TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement of an air intake device for an engine
for a two-wheeled motor vehicle, the air intake device including a Throttle body that
has a horizontal air intake path in a central part thereof, a throttle valve that
has a valve shaft horizontally supported on the throttle body and that opens and closes
the air intake path, and a sensor unit that includes, attached to a sensor housing
mounted on a mounting face on one side of the throttle body, a throttle sensor that
is on an axis of the valve shaft of the throttle valve and that detects rotation of
the valve shaft as a degree of opening of the throttle valve, an air intake temperature
sensor that detects an air intake temperature of the air intake path further upstream
than the throttle valve, and a negative pressure sensor that detects an air intake
negative pressure of the air intake path further downstream than the throttle valve.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Such an air intake device for an engine is already known, as disclosed in Patent
Document 1.
RELATED ART DOCUMENTS
PATENT DOCUMENTS
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
[0004] In such an air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle, there
is a demand for reducing the dimension in the axial direction of a throttle body in
order to lighten the weight. However, in such a conventional air intake device for
an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle, since an air intake pressure sensor attached
to a sensor housing detects the air intake pressure of the air intake path downstream
of a throttle valve, the air intake pressure sensor is disposed in the air intake
path downstream of the valve shaft in the sensor housing, thereby preventing the dimension
of the throttle body from being reduced in the axial direction. Furthermore, since
in the sensor housing the air intake temperature sensor and the air intake pressure
sensor are disposed so as to be distributed between the upstream side and the downstream
side of the air intake path with the valve shaft as the border therebetween, it is
difficult to make the sensor housing compact.
[0005] The present invention has been accomplished in light of such points, and it is an
object thereof to provide an air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor
vehicle that enables the dimension in the axial direction of a throttle body to be
reduced and enables the sensor housing to be made compact.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
[0006] In order to attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle,
the air intake device comprising a throttle body that has an air intake path in a
central part thereof, a throttle valve that has a valve shaft horizontally supported
on the throttle body and that opens and closes the air intake path, and a sensor unit
comprising, attached to a sensor housing mounted on a mounting face on one side of
the throttle body, a throttle sensor that is on an axis of the valve shaft of the
throttle valve and that detects rotation of the valve shaft as a degree of opening
of the throttle valve, an air intake temperature sensor that detects an air intake
temperature of the air intake path further upstream than the throttle valve, and an
air intake pressure sensor that detects an air intake negative pressure of the air
intake path further downstream than the throttle valve, characterized in that the
throttle sensor, the air intake temperature sensor, and the air intake pressure sensor
are disposed so that the centers thereof are positioned on apexes of a triangle on
the sensor housing further upstream in the air intake path than the axis of the valve
shaft and the air intake pressure sensor is disposed so that the center thereof is
on the uppermost apex of the triangle, a pressure-receiving chamber of the air intake
pressure sensor that a sensor chip faces communicates, via an air intake pressure-transmitting
passage, with a detection hole opening in the air intake path further downstream than
the throttle valve, part of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage passing a
position above an axis of the air intake path, a part of the air intake pressure-transmitting
passage that opens in the pressure-receiving chamber is disposed above a part of the
detection hole that opens in the air intake path, and a part of the detection hole
opening in the air intake path is disposed above the axis of the air intake path.
[0007] Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the
first aspect, the detection hole is formed into a longitudinal groove shape opening
on a downstream side end face of the throttle body to which an air intake tube of
the engine is joined, and the air intake pressure-transmitting passage is formed from
a first sideways hole that bends from an upper end of the detection hole and extends
in an upstream side direction of the air intake path, a second sideways hole that
bends from the first sideways hole and heads toward the mounting face, a through groove
in the mounting face that bends from the second sideways hole and extends so as to
cross above the valve shaft, and a third sideways hole that bends from the through
groove and opens in the pressure-receiving chamber.
[0008] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to
the first or second aspect, the sensor chip is disposed so as to be offset higher
than a part of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage that opens in the pressure-receiving
chamber.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, since the throttle
sensor, the air intake temperature sensor and the air intake pressure sensor are disposed
so that their centers are positioned on apexes of the triangle in the sensor housing
further upstream in the air intake path than the axis of the valve shaft, the throttle
sensor, the air intake temperature sensor, and the air intake pressure sensor are
disposed in a concentrated manner further upstream in the air intake path than the
axis of the valve shaft in the sensor housing, and it therefore becomes possible to
reduce the axial length of the throttle body further downstream in the air intake
path than the valve shaft without interfering with the air intake pressure sensor
in particular, and it also becomes possible to make the throttle body compact, lighten
the weight, and at the same time make the sensor housing compact.
[0010] Moreover, the air intake pressure sensor is disposed so that its center is at the
uppermost apex of the triangle, the pressure-receiving chamber of the air intake pressure
sensor, which the sensor chip faces, communicates with the detection hole, which opens
in the air intake path further downstream than the throttle valve, via the air intake
pressure-transmitting passage, a part of which goes by way of a position above the
axis of the air intake path, the part of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage
opening in the pressure-receiving chamber is disposed above the part of the detection
hole opening in the air intake path, and the part of the detection hole opening in
the air intake path is disposed above the axis of the air intake path. Therefore,
the part of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage opening in the pressure-receiving
chamber occupies a position above the part of the detection hole opening in the air
intake path, the part of the detection hole opening in the air intake path occupies
a position above the axis of the air intake path, and the part of the air intake pressure-transmitting
passage extending from the detection hole to the pressure-receiving chamber of the
air intake pressure sensor is one that is long and goes by way of a position above
the axis of the air intake path. It is therefore possible to make it difficult for
foreign matter such as soot or moisture contained in blow-back gas at the time of
back firing of the engine to enter the pressure-receiving chamber of the air intake
pressure sensor because of the gravity acting on the foreign matter and the flow path
resistance of the long air intake pressure-transmitting passage, thereby preventing
foreign matter from making contact with the sensor chip of the air intake pressure
sensor.
[0011] In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, since the detection
hole is formed into a longitudinal groove shape that opens on the downstream side
end face of the throttle body, to which the air intake tube of the engine is joined,
and the air intake pressure-transmitting passage is formed from the first sideways
hole, which bends from the upper end of the detection hole and extends in the upstream
side direction of the air intake path, the second sideways hole, which bends from
the first sideways hole and heads toward the mounting face, the through groove in
the mounting face, which bends from the second sideways hole and extends so as to
cross above the valve shaft, and the third sideways hole, which bends from the through
groove and opens in the pressure-receiving chamber, it is difficult for foreign matter
such as soot or moisture contained in blow-back gas of the engine to enter the detection
hole. Even if this foreign matter enters together with the blow-back gas, since this
blow-back gas collides with a plurality of corners while passing through the long
air intake pressure-transmitting passage before reaching the pressure-receiving chamber
of the air intake pressure sensor, its energy is attenuated effectively. As a result,
foreign matter is separated from the blow-back gas en route, thereby making it possible
to prevent the foreign matter from entering the pressure-receiving chamber.
[0012] In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, since the sensor chip
is disposed so as to be offset higher than the part of the air intake pressure-transmitting
passage that opens in the pressure-receiving chamber, even if the foreign matter enters
the pressure-receiving chamber from the air intake pressure-transmitting passage,
since the sensor chip, which faces the pressure-receiving chamber, is disposed so
as to be offset higher than the third sideways hole, it is possible to prevent foreign
matter that has dropped from the air intake pressure-transmitting passage into the
pressure-receiving chamber from coming into contact with the sensor chip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0013]
[FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a sectional plan view of an air intake device for an engine for
a two-wheeled motor vehicle related to an embodiment of the present invention. (first
embodiment)
[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1. (first embodiment)
[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. (first embodiment)
[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 in FIG. 1. (first embodiment)
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SYMBOLS
[0014]
- 1
- Throttle body
- 1a
- Downstream side end face
- 2
- Air intake path
- 5
- Throttle valve
- 5a
- Valve shaft
- 15
- Mounting face
- 16
- Sensor unit
- 17
- Sensor housing
- 18
- Throttle sensor
- 19
- Air intake temperature sensor
- 20
- Air intake pressure sensor
- 20a
- Pressure-receiving chamber
- 20b
- Sensor chip
- 35
- Triangle
- 37
- Detection hole
- 38
- Air intake pressure-transmitting passage
- 38a
- First sideways hole
- 38b
- Second sideways hole
- 38c
- Through groove
- 38d
- Third sideways hole
- 55
- Air intake tube
- Y
- Axis
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0015] An embodiment of the present invention is explained below by reference to the attached
drawings.
FIRST EMBODIMENT
[0016] First, in FIG. 1, the air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle
of the present invention includes a throttle body 1 connected to an air intake tube
55 of the engine, and a horizontal air intake path 2 communicating with the interior
of the air intake tube 55 is formed in a central part of the throttle body 1, the
air intake path 2 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. A pair of
bearing holes 3 and 4 are formed in a peripheral wall of the throttle body 1 so as
to be arranged in the horizontal direction with the air intake path 2 sandwiched therebetween;
these bearing holes 3 and 4 rotatably support a valve shaft 5a of a butterfly type
throttle valve 5 that opens and closes the air intake path 2, and this valve shaft
5a is disposed horizontally so as to extend in the left-and-right direction of the
vehicle. Fixed to one end part of the valve shaft 5a projecting outward from the bearing
hole 3 is a throttle drum 8 that is operated by an operator via a throttle wire.
[0017] A mounting face 15 is formed on a side face of the throttle body 1 on the opposite
side to the throttle drum 8, the mounting face 15 being stepped higher than other
faces, and a sensor unit 16 is mounted on the mounting face 15.
[0018] In FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, the sensor unit 16 is formed by mounting a throttle
sensor 18, an air intake temperature sensor 19, an air intake pressure sensor 20,
and a signal processor 21 on a sensor housing 17 joined to the mounting face 15, these
components being explained in sequence.
[0019] First, the sensor housing 17 integrally has a pair of mounting bosses 25 and 25 on
mutually opposing corners of the outer periphery, threaded holes 26 corresponding
to these mounting bosses 25 and 25 are provided in the mounting face 15, and the sensor
housing 17 is secured to the mounting face 15 by screwing and tightening a bolt 27
inserted through the respective mounting boss 25 into the corresponding threaded hole
26.
[0020] Provided in the mounting face 15 of the throttle body 1 are a circular positioning
recess 50 concentrically surrounding the valve shaft 5a (see FIG. 1) and a positioning
hole 52 spaced from the positioning recess 50 in the radial direction (see FIG. 3).
On the other hand, the sensor housing 17 is made of a synthetic resin, and a positioning
tube 51 fitted into the positioning recess 50 (see FIG. 1) and a positioning pin 53
fitted into the positioning hole 52 (see FIG. 3) are formed together with the mounting
bosses 25 at the time of molding the sensor housing 17.
[0021] Provided in the sensor housing 17 as shown in FIG. 1 is a rotor support hole 28 disposed
coaxially with the bearing hole 4, rotatably supported by the rotor support hole 28
is a rotor 18a linked to an end part of the valve shaft 5a, and fixed to the sensor
housing 17 is a stator 18b that forms the throttle sensor 18 in cooperation with the
rotor 18a. The throttle sensor 18 detects rotation of the valve shaft 5a as a degree
of opening of the throttle valve 5 by means of the rotor 18a and outputs an electric
signal corresponding thereto via the stator 18b.
[0022] Formed in the throttle body 1 is a through hole 29 extending from the mounting face
15 to the air intake path 2 further upstream than the throttle valve 5, formed integrally
with the sensor housing 17 is a sensor-retaining tube 30 extending through the through
hole 29 and having its extremity facing the air intake path 2, and fitted into the
sensor-retaining tube 30 is a sensor chip 19a of the air intake temperature sensor
19 that detects the air intake temperature on the upstream side of the air intake
path 2.
[0023] Furthermore, a sensor-retaining recess 31 is formed in an outside face of the sensor
housing 17, and the air intake pressure sensor 20 is fitted into the sensor-retaining
recess 31.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, in the above arrangement, the air intake temperature sensor 19
is disposed further upstream in the air intake path 2 than the throttle sensor 18,
and the air intake pressure sensor 20 is disposed further upstream in the air intake
path 2 than the throttle sensor 18 and above the air intake temperature sensor 19.
In this way, the throttle sensor 18, the air intake temperature sensor 19, and the
air intake pressure sensor 20 are disposed so that their centers are positioned on
the apexes of a triangle 35 further upstream in the air intake path 2 than an axis
Y of the valve shaft 5a of the sensor housing 17, and the air intake pressure sensor
20 is disposed so that the center thereof is at the uppermost apex. The uppermost
apex is disposed above the axis of the air intake path 2.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, a detection hole 37 communicates with a pressure-receiving
chamber 20a via an air intake pressure-transmitting passage 38, a sensor chip 20b
of the air intake pressure sensor 20 facing the pressure-receiving chamber 20a, and
the detection hole 37 opening downward in the air intake path 2 further downstream
than the throttle valve 5. The part of the detection hole 37 opening in the air intake
path 2 is disposed above the axis of the air intake path 2.
[0026] The detection hole 37 is formed into a longitudinal groove shape on a downstream
side end face of the throttle body 1 to which the air intake tube 55 is joined. The
air intake pressure-transmitting passage is formed from a first sideways hole 38a
that bends from the upper end of the detection hole 37 and extends in the upstream
side direction (that is, rearward) of the air intake path 2, a second sideways hole
38b that bends from the first sideways hole 38a and heads toward the mounting face
15, a through groove 38c in the mounting face 15 that bends from the second sideways
hole 38b and extends so as to pass a position above the axis of the air intake path
2, and a third sideways hole 38d that bends from the through groove 38c and opens
in the pressure-receiving chamber 20a. The third sideways hole 38d is provided with
an orifice 39 that attenuates pulsations of the air intake pressure. The sensor chip
20b, which faces the pressure-receiving chamber 20a, is disposed so as to be offset
higher than the third sideways hole 38d (see FIG. 5). The detection hole 37, the first
and second sideways holes 38a and 38b, and the through groove 38c are provided in
the throttle body 1, and the third sideways hole 38d is provided in the sensor housing
17. In this way, the part of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage 38 that
opens in the pressure-receiving chamber 20a is disposed above the part of the detection
hole 37 opening in the air intake path 2.
[0027] An O ring 40 is fitted into a downstream side end face of the throttle body 1, the
O ring 40 being in intimate contact with the air intake tube 55 while surrounding
the air intake path 2 and the detection hole 37, and an O ring 41 is fitted into the
mounting face 15, the O ring 41 being in intimate contact with the sensor housing
17 while surrounding the throttle sensor 18 and the through groove 38c.
[0028] A board 45 of the signal processor 21 is placed on an outer end part of the sensor
housing 17. In this arrangement, terminals of the throttle sensor 18, the air intake
temperature sensor 19, and the air intake pressure sensor 20 are connected to the
board 45. Furthermore, a coupler 47 is formed integrally with one side of the sensor
housing 17, the coupler 47 taking out output signals of the various types of sensors
18 to 20 to the outside via the signal processor 21. Mounted on the sensor housing
17 is a cover 48 that covers an open outside face of the sensor housing 17.
[0029] The operation of this embodiment is now explained.
[0030] During operation of the engine, output signals of each of the throttle sensor 18,
the air intake temperature sensor 19, and the air intake pressure sensor 20 are used
to control the fuel injection volume, the ignition timing, the fast idle air intake
volume, etc. in the engine.
[0031] Since the throttle sensor 18, the air intake temperature sensor 19, and the air intake
pressure sensor 20 are disposed so that their centers are positioned on apexes of
the triangle 35 in the sensor housing 17 further upstream in the air intake path 2
than the axis Y of the valve shaft 5a of the throttle valve 5, the throttle sensor
18, the air intake temperature sensor 19, and the air intake pressure sensor 20 are
disposed in a concentrated manner further upstream in the air intake path 2 than the
axis Y of the valve shaft 5a in the sensor housing 17, and it therefore becomes possible
to reduce the axial length of the throttle body 1 further downstream in the air intake
path 2 than the valve shaft 5a without interfering with the air intake pressure sensor
20 in particular, and it also becomes possible to make the throttle body 1 compact,
lighten the weight, and at the same time make the sensor housing 17 compact.
[0032] Moreover, the air intake pressure sensor 20 is disposed so that its center is at
the uppermost apex of the triangle, the pressure-receiving chamber 20a of the air
intake pressure sensor 20, which the sensor chip 20b faces, communicates with the
detection hole 37, which opens in the air intake path 2 further downstream than the
throttle valve 5, via the air intake pressure-transmitting passage 38, a part of which
goes by way of a position above the axis of the air intake path 2, the part of the
air intake pressure-transmitting passage 38 opening in the pressure-receiving chamber
20a is disposed above the part of the detection hole 37 opening in the air intake
path 2, and the part of the detection hole 37 opening in the air intake path 2 is
disposed above the axis of the air intake path 2. Therefore, the part of the air intake
pressure-transmitting passage 38 opening in the pressure-receiving chamber 20a occupies
a position above the part of the detection hole opening in the air intake path 2,
the part of the detection hole 37 opening in the air intake path 2 occupies a position
above the axis of the air intake path 2, and the part of the air intake pressure-transmitting
passage 38 extending from the detection hole 37 to the pressure-receiving chamber
20a of the air intake pressure sensor 20 is one that is long and goes by way of a
position above the axis of the air intake path 2. It is therefore possible to make
it difficult for foreign matter such as soot or moisture contained in blow-back gas
at the time of back firing of the engine to enter the pressure-receiving chamber 20a
of the air intake pressure sensor 20 because of the gravity acting on the foreign
matter and the flow path resistance of the long air intake pressure-transmitting passage
38, thereby preventing foreign matter from becoming attached to the sensor chip 20b
of the air intake pressure sensor 20.
[0033] In particular, since the detection hole 37 is formed into a longitudinal groove shape
that opens on the downstream side end face of the throttle body 1, to which the air
intake tube 55 of the engine is joined, and the air intake pressure-transmitting passage
38 is formed from the first sideways hole 38a, which bends from the upper end of the
detection hole 37 and extends in the upstream side direction of the air intake path
2, the second sideways hole 38b, which bends from the first sideways hole 38a and
heads toward the mounting face 15, the through groove 38c in the mounting face 15,
which bends from the second sideways hole 38b and extends so as to cross above the
valve shaft 5a, and the third sideways hole 38d, which bends from the through groove
38c and opens in the pressure-receiving chamber 20a, it is difficult for foreign matter
such as soot or moisture contained in blow-back gas of the engine to enter the detection
hole 37. Even if this foreign matter enters together with the blow-back gas, since
this blow-back gas collides with a plurality of corners while passing through the
long air intake pressure-transmitting passage before reaching the pressure-receiving
chamber 20a of the air intake pressure sensor 20, its energy is attenuated effectively.
As a result, foreign matter such as soot contained in the blow-back gas is separated
en route, thereby making it possible to prevent the foreign matter from entering the
pressure-receiving chamber 20a.
[0034] Furthermore, even if the foreign matter enters the pressure-receiving chamber 20a
from the final third sideways hole 38d of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage
38, since the sensor chip 20b, which faces the pressure-receiving chamber 20a, is
disposed so as to be offset higher than the third sideways hole 38d, it is possible
to prevent foreign matter that has dropped from the third sideways hole 38d into the
pressure-receiving chamber 20a from becoming attached to the sensor chip 20b.
[0035] From the above, it is possible for the air intake pressure sensor 20 to always appropriately
detect the air intake pressure of the downstream side of the air intake path 2.
[0036] Furthermore, the longitudinal groove-shaped detection hole 37 and the through groove
38c can be molded at the same time as casting the throttle body 1 and, moreover, the
longitudinal groove-shaped detection hole 37 contributes to a reduction in the axial
length of the throttle body 1 further downstream in the air intake path 2 than the
valve shaft 5a.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, since the part of the detection hole 37 opening in the air intake
path 2 is disposed so as to be relatively close to the valve shaft 5a when the air
intake path 2 is viewed from the axial direction of the valve shaft 5a, at the time
of an idle degree of opening of the throttle valve 5, the detection hole 37 can be
sufficiently separated from the throttle valve 5 to the downstream side without particularly
extending the downstream side end part of the throttle body 1 with respect to the
throttle valve 5, and it is possible to appropriately detect a boost pressure of the
engine.
[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be modified
in a variety of ways as long as the modifications do not depart from the spirit and
scope thereof.
1. An air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle, the air intake
device comprising a throttle body (1) that has an air intake path (2) in a central
part thereof, a throttle valve (5) that has a valve shaft (5a) horizontally supported
on the throttle body (1) and that opens and closes the air intake path (2), and a
sensor unit (16) comprising, attached to a sensor housing (17) mounted on a mounting
face (15) on one side of the throttle body (1), a throttle sensor (18) that is on
an axis (Y) of the valve shaft (5a) of the throttle valve (5) and that detects rotation
of the valve shaft (5a) as a degree of opening of the throttle valve (5), an air intake
temperature sensor (19) that detects an air intake temperature of the air intake path
(2) further upstream than the throttle valve (5), and an air intake pressure sensor
(20) that detects an air intake negative pressure of the air intake path (2) further
downstream than the throttle valve (5),
characterized in that the throttle sensor (18), the air intake temperature sensor (19), and the air intake
pressure sensor (20) are disposed so that the centers thereof are positioned on apexes
of a triangle (35) on the sensor housing (17) further upstream in the air intake path
(2) than the axis (Y) of the valve shaft (5a), and the air intake pressure sensor
(20) is disposed so that the center thereof is on the uppermost apex of the triangle
(35), a pressure-receiving chamber (20a) of the air intake pressure sensor (20) that
a sensor chip (20b) faces communicates, via an air intake pressure-transmitting passage
(38), with a detection hole (37) opening in the air intake path (2) further downstream
than the throttle valve (5), part of the air intake pressure-transmitting passage
(38) passing a position above an axis of the air intake path (2), a part of the air
intake pressure-transmitting passage (38) that opens in the pressure-receiving chamber
(20a) is disposed above a part of the detection hole (37) that opens in the air intake
path (2), and a part of the detection hole (37) opening in the air intake path (2)
is disposed above the axis of the air intake path (2).
2. The air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle according to Claim
1, wherein
the detection hole (37) is formed into a longitudinal groove shape opening on a downstream
side end face (1a) of the throttle body (1) to which an air intake tube (55) of the
engine is joined, and the air intake pressure-transmitting passage (38) is formed
from a first sideways hole (38a) that bends from an upper end of the detection hole
(37) and extends in an upstream side direction of the air intake path (2), a second
sideways hole (38b) that bends from the first sideways hole (38a) and heads toward
the mounting face (15), a through groove (38c) in the mounting face (15) that bends
from the second sideways hole (38b) and extends so as to cross above the valve shaft
(5a), and a third sideways hole (38d) that bends from the through groove (38c) and
opens in the pressure-receiving chamber (20a).
3. The air intake device for an engine for a two-wheeled motor vehicle according to Claim
1 or 2, wherein
the sensor chip (20b) is disposed so as to be offset higher than a part of the air
intake pressure-transmitting passage (38) that opens in the pressure-receiving chamber
(20a).