Patent Grant
7370643
The present invention claims priority under 35 USC 119 based on Japanese patent application No. 2005-096966, filed on Mar. 30, 2005. The subject matter of this priority document is incorporated by reference herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-cylinder V-type internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-cylinder V-type internal combustion engine provided with charge injectors which directly inject a fuel-air mixture into combustion chambers of the cylinders, in which routing passages are provided to route compressed air to the charge injectors.
2. Description of the Background Art
It is well known to provide an internal combustion engine, used as a power source for a vehicle such as a motorcycle, with charge injectors which directly inject fuel-air mixture into combustion chambers in cylinders. Such an internal combustion engine is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-301113.
In such internal combustion engines, the opening and closing of the charge injectors are controlled in accordance with the cycle of combustion operation of the internal combustion engine, and the charge injectors mix fuel and compressed air supplied from an air compressor, and inject the mixture into the combustion chambers to allow the internal combustion engine to operate. The charge injectors make it possible to achieve improved fuel efficiency during operation of the internal combustion engine.
In addition, a V-type internal combustion engine is a well known type of internal combustion engine in which a plurality of cylinders are provided on a crankcase such that the plurality of cylinders spaced apart from each other in a V-shaped configuration. The V-type internal combustion engine is advantageous since it is possible to make the internal combustion engine more compact, and to reduce vibration accompanying the operation of the internal combustion engine, for example. In particular, for vehicles such as motorcycles in which the mounting space for the internal combustion engine is limited, use of the V-type internal combustion engine is considered to be an appropriate choice.
The charge injectors are provided in a cylinder head portion of the internal combustion engine. Placement of the charge injectors in this location creates the problem of determining how to provide compressed-air supply channels which extend from the air compressor, annexed to the internal combustion engine, to the charge injectors.
Specifically, there has been a problem with regard to V-type internal combustion engines, since compressed air has to be supplied from the air compressor to respective head portions of the cylinders which are spaced apart from each other due to the V-shape. As a result, the assembly structure of the internal combustion engine becomes complicated due to the design of the compressed-air supply channels unless the disposition, branching or the like of the compressed-air supply channels is contrived.
In particular, with regard to the V-type internal combustion engines, there has been a problem that the compressed-air pressures become uneven between respective head portions of the cylinders, and the fuel mixing ratios in the charge injectors therefore become uneven unless the lengths of the compressed-air supply channels extending from the air compressor to the head portions (the charge injectors) of the respective cylinders are made even.
In addition, when the compressed-air supply channels are excessively cooled as the vehicle travels, the moisture contained in the compressed air condenses to form dew in the compressed-air supply channel. This is problematic since this dew can cause a malfunction of the charge injectors and operational failure of the internal combustion engine.
Meanwhile, although the compressed-air supply channels should not to be excessively cooled, the air compressor annexed to the internal combustion engine is required to be easily cooled as the vehicle travels in order to increase the air compression efficiency. Accordingly, the realization of a V-type internal combustion engine which satisfies the above conflicting demands and can solve the above problems is desirable.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above current circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a V-type internal combustion engine having a structure that can be easily assembled even if the compressed-air supply channels extend from the air compressor, which is annexed to the internal combustion engine, to the charge injectors in a contrived manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, in the same way, a V-type internal combustion engine in which respective lengths of the compressed-air supply channels extending from the air compressor to the charge injectors are made even.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide, in the same way, a V-type internal combustion engine of which the compressed-air supply channels are not excessively cooled even when the internal combustion engine is cooled as the vehicle travels, and which thus makes it possible to prevent condensation in the compressed-air supply channels from occurring.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide, in the same way, a V-type internal combustion engine, including the air compressor annexed thereto, that is cooled as the vehicle travels, and which thus makes it possible to increase the air compression efficiency of the air compressor.
A V-type internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes a plurality of cylinders provided on a crankcase with the plurality of cylinders spaced apart from each other in a V-shape. The engine includes a charge injector, which directly injects a fuel-air mixture into a combustion chamber in the cylinder, provided in each of the cylinder heads. The engine also has an a air compressor annexed thereto. The invention is characterized in that part of the compressed-air supply channels, which supply compressed air from the air compressor to the charge injectors, are provided in the form of a shared channel in a crankcase portion.
Accordingly, since part of the compressed-air supply channels extend from the air compressor to the charge injectors are provided in the form of a shared channel in the crankcase portion, the compressed-air supply channels, branched to the respective charge injectors, are integrated to the extent possible, and the V-type internal combustion engine, provided with the compressed-air supply channels, can be assembled by only attaching the cylinder blocks to the crankcase.
It should be noted that, in the present invention, although it is possible to make part of, or the whole of, the compressed-air supply channels extending from the air compressor to the charge injectors in the form of external piping annexed to the internal combustion engine, it is preferable to make the compressed-air supply channels in the form of internal conduits (internal passages) formed in the crankcase and the cylinder blocks. The internal conduit structure allows the compressed-air supply channels to be warmed by the heat of combustion during the operation of the internal combustion engine, whereby it is possible to prevent condensation.
In a further aspect of the invention, the V-type internal combustion engine is characterized in that the compressed-air supply channels, extending from the shared channel provided in the crankcase portion to the respective charge injectors, are branched to the respective cylinders. In addition, the branched compressed-air supply channels are provided along side walls of the respective cylinder blocks on the sides thereof which face each other, preferably provided in the form of internal passages.
Accordingly, the compressed-air supply channels, which are branched from the shared channel in the crankcase portion, reach the respective charge injectors having even channel lengths, so that the respective pressures of the compressed air supplied to the charge injectors are made even.
In addition, even if the V-type internal combustion engine is mounted on a motorcycle, and the motorcycle travels, the compressed-air supply channels formed within the cylinder block portions are shielded by the cylinder block walls, so that the compressed-air supply channels are prevented from being exposed to the wind caused by vehicle travel and thus cooled, which also makes it possible to prevent condensation.
In a further aspect of the invention, the V-type internal combustion engine is characterized in that the air compressor is provided, in an exposed manner, on a portion of the engine corresponding to a front portion with respect to a travel direction of a vehicle when the V-type internal combustion engine is mounted on the vehicle.
Accordingly, if the V-type internal combustion engine is mounted on a motorcycle, and the motorcycle travels, the air compressor is exposed to the wind caused by vehicle travel and thus cooled, so that the air compression efficiency of the air compressor can be increased.
According to the present invention, since the V-type internal combustion engine is configured such that part of the compressed-air supply channels extending from the air compressor to the charge injectors are provided in the form of the shared channel in the crankcase portion, it is possible to easily assemble the V-type internal combustion engine having the compressed-air supply channels. This is accomplished by attaching the cylinder blocks to the crankcase. In addition, the shared channel is made in the form of an internal passages formed within the crankcase, so that it is possible to warm the compressed-air supply channels, and it is thus possible prevent condensation.
In addition, according to the present invention, the compressed-air supply channels extend from the shared channel, provided in the crankcase portion, to the respective charge injectors. Since the compressed-air supply channels are branched to the respective cylinders, and the branched, compressed-air supply channels are provided along side walls of the respective cylinder blocks on the sides thereof facing each other, the lengths of the compressed-air supply channels reaching the respective charge injectors can be made even. In addition, even if the V-type internal combustion engine is mounted on the motorcycle, and the motorcycle travels, it is possible to prevent the compressed-air supply channels in the cylinder block portions from being exposed to the wind caused by vehicle travel and thus cooled. In addition, it is thus possible to prevent condensation. Moreover, since the compressed-air supply channels are made in the form of internal passages formed in the cylinder blocks, it is possible to warm the compressed-air supply channels, and it is thus possible to prevent condensation.
In addition, according to the present invention, since the air compressor is provided in an exposed manner, on a portion of the engine which corresponds to a front portion with respect to the travel direction of a vehicle, it is possible to expose the air compressor to the wind caused by vehicle travel whereby the air compressor is cooled, so that the air compression efficiency of the air compressor is increased.
Modes for carrying out the present invention are explained below by reference to an embodiment of the present invention shown in the attached drawings. The above-mentioned object, other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent form the detailed description of the embodiment of the invention presented below in conjunction with the attached drawings.
A selected illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be described in some detail, with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that only structures considered necessary for clarifying the present invention are described herein. Other conventional structures, and those of ancillary and auxiliary components of the system, are assumed to be known and understood by those skilled in the art. Concrete description will be given of a V-type internal combustion engine 1 according to the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, with the use of an example in which the V-type internal combustion engine is mounted on a motorcycle M (
The motorcycle M, on which the V-type internal combustion engine 1 of this example is mounted, is illustrated in
A fuel tank 7, which is attached to the body frame, is provided between the front fork 2 and a seat 6. The V-type internal combustion engine 1, which is supported by a hanger 8 of the body frame, is provided under the fuel tank 7. A radiator 9 is provided on the hanger 8, and this radiator is filled with liquid coolant for cooling the V-type internal combustion engine 1.
The V-type internal combustion engine 1 has a structure in which a plurality of cylinders (two cylinders 10a, 10b in this example), spaced apart from each other in a V-shape, are provided on a crankcase 11. A front cylinder 10a is located on the front side of the engine 1, and is inclined toward the front. A rear cylinder 10b is located on the rear side of the engine 1, and is inclined toward the rear. Exhaust pipes 12a, 12b extend rearward from the front and rear cylinders 10a, 10b, respectively.
An intake feed pipe 13 connected to the cylinders 10a, 10b is disposed in the V-shaped space between the two cylinders, also referred to herein as the V bank space, which exists between the cylinders 10a and 10b of the V-type internal combustion engine 1. A control valve 14 of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system is also disposed in the V-shaped space, for recirculating exhaust gas into combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine 1 in order to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust gas.
It should be noted that the exhaust gas is introduced to the EGR control valve 14 from the exhaust pipe 12b of the rear cylinder 10b through an exhaust-gas introducing pipe 15. In addition, it should be noted that by controlling the opening and closing of the control valve 14 via a solenoid in a well-known manner, the exhaust gas introduced from the exhaust-gas introducing pipe 15 is supplied to intake ports of both of the cylinders 10a, 10b, and is recirculated into the combustion chambers thereof.
An air compressor 18 is provided, in an exposed manner, on the engine in front of the front cylinder 10a. The air compressor 18 is located on the front side of the engine 1. The air compressor 18 is driven by the V-type internal combustion engine 1. The air compressor 18 supplies compressed air to charge injectors 30 (see
Specifically, the air compressor 18 takes in and compresses air which has been passed through an air filter (not shown), and supplies the compressed air to the charge injectors 30 through a supply channel, to be described later. The charge injectors 30 mix a proper, controlled amount of fuel with the compressed air, and directly inject the mixture into the combustion chambers at timed intervals.
Since the air compressor 18 is disposed in front of the cylinder 10a, which in turn is located on the front side of the engine as shown in this example, the air compressor 18 is cooled by the wind caused by vehicle travel. If air is compressed by an air compressor that has been heated to a high temperature, the air within the compressor is also heated, and it therefore becomes harder to compress the heated air, and difficult to obtain high compression efficiency. In comparison, the cooled air compressor 18 of the present invention makes it possible to obtain high compression efficiency.
With regard to the V-type internal combustion engine 1, it is often the case that the V-shaped space created between the front and rear cylinders 10a, 10b is used as a place for installing accessories. Since the air compressor 18 is disposed in front of the front cylinder 10a as described above, it becomes possible to realize a more compact V-type internal combustion engine in which the V-shaped space is narrowed.
In
In the cylinders 10a, 10b, the combustion chambers 23a, 23b are formed by providing cylinder heads 22a, 22b on the upper ends of cylinder blocks 21a, 21b which freely slidably house pistons 20a, 20b. The pistons 20a, 20b are connected, via connecting rods 28a, 28b, to a crankshaft which is housed in the crankcase 11. At least one intake port 24a (24b) and at least one exhaust port 25a (25b) are opened to each combustion chamber 23a (23b). The intake ports 24a, 24b and the exhaust ports 25a, 25b are opened and closed by intake valves 26a, 26b and exhaust valves 27a, 27b which are freely slidably provided in the cylinder heads 22a, 22b.
The intake valves 26a, 26b and the exhaust valves 27a, 27b perform opening and closing operations at predetermined intake and exhaust timings when cam mechanisms 29a, 29b provided to the cylinder heads 22a, 22b are driven due to the operation of the V-type internal combustion engine 1 in a well-known manner. The intake and exhaust valves thus allow air to be introduced into the combustion chambers 23a, 23b from the intake runner pipes 13 connected to the intake ports 24a, 24b, and allow exhaust gas to be discharged from the combustion chambers 23a, 23b into the exhaust pipes 12a, 12b connected to the exhaust ports 25a, 25b.
Exhaust gas is introduced from the exhaust pipe 12b into the EGR control valve 14 of the exhaust gas recirculation system through the exhaust-gas introducing pipe 15. By controlling the opening and closing of a valve element 14a of the control valve 14, the exhaust gas introduced from the exhaust-gas introducing pipe 15 is directed into a valve chamber 14b, and is introduced into a branching chamber 16b through a communicating pipe 16a. The branching chamber 16b is provided with a pair of one-way valves (for example, reed valves) 16c for preventing backflow to the branching chamber 16b. Supply pipes 17 are connected to the branching chamber 16b with the respective reed valves interposed therebetween. The other ends of the exhaust-gas supply pipes 17 communicate with the intake pipes 13 at points near the intake ports 24a, 24b. The exhaust gas supplied from the supply pipes 17 is introduced from the intake ports 24a, 24b into the combustion chambers 23a, 23b.
In
By controlling the opening and closing of the control valve 14 in accordance with the combustion timing of the internal combustion engine, a proper amount of exhaust gas, introduced from the exhaust pipe 12b into the branching chamber 16b, is prevented from flowing backward by the reed valves 16c, and is recirculated from the exhaust-gas supply pipes 17 into the combustion chambers 23a, 23b through the intake ports 24a, 24b.
With regard to the exhaust-gas recirculation system with which the exhaust gas is recirculated into the combustion chambers and recombusted, it is preferable that the temperature of the recirculated exhaust gas be high. Since the exhaust pipe 12b is located in a rearward position with respect to the travel direction of the vehicle where the exhaust gas is less cooled by the wind caused by vehicle travel of the motorcycle, and since the exhaust gas to be recirculated is introduced from the exhaust pipe 12b, it is possible to minimize cooling of the exhaust gas, and thereby increase the effect of reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx).
As shown in
The cylinder blocks 21a, 21b are provided on the crankcase 11 with the cylinders spaced apart from each other in a V-shape. In the crankcase 11, a shared compressed-air supply channel 32 is formed in the form of an internal conduit. One end of the shared compressed-air supply channel 32 communicates with the air compressor 18. The other end of the shared channel 32 is opened to a base end portion of the V-shaped space created between the cylinder heads 22a, 22b.
Compressed-air supply channels 33 are respectively formed in the cylinder blocks 21a, 21b in the form of internal conduits. Lower ends of the compressed-air supply channels 33 communicate with the shared channel 32 in an airtight manner by the attachment of the cylinder blocks 21a, 21b to the crankcase 11. For example, the shared channel 32 is formed at the time of casting the crankcase 11, and the compressed-air supply channels 33 are formed at the time of casting the respective cylinder blocks 21a, 21b.
The compressed-air supply channel 33 branches into two channels at a neighborhood 33a of a portion where the cylinder blocks 21a, 21b meet. The branched compressed-air supply channels 33 extend to the cylinder heads along the side walls of the cylinder blocks 21a, 21b. In particular, the branched compressed-air supply channels 33 are formed within the sides of the opposed cylinder blocks which face each other. In other words, the branched compressed-air supply channels 33 are formed in the cylinder block side walls on the side thereof adjacent the V-shaped space. In order to provide a clear drawing, in
Accordingly, since the compressed-air supply channels 33 are provided in a portion of the internal combustion engine adjacent the V-shaped space, where the heat of combustion of the engine tends to remain and where the influence of cooling by the wind caused by vehicle travel is minimal, it is possible to substantially prevent condensation within the compressed-air supply channels 33 during engine operation, where such condensation might otherwise be caused due to cooling of the compressed air.
As a result of making the compressed-air supply channel in the form of the single shared channel 32 in the crankcase portion, it is made possible to easily machine the crankcase 11. In addition, since compressed air is supplied from the shared channel 32 to the charge injectors 30 through the two compressed-air supply channels 33 which have substantially the same structure, the lengths of the compressed-air supply channels extending from the air compressor 18 to the charge injectors 30 of the cylinders are equalized, so that excellent injection operation of the mixture is enabled.
The upper ends of the compressed-air supply channels 33 open in the surfaces where the cylinder blocks are joined to the cylinder heads. The compressed-air supply channels 34 are provided in the form of internal conduits within the respective cylinder heads 22a, 22b. By attaching the cylinder heads 22a, 22b to the respective cylinder blocks 21a, 21b, the upper ends of the compressed-air supply channels 33 are joined to the compressed-air supply channels 34 formed in the respective cylinder heads 22a, 22b, so as to communicate with each other in an airtight manner.
In
The cylinder head portions of the V-type internal combustion engine 1 are shown in a cross-sectional top plan view in
Each of the compressed-air supply channels 34, communicating with the compressed-air supply channels 33 in the cylinder blocks 21a, 21b, is branched into two channels. One channel is allowed to communicate with an air pressure regulator 38 provided in the cylinder head portion, and the other channel is allowed to communicate with a compressed air chamber of the charge injector 30. That is, the air pressure of the compressed air introduced into the compressed-air supply channels 34 is regulated by the air pressure regulator 38 to a predetermined air pressure, and the pressure-regulated compressed air is supplied to the compressed air chambers of the charge injectors 30.
A throttle valve 39 is provided for regulating the air-intake through the intake feed pipe 13.
A system for supplying compressed air and fuel to the charge injectors 30 is illustrated in
The charge injector 30 includes a mixture valve 30a, the lower end of which faces the combustion chamber 23a (23b). The charge injector 30 also includes a fuel valve 30b coaxially provided above the mixture valve 30a. The charge injector 30 directly injects the fuel-air mixture, which is made by mixing fuel into compressed air, into the combustion chamber 23a (23b) by controlling and operating the mixture valve 30a and the fuel valve 30b via a solenoid (not shown), according to a predetermined timing schedule.
The air taken in through the air filter 40 provided to the motorcycle is compressed by the air compressor 18, and the compressed air is supplied, through the compressed-air supply channel (the shared channel 32, and the supply channels 33, 34), to the compressed air chamber 30c of the mixture valve 30a. The compressed air is introduced into the air pressure regulator 38 through the branched channel of the supply channel 34 to release excess pressure, so that the pressure-regulated compressed air is supplied to the compressed air chamber 30c.
There is a phenomenon in which, when the high pressure air compressed by the air compressor 18 is cooled, the moisture contained in the compressed air precipitates out of the air and condenses to form dew. However, since the compressed-air supply channel 32, 33, 34 is formed in the crankcase 11, the cylinder blocks 21a, 21b, and the cylinder heads 22a, 22b, where the combustion operation of the internal combustion engine produces a heating effect during engine operation, and is formed in a place where the influence of cooling by the wind caused by vehicle travel is small, the formation of condensation in the supply channels extending from the air compressor 18 to the charge injectors 30 is substantially prevented, so that the compressed air can be smoothly supplied to the charge injectors 30.
Meanwhile, a fuel pump 42 is provided to the motorcycle that takes in fuel from the fuel tank 7 through a fuel filter 41. The fuel pumped by the fuel pump 42 is supplied to a fuel chamber 30d formed by the fuel valve 30b. A portion of the fuel channel is split from the channel reaching the fuel injection valve 30, whereby the fuel is introduced to a fuel pressure regulator 44 to return excess fuel to the fuel tank 7. The pressure of the fuel is regulated so that the fuel pressure is higher than the air pressure in the compressed air chamber 30c, and so that the pressure difference therebetween is kept constant. In this way, the pressure-regulated fuel is supplied to the fuel chamber 30d.
Once the solenoid is energized, and the fuel valve 30b is thus opened while the compressed air is supplied to the compressed air chamber 30c, and the fuel is supplied to the fuel chamber 30d in the above described way, the fuel measured via the fuel chamber 30d is injected into the compressed air chamber 30c, so that the fuel and the compressed air are mixed.
Subsequently, once the solenoid is energized, and the mixture valve 30a is thus opened, the fuel-air mixture in the compressed air chamber 30c is injected into the combustion chambers 23a, 23b because of the pressure thereof. Once the mixture is in the combustion chambers 23a, 23b, it is ignited by the spark plug 36, and burns.
While a working example of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the working example described above, but various design alterations may be carried out without departing from the present invention as set forth in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-096966 | Mar 2005 | JP | national |
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-301113 | Oct 2004 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060219228 A1 | Oct 2006 | US |
