Applicants claim priority of Japanese Application No. 2005-013570, filed Jan. 21, 2005.
The present invention relates to a throttle valve arrangement for a carburetor and more particularly to a remote and local dual actuating throttle valve arrangement.
In a conventional carburetor, a mixing passage through a body of the carburetor mixes and flows a controlled mixture of fuel-and-air into a combustion engine. For controlling the speed of the engine, a rotating throttle valve of a rotary or butterfly type intersects the mixing passage to restrict the volume of fuel-and-air flow to the engine.
A rotary throttle valve is generally a cylinder that seats rotatably and is movable axially, within a cylindrical cavity that intersects the mixing passage. The rotary throttle valve has a through-bore that adjustably aligns with the mixing passage to control flow. A needle of the cylinder projects downward into the through-bore and axially movably into an opposing fuel feed tube of the body to adjustably obstruct an orifice in a wall of the tube that flows liquid fuel into the through-bore. As the rotary throttle valve rotates toward an open position, the through-bore aligns to the mixing passage to increase flow, and simultaneously, the cylinder lifts axially to partially retract the needle from the tube exposing more of the orifice to the through-bore and thus increasing fuel flow.
The butterfly-type throttle valve is generally a pivoting plate disposed in and conforming to the contour of the mixing passage. Like the rotary throttle valve, the butterfly throttle valve controls the amount of fuel-and-air mixture flowing to the engine. Unlike the rotary throttle valve, the butterfly valve does not directly control the amount of liquid fuel entering the air stream.
Both the rotary and butterfly throttle valves, however, have a rotating shaft that projects out of the carburetor body. For some engine applications a lever is attached to this shaft and connected to a Bowden wire or other linkage for a user to remotely rotate the throttle valve. For other applications a lever or knob attached to this shaft is manually grasped and rotated to locally actuate the throttle valve. For instance, a leaf blower utilizing a small two stroke engine may only require local actuation of a throttle valve, and a lawn mower application may require remote actuation.
The cost of manufacturing a wide array of differing parts dependent upon whether an otherwise identical carburetor is remotely or locally actuated and the cost of two subsequent carburetor assembly lines is expensive and time consuming. Yet further, in some applications, it would be advantageous to have the ability to both remotely and locally actuate a carburetor throttle valve that positively and reliably sets the pre-specified engine speeds.
A throttle valve actuation assembly for a combustion engine carburetor is readily adapted for optional assembly as a remote control throttle actuator or a local control throttle actuator, or for combined assembly and operator optional use as both a remote and local control throttle actuator. The carburetor has a throttle valve having a shaft journaled to a body for movement about a rotation axis between idle and wide open positions. A slave lever connects rigidly to a distal end of the shaft projecting outward from the body. A connection spaced radially outward from the rotation axis connects the slave lever to a radially projecting swivel member of a local, manually operated, throttle valve actuator. The swivel member rotates about the axis, is spaced axially outward from the end of the shaft and is journaled to a bracket fixed to the body. Preferably, the connection has a hole in the slave lever. If the remote throttle control actuator is used with or without use of the local actuator, a Bowden wire engages to a slotted pin projecting axially outward from the slave lever at the hole. If the local throttle control actuator is used, either the pin mates to a cylindrical void carried by the swivel member, or a peg projecting outward from the swivel member and toward the body is inserted into the hole forming the connection.
Preferably, a circumferential positioning interface is carried between the swivel member and the stationary bracket. A detent follower of the circumferential positioning interface is orientated axially adjacent to the stationary bracket and attaches to the swivel member for unitary rotation. When the local throttle valve actuator is operated, the user positively places the throttle valve in pre-established positions via the circumferential positioning interface without concern for the throttle valve wandering due to engine vibration or unintentional bumping of the local throttle valve actuator.
Objects, features, and advantages of this invention include a versatile carburetor capable of being easily and inexpensively interchangeable between a remote and locally actuated throttle valve applications, a base carburetor design requiring fewer parts to meet varying engine applications, a throttle valve that reliably stays in a desired set position without intentional user intervention, and the ability to assemble varying carburetors on the same assembly line with less likelihood of assembly error. Moreover, the throttle valve arrangement is simple in design, robust, allows for easy calibration of rotary-type throttle valves, is durable, rugged and in service has a long and useful life.
These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:
The throttle valve 23 has a generally cylindrical throttle 30 (see
During assembly, the rotary throttle 30 preferably is inserted into the cylindrical cavity 32 from above, then a retaining cover 40 is secured and sealed to the body over the cavity 32. The rotary throttle 30 moves vertically to control the amount of liquid fuel entering the throttling bore 38 and the fuel-and-air mixing passage 34 from a side orifice 42 of a fuel feed tube 44. The feed tube 44 is located concentrically to the axis 36 and projects upward from a fuel supply and metering system 46 of the carburetor 20. A downward projecting needle 48 of the rotary throttle valve 23 is attached to the rotary throttle 30 and moves vertically within the fuel feed tube 44 to adjustably obstruct the orifice 42 and thus adjust fuel flow. At wide open throttle position 26, the distal end of the needle 48 typically is located above the orifice 42 and generally does not obstruct fuel flow into the throttling bore 38. At the closed position 24, preferably the needle 48 is fully inserted into the feed tube 44 and obstructs all, or nearly all, fuel flow through the orifice 42, thus preferably acting as an engine shut down feature for at least small engine applications. For other engine applications at the idle position 24 the needle 48 greatly reduces the fuel flow rate to that needed for proper idling of the operating engine.
A cam relationship 50 between a substantially annular bottom face of the rotary throttle 30 and a substantially annular bottom of the cylindrical cavity 32 causes the rotary throttle 30 and needle 48 to move vertically when it rotates about the axis 36. The annular bottom forms a cam follower carried by the body 33 and the annular bottom face of the rotary throttle 30 is a cam surface. Since the rotary throttle 30 moves axially, the axial length of the cylindrical cavity 32 is generally greater than the axial length of the rotary throttle 30. Preferably, when the rotary throttle valve 23 is in the closed position 24, the rotary throttle 30 is vertically furthest away from the cover 40, and conversely, when in the wide open throttle position 26 it is closest to the cover. Preferably, a coiled spring 52 disposed substantially concentrically to the axis 36 is compressed between the cover 40 and the rotary throttle 30 in the cylindrical cavity 32. The spring force yieldably biases the rotary throttle 30 and needle 48 toward the cavity bottom and may cause rotation toward the closed position 24.
A shaft 54 of the rotary throttle valve 23 projects concentrically axially upward from the rotary throttle 30 and through the body cover 40 to a distal end 56. A slave lever 58 projects radially outward from the distal end 56 to engage a cam 60 of a starter device 62 having a cylindrical body 61 with a rotational centerline 64 oriented substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 36 of the throttle valve 23. A support bracket 66 of the cover 40 projects substantially unitarily upward to rotatably carry the body 61 of the starter device 62. A coiled return spring 68 rotatably yieldably urges the body 61 and cam 60 to an initial inoperative position. The cam 60 underlies an engagement claw 70 bent from a substantially planar portion 72 of the slave lever 58 so that the claw 70 is engaged and moved by the cam body 61 of the starter 62 as the cam body 61 rotates about the centerline 64 away from its initial position.
The engagement claw 70 and cam 60 are axially (with respect to axis 36) or vertically separated from each other so that they will not engage each other by the rotational movement of the slave lever 58 during normal use. However, when the slave lever 58 is at the fully closed position 24, and by rotating the starter body 61 through a certain angle, the cam 60 lifts the slave lever 58 by a prescribed axial distance via the engagement claw 70. When the starter body 61 is rotated all the way to a prescribed limit determined by a stopper (not shown), the slave lever 58, that is in the lifted state, is turned in the valve opening direction by a prescribed rotational amount or degree. Thereby, the amount of fuel supply and the amount of valve opening area are both increased to provide the proper ratio and quantity of fuel-and-air mixture for cold starting an engine.
In addition to the rotary throttle valve 23, the slave lever 58, and the starter device 62, the throttle valve arrangement 22 preferably has a local throttle valve actuator 74. Like the throttle valve 23 and the slave lever 58, the throttle valve actuator 74 generally operates by rotation about the rotation axis 36 of the throttle valve 23. Unlike the rotary throttle valve 23 and the slave lever 58, the local throttle valve actuator 74 does not move axially with respect to the body 33 and cover 40 of the carburetor 20.
The local throttle valve actuator 74 has a bracket 76 secured preferably to the body cover 40 by two threaded fasteners 78 generally at opposite legs 80 of the bracket 76. A bridging segment 82 of the bracket 76 extends between the legs 80 and spans over the distal end 56 of the shaft 54 and the slave lever 58. The legs 80 are sufficiently spaced apart from one-another so as not to obstruct free rotational movement of the slave lever 58. Journaled to the bridging segment 82 and extending rotatably through a hole 84 in the bridging segment 82 is a swivel member 86 having a radially projecting lower end 88 located below the bridging segment 82 and an opposite radially projecting upper end 90 projecting axially above the bridging segment 82. A coupling 92, connects the lower end 88 of the swivel member 86 to the planar portion 72 of the slave lever 58 and preferably accommodates axial movement of the slave lever 58.
As best illustrated in
Preferably, the swivel member 86 has a tube or hollow cylinder 98 that has the lower and upper ends 88, 90 and substantially midway is journaled for rotation to the bridging segment 82. The cylinder 98 carries an axially extending access bore 99 for insertion of a tool (not shown) to threadably adjust the needle 48 with respect to the orifice 42. The cylinder 98 is preferably metallic for strength. Preferably, press fitted on the upper end 90 of the hollow cylinder 98 is a radially projecting handle 100 for manual rotation of the throttle valve 23 which is preferably made of injection molded plastic. For receipt of the needle adjustment tool, the handle 100 has a bore 101 communicating co-axially with the access bore 99.
Engaged to and projecting radially outward from the lower end 88 of the cylinder 98 is a bent leg 102 that has the peg 96. Ideally, the lower end 88 has a diameter slightly greater than the upper end 90 and thus has an upward facing annular shoulder 104 (as best shown in
As best illustrated in
In applications not necessarily requiring the local throttle valve actuator 74′, the pin 112 also has a diametrically extending slot 120 for receipt of a distal end 122 of a Bowden wire 124 for remote actuation and having an enlarged head 126 as typically known in the art. Preferably, the pin 112 is snap locked rotatably in the hole 94 so that when the Bowden wire 124 is pulled and the throttle valve 23 rotates in the open direction against the biasing force of the coiled compression spring 52, the pin 112 will also rotate slightly in the hole 94 to prevent kinking or binding of the cable 124, thus the coupling 92′ accommodates both rotational and axial motion. Preferably, the depth of the slot 120 is greater than the axial movement of the throttle valve 23 allowing for connecting of both the local throttle valve actuator 74′ and the Bowden wire 124 for remote actuation.
As best illustrated in
When, for instance, an engine of a leaf blower is operating at maximum power, the ball bearing 138 of the circumferential positioning interface 127 of the local throttle valve actuator 74 projects in-part into the third recess 132. Regardless of the biasing force of the compression spring 52, vibrational forces of the running engine or other extenuating forces, the throttle valve 23 will remain in the wide open position 26 until the operator manually applies a greater force to the handle 100 that causes the follower or spring plate 128 to rotate and resiliently flex outward or upward causing disengagement of the ball 138 from the third recess 132. Continued rotation of the handle 100 causes the ball 138 to slide across the follower 128 of the interface 127 until the next recess 134 is encountered positively placing the throttle valve 23 into the adjacent or intermediate pre-specified position. When the ball 138 is placed in the first recess 136 designating the closed position 24 of the throttle valve 23, the engine will reliably shut-down without concern that the throttle valve would be slightly open unintentionally, which would prevent or pro-long engine shut-down.
Although the detent follower 128 is illustrated having recesses 130 that communicate generally through the follower 128, other detent followers can be applied to the local throttle valve actuator that would provide the desired positive placement of the throttle valve in pre-specified positions. One such detent follower is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,496 that is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Another detent follower is illustrated in
While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presently preferred embodiments, many others are possible. It is not intended herein to mention all the possible equivalent forms, modifications or ramifications of the invention. It is understood that terms used herein are merely descriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-013570 | Jan 2005 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060162694 A1 | Jul 2006 | US |