Claims
- 1. A vehicle throttle control system, comprising:a throttle body having an opening; a blade portion supported within the body opening and selectively positioned to control air flow into the opening; a shaft supporting the blade and at least one vibration enhancing member associated with the shaft; an electric motor assembly that provides a motive force to move the blade portion; and a controller that controls operation of the electric motor assembly such that the motor and blade portion move rapidly and at a selected frequency for a selected period of time.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected frequency is a resonant frequency.
- 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the resonant frequency is a resonant frequency of the blade portion and the motor assembly, collectively.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller energizes the motor assembly such that the motor assembly causes the shaft to move at a frequency that corresponds to a resonant frequency of the blade portion, the shaft, the vibration enhancing member and the motor assembly, collectively.
- 5. The system of claim 1, including a temperature sensor supported near the throttle body, wherein the controller receives temperature information from the sensor and the controller only causes the motor to move the blade portion at the selected frequency when the sensed temperature is below a chosen threshold.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the chosen threshold is in a range from approximately 35° F. to about 30° F.
- 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a resistor and the controller obtains temperature information from a resistance value of the resistor.
- 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a position of the blade and the selected frequency is a first value when the blade is in a first position relative to the opening and a second value when the blade is in a second position relative to the opening.
- 9. A method of controlling an electronic throttle control assembly for a vehicle that includes a blade portion, comprising the steps of:(A) determining whether a condition exists where at least one portion of the assembly is not able to move in a desired manner; and (B) inducing motion in the assembly at a first frequency when the blade portion is in a first position and at a second frequency when the blade portion is in a second position for a selected period of time.
- 10. The method of claim 9, including determining a temperature in the vicinity of the assembly and performing step (B) only when the temperature is below a chosen threshold.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the chosen threshold is in a range from approximately 35° F. to about 30° F.
- 12. The method of claim 10, including determining a resistance value of a resistor in the vicinity of the assembly.
- 13. The method of claim 9, wherein step (A) includes determining whether a portion of the assembly is frozen in a position.
- 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected frequency is a resonant frequency of the assembly.
- 15. The method of claim 9, wherein there is an electric motor as part of the assembly and step (B) includes providing power to the motor at a rate that induces motion in the assembly at a resonant frequency of the assembly.
- 16. A vehicle throttle control system, comprising:a throttle body having an opening; a blade portion supported within the body opening and selectively positioned to control air flow into the opening; an electric motor assembly that provides a motive force to move the blade portion; and a controller that controls operation of the electric motor assembly such that the motor and blade portion move rapidly and at a selected frequency for a selected period of time, the controller determining a position of the blade and selecting a first frequency when the blade is in a first position relative to the opening and a second frequency when the blade is in a second position relative to the opening.
- 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first blade position corresponds to a closed position.
- 18. The system of claim 16, including a shaft supporting the blade and at least one vibration enhancing member associated with the shaft.
- 19. A method of controlling an electronic throttle assembly for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:(A) proving a blade portion that is selectively moveable to control an amount of air flow through an opening in the throttle control assembly; (B) supporting the blade portion on a shaft within the assembly; (C) providing a vibration enhancing member associated with the shaft; (D) determining whether a condition exists where at least one portion of the assembly is not able to move in a desired manner; and (E) inducing motion in the assembly at a selected frequency for a selected period of time.
- 20. The method of claim 19, including performing step (E) at a first frequency when the blade portion is in a first position and at a second frequency when the blade portion is in a second position relative to the opening.
- 21. The method of claim 20, including determining whether the blade portion is in an open position or a closed position and selecting the first or second frequency depending on the determined blade position.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/152,178, which as filed on Sep. 2, 1999.
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Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/152178 |
Sep 1999 |
US |