Continuous variable valve duration apparatus and control method using the same

Abstract

A control method using a continuous variable duration apparatus provided to adjust opening duration of an intake valve of an engine may include: setting a desired deceleration speed when a vehicle starts decelerating, determining a pumping loss by the engine that is required for the desired deceleration speed, setting desired duration for the required pumping loss by the engine, and controlling duration of the intake valve on the basis of the set desired duration.

Claims

1. A control method using a continuous variable duration apparatus provided to adjust a duration of opening an intake valve of an engine, the method comprising: setting, by a controller, a desired deceleration speed when a vehicle starts decelerating; determining, by the controller, a pumping loss by the engine that is required for the desired deceleration speed; setting, by the controller, a desired duration of opening the intake valve for the required pumping loss by the engine; controlling, by the controller, the duration of opening the intake valve on a basis of the set desired opening duration of opening the intake valve; decelerating the vehicle on a basis of the desired deceleration speed, as the duration of opening the intake valve is controlled; and, wherein the setting of the desired duration of opening the intake valve and the controlling of the duration of opening the intake valve on a basis of the set desired duration are performed with an opening timing of the intake valve maximally advanced.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a start of deceleration of the vehicle is detected from a change in position of an accelerator pedal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is ended upon an end of deceleration of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an end of the deceleration of the vehicle is detected from a change in a position of an accelerator pedal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view an engine equipped with a continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are partial exploded perspective views of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 5A. FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C are a views illustrating the operation of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 6 is a graph showing a valve profile of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method using the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(7) It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

(8) In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

(10) In the following detailed description, only certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, simply by way of illustration.

(11) As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

(12) Like reference numerals are given to like components throughout the specification.

(13) Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word comprise and variations such as comprises or comprising will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

(14) An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(15) FIG. 1 is a perspective view an engine equipped with a continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial exploded perspective views of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(16) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an engine block 1, a cylinder head 10 mounted on the engine block 1, and a continuous variable valve duration apparatus mounted on the cylinder head 10.

(17) The continuous variable valve duration apparatus includes: a camshaft 30, a plurality of wheels 60 mounted on the camshaft 30, each including a wheel key 62 and respectively corresponding to cylinders, a plurality of cam devices 70 each including cams 71 and 72 and a cam key 74 in which the camshaft 30 is inserted, and that has a variable relative phase of the cams 71 and 72 with respect to the camshaft 30, and corresponds to the cylinders, respectively, a plurality of inner brackets 80 that are connected to the wheel keys 62 and the cam keys 74, a plurality of slider housings 90 in which the inner brackets 80 are rotatably inserted and that can move vertically with respect to an engine, a controller 100 that adjusts positions of the rotational centers of the inner brackets 80 by changing positions of the slider housings 90, and a guide device 110 that guides the slider housings 90.

(18) The camshaft 30 may be an intake camshaft or an exhaust camshaft.

(19) Although two cams 71 and 72 are provided in the drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto.

(20) The cams 71 and 72 open/close a valve 200.

(21) Fastening holes 33 are formed at the camshaft 30, and the wheels 60 can be combined with the camshaft 30 by connecting pins 64. Coupling springs 66 are mounted on the wheels 60, so they can prevent separation of the connecting pins 64.

(22) The continuous variable valve duration apparatus further includes first pins 82 having a sliding key slot 81 in which the wheel key 62 is slidably inserted and second pins 84 having a sliding key slot 83 in which the cam key 74 is slidably inserted, and the inner bracket 80 has first and second pin holes 86 and 88 in which the first pin 82 and the second pin 84 are inserted, respectively.

(23) The first and second pins 82 and 84 have the shape of a cylinder, and are rotatably inserted in the first and second pin holes 86 and 88.

(24) Accordingly, since the first and second pins 82 and 84 and the first and second sliding pin holes 86 and 88 are formed in the shape of a cylinder, abrasion resistance can be improved.

(25) Further, productivity can be secured by the simple shape of the first and second pins 82 and 84 and the first and second sliding pin holes 86 and 88.

(26) The sliding key slots 81 and 83 of the first and second pins 82 and 84 are formed in opposite directions, and the wheel key 62 and the cam key 74 can be inserted therein.

(27) The first and second pin holes 86 and 88 may be partially open in order to not interfere with movement of the wheel key 62 and the cam key 72.

(28) A needle bearing 92 may be disposed between the slider housing 90 and the inner bracket 80, so the slider housing 90 and the inner bracket 80 can easily rotate relative to each other and rigidity can be secured.

(29) Control teeth 94 are formed on a side of each of the slider housings 90, and the controller 100 includes a control shaft 102 that is parallel with the camshaft 30 and has control gears 104 engaged with the control teeth 94, and a motor 108 that selectively rotates the control shaft 102.

(30) The guide device 110 includes a guide bar 112 guiding the slider housings 90 and guide brackets 114 fixing the guide bar 112, and a guide slot 96 in which the guide bar 112 is inserted is formed in the slider housings 90.

(31) FIG. 5A. FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C are views illustrating the operation of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a graph showing a valve profile of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(32) Hereinafter, the operation of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

(33) In accordance with the operational states of an engine, the motor 108 of the controller 100 operates and changes the relative positions of the slider housings 90.

(34) For example, in FIG. 5A, as the motor 108 operates, the control shaft 102 rotates, so when the position of the slider housing 90 changes upward, the rotational center of the inner bracket 80 moves by H1, as in FIG. 5B, or when the position of the slider housing 90 changes downward, the rotational center of the inner bracket 80 moves by H2, as in FIG. 5C.

(35) As the position of the rotational center of the inner bracket 80 changes, the rotational acceleration of the cam device 70 changes and valve duration changes accordingly.

(36) As shown in FIG. 6, the maximum lift of the valve 200 is constant, and as the position of the slider housing 90 changes, the relative rotational speed of the cams 71 and 72 to the camshaft 30 changes, the timing for opening/closing the valve 200 changes, and accordingly, the duration of the valve 200 changes. On the other hand, in order to control deceleration ability of a vehicle, the duration can be adjusted with the opening timing of an intake valve maximally advanced so that a pumping loss by an engine is large.

(37) FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method using the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(38) As shown in FIG. 7, a control method using the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention improves deceleration ability of a vehicle by controlling a pumping loss by an engine.

(39) When a vehicle starts to decelerate (S100), an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) sets a desired deceleration speed in accordance with the state of an engine and the speed of the vehicle (S110). The start of deceleration of the vehicle can be detected from a change in position of an accelerator pedal. The ECU is a common system mounted on vehicles to generally control electric devices in the vehicles and is well known to those skilled in the art, so the detailed description is not provided.

(40) When the desired deceleration speed is set (S110), the ECU calculates a pumping loss by the engine that is required for the desired deceleration speed (S120).

(41) When the required pumping loss by the engine is calculated (S120), the ECU sets desired duration for the required pumping loss by the engine (S130).

(42) When the desired duration is set, the controller 100 controls the duration of the valve 200 on the basis of the set desired duration (S140). The valve 200 of which the duration is controlled may be an intake valve. Further, as the duration of the valve 200 is controlled, the vehicle is decelerated on the basis of the desired deceleration speed (S150).

(43) The control method using the continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is ended upon the end of deceleration of the vehicle (S160). The end of deceleration of the vehicle can be detected from a change in position of an accelerator pedal.

(44) As described above, according to a continuous variable valve duration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adjust duration of a valve lift with a simple configuration in accordance with the operational states of an engine.

(45) The configuration of the continuous variable valve duration apparatus is relatively small, so it is possible to reduce the entire height of a valve train.

(46) It is possible to apply the continuous variable valve duration apparatus even without excessive design change to existing common engines, so it is possible to increase productivity and reduce the manufacturing cost.

(47) For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms upper, lower, inner and outer are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.

(48) The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.