Internal-combustion engines – Engine speed regulator – Open loop condition responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-14
2004-07-20
Gimie, Mahmoud (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Engine speed regulator
Open loop condition responsive
Reexamination Certificate
active
06763805
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intake air throttle valve device for controlling the amount of intake air in accordance with the traveling condition of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7
is a front elevational view of an intake air throttle valve device, and
FIG. 8
is a right side view of FIG.
7
.
This intake air throttle valve device includes a rotatable throttle shaft
3
extending through a body
1
in which an intake passage
2
is formed, a throttle valve
4
fixedly secured to the throttle shaft
3
, a throttle gear
5
fixedly mounted on an end portion of the throttle shaft
3
, a motor gear
6
which is in meshing engagement with the throttle gear
5
, a motor shaft
7
of a motor
8
having one end thereof fixedly attached to the motor gear
6
, and an elastic member
9
which is arranged to surround the throttle shaft
3
for stopping the throttle valve
4
at a prescribed angle of rotation by balance between a force from the throttle gear
5
and an opposing elastic force of the elastic member
9
, which acts in a direction oppose to the force from the throttle gear
5
.
The elastic member
9
is made of rubber in the form of a segmental shape which is a partially cut-away circle. The elastic member
9
is formed at its opposite ends with a first engagement portion
9
a
and a second engagement portion
9
b
, respectively, both extending in a diametral or radial direction. In addition, the first engagement portion
9
a
is in abutment against a first abutment surface
10
a
of an arc-shaped and belt-shaped stopper
10
which is formed on and protruded from the body
1
. The second engagement portion
9
b
is in abutment against a second abutment surface
10
b
of the stopper
10
.
Moreover, the first engagement portion
9
a
of the elastic member
9
is pressed by a first extension
5
a
extending from a strut or column
5
c
of the throttle gear
5
in the clockwise direction, so that the elastic member
9
is subjected to compressive deformation in the clockwise direction. Also, the second engagement portion
9
b
of the elastic member
9
is pressed by a second extension
5
b
extending from the strut
5
c
of the throttle gear
5
in the counterclockwise direction, so that the elastic member
9
is subjected to compression deformation in the counterclockwise direction.
In the intake air throttle valve device as constructed above, the amount of opening or opening degree of the throttle valve
4
is proportional to the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal associated therewith, and the throttle valve
4
serves to adjust the amount of intake air passing through the intake passage
2
in consideration of the operating condition of a vehicle such as, for example, wheel slippage or the like due to differences or variations in rotation of the front and rear wheels, thereby controlling the output power of an internal combustion engine installed on the vehicle. Therefore, the opening and closing operation of the throttle valve
4
is performed under the drive of the motor
8
which is operated on the basis of the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal and data of slippage (slip amounts) or the like, instead of using a direct structure such as a link mechanism directly connecting between the accelerator pedal and the throttle valve.
In this intake air throttle valve device, the motor gear
6
is driven to rotate by energizing the motor
8
, so that the throttle gear
5
, which is in meshing engagement with the motor gear
6
, is thereby turned, thus causing the throttle shaft
3
and the throttle valve
4
integral with the throttle gear
5
to rotate, too. At this time, the elastic force from the elastic member
9
acts on the throttle gear
5
in a direction opposite the rotational direction of the throttle gear
5
, so that the throttle valve
4
is stopped at a position at which the rotational force of the throttle gear
5
becomes in balance with the elastic force of the elastic member
9
.
The rotational angle of the throttle valve
4
is detected by an opening sensor (not shown) so that a rotational angle signal of the opening sensor is sent as an output value to a control circuit (not shown) where it is determined whether the output value has reached a set target value. When the output value has not yet reached the set target value, the current value of the motor
8
is controlled by a signal from the control circuit whereby the torque of the throttle shaft
3
is adjusted to stop the throttle valve
4
at a new rotational angle.
Next, reference will be made to a mechanism through which the elastic force of the elastic member
9
becomes in balance with the rotational force of the throttle gear
5
.
For instance, when the throttle valve
4
in the state of
FIG. 7
is to be turned in the clockwise or opening direction, the throttle gear
5
is caused to rotate in the clockwise direction by a driving force applied thereto from the motor
8
through the motor gear
6
, whereby the first extension
5
a
pushes the first engagement portion
9
a
. At this time, since the second engagement portion
9
b
is in abutment against the second abutment surface
10
b
of the stopper
10
, the elastic member
9
is compressively deformed in accordance with the clockwise rotation of the first engagement portion
9
a
, whereby the elastic force of the elastic member
9
is increased with the increasing compressive deformation thereof. When the elastic force of the elastic member
9
becomes balanced with the rotational force of the throttle gear
5
, the rotation of the throttle valve
4
is stopped.
FIG. 9
shows the state at that time.
On the other hand, when the throttle valve
4
is to be rotated in the closing direction from its fully opened state, the amount of electric power supplied to the motor
8
is reduced to decrease the driving force of the motor
8
, whereby the elastic force of the compressed elastic member
9
acting in the counterclockwise direction overcomes the clockwise rotational force acting on the throttle gear
5
. As a result, the throttle gear
5
is caused to rotate in the counterclockwise direction through the first engagement portion
9
a
and the first extension
5
a
. Thus, the elastic member
9
is expanded in accordance with the rotation of the throttle gear, thereby reducing the elastic force of the elastic member
9
. When the elastic force of the elastic member
9
becomes balanced with the rotational force of the throttle gear
5
, the rotation of the throttle valve
4
is stopped.
Here, note that when the throttle valve
4
is fully closed, the second extension
5
b
and the second engagement portion
9
b
are placed in abutment with each other, and the first engagement portion
9
a
and the first abutment surface
10
a
are also placed in abutment with each other, so the elastic force of the elastic member
9
acts on the throttle valve
4
in the opening direction.
In addition, when the throttle valve
4
is fully opened, the first extension
5
a
and the first engagement portion
9
a
are placed in abutment with each other, and the second engagement portion
9
b
and the second abutment surface
10
b
are also placed in abutment with each other, so the elastic force of the elastic member
9
acts on the throttle valve
4
in the closing direction.
In the above-mentioned intake air throttle valve device, at the instant when the elastic force of the elastic member
9
becomes balanced with the rotational force of the throttle gear
5
, the rotation of the throttle valve
4
is stopped. Thus, when the motor
8
is not energized, the first engagement portion
9
a
of the elastic member
9
must be in abutment with the first abutment surface
10
a
of the stopper
10
and the first extension
5
a
, and the second engagement portion
9
b
of the elastic member
9
must be in abutment with the second abutment surface
10
b
of the stopper
10
and the second extension
5
b.
However, when gaps or clearances are developed between the first and second enga
Moriguchi Teruhiko
Tokiya Satoru
Castro Arnold
Gimie Mahmoud
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
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