Methods and system for a throttle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018372007-A1
Application number	US-201715632948-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a vacuum generating throttle. In one example, a method may include pivoting the throttle based on a desired airflow rate and/or vacuum replenishment, where the airflow rate and/or vacuum replenishment are adjusted based on one or more passages arranged interior to the throttle.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
changing intake airflow to an engine by pivoting a spherical throttle to align one of a plurality of passages arranged interior to the throttle with an intake passage of the engine.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pivoting includes actuating a hollow shaft of the throttle via an actuator, and where throttle is pivoted about an axis passing through a center of the throttle perpendicular to the intake passage.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of passages comprises a first passage, a second passage, and a third passage, and where the first and second passages comprise a diameter greater than a diameter of the third passage.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the first, second, and third passages are offset from one another by an angle between 10-80°.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein pivoting the throttle in response to an engine load less than a threshold load comprises aligning the third passage with the intake passage, and where pivoting the throttle in response to an engine load greater than the threshold load comprises aligning the second passage with the intake passage, and where pivoting the throttle in response to an engine load equal to the threshold load comprises aligning the first passage with the intake passage.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of passages are fluidly coupled to a vacuum consumption device.

7 . A system comprising:
a throttle arranged along an intake passage of an engine having first, second, and third passages located interior to an outer shield of the throttle, where the throttle pivots about an axis of a hollow shaft to adjust a coupling of the intake passage to each of the first, second, and third passages.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the hollow shaft is fluidly coupled to a vacuum consumption device, and where the hollow shaft sucks air from the vacuum consumption device in one or more positions of the throttle.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the throttle is pivoted to a first position where only the first passage is fluidly coupled to upstream and downstream portions of the intake passage relative to a direction of intake airflow to the engine in response to an engine load being equal to a threshold load, and where the throttle is pivoted to a second position where only the second passage is fluidly coupled to upstream and downstream portions of the intake passage in response to an engine load being greater than the threshold load, and where the throttle is pivoted to a third position wherein the third passage is fluidly coupled to only the downstream portion of the intake passage in response to an engine load being less than the threshold load.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the hollow shaft and the third passage are fluidly coupled and intersect with each other at a greatest constriction of the first passage, interior to the second passage.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the first passage is a venturi passage and the second and third passages are tubular.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the second passage comprises a diameter and a length greater than a diameter and a length of the third passage, respectively.

13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the hollow shaft pivots the first, second, and third passages between 20-160° about its axis, where the axis is perpendicular to a general direction of intake airflow.

14 . A system comprising:
an engine comprising an intake passage; a spherical throttle arranged along the intake passage, the spherical throttle comprising an immovable outer shield with cut-outs corresponding to upstream and downstream portions of the intake passage; and an inner surface, interior to the outer shield, being coupled to first, second, and third passages arranged interior to the inner surface, where the passages are differently sized.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first passage comprises a venturi throat, and where the first passage is fluidly coupled to the third passage and a hollow shaft at the venturi throat.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first, second, and third passages are physically coupled to the hollow shaft and where the hollow shaft extends through the inner surface and the outer shield of the throttle to an actuator, where the actuator is operated to actuate the hollow shaft to pivot the first, second, and third passages.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the throttle comprises no other inlets or outlets other than the cut-outs and a hollow shaft.

18 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising a first angle located between the first passage and one or more of the second passage and the third passage, and where the first angle is smaller than a second angle located between the second and third passages.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the first, second, and third passages are pivoted based on an actuation of a shaft coupled to each of the first, second, and third passages, and where the passages pivot in increments of the first angle about an axis of the shaft.

20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first passage and the second passage comprise lengths equal to a diameter of the inner surface, and where the third passage comprises a length equal to a radius of the inner surface.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Xiaogang

Classifications

• F02D9/1015 Primary

  Details of the edge of the flap, e.g. for lowering flow noise or improving flow sealing in closed flap position · CPC title

• F02D9/16 Primary

  the members being rotatable · CPC title

• F02M35/10288

  Air intakes combined with another engine part, e.g. cylinder head cover or being cast in one piece with the exhaust manifold, cylinder head or engine block · CPC title

• F02D29/02

  peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers · CPC title

• F02D2009/024

  Increasing intake vacuum · CPC title