Method and system for vacuum generation using a throttle body comprising a slidable throttle valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9885296-B2
Application number	US-201514945254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

Various systems and methods are described for generating vacuum within an engine intake. A system may comprise an intake throttle including a slidable throttle valve, where the throttle valve may comprise a hollow interior passage, which in turn may be coupled to a vacuum consumption device. When vacuum is demanded by the vacuum consumption device, the throttle valve may be displaced downstream within the throttle to decrease airflow through the throttle and vacuum may be generated at tip of the throttle valve by flowing intake air between the throttle valve and a throttle fixture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A throttle coupled in an intake conduit of an engine intake, the throttle comprising: a throttle body that adjusts vacuum in an intake manifold; a slidable throttle valve included within the throttle body, the throttle valve comprising a hollow passage coupling a vacuum consumption device to an interior of the throttle body; and an inwardly projecting flange coupled within the throttle body.

2. The throttle of claim 1 , wherein the throttle body is rectangular and includes four substantially planar walls: two side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, and where a cross-sectional area of the throttle body is greater than that of the intake conduit.

3. The throttle of claim 2 , wherein the inwardly projecting flange is physically coupled to, and in sealing contact with an interior surface of the bottom wall and where the flange extends between and is in sealing contact with interior surfaces of the two side walls.

4. The throttle of claim 2 , wherein the throttle valve is physically coupled to, and in sealing contact with an interior surface of the top wall, and where the throttle valve extends between and is in sealing contact with, interior surfaces of the two side walls.

5. The throttle of claim 1 , wherein the inwardly projecting flange is positioned more proximate a downstream end of the throttle body than an upstream end of the throttle body.

6. The throttle of claim 1 , further comprising, an inlet cone coupling an upstream portion of the intake conduit to an upstream end of the throttle body, where a first end of the inlet cone is coupled to the upstream portion of the intake conduit, and where a second end of the inlet cone is coupled to the upstream end of the throttle body, and where a cross-sectional area of the inlet cone is greater at the second end than the first end.

7. The throttle of claim 1 , further comprising, an outlet cone coupling a downstream portion of the intake conduit to a downstream end of the throttle body, where a first end of the outlet cone is coupled to the downstream end of the throttle body, and where a second end of the outlet cone is coupled to the intake conduit, and where a cross-sectional area of the outlet cone is greater at the first end than the second end.

8. The throttle of claim 1 , where the inwardly projecting flange and throttle valve each comprise respective upstream first surfaces facing oncoming intake gas flow, the first surfaces orientated at respective first angles with respect to a direction of flow of oncoming intake gasses, and where the inwardly projecting flange and throttle valve each comprise respective downstream second surfaces facing away from oncoming intake gas flow, the second surfaces orientated at respective second angles with respect to the flow direction of oncoming intake gasses, where the second angles are less than the respective first angles.

9. The throttle of claim 1 , wherein the throttle valve is movable relative to the flange along a longitudinal axis of the throttle body between an open first position and a closed second position, and where an opening in the throttle body formed between the throttle valve and the flange increases with increasing deflection of the throttle valve towards the open first position, away from the closed second position.

10. The throttle of claim 9 , further comprising, a motor physically coupled to the throttle body for adjusting the throttle valve between the first and second positions.

11. The throttle of claim 1 , wherein the throttle valve includes an aperture formed at an apex of the throttle valve by the hollow passage, and where a Venturi effect is created at the apex, and where a magnitude of the Venturi effect increases for decreases in a distance between the throttle valve and the flange.

12. The throttle of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum consumption device is one of a brake booster, a fuel vapor canister, and a vacuum actuated valve.

13. A system comprising: an engine including an intake conduit; a throttle body, that adjusts vacuum in an intake manifold, included in an engine intake, the throttle body comprising: a throttle valve slidable along an axis substantially parallel to a direction of intake gas flow in the throttle body between an open first position and a closed second position, the throttle valve comprising a hollow passage fluidically coupling a vacuum consumption device to an interior of the throttle body; and an inwardly projecting flow obstruction coupled within the throttle body; and a controller with computer-readable instruction stored in non-transitory memory for: in response to increases in vacuum demand from the vacuum consumption device, adjusting the throttle valve towards a more closed position to increase an amount of vacuum generated at an aperture of the throttle valve formed by the hollow passage at an inwardly extending tip of the throttle valve.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein an opening in the throttle body formed between the throttle valve and the flow obstruction and therefore an amount of airflow through the intake conduit decreases, and the amount of vacuum generated at the aperture increases, as the throttle valve is adjusted towards the closed second position.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising, a motor in electrical communication with the controller, the motor physically coupled to the throttle valve, and where the motor adjusts the position of the throttle valve based on signals received from the controller.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein a slope of an upstream first surface of the throttle valve facing oncoming intake gas flow is greater than a slope of a downstream second surface of the throttle valve facing away from oncoming intake gas flow.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein a slope of an upstream first surface of the flow obstruction facing oncoming intake gas flow is greater than a slope of a downstream second surface of the flow obstruction facing away from oncoming intake gas flow.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Xiaogang

Classifications

• F02D2009/024

  Increasing intake vacuum · CPC title

• F02D2041/0017

  by simultaneous control of throttle and exhaust gas recirculation · CPC title

• F02D9/14

  the members being slidable transversely of conduit · CPC title

• F02D41/0007

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• F02M35/10222

  Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission · CPC title