Multi-cylinder engine and motorcycle

Abstract

The multi-cylinder engine comprises an air filter and an air bypass system, the air bypass system comprises a control valve, the control valve is provided with a plurality of air passing channels, and the number of the air passing channels is the same as that of air cylinders of the multi-cylinder engine. The multiple air passing channels can be controlled to be opened and closed at the same time and used for conveying air of the air filter to all engine air inlet channels of the multi-cylinder engine. The control valve is integrated on the air filter; according to the invention, the cylinders do not influence each other during idling operation, so that the phenomena of gas snatching and fire catching in the prior art and the situation of unstable idling and even jittering caused by large air inflow of individual cylinders are eliminated, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the engine in the idling state and finally ensuring the low-speed riding stability of the motorcycle; hC discharged at idle speed meets the requirement; due to the fact that the control valve is integrated on the air filter, the idling air bypass system is more compact in structure, the air inlet distance is greatly shortened, and absolute independence of air inlet of all cylinders in the idling state is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a motorcycle engine and a motorcycle, and more particularly to a multi-cylinder engine and a motorcycle. Background Technology

[0002] The function of the idle bypass air passage is to provide the necessary amount of air for the engine to idle, ensuring that the engine can maintain stable idle speed even when the throttle is closed.

[0003] The opening and closing of the idle bypass air passage is controlled by a control valve. For single-cylinder engines, this creates a near-proportional airflow control, maintaining stable idle speed. For multi-cylinder engines (two or more cylinders), existing technology also uses a single control valve. Structurally, the control valve has multiple outlets connected to the intake manifold of the multi-cylinder engine (located after the throttle valve), while it has only one intake port connected to the air filter. The valve body's cavity connects to or closes the multiple outlets.

[0004] In this structure, air enters the control valve body through an intake port, and the total airflow is controlled by the opening degree. Air then enters each cylinder's independent intake manifold from multiple outlets within the same chamber, reaching the corresponding cylinder for combustion. However, due to the different intake times of each cylinder, idling air from the later-intake engine's intake manifold can be drawn into the earlier-intake cylinders. When the later-intake cylinders begin to receive air, there may be insufficient air in the manifold, a condition known as "air grabbing." The degree of air grabbing varies with intake temperature and manifold pressure fluctuations. Severe air grabbing can lead to misfires in certain cycles of the later cylinders, resulting in unburned or incomplete combustion. Combustion analysis equipment can clearly detect combustion pressure (BMEP) below 1 or even below 0. Excessive misfire frequency leads to unstable idle speed, significant idle fluctuations, noticeable shaking at low speeds with light throttle, affecting low-speed riding stability, and excessively high HC emissions at idle.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing idle intake system of multi-cylinder engines to effectively avoid air competition caused by different intake times of individual cylinders, further avoid misfire in the later intake cylinders and the high idle speed of the earlier intake cylinders, and ensure stable operation of the engine at idle. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a multi-cylinder engine and motorcycle that can effectively avoid the phenomenon of air snatching caused by different intake times of each independent cylinder, further avoid misfire in the rear intake cylinder, and avoid the phenomenon of high idle speed in the front intake cylinder, thus ensuring stable operation of the engine at idle speed.

[0007] The multi-cylinder engine of the present invention includes an air filter and an air bypass system. The air bypass system includes a control valve, which has a plurality of air passages equal to the number of cylinders in the multi-cylinder engine. The plurality of air passages can be controlled to open and close simultaneously to deliver air from the air filter to each intake port of the multi-cylinder engine. The control valve is a valve that can open the air passages, generally an electronically controlled valve, which will not be described in detail here. The use of independent air passages can effectively avoid the phenomenon of air grabbing caused by the different intake times of each independent cylinder, further avoid misfire in the later intake cylinder, and avoid the phenomenon of high idle speed in the earlier intake cylinder, thus ensuring stable operation of the engine at idle speed.

[0008] Furthermore, the control valve is integrated into the air filter. It can be integrated into the air filter through detachable installation, or the valve body of the control valve can be directly formed into the housing of the air filter, forming a compact bypass system structure. This can shorten the intake distance of the control valve and extend the distance between the control valve and the engine intake passage, reducing intake resistance. At the same time, there is no need to design a separate installation position for the control valve, simplifying the system layout and eliminating vibration and noise sources.

[0009] Furthermore, the air bypass system also includes:

[0010] Several valve body intake passages, located within the control valve body and numbering the same as the cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine, are used to introduce air from the air filter into corresponding air passages. There are several ways to integrate the control valve into the air filter. One method is to place the valve body inside the air filter (where the filtered air is located), thus eliminating the need for existing intake pipes and simplifying the overall structure. The aim is to introduce air into the corresponding air passages, forming targeted, independent channels. Of course, the air inlets of different valve body intake passages should be kept as far apart as possible to avoid intake interference. Alternatively, the control valve body can be integrated into the (detachable or integrally formed) air filter. Corresponding flow channels are opened on the air filter housing. After the valve body is integrated into the housing, the valve body intake passages on the valve body connect to the flow channels on the housing. The flow channels on the housing have air inlets, and the air inlets of different flow channels should be kept as far apart as possible to prevent intake interference. Further details are omitted here.

[0011] Several post-valve flow channels, the same number as the number of cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine, are connected one-to-one with several air passages, introducing air into each intake manifold of the multi-cylinder engine. Similarly, the purpose of setting several post-valve flow channels is to selectively guide the air from the corresponding air passages to the corresponding engine intake manifolds, thereby forming a complete and independent idle intake manifold. The post-valve flow channels can be formed by pipelines or by being installed on corresponding components (such as throttle valves), which will not be elaborated here.

[0012] In this invention, the idle air intake process from the air filter to each cylinder adopts an independent idle air bypass, so that each cylinder does not affect the others when idling. This eliminates the air grabbing and misfire phenomena in the prior art, as well as the unstable idling or even shaking of individual cylinders due to large intake volume. This ensures the stable operation of the engine at idle and ultimately guarantees the smooth riding of the motorcycle at low speeds, while the HC emissions at idle meet the requirements.

[0013] Furthermore, the control valve includes a power source, a valve core, and a valve body. The valve core is located within the valve body, and several air passages are formed by the valve core and the valve body. The power source is used to drive the valve core to change its orientation relative to the valve body, thereby completing the simultaneous opening and closing of several air passages. The power source is generally electrically controlled, including electromagnetic drive or motor drive, and has a high degree of automation. Multiple valve cores can be set in one valve body or implemented through one valve core. The purpose is to form independent air passages within the control valve to achieve completely independent air intake for each cylinder in the idling state.

[0014] The power source is fixed to the housing of the air filter and the valve body is located inside the air filter. The power source (motor) is detachably fixed to the housing of the air filter and located on the outside. The valve body extends into the air filter through the housing of the air filter. The air intake passage of the valve body is completely opened in the valve body and thus located inside the air filter. The filtered air in the air filter is introduced into the corresponding air passage and sent to the corresponding cylinder.

[0015] Furthermore, the control valve includes a power source, a valve core, and a valve body. The valve core is located within the valve body, and several air passages are formed by the valve core and the valve body. The power source is used to drive the valve core to change its orientation relative to the valve body, thereby completing the simultaneous opening and closing of several air passages. The power source is generally electrically controlled, including electromagnetic drive or motor drive, and has a high degree of automation. Multiple valve cores can be set in one valve body or implemented through one valve core. The purpose is to form independent air passages within the control valve to achieve completely independent air intake for each cylinder in the idling state.

[0016] The valve body is integrated into the outer shell of the air filter. It can be a detachable fixed integrated structure or a one-piece molded structure with the valve core and power source installed later; it has better integration and overall integrity.

[0017] Furthermore, the valve core is a cylindrical valve core, which can be driven to reciprocate axially along the valve body, thereby simultaneously opening and closing several air passages. The opening and closing of the air passages is achieved through reciprocating motion, featuring a simple structure and convenient operation. Of course, a guide hole should be formed within the valve body to facilitate the reciprocating motion of the valve core. This guide hole provides lateral constraint to the valve core, and the guide hole wall forms a relatively tight fit with the outer surface of the valve core, achieving a seal without affecting the reciprocating motion. The air passages can pass through the valve core laterally, or the valve core can open and close the air passages using its ends through reciprocating motion; details will not be elaborated here. The fit between the cylindrical valve core and the valve body is a prior art structure, requiring a relative seal and a degree of freedom for actuation; further details will not be elaborated here.

[0018] Furthermore, the valve body is provided with several valve body air outlets for connecting to the downstream flow channel; the outer circular surface of the columnar valve core is provided with several annular grooves; when the columnar valve core is driven to move axially back and forth, one valve body air inlet, one valve body air outlet, and one annular groove are axially aligned, forming one air passage, or the axial positions are offset, and the air passage is closed; in use, the columnar valve core is driven to move back and forth, and when one annular groove is aligned with the corresponding valve body air inlet and valve body air outlet, an open air passage is formed. Of course, at this time, the other annular grooves are aligned with the corresponding valve body air inlet and valve body air outlet, forming other open air passages; during the reciprocating motion of the columnar valve core, the area of ​​the annular groove aligned with the corresponding valve body air inlet and valve body air outlet can be changed, thereby adjusting the intake volume to adjust the idle speed, until it is closed, which will not be elaborated here.

[0019] Furthermore, there is one columnar valve core, and the annular grooves are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the valve core, and the number of them is the same as the number of air passages; this can be understood as a series structure, which is simple to manufacture, occupies a small lateral area, and has good drive synchronization.

[0020] Alternatively, the number of columnar valve cores can be arranged in parallel, and the total number of annular grooves on the columnar valve cores is the same as the number of air passages; this can be understood as a parallel valve core structure. Depending on the number of cylinders, the number of annular grooves on each columnar valve core can be the same or different. The air passages can be opened and closed by driving reciprocating motion, which will not be elaborated here. This structure can reduce the problem of excessive length caused by using a single columnar valve core.

[0021] Furthermore, the power source is an electromagnetic drive mechanism or a linear motor installed on the valve body; the control method of electromagnetic drive is similar to that of a relay, which generally has two stop points, namely the opening stop point and the closing stop point, which is not conducive to forming linear adjustment; the drive structure of the linear motor can form linear adjustment from closing to opening and in the reverse direction, which is the preferred structure of the present invention.

[0022] The present invention also discloses a motorcycle equipped with the multi-cylinder engine.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The multi-cylinder engine and motorcycle of this invention employ independent idle air bypasses from the air filter to each cylinder during idle air intake. This ensures that each cylinder does not affect the others during idle operation, eliminating the problems of air grabbing and misfires present in existing technologies, as well as the instability or even vibration of individual cylinders due to excessive intake volume. This guarantees stable engine operation at idle and ultimately ensures smooth low-speed riding of the motorcycle, with HC emissions meeting requirements. Furthermore, the integrated control valve into the air filter makes the idle air bypass system more compact, significantly shortening the intake distance and ensuring absolute independence of intake for each cylinder during idle. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air bypass system of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure along direction A;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control valve structure;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a series valve core.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a parallel valve core structure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown: The multi-cylinder engine in this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment uses a two-cylinder engine as an example for explanation, including an air filter 1 and an air bypass system 6. The air bypass system 6 includes a control valve, which has several air passages with the same number of cylinders as the multi-cylinder engine. These air passages can be controlled to open and close simultaneously to deliver air from the air filter to each intake manifold of the multi-cylinder engine. The control valve is a valve that can open the air passages, generally an electronically controlled valve, which will not be described in detail here. Using independent air passages can effectively avoid the phenomenon of air grabbing caused by the different intake times of each independent cylinder, further avoid misfires in the later intake cylinders, and avoid the phenomenon of high idle speed in the earlier intake cylinders, thus ensuring stable operation of the engine at idle speed.

[0031] The control valve is integrated into the air filter. It can be integrated into the air filter through detachable installation, or the valve body of the control valve can be directly formed into the housing of the air filter, forming a compact bypass system structure. This can shorten the intake distance of the control valve and extend the distance between the control valve and the engine intake passage, reducing intake resistance. At the same time, there is no need to design a separate installation position for the control valve, simplifying the system layout and eliminating vibration and noise sources.

[0032] In this embodiment, the air bypass system further includes:

[0033] Several valve body intake passages, located within the control valve body and numbering the same as the cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine, are used to introduce air from the air filter into corresponding air passages. There are several ways to integrate the control valve into the air filter. One method is to place the valve body inside the air filter (where the filtered air is located), thus eliminating the need for existing intake pipes and simplifying the overall structure. The aim is to introduce air into the corresponding air passages, forming targeted, independent channels. Of course, the air inlets of different valve body intake passages should be kept as far apart as possible to avoid intake interference. Alternatively, the control valve body can be integrated into the (detachable or integrally formed) air filter. Corresponding flow channels are opened on the air filter housing. After the valve body is integrated into the housing, the valve body intake passages on the valve body connect to the flow channels on the housing. The flow channels on the housing have air inlets, and the air inlets of different flow channels should be kept as far apart as possible to prevent intake interference. Further details are omitted here.

[0034] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this embodiment has two valve body intake passages 603 and 604, corresponding to a two-cylinder engine. The purpose of setting up valve body intake passages 603 and 604 is to introduce air into the corresponding air passage (such as...). Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 (As shown), to form independent channels in a targeted manner;

[0035] Several post-valve flow channels, the same number as the number of cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine, are connected one-to-one with several corresponding air passages, introducing air into each intake manifold of the multi-cylinder engine; for example... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this embodiment has two valve body intake passages 603 and 604; similarly, the purpose of setting the flow passage after the valve is to guide the air from the corresponding air passage to the corresponding engine intake passage in a targeted manner, thereby forming a complete and independent idle intake passage.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the engine intake passage consists of intake passage 4 and intake passage 5. The two pipes forming the post-valve flow passages 607 and 608 are connected to intake passage 4 and intake passage 5 respectively, thus forming a complete and independent idle speed intake passage. Of course, the engine intake passage 4 and intake passage 5 are connected to throttle valve 2 and throttle valve 3 respectively, which are used to introduce the combustion mixture into the engine to form normal operation, which will not be elaborated here.

[0037] In this invention, the idle air intake process from the air filter to each cylinder adopts an independent idle air bypass, so that each cylinder does not affect the others when idling. This eliminates the air grabbing and misfire phenomena in the prior art, as well as the unstable idling or even shaking of individual cylinders due to large intake volume. This ensures the stable operation of the engine at idle and ultimately guarantees the smooth riding of the motorcycle at low speeds, while the HC emissions at idle meet the requirements.

[0038] In this embodiment, the control valve includes a power source 601, a valve core 6022, and a valve body 6021. Structurally, the valve body and the valve core together constitute a valve assembly 602. The valve core 6022 is located inside the valve body 6021, and several air passages are formed by the valve core 6022 and the valve body 6021. The power source 601 is used to drive the valve core to change its orientation relative to the valve body, thereby completing the simultaneous opening and closing of several air passages. The power source is generally electrically controlled, including electromagnetic drive or motor drive, and has a high degree of automation. Multiple valve cores can be set in one valve body or implemented through one valve core. The purpose is to form independent air passages in the control valve to achieve completely independent air intake for each cylinder in the idling state.

[0039] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the power source 601 is fixed to the housing of the air filter 1 and the valve body 6021 is located inside the air filter 1. The power source (motor) is detachably fixed to the housing of the air filter 1 and located on the outside. The valve body 6021 extends into the interior of the air filter 1 through the housing of the air filter. The valve body intake passages 603 and 604 are completely opened in the valve body 6021 and thus located inside the air filter 1, introducing the filtered air in the air filter into the corresponding air passage and sending it to the corresponding cylinder.

[0040] Of course, the control valve can be integrated into the housing of the air filter in different ways. For example, the valve body can be directly integrated into the housing of the air filter, which can be a detachable structure or a one-piece molding, and the valve core and power source can be installed later. This structure has better integration and integrity. In this structure, the air filter housing has corresponding flow channels. After the valve body is integrated into the housing, the valve body air inlet on the valve body is connected to the flow channel on the housing. The flow channel on the housing has an air inlet. The air inlets of different flow channels should be kept as far apart as possible to prevent air intake interference. This will not be elaborated further here.

[0041] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the valve core 6022 is a cylindrical valve core, which can be driven to reciprocate axially along the valve body 6021, thereby simultaneously opening and closing several air passages. The opening and closing of the air passages is achieved through reciprocating motion, featuring a simple structure and convenient operation. Of course, a guide hole should be formed in the valve body to enable the valve core to reciprocate, thereby providing lateral constraint on the valve core. The guide hole wall and the outer surface of the valve core form a relatively tight fit, achieving a seal without affecting the reciprocating motion. The air passages can pass through the valve core laterally, or the valve core can open and close the air passages by using its ends through reciprocating motion; this will not be elaborated further. The fit between the cylindrical valve core and the valve body is a prior art structure, requiring a relative seal and a degree of freedom for actuation; this will not be elaborated further.

[0042] In this embodiment, the valve body 6021 is also provided with several valve body air outlets for connecting to the downstream flow channel; such as Figure 1 , 2As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment is a twin-cylinder engine. The valve body 6021 has two valve body intake passages 603 and 604 and two valve body exhaust passages 605 and 606. The outer surface of the columnar valve core has several annular grooves; in this embodiment, there are two annular grooves 6022a and 6022b. When the columnar valve core is driven to reciprocate axially, one valve body intake passage 603, one valve body exhaust passage 605, and one annular groove 6022a are axially aligned, forming one air passage. Simultaneously, one valve body intake passage 604, one valve body exhaust passage 606, and one annular groove 6022a... The grooves 6022b are axially aligned, forming one air passage; or, if they are axially offset, the air passage is closed. In use, the columnar valve core is driven to reciprocate. When one annular groove is aligned with the corresponding valve body inlet and outlet, an open air passage is formed. Of course, at this time, the other annular grooves are aligned with the corresponding valve body inlet and outlet, forming other open air passages. During the reciprocating motion of the columnar valve core, the area of ​​the annular groove aligned with the corresponding valve body inlet and outlet can be changed, thereby adjusting the intake volume to adjust the idle speed, until it is closed. This will not be elaborated further here.

[0043] In this embodiment, there is one columnar valve core 6022, and the annular grooves are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the valve core, with the same number as the number of air passages; this can be understood as a series valve core structure, which is simple to manufacture, occupies a small lateral area, and has good drive synchronization; Figure 4 As shown, this structure is suitable for a two-cylinder engine, and two annular grooves 6022a and 6022b are provided side by side along the axial direction;

[0044] Alternatively, the number of columnar valve cores 6022 can be several arranged in parallel, and the total number of annular grooves on the columnar valve cores is the same as the number of air passages; this can be understood as a parallel valve core structure. Depending on the number of cylinders, the number of annular grooves on each columnar valve core can be the same or different. Opening and closing of the air passages is achieved by driving reciprocating motion, which will not be elaborated further here. This structure can reduce the problem of excessive length caused by using a single columnar valve core; for example... Figure 5 As shown, this structure is suitable for a two-cylinder engine. The columnar valve cores 6022 are arranged in two parallel rows, and each columnar valve core has corresponding annular grooves 6022a and 6022b. The same reference numerals are used in the attached drawings, but it will not cause confusion to explain different drawings.

[0045] In this embodiment, the power source 601 is an electromagnetic drive mechanism or a linear motor installed on the valve body. The control method of electromagnetic drive is similar to that of a relay, which generally has two stop points, namely the opening stop point and the closing stop point, which is not conducive to forming linear adjustment. The drive structure of the linear motor can form linear adjustment from closing to opening and in the reverse direction, which is the preferred structure of the present invention.

[0046] The present invention also discloses a motorcycle equipped with the multi-cylinder engine; the motorcycle using the engine can maintain stability and safety during idling or low-speed driving, while meeting emission requirements.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-cylinder engine, characterized in that: It includes an air filter and an air bypass system. The air bypass system includes a control valve. The control valve has a plurality of air passages, which are the same as the number of cylinders in the multi-cylinder engine. The plurality of air passages can be controlled to open and close simultaneously to deliver air from the air filter to each intake manifold of the multi-cylinder engine. Furthermore, the control valve is integrated into the air filter.

2. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air bypass system also includes: Several valve body air intake passages are opened in the valve body of the control valve and the number is the same as the number of cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine. They are used to introduce the air from the air filter into several air passages one by one. Several post-valve flow channels, the same number as the number of cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine, are connected one-to-one with several air passages, introducing air into each intake manifold of the multi-cylinder engine.

3. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control valve includes a power source, a valve core, and a valve body. The valve core is located inside the valve body, and several air passages are formed by the valve core and the valve body. The power source is used to drive the valve core to change its orientation relative to the valve body, thereby completing the simultaneous opening and closing of several air passages. The power source is fixed to the outer shell of the air filter, and the valve body is located inside the air filter.

4. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control valve includes a power source, a valve core, and a valve body. The valve core is located inside the valve body, and several air passages are formed by the valve core and the valve body. The power source is used to drive the valve core to change its orientation relative to the valve body, thereby completing the simultaneous opening and closing of several air passages. The valve body is integrated into the outer shell of the air filter, and several flow channels corresponding to and communicating with the air inlet of the valve body are opened on the outer shell of the air filter.

5. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The valve core is a columnar valve core, and it can be driven to reciprocate along the valve body in an axial direction, thereby completing the simultaneous opening and closing of several air passages.

6. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The valve body is also provided with several valve body air outlets, and the outer circular surface of the columnar valve core is provided with several annular grooves. When the columnar valve core is driven to move axially back and forth, one valve body air inlet, one valve body air outlet and one annular groove are axially aligned and together form one air passage, or the axial positions are staggered and the air passage is closed.

7. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The columnar valve core is one, and the annular grooves are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the valve core, and the number of them is the same as the number of air passages. Alternatively, the number of columnar valve cores can be arranged in parallel, and the total number of annular grooves on the columnar valve cores is the same as the number of air passages.

8. The multi-cylinder engine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The power source is an electromagnetic drive mechanism or a linear motor installed on the valve body.

9. A motorcycle, characterized in that, Including the multi-cylinder engine as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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