engine comprising:

a first throttle position sensor configured to detect a movement position of the throttle valve; and

a detection device configured to detect at least a predetermined position in an open state or a closed state of the throttle valve;

wherein the controller determines a deviation between the at least predetermined position received from the detection device and the movement position of the throttle valve corresponding to the predetermined position that has been detected by the first throttle position sensor, compensates for a deviation by adjusting the drive signal based on the deviation if the deviation is above a preset value, and sends the adjusted drive signal to the actuator to cause the throttle valve to open or close.

2. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is an ON-OFF switch, and the predetermined position is obtained from an on-state or an off-state of the ON-OFF switch.

3. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is a negative pressure sensor configured to detect a negative pressure in a region downstream of the throttle valve of an air-intake passage of the air-intake device, and the predetermined position is obtained from the value detected by the negative pressure sensor.

4. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is a second throttle position sensor disposed on or in close proximity to a movable member of the throttle valve, and the predetermined position is obtained from the value detected by the second throttle position sensor.

5. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 4, wherein detecting precision of the second throttle position sensor is higher than detecting precision of the first throttle position sensor.

6. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the drive signal based on the deviation such that a compensation amount per unit time increases as a value of the deviation increases.

7. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to decrease at least one of the number of times of ignition and a fuel feed amount as well as adjust the drive signal, when a value of the deviation is positive and the drive signal is adjusted to decrease an engine speed of the engine.

8. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to determine a rate of decrease in the engine speed per unit time that is associated with the adjusting of the drive signal, based on the engine speed at that point of time such that the rate decreases as the engine speed decreases.

9. The engine for a leisure vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is a slight open position of the throttle valve.