Engine-equipped vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873769-B2
Application number	US-202117541911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2020
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

An engine-equipped vehicle capable of preventing gear noise and gear wear when the engine is started is provided. A multicylinder engine, a gear transmission that shifts power from the multicylinder engine by a shift operation, a centrifugal clutch arranged in a power transmission path from the multicylinder engine to the gear transmission, and an electronic control device that controls an operation of the multicylinder engine are included and the engine is configured to be started with a partial cylinder operation start where under control of the electronic control device, only some cylinders are operated and an operation of other cylinders is stopped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine-equipped vehicle comprising: a two-cylinder engine; a gear transmission that shifts power from the two-cylinder engine by a shift operation; a centrifugal clutch arranged in a power transmission path from the two-cylinder engine to the gear transmission; and an electronic control device that controls an operation of the two-cylinder engine, wherein
the engine-equipped vehicle is configured so that the engine is started with a partial cylinder operation start where under control of the electronic control device, only a first cylinder is operated and an operation of a second cylinder is stopped, and
the centrifugal clutch is arranged at an end of a crankshaft on a first cylinder side, and a ring gear is arranged at an end of the crankshaft on a second cylinder side, the ring gear becoming engaged with a starter when the engine is started, so that with the partial cylinder operation start, a rotation torque of the first cylinder and the rotation torque of the ring gear are applied to opposite sides of the second cylinder.

2. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
an index temperature sensor that detects an index temperature of any of an engine cooling water temperature, an engine oil temperature, and an engine wall temperature, which become indices of engine temperatures, wherein
when an index temperature detected by the index temperature sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined operation selection temperature, the engine is started with a partial cylinder operation start under control of the electronic control device, and when an index temperature detected by the index temperature sensor is less than the predetermined operation selection temperature, the engine is started with an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device.

3. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
when an abnormality of the index temperature sensor is detected before the engine is started, the engine is started with an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device.

4. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
an intake air temperature sensor, wherein
when an abnormality of the intake air temperature sensor is detected before the engine is started, the engine is started with an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device.

5. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
a throttle opening sensor, wherein
when a throttle opening detected by the throttle opening sensor is not fully closed, the engine is started with an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device.

6. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
an engine rotation speed sensor, wherein
when a complete explosion requirement time, in which an engine rotation speed detected by the engine rotation speed sensor at engine start with a partial cylinder operation start reaches a complete explosion rotation speed, exceeds a predetermined complete explosion delay determination time, a partial cylinder operation is switched to an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device,
so that upon the partial cylinder operation start undergoing a transition to the all-cylinder operation, where a connection to the centrifugal clutch causes a rotational load to be applied by the centrifugal clutch, the rotational load of the centrifugal clutch is received by the first cylinder, the first cylinder operating in the partial cylinder operation prior to the transition.

7. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 6 , comprising:
an index temperature sensor that detects an index temperature of any of an engine cooling water temperature, an engine oil temperature, and an engine wall temperature, which become indices of engine temperatures, wherein
the higher an index temperature detected by the index temperature sensor is, the shorter a complete explosion delay determination time is set by the electronic control device.

8. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
an engine rotation speed sensor, wherein
when an engine rotation speed detected by the engine rotation speed sensor reaches a complete explosion rotation speed by an engine start with a partial cylinder operation start, after an elapsed time after complete explosion reaches a predetermined waiting time after complete explosion, a partial cylinder operation is switched to an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device,
so that upon the partial cylinder operation start undergoing a transition to the all-cylinder operation, where a connection to the centrifugal clutch causes a rotational load to be applied by the centrifugal clutch, the rotational load of the centrifugal clutch is received by the first cylinder, the first cylinder operating in the partial cylinder operation prior to the transition.

9. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 8 , comprising:
an index temperature sensor that detects an index temperature of any of an engine cooling water temperature, an engine oil temperature, and an engine wall temperature, which become indices of engine temperatures, wherein
the higher an index temperature detected by the index temperature sensor is, the shorter a waiting time after complete explosion is set by the electronic control device.

10. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
a gear transmission detection sensor, wherein
when the gear transmission detection sensor detects a transmission operation from a neutral position by a shift operation during a partial cylinder operation, after an elapsed time after gear transition reaches a predetermined waiting time after gear transition, a partial cylinder operation is switched to an all-cylinder operation under control of the electronic control device,
so that upon the partial cylinder operation start undergoing a transition to the all-cylinder operation, where a connection to the centrifugal clutch causes a rotational load to be applied by the centrifugal clutch, the rotational load of the centrifugal clutch is received by the first cylinder, the first cylinder operating in the partial cylinder operation prior to the transition.

11. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 10 , comprising:
an index temperature sensor that detects an index temperature of any of an engine cooling water temperature, an engine oil temperature, and an engine wall temperature, which become indices of engine temperatures, wherein
the higher an index temperature detected by the index temperature sensor is, the shorter a waiting time after gear transition is set by the electronic control device.

12. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising
a fuel supply device that individually supplies fuel to each cylinder, wherein
when a partial cylinder operation is switched to an all-cylinder operation, a fuel supply amount to a cylinder that has newly started an operation gradually increases from start of supply over a predetermined gradually increasing supply period under control of the electronic control device.

13. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
ignition plugs for each cylinder, wherein
when a partial cylinder operation is switched to an all-cylinder operation, ignition timing to a cylinder that has newly started an operation is progressive from ignition start over a predetermined progressive ignition period under control of the electronic control device.

14. The engine-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the en

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Iga Michisuke
• Ono Masaharu

Classifications

• F02D41/0087 Primary

  Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation (deceleration cut-off F02D41/123) · CPC title

• F02D13/06

  Cutting-out cylinders · CPC title

• F02D41/1498

  measuring engine roughness · CPC title

• F02N11/0848

  with means for detecting successful engine start, e.g. to stop starter actuation · CPC title

• F02P5/151

  with means for compensating the variation of the characteristics of the engine or of a sensor, e.g. by ageing · CPC title