Vehicle
The vehicle exhaust system with multiple exhaust pipes and throttle valves controlled by separate actuators addresses the challenge of precise output control, enhancing engine braking, smooth acceleration, and stable wheel load through adaptive engine management.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024058247
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing exhaust systems in vehicles with internal combustion engines lack the ability to precisely control output characteristics in response to minute changes in conditions, particularly affecting vehicle behavior during deceleration, turning, and varying roll angles.
A vehicle exhaust system with multiple exhaust pipes and throttle valves, each controlled by separate actuators, and an exhaust valve in the collecting pipe, allowing independent control of cylinder groups for precise output adjustments, including engine braking and idling modes based on deceleration, turning, and roll angle detection.
Enables adaptive output control that enhances engine braking, smooth acceleration, and stable wheel load during turns, improving vehicle performance and control.
Smart Images
Figure 2025154940000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle equipped with an exhaust system that discharges exhaust gas from a power unit including an internal combustion engine to the outside. [Background technology]
[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in a vehicle having an exhaust system that discharges exhaust gas from a power unit including an internal combustion engine to the outside, a configuration has been known in which an exhaust pipe that sends the exhaust gas to a muffler is provided with an exhaust valve that can arbitrarily change the flow area of the exhaust pipe.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for controlling the output characteristics of a power unit including an internal combustion engine with four cylinders in an exhaust system in which four exhaust pipes are combined into one, and an exhaust valve is provided in the collecting pipe to arbitrarily change the flow area of the collecting pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-138828 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, an exhaust valve is installed in the collecting pipe after four exhaust pipes are combined into one, so the movement of a single exhaust valve affects the behavior of the vehicle, and there is still room for improvement in order to perform control that adapts to more detailed changes in conditions.
[0006] The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide a vehicle that can control output characteristics in accordance with minute changes in conditions by devising the structure of the exhaust valve provided in the exhaust device. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle (1) having a power unit (P) having a plurality of cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), a throttle valve (51) provided for each of the cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), and an exhaust device (30) that guides exhaust gas from the power unit (P) to the outside, wherein the exhaust device (30) comprises exhaust pipes (31) provided for each of the cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), and a muffler (34) in which the exhaust pipes (31) converge at least once upstream of the muffler (34). The throttle valve (51) has a collecting pipe (32), and the throttle valve (51) is composed of a first group (G1) synchronously driven by a first actuator (A1) and a second group (G2) synchronously driven by a second actuator (A2), and a first feature is that an exhaust valve (41) for arbitrarily changing the flow area of the collecting pipe (32) is provided in either the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the first group (G1) or the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the second group (G2).
[0008] The second feature of the present invention is that it includes a control device (60) that controls the driving of the first actuator (A1), the second actuator (A2), the exhaust valve (41), and the fuel injection device (71), and a deceleration detection means (61) that detects that the vehicle (1) is in a deceleration state, and when the control device (60) detects by the deceleration detection means (61) that the vehicle (1) is decelerating, it cuts off fuel injection by the fuel injection device (71), opens the throttle valve (51) of the first group (G1) or the second group (G2) in which the exhaust valve (41) is provided, and closes the exhaust valve (41).
[0009] The exhaust valve (41) is provided in the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the second group (G2), and has a turning detection means (62) that detects that the vehicle (1) is turning. A third feature is that the control device (60) injects fuel into the cylinders (#1, #2) corresponding to the first group (G1) to cause the vehicle to idle when the turning detection means (62) detects that the vehicle (1) is turning.
[0010] A fourth feature of the control device (60) is that, when the vehicle (1) accelerates after completing a turn, the control device (60) makes the opening of the throttle valves (51) of the first group (G1) larger than the opening of the throttle valves (51) of the second group (G2).
[0011] A fifth feature is that the vehicle (1) is provided with an inclination sensor (69) that detects a roll angle (θ) of the vehicle (1), and the control unit (60) changes the opening of the exhaust valve (41) in accordance with the roll angle (θ).
[0012] Furthermore, a sixth feature is that, when the exhaust valve (41) is closed and the wheel speed of the rear wheels (WR) of the vehicle (1) is significantly reduced compared to the wheel speed of the front wheels (WF), the throttle valve (51) of the first group (G1) is opened. [Effects of the Invention]
[0013] According to a first feature, in a vehicle (1) having a power unit (P) having a plurality of cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), a throttle valve (51) provided for each of the cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), and an exhaust device (30) that guides exhaust gas from the power unit (P) to the outside, the exhaust device (30) has exhaust pipes (31) provided for each of the cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4) and a collecting pipe (32) formed by the exhaust pipes (31) gathering at least once upstream of a muffler (34), the throttle valve (51) is driven synchronously by a first actuator (A1). The exhaust valve (41) is provided in either the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the first group (G1) or the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the second group (G2) so as to arbitrarily change the flow area of the collecting pipe (32), so that it is possible to divide the cylinders of the internal combustion engine into the first group and the second group and perform output control with different characteristics, and it is also possible to perform engine brake control using the exhaust valve only on either the first group or the second group. This makes it possible to perform output characteristic control that is more in line with changes in conditions than, for example, a configuration in which a single actuator controls a plurality of throttle valves and an exhaust valve is provided in the collecting pipe at the most downstream side of the exhaust pipe.
[0014] According to a second feature, the engine control system includes a control device (60) that controls the driving of the first actuator (A1), the second actuator (A2), the exhaust valve (41), and the fuel injection device (71), and a deceleration detection means (61) that detects that the vehicle (1) is in a deceleration state. When the control device (60) detects that the vehicle (1) is decelerating by the deceleration detection means (61), the control device (60) cuts off fuel injection by the fuel injection device (71), opens the throttle valve (51) of the first group (G1) or the second group (G2) that has the exhaust valve (41), and closes the exhaust valve (41). Therefore, during deceleration of the vehicle, a pumping loss can be generated in one of the cylinders of the first group or the second group, thereby making it possible to strengthen engine braking.
[0015] According to a third feature, the exhaust valve (41) is provided in the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the second group (G2), and has a turning detection means (62) that detects that the vehicle (1) is turning. When the control device (60) detects that the vehicle (1) is turning by the turning detection means (62), it performs fuel injection into the cylinders (#1, #2) corresponding to the first group (G1) to cause them to idle. Therefore, by causing the cylinders of the first group to idle while the vehicle is turning, smooth acceleration can be achieved when the throttle is opened after the turn is completed.
[0016] According to the fourth feature, when the vehicle (1) accelerates after completing a turn, the control device (60) increases the opening of the throttle valves (51) of the first group (G1) more than the opening of the throttle valves (51) of the second group (G2). Therefore, by increasing the opening of the throttle valves of the first group when accelerating after completing a turn, compared to the second group which generates strong engine braking during the turn, it becomes possible to quickly increase the output of the power unit and perform smooth acceleration.
[0017] According to a fifth feature, the vehicle (1) includes an inclination sensor (69) that detects a roll angle (θ) of the vehicle (1), and the control unit (60) changes the opening degree of the exhaust valve (41) in accordance with the roll angle (θ). Therefore, for example, when the roll angle of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined value, engine braking is weakened compared to when the roll angle of the vehicle is small, thereby enabling engine braking control in accordance with the running state.
[0018] According to the sixth feature, when the exhaust valve (41) is closed and the wheel speed of the rear wheels (WR) of the vehicle (1) is significantly reduced relative to the wheel speed of the front wheels (WF), the throttle valve (51) of the first group (G1) is opened. Therefore, when the rear wheels slip due to engine braking during deceleration with the throttle off, a driving force can be generated to stabilize the ground load of the rear wheels. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a right side view of a motorcycle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an exhaust device and its peripheral configuration. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device and its peripheral configuration. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a travel path L when a motorcycle makes a turn. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control mode of the throttle valve during cornering. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a roll angle θ when the motorcycle 1 is turning. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a right side view of a motorcycle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The motorcycle 1 is a saddle-ride type vehicle that travels by transmitting the driving force of a power unit P, which is an integral combination of an in-line four-cylinder internal combustion engine and a transmission, to a rear wheel WR via a drive chain 18.
[0021] A head pipe F1 that rotatably supports a steering stem (not shown) is provided at the front end of a pair of left and right main frames F2 that make up the body frame F. A top bridge 8 and a bottom bridge 5 that support a pair of left and right front forks 2 are fixed to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the steering stem.
[0022] A front wheel WF is rotatably supported at the lower end of the front fork 2. A front fender 3 that covers the upper part of the front wheel WF is attached to the front fork 2. A steering handlebar 10 that supports a pair of left and right rearview mirrors 9 is fixed to the top of the top bridge 8. A headlight 4 and a meter device 7 are disposed in front of the head pipe F1.
[0023] A fuel tank 11 is disposed on top of the main frame F2. A pivot frame F3 supporting a pivot 22 that pivotally supports a swing arm 17 so that it can swing freely is connected to the rear end of the main frame F2, which extends rearward and downward from the head pipe F1. A step holder 20 that supports a step bar 19 on which the rider places their feet is attached to a position near the bottom of the pivot frame F3. A power unit P, to which an exhaust device 30 is attached, is suspended below the main frame F2 and in front of the pivot frame F3.
[0024] A swing arm 17, which rotatably supports the rear wheel WR, is suspended from the main frame F2 at a position near the front by a rear cushion 24. A rear frame F4, which supports a seat 12 for a rider and a rear cowl 13 in which a taillight unit 15 is embedded, is connected to the rear end of the main frame F2. A rear fender 16, which covers the upper part of the rear wheel WR, is disposed below the taillight unit 15. The exhaust unit 30 includes an exhaust pipe 31 connected to an exhaust port of the internal combustion engine and a muffler 34 that silences and discharges exhaust gases to the outside. A control device 60, which drives and controls the fuel injection system, ignition system, etc. of the internal combustion engine, is disposed inside the rear cowl 13.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exhaust system 30. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the exhaust system 30 and its peripheral configuration. The exhaust system 30, which is attached to an in-line four-cylinder internal combustion engine, has four exhaust pipes 31, two collecting pipes 32 each consisting of two exhaust pipes 31, a second collecting pipe 33 each consisting of two collecting pipes 32, and a muffler 34. The internal combustion engine's cylinders 46 house a first cylinder #1, a second cylinder #2, a third cylinder #3, and a fourth cylinder #4, and an intake manifold 45 is connected to each of the intake ports. A throttle body 50, which houses four throttle valves 51 corresponding to each cylinder, is connected upstream of the intake manifold 45.
[0026] In this embodiment, the first rotating shaft S1 connecting the throttle valves 51 of the first cylinder #1 and the second cylinder #2 and the second rotating shaft S2 connecting the throttle valves 51 of the third cylinder #3 and the fourth cylinder #4 are configured to be driven independently by separate actuators. Exhaust valves 42, the flow path area of which can be arbitrarily changed, are provided in the collecting pipes 32 corresponding to the third cylinder #3 and the fourth cylinder #4. The rotating shafts 42 supporting the exhaust valves 42 are driven by an actuator for the exhaust valves.
[0027] In this embodiment, the exhaust system 30 includes exhaust pipes 31 provided for each cylinder and a collecting pipe 32 formed by the exhaust pipes 31 converging at least once upstream of the muffler 34. The throttle valves 51 are divided into a first group G1 synchronously driven by a first actuator A1 and a second group G2 synchronously driven by a second actuator A2. The collecting pipe 32 corresponding to the second group G2 is provided with an exhaust valve 41 that arbitrarily changes the flow area of the collecting pipe 32. Therefore, by dividing the multiple cylinders of the internal combustion engine into the first group G1 and the second group G2, it is possible to perform output control with different characteristics, and it is also possible to perform engine brake control using the exhaust valve 41 only on the second group G2. This allows for output characteristic control that more precisely adapts to changing conditions than, for example, a configuration in which multiple throttle valves are controlled by a single actuator and an exhaust valve is provided in the collecting pipe furthest downstream of the exhaust pipe.
[0028] 4 is a block diagram showing the control device 60 and its peripheral configuration. The control device 60 receives output signals from an acceleration sensor 67 that detects the acceleration of the motorcycle 1, a throttle opening sensor 68, an inclination sensor 69 that detects the roll angle θ of the motorcycle 1, and a brake sensor 70 that detects operation of the brake device of the motorcycle 1.
[0029] The control device 60 includes a deceleration detection means 61 that detects that the motorcycle 1 is in a deceleration state based on output signals from the acceleration sensor 67 and the brake sensor 70, a turning detection means 62 that detects that the motorcycle 1 is in a turning state based on output signals from the acceleration sensor 67 and the inclination sensor 62, an exhaust valve control unit 63 that controls the operation of the exhaust valve 41, an ignition device control unit 64 that controls the operation of the ignition device 72 corresponding to each cylinder, a fuel injection device control unit 65 that controls the operation of the fuel injection device 71 attached to the throttle body 50, and an actuator control unit 66 that controls the operation of a first actuator A1 connected to a first rotating shaft S1 of the throttle valve 51 and a second actuator A2 connected to a second rotating shaft S2 of the throttle valve 51.
[0030] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a travel path L when the motorcycle 1 turns, and Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control mode when the motorcycle 1 turns.
[0031] When motorcycle 1 is turning around a corner with a road surface R, the process generally goes as follows: (1) before the corner, the brake device and engine brake are used together to decelerate (fuel cut), (2) the roll angle (bank angle) of the vehicle body is increased while easing off the brakes (throttle valves open #3, #4), (3) the vehicle starts preparing to accelerate from a full bank state before the clipping point (exhaust valves closed #3, #4), and (4) the throttle is opened to accelerate toward the corner exit (exhaust valves open #3, #4).
[0032] During cornering, when the deceleration detection means 61 detects that the motorcycle 1 is decelerating, the control device 60 cuts off fuel injection from the fuel injector 71, opens the throttle valve 51 of the second group G2, and closes the exhaust valve 41. As a result, when the motorcycle 1 decelerates, a pumping loss is generated in the cylinders #3 and #4 of the second group G2, making it possible to strengthen engine braking.
[0033] Furthermore, when the control device 60 detects that the motorcycle 1 is turning, it injects fuel into the cylinders #1 and #2 corresponding to the first group G1 to cause the motorcycle 1 to idle. This allows the cylinders in the first group G1 to idle while the motorcycle 1 is turning, enabling smooth acceleration when the throttle is opened after the turn.
[0034] Furthermore, the control device 60 is configured to increase the opening of the throttle valves 51 of the first group G1 more than the opening of the throttle valves 51 of the second group G2 when the motorcycle 1 accelerates after completing a turn. As a result, the second group G2 generates strong engine braking during a turn, while the control device 60 increases the opening of the throttle valves of the first group G1 when accelerating after completing a turn, thereby enabling a quick increase in the output of the power unit P and smooth acceleration. Furthermore, when the exhaust valves 41 are closed during deceleration and the wheel speed of the rear wheel WR of the motorcycle 1 drops significantly compared to the wheel speed of the front wheel WF, the control device 60 executes control to open the throttle valves 51 of the first group G1. As a result, when the rear wheel WR slips due to engine braking during deceleration with the throttle off, a driving force can be generated to stabilize the ground load of the rear wheel WR.
[0035] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the roll angle θ when the motorcycle 1 is turning. As described above, the control device 60 closes the exhaust valve 41 during deceleration to strengthen the engine brake. However, when the roll angle θ of the motorcycle 1 is large, it is preferable to slightly weaken the engine brake. Therefore, in this embodiment, the opening degree of the exhaust valve 41 is changed according to the roll angle θ. For example, it is possible to set the control so that the engine brake is strengthened when the roll angle θ is equal to or less than a predetermined value θ1, the degree to which the engine brake is strengthened is reduced when the roll angle θ is greater than the predetermined value θ1 and equal to or less than θ2, and the control to strengthen the engine brake is not executed when the roll angle θ exceeds the predetermined value θ2. This enables engine brake control according to the driving situation.
[0036] The configuration of the motorcycle, the configuration and number of cylinders of the internal combustion engine, the shape and structure of the exhaust system, the shape and structure of the exhaust valve, the shape and structure of the throttle body and throttle valve, the control mode of the throttle valve and exhaust valve during driving, the fuel injection mode during driving, etc. are not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For example, the sensor that detects the vehicle body attitude can be a six-axis sensor that detects the angular velocity and acceleration of pitch, roll, and yaw. The internal combustion engine can have any number of cylinders, such as 2, 3, 5, or 6. In the case of a two-cylinder engine, an exhaust valve can be provided in either one of the two exhaust pipes. The intake and exhaust system according to the present invention can be applied not only to motorcycles but also to various vehicles, such as three-wheeled vehicles and four-wheeled vehicles, that use a power unit including an internal combustion engine as a drive source. [Explanation of symbols]
[0037] 1...motorcycle (vehicle), 30...exhaust system, 31...exhaust pipe, 32...manufacturing pipe, 34...muffler, 41...exhaust valve, 51...throttle valve, 60...controller, 61...deceleration detection means, 62...turning detection means, 69...inclination sensor, 71...fuel injection device, P...power unit, #1...first cylinder, #2...second cylinder, #3...third cylinder, #4...fourth cylinder, A1...first actuator, A2...second actuator, G1...first group, G2...second group, θ...roll angle
Claims
1. A vehicle (1) having a power unit (P) having a plurality of cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), a throttle valve (51) provided for each of the cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), and an exhaust device (30) that guides exhaust gas from the power unit (P) to the outside, The exhaust device (30) includes exhaust pipes (31) provided for the cylinders (#1, #2, #3, #4), and a collecting pipe (32) formed by collecting the exhaust pipes (31) at least once upstream of a muffler (34), The throttle valve (51) comprises a first group (G1) synchronously driven by a first actuator (A1) and a second group (G2) synchronously driven by a second actuator (A2), A vehicle characterized in that an exhaust valve (41) for arbitrarily changing the flow area of the collecting pipe (32) is provided in either the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the first group (G1) or the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the second group (G2).
2. a control device (60) that controls the driving of the first actuator (A1), the second actuator (A2), the exhaust valve (41), and the fuel injection device (71); a deceleration detection means (61) for detecting that the vehicle (1) is in a deceleration state; 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when the deceleration detection means (61) detects that the vehicle (1) is decelerating, the control device (60) cuts off fuel injection by the fuel injection device (71), opens the throttle valve (51) in the first group (G1) or the second group (G2) in which the exhaust valve (41) is provided, and closes the exhaust valve (41).
3. The exhaust valve (41) is provided in the collecting pipe (32) corresponding to the second group (G2), A turning detection means (62) is provided for detecting that the vehicle (1) is in a turning state, The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the turning detection means (62) detects that the vehicle (1) is turning, the control device (60) performs fuel injection into the cylinders (#1, #2) corresponding to the first group (G1) to cause the vehicle to idle.
4. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the control device (60) increases the opening of the throttle valves (51) of the first group (G1) more than the opening of the throttle valves (51) of the second group (G2) when the vehicle (1) accelerates after completing a turn.
5. An inclination sensor (69) is provided to detect the roll angle (θ) of the vehicle (1), 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (60) changes the opening degree of the exhaust valve (41) in accordance with the roll angle (θ).
6. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the throttle valves (51) of the first group (G1) are opened when the wheel speed of the rear wheels (WR) of the vehicle (1) is significantly reduced relative to the wheel speed of the front wheels (WF) while the exhaust valves (41) are closed.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Exhaust control device for motorcycle
JP2002138828A