Air intake apparatus for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9051908-B2
Application number	US-201313857412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2013
Priority date	Apr 5, 2012
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

A resonator has a volume chamber, which is communicated with a surge tank through a communication passage. A primary intake passage communicates between a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and the surge tank. A secondary intake passage communicates between the surge tank and one of the cylinder and the primary intake passage. A passage length of the secondary intake passage is shorter than a passage length of the primary intake passage. A variable intake valve is fixed to a shaft. The variable intake valve opens and closes the secondary intake passage. A resonator valve is fixed to the shaft. The resonator valve opens and closes the communication passage. A drive device rotates the shaft to drive the variable intake valve and the resonator valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a surge tank, to which air is guided;
a resonator that has a volume chamber, which is communicated with the surge tank through a communication passage;
a primary intake passage that communicates between a cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the surge tank;
a secondary intake passage that extends in an imaginary plane that is generally parallel to an extending direction of the communication passage, wherein the secondary intake passage communicates between the surge tank and one of the cylinder and the primary intake passage, and a passage length of the secondary intake passage is shorter than a passage length of the primary intake passage;
a shaft that extends through the communication passage and the secondary intake passage, which are arranged one after another in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary plane;
a variable intake valve that is fixed to the shaft, wherein the variable intake valve opens and closes the secondary intake passage;
a resonator valve that is fixed to the shaft, wherein the resonator valve opens and closes the communication passage; and
a drive device that rotates the shaft to drive the variable intake valve and the resonator valve,
wherein
when the resonator valve is opened to open the communication passage, communication between the volume chamber of the resonator and the surge tank is enabled; and
when the resonator valve is closed to close the communication passage, the communication between the volume chamber of the resonator and the surge tank is blocked.

2. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the variable intake valve and the resonator valve are arranged one after another in a row in an axial direction of the shaft.

3. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication passage includes:
a primary communication passage that extends generally parallel to the primary intake passage; and
a secondary communication passage that extends generally parallel to the secondary intake passage.

4. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the variable intake valve and the resonator valve are fixed to the shaft in a manner that satisfy the following conditions:
the resonator valve closes the communication passage when the variable intake valve opens the secondary intake passage; and
the resonator valve opens the communication passage when the variable intake valve closes the secondary intake passage.

5. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve based on an engine speed of the internal combustion engine when a volumetric efficiency achieved with a resonance of the resonator is lower than a volumetric efficiency achieved with a reflected wave from an atmosphere side of the surge tank.

6. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device closes the variable intake valve and opens the resonator valve based on an engine speed of the internal combustion engine during a corresponding period from a time, at which the volumetric efficiency achieved with the resonance of the resonator becomes higher than the volumetric efficiency achieved with the reflected wave from the atmosphere side of the surge tank, to a time, at which a volumetric efficiency achieved with a reflected wave from the surge tank through the primary intake passage is higher than a volumetric efficiency achieved with a reflected wave from the surge tank through the secondary intake passage.

7. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve based on an engine speed of the internal combustion engine when the volumetric efficiency achieved with the reflected wave from the surge tank through the secondary intake passage is higher than the volumetric efficiency achieved with the reflected wave from the surge tank through the primary intake passage.

8. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve when start of the internal combustion engine is sensed or when the start of the internal combustion engine is predicted.

9. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device partially opens the variable intake valve and the resonator valve when the internal combustion engine is stopped.

10. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device is configured to execute the following two operations:
the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve in one of two engine speed ranges of the internal combustion engine, wherein the one of the two engine speed ranges is lower than a corresponding reference engine speed; and
the drive device closes the variable intake valve and opens the resonator valve in the other one of the two engine speed ranges of the internal combustion engine, which is higher than the corresponding reference engine speed.

11. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device is configured to execute the following two operations:
the drive device closes the variable intake valve and opens the resonator valve in one of two engine speed ranges of the internal combustion engine, wherein the one of the two engine speed ranges is lower than a corresponding reference engine speed; and
the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve in the other one of the two engine speed ranges of the internal combustion engine, which is higher than the corresponding reference engine speed.

12. The air intake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device is configured to execute the following three operations:
the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve in a first engine speed range of the internal combustion engine, which is lower than a first engine speed;
the drive device closes the variable intake valve and opens the resonator valve in a second engine speed range of the internal combustion engine, which is equal to or higher than the first engine speed and is lower than a second engine speed; and
the drive device opens the variable intake valve and closes the resonator valve in a third engine speed range of the internal combustion engine, which is higher than the second engine speed.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Sato Shingo
• Kuwano Syuhei
• Ino Masao

Classifications

• F02M35/14

  Combined air cleaners and silencers · CPC title

• F02B27/0263

  the plenum chamber and at least one of the intake ducts having a common wall, and the intake ducts wrap partially around the plenum chamber, i.e. snail-type (F02B27/0257 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M35/10144

  Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device · CPC title

• F02M35/12

  Intake silencers {; Sound modulation, transmission or amplification (intake silencers also used as exhaust silencer F01N13/007; filters for compressors F04B39/16)} · CPC title

• F02B27/0273

  Flap valves · CPC title