JP4916529B2 - engine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine in which the opening degree of a throttle valve is controlled by a drive motor based on a throttle opening / closing input by manually operating a throttle member such as a throttle grip or an accelerator pedal.

  In recent years, a so-called electronic throttle control device has been proposed in which an operation amount of a throttle grip or an accelerator pedal is detected and an opening degree of a throttle valve is controlled by a drive motor based on the operation amount.

  When installing this type of throttle control device in an engine equipped with a fuel injection valve that injects fuel into the intake passage, for example, a drive motor is arranged as compact as possible while avoiding interference with the fuel injection valve. It is desirable to do.

  However, depending on the arrangement of the drive motor, there are cases where the above-mentioned demand for compactness cannot be met.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to avoid an increase in the size of the entire engine when a drive motor is arranged.

An engine according to the present invention includes a plurality of cylinders whose axis is inclined obliquely forward and arranged in parallel in the left-right direction, an air cleaner disposed above the cylinder, one end connected to each cylinder, and the other end Is connected to the air cleaner and extends in the vertical direction, a throttle valve disposed in each intake passage, a drive motor for driving the throttle valve to open and close, and each intake air on the downstream side of each throttle valve A fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into the passage, and a controller for controlling the opening of each throttle valve by the drive motor based on a throttle operation amount by manual operation of the throttle member, and at least a part of the drive motor Is arranged between the left end of the leftmost throttle valve and the right end of the rightmost throttle valve in the left-right direction. In side view, the drive motor is disposed on the same side as the fuel injection valve of the intake passage is arranged in a side view, and the drive motor and the fuel injection valve, the rear of the intake passage The drive motor and the fuel injection valve are at least partially arranged in the same position with respect to the front-rear direction, and at least a part of the drive motor and at least a part of the fuel injection valve are related to the vertical direction. The throttle valve is disposed at the same height as a part of the throttle valve when in the fully open position .

It is a partial cross section side view for demonstrating the throttle control apparatus of an engine. It is a top view of the engine by which the said throttle control apparatus was arrange | positioned. It is a rear view of the engine. It is a figure which shows the connection part of the drive motor and valve shaft of the said throttle control apparatus. It is a side view of the reduction gear mechanism of the drive motor. It is a figure which shows the deceleration mechanism of the drive motor by a modification. It is a top view for demonstrating a throttle control apparatus. It is a schematic side view for demonstrating a throttle control apparatus. It is a partial cross section side view for demonstrating the throttle control apparatus of an engine. It is a top view of the engine by which the said throttle control apparatus was arrange | positioned. It is a rear view of the engine.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIGS. 1 to 5 are views for explaining an engine throttle control device according to the first embodiment, and FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are partially sectional side views of the engine in which the throttle control device is provided. FIG. 4 is a plan view, a rear view, FIG. 4 is a view showing a connecting portion between a drive motor and a valve shaft, and FIG. 5 is a side view of a reduction gear mechanism of the drive motor.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a water-cooled four-cycle parallel four-cylinder engine employed in a motorcycle. The engine 1 has each cylinder axis A oriented vertically and a crankshaft (not shown) oriented in the vehicle width direction. Mounted on the body frame (not shown).

  In the engine 1, a cylinder head 3 is bolted to an upper joint surface of a cylinder block 2 in which four cylinders 2 a are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction, and a head cover 4 is attached to the upper joint surface of the cylinder head 3. In addition, it has a schematic structure in which a crankcase (not shown) is coupled to the lower joint surface of the cylinder block 2.

  An intake valve opening 3a and an exhaust valve opening 3b are opened in a recess forming the combustion chamber of the cylinder head 3, and the valve openings 3a and 3b are opened and closed by an unillustrated intake valve and exhaust valve. The exhaust port 3c connected to the exhaust valve opening 3b is led out to the front wall of the cylinder head 3, and an exhaust pipe (not shown) is connected to each exhaust port 3c. An intake port 3d connected to the intake valve opening 3a is led out to the rear wall of the cylinder head 3, and a throttle body 5 is connected to each intake port 3d.

  Each throttle body 5 is arranged so as to be substantially horizontal, and an air intake duct 6 a is connected to an air intake port which is an upstream end of the throttle body 5. The air intake duct 6 a is connected to a common air cleaner 6. Is opened in the middle of the air cleaner 6. Reference numeral 6b denotes an air cleaner element.

  A butterfly throttle valve 7 is disposed in the intake passage 5a of each throttle body 5 so as to be opened and closed between a fully closed position and a fully opened position. The throttle valves 7 are connected to each other by a common valve shaft 8, and a return spring 9 for urging the throttle valve 7 to the fully closed position is disposed on the valve shaft 8. A throttle opening sensor 10 is attached to the right end of the valve shaft 8.

  A fuel injection valve 11 is mounted on the upper wall 5 b of each throttle body 5. A valve hole 5c is formed in the downstream portion of the upper wall 5b of the throttle valve 7, and the nozzle of the fuel injection valve 11 is inserted into each valve hole 5c. Each fuel injection valve 11 is disposed obliquely upward and rearward, and fuel from each fuel injection valve 11 is injected through the intake port 3d toward the rear surface of the umbrella portion of the intake valve.

  A common fuel supply unit 15 is connected to each fuel injection valve 11. The fuel supply unit 15 is disposed above the throttle body 5 and is arranged at the left end of the fuel supply pipe 16 disposed so as to extend in the vehicle width direction in a plan view so as to extend in parallel therewith. The left end of 17 is connected by a joint pipe 18.

  The upper end of each fuel injection valve 11 is inserted and connected to a connection port 16a that is branched from the fuel supply pipe 16. A fuel pump (not shown) is connected to the upstream end of the fuel supply hose 17. A regulator 20 for adjusting the fuel pressure is connected to the downstream end of the fuel supply pipe 16, and the regulator 20 is connected to a fuel tank (not shown) via a return pipe. Reference numeral 21 denotes a negative pressure hose for introducing intake negative pressure into the regulator 20, and the regulator 20 variably adjusts the fuel pressure to the fuel injection valve 11 in accordance with the intake negative pressure. Reference numeral 19 denotes a harness for supplying power to each fuel injection valve 11, and the harness 19 is routed along the fuel supply pipe 16.

  Each throttle valve 7 and a throttle grip (not shown) are connected via a throttle control device. The throttle control device includes a throttle operation detection sensor (not shown) that detects the amount (rotation amount) of the throttle grip by the driver, a drive motor 22 that opens and closes each throttle valve 7, and the throttle operation detection sensor. And a controller (not shown) for driving and controlling the drive motor 22 based on the detected value from the above.

  The drive motor 22 is accommodated in a housing 23 made of aluminum die cast, and a gear case 26 in which a reduction gear mechanism 25 is accommodated is integrally connected to the housing 23. The gear case 26 is disposed so as to be positioned between the two throttle bodies 5 and 5 at the center in the vehicle width direction.

  The drive motor 22 has its rotating shaft 22 a oriented parallel to the valve shaft 8 and is disposed on the same side as the fuel injection valve 11 of the throttle body 5. Specifically, the drive motor 22 is mounted and fixed so that the housing 23 spans the front portions of the upper walls 5b of the two right throttle bodies 5 and 5 from the fuel injection valve 11.

  The drive motor 22 is disposed so as to be exposed upward between the fuel supply pipe 16 and the engine 1 in plan view. As a result, the drive motor 22 can be maintained from above the engine by removing the fuel tank.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the reduction gear mechanism 25 includes a throttle gear 27 attached to the valve shaft 8, a rotation gear 28 attached to the rotation shaft 22 a of the drive motor 22, and both gears 27, 28. An intermediate gear train 29 is provided. The intermediate gear train 29 includes a large reduction gear 29 a that meshes with the rotary gear 28 and a small reduction gear 29 b that meshes with the throttle gear 27. A gear shaft 29 c of the intermediate gear train 29 is pivotally supported by the gear case 26. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a connecting shaft 27a protruding outward from the gear case 26 is inserted and fixed to the throttle gear 27, and the left and right valve shafts 8a and 8b are connected to the connecting shaft 27a. The left and right valve shafts 8a, 8b are formed with concave grooves extending in the axial direction, and both end portions of the connecting shaft 27a are formed with convex portions that engage with the concave grooves. 8a and 8b rotate together through a connecting shaft 27a.

  Next, the effect of this reference form is demonstrated.

  When the driver rotates the throttle grip, the drive motor 22 rotates according to the amount of operation, and this rotation is transmitted to the valve shaft 8 via the reduction gear mechanism 25, and as the valve shaft 8 rotates. Each throttle valve 7 rotates.

  According to the throttle control device of the present embodiment, the drive motor 22 is disposed on the same side as the fuel injection valve 11 of the throttle body 5, so that the fuel injection valve 11 and the engine 1 are not interfered with the fuel injection valve 11. The space between them can be used effectively, the engine size can be avoided, and the demand for compactness can be met. Further, when maintenance of the drive motor 22 is performed, it can be easily performed from above the engine by removing the fuel tank, so that workability can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, since the drive motor 22 is mounted and fixed on the two right throttle bodies 5 and 5, the mounting strength of the drive motor 22 can be secured and the connection strength between the throttle bodies 5 can be increased. it can.

  Since the drive motor 22 is directly fixed to the throttle body 5, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the drive motor 22 is fixed via another member such as a stay. Furthermore, the assembly | attachment property to an engine can be improved by integrating | attaching the drive motor 22 to each throttle body 5 previously beforehand.

  In addition, since all the throttle valves 7 are rotationally driven by one drive motor 22, the structure can be simplified and an increase in cost can be suppressed.

  In the above reference embodiment, the case where each fuel injection valve 11 is disposed on the upper wall 5b of the throttle body 5 has been described. However, the fuel injection valve may be disposed on the lower wall of the throttle body. In this case, the drive motor is disposed on the fuel injection valve side below the throttle body.

  In the above reference embodiment, the case where the rotation of the drive motor 22 is transmitted to the valve shaft 8 via the reduction gear mechanism 25 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. You may combine a mechanism, a wire mechanism, or these.

  For example, FIG. 6 shows a modified example of the speed reduction mechanism of the drive motor, in which the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 indicate the same or corresponding parts. In this modification, a large reduction gear 29 a is engaged with the rotary gear 28 of the drive motor 22, and the gear shaft 29 c of the large reduction gear 29 a and the valve shaft 8 are connected via a link mechanism 30. The link mechanism 30 has a structure in which a drive link member 31 fixed to the gear shaft 29c and a driven link member 32 fixed to the valve shaft 8 are rotatably connected by an arm member 33. The same effects as in the above reference embodiment can be obtained.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a throttle control device according to the second embodiment. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicate the same or corresponding parts, and the description of the overlapping reference numerals is omitted.

  The throttle control device of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the drive motor 22 is disposed on the same side as the fuel injection valve 11 of the throttle body 5 and the rotation shaft 22a of the drive motor 22 is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the valve shaft 8. It has become. A worm gear 35 is attached to the rotary shaft 22a, and the worm gear 35 meshes with a worm wheel 36 attached and fixed to the valve shaft 8.

  In the present embodiment, the drive motor 22 is disposed on the same side as the fuel injection valve 11 of the throttle body 5, and the drive motor 22 is disposed such that the rotary shaft 22 a faces the valve shaft 8 at a right angle. Since the two throttle bodies 5 and 5 are secured over the two throttle bodies 5, the empty space can be effectively used without interfering with the fuel injection valve 11, and the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the throttle control device according to the embodiment.

  The throttle control device of this embodiment is a case where the cylinder axis A is disposed in an engine 40 that is inclined obliquely forward and upward. A throttle body 5 is connected vertically upward to each intake port 41a of the cylinder head 41 of the engine 40, and a fuel injection valve 11 is provided downstream of the throttle valve 7 on the rear wall 5d of each throttle body 5. It is installed.

  A drive motor 22 is disposed on the same side of each throttle body 5 as the fuel injection valve 11. The drive motor 22 is fixedly attached to a fuel supply pipe 42 that supplies fuel to the fuel injection valve 11. Yes.

  According to the present embodiment, in the forward leaning engine 40, the drive motor 22 is disposed on the fuel injection valve 11 side of the throttle body 5 and is fixedly attached to the fuel supply pipe 42. Therefore, the throttle body 5, the fuel injection valve 11, The space between the two can be used effectively, the engine can be prevented from being enlarged, and the maintenance can be easily performed, and the same effect as in the first reference embodiment can be obtained.

  9 to 11 are diagrams for explaining the throttle control device according to the third embodiment. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 denote the same or corresponding parts.

  In the throttle control device of the present embodiment, two drive motors 45 and 45 'are disposed on the same side of the throttle body 5 as the fuel injection valve 11, and the left drive motor 45 moves the valve shaft 8a of the left cylinder to the right side. The drive motor 45 'is configured to independently drive the valve shaft 8b of the right cylinder. Each of the drive motors 45 and 45 'is housed in a housing 47 in which a gear case 46 is integrally formed. The basic structure is the same as that in the first reference embodiment.

  The drive motors 45 and 45 'are mounted and fixed on the left and right throttle bodies 5 and 5, and the left gear case 46 is connected to the outer end portion of the left valve shaft 8a. 46 is connected to the inner end of the right valve shaft 8b.

  Further, an air passage (not shown) for taking out intake negative pressure downstream from the throttle valve 7 is formed on a mounting mating surface between the drive motors 45, 45 ′ and the throttle body 5. As described above, since the air passage is formed by using the mounting mating surfaces of the drive motors 45, 45 'and the throttle body 5, a dedicated air hose can be dispensed with and the surroundings of the engine can be simplified.

  According to the present embodiment, the valve shafts 8a and 8b are driven to rotate independently by the two drive motors 45 and 45 '. Therefore, when one drive motor fails for some reason, the other drive is driven. Operation can be continued by the motor, and reliability and safety can be improved.

  Further, since the drive motors 45 and 45 'are fixed over the two throttle bodies 5 and 5, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the drive motors 45 and 45' are fixed through separate members such as stays. The same effect can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment and each reference embodiment, the case where the drive motor is attached and fixed to the throttle body or the fuel supply pipe has been described. However, the drive motor may be attached and fixed directly to the cylinder head via an elastic member. In this case, the mounting strength of the drive motor can be increased, and the engine vibration is absorbed by the elastic member, so that the influence of the engine vibration on the drive motor can be suppressed.

(reference)
An object of each of the following inventions is to provide an engine throttle control device capable of avoiding an increase in size of the entire engine when a drive motor is arranged.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an engine throttle control apparatus comprising a fuel injection valve and a throttle valve in an intake passage, wherein the opening degree of the throttle valve is controlled by a drive motor based on a throttle operation amount by manual operation of a throttle member. The drive motor is disposed on the same side of the intake passage as the fuel injection valve.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the engine is a parallel multi-cylinder engine provided with a fuel injection valve and a throttle valve for each cylinder. The throttle valve is divided into a plurality of sets, and each set is independent. The throttle valve opening is controlled by a drive motor.

  A third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the housing of the drive motor is integrally attached to the throttle body.

  According to a fourth invention, in the first or second invention, the housing of the drive motor is integrally attached to a fuel supply pipe for supplying fuel to the fuel injection valve.

  According to a fifth invention, in the first or second invention, the drive motor housing is directly attached to the cylinder head with an elastic member interposed therebetween.

  A sixth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, an air passage for taking out intake negative pressure is formed in the housing of the drive motor.

  According to the throttle control device of the first aspect of the invention, since the drive motor is disposed on the same side of the intake passage as the fuel injection valve, the fuel injection valve surroundings that are inevitably produced when the fuel injection valve is provided in the intake passage. It is possible to arrange the drive motor by effectively using the empty space, and avoid the enlargement of the engine.

  In the second invention, since the throttle valve is divided into a plurality of groups and controlled by independent drive motors for each group, even if one drive motor fails for some reason, the operation is continued with the remaining drive motors. It is possible to improve reliability and safety.

  In the third aspect of the invention, since the drive motor housing is integrally attached to the throttle body, the number of parts can be reduced to the extent that a stay or the like can be eliminated, and the drive motor is pre-assembled and integrated with the throttle body. As a result, the assembly to the engine can be improved.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, since the housing of the drive motor is integrally attached to the fuel supply pipe, the number of parts can be reduced and the ease of assembly to the engine can be improved as in the third aspect.

  In the fifth invention, the housing of the drive motor is directly attached to the cylinder head via the elastic member, so that the attachment strength can be increased while avoiding the influence of the engine vibration on the drive motor.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, since the air passage for taking out the intake negative pressure is formed in the housing of the drive motor, the conventional dedicated air hose can be made unnecessary and the surroundings of the engine can be simplified.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,40 Engine 3,41 Cylinder head 5a Intake passage 5 Throttle body 7 Throttle valve 8, 8a, 8b, 27a Valve shaft 11 Fuel injection valve 16, 42 Fuel supply pipe 22, 45 Drive motor 23, 47 Housing

Claims (1)

A plurality of cylinders whose axes are inclined obliquely forward and arranged in parallel in the left-right direction;
An air cleaner disposed above the cylinder;
One end is connected to each cylinder, the other end is connected to the air cleaner, and an intake passage extending in the vertical direction;
A throttle valve disposed in each intake passage;
A drive motor for opening and closing the throttle valve;
A fuel injection valve that injects fuel into each intake passage downstream of each throttle valve;
A controller for controlling the opening of each throttle valve by the drive motor based on a throttle operation amount by manual operation of the throttle member,
At least a part of the drive motor is arranged between the left end of the leftmost throttle valve and the right end of the rightmost throttle valve in the left-right direction,
In a side view, the drive motor is disposed on the same side of the intake passage as the fuel injection valve is disposed ,
In a side view, the fuel injection valve and the drive motor are disposed behind the intake passage,
The drive motor and the fuel injection valve are arranged at least at the same position in the front-rear direction,
The engine, wherein at least a part of the drive motor and at least a part of the fuel injection valve are arranged at the same height as a part of the throttle valve when in the fully open position in the vertical direction .

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