IP Library Granted Patent US 9,765,724
Granted Patent B2
US 9,765,724 · App. 15/151,892 · Granted Sep 19, 2017

Fuel injected engine system

Inventors: Massimo Casoni (Castelfranco Emilia, IT); William E. Galka (Caro, MI); Bradley J. Roche (Millington, MI); David L. Speirs (Cass City, MI); Mark S. Swanson (Cass City, MI); Eric G. Zbytowski (Caro, MI)
Assignee: Walbro LLC
F02D41/32F02D9/1035F02D31/003F02D41/062F02D41/1454F02D41/3082F02M35/10216F02M35/162F02M69/50F02D2200/101Y10T29/49233
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,765,724
App. No.
15/151,892
Granted
Sep 19, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An engine system may include a fuel and air supply circuit and an exhaust circuit, a temperature sensor mounted on an exterior of the engine and an oxygen sensor located in the exhaust circuit. The fuel and air supply circuit may include a throttle body mounted on the engine and having a throttle valve to control the flow rate of air delivered to the engine, a fuel injector carried by the throttle body to deliver fuel to the engine and a fuel rail carried by at least one of the throttle body and the fuel injector and having an input to receive a supply of fuel and an outlet through which fuel is routed to the fuel injector. An engine control unit may be communicated with these components to control the fuel and air mixture provided to the engine as a function of the temperature and oxygen sensor outputs.

Claims (27)

1. A method of retrofitting an engine designed for use with a carbureted fuel supply system for use with a fuel injection fuel supply system, comprising:

attaching an engine temperature sensor to an exterior of the engine having an output signal indicative of the engine temperature;

providing an oxygen sensor in communication with an exhaust circuit of the engine where the oxygen sensor has an output signal indicative of the oxygen content of exhaust gases from the engine;

providing a throttle body with a throttle valve to control air flow to the engine;

providing a fuel injector to control fuel flow to the engine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel injector is carried by the throttle body so that fuel and air are delivered from the throttle body to the engine.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the engine includes an electronic control unit and the operation of at least one of the throttle valve and the fuel injector is controlled by the throttle body as a function of a signal provided by at least one of the oxygen sensor and the temperature sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of attaching an engine temperature sensor is accomplished without forming a void in any portion of the engine.

5. A method of operating an engine used with a fuel system having an engine position or speed sensor and an ignition module, the method comprising:

detecting engine rotation with the engine position or speed sensor;

determining the time period for engine revolutions;

comparing the time period for one engine revolution to the time period of the previous engine revolution;

determining a compression stroke from an exhaust stroke based on the compared engine revolution time periods; and

providing an ignition signal from the ignition module during the compression stroke and not during the exhaust stroke.

6. The method of claim 5 which also includes a fuel injector and wherein the fuel injector timing is controlled as a function of the determined compression and exhaust strokes.

7. The method of claim 5 which also includes an engine temperature sensor and wherein predetermined data relating to engine temperature at initial engine operation is used to adjust the flow rate of fuel delivered to the engine so the engine will be provided with a richer than normal air/fuel mixture for initial engine operation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein after starting the engine, the number of engine revolutions immediately after the engine has started are determined and a predetermined enriched air/fuel mixture is provided to the engine based on the temperature, the number of engine revolutions and the predetermined data.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the enrichment of the air/fuel mixture decreases to zero after 500 engine revolutions or less.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of comparing the time period for an engine revolution to the time period for a previous engine revolution is performed until a predetermined number of consecutive cycles yields the same engine revolution to be indicative of the compression stroke to ensure the determination of the compression and exhaust strokes is correct before an ignition signal associated with the exhaust stroke is eliminated.

11. A method of operating an engine used with a fuel system having an oxygen sensor and an engine control unit in communication with the exhaust sensor, the method comprising:

providing a predetermined air/fuel mixture to the engine;

providing a signal from the oxygen sensor to the engine control unit indicative of the oxygen content of exhaust gas discharged from the engine;

adjusting the air/fuel mixture provided to the engine to achieve a signal from the oxygen sensor denoted lambda;

comparing the actual air/fuel mixture needed to achieve lambda=1 to the predetermined air/fuel mixture to determine a correction value;

utilizing the correction value to alter the air/fuel mixture actually delivered to the engine from the predetermined air/fuel mixture for given operating conditions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the air/fuel mixture is varied in operation of the engine to vary lambda both above and below lambda=1.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein lambda is varied between 0.97 and 1.03.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2026
From: OVERDRIVE ACQUISITION, LLC
To: POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC.
Reel/Frame 075242/0950 →
STATEMENT REGARDING RELEASE OF LIENS IN PATENTS, INCLUDING LIEN IN FAVOR OF GLAS USA LLC RECORDED AT R/F 071674/0688 Recorded Mar 25, 2026
From: FIRST BRANDS GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC
To: WALBRO LLC (FORMERLY KNOWN AS WALBRO ENGINE MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 075247/0779 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 18, 2025
From: AIRTEX INDUSTRIES, LLC; AIRTEX PRODUCTS, LP; APC INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, LLC; APC PARENT, LLC; ASC INDUSTRIES, INC.; AUTOLITE OPERATIONS LLC; AVM EXPORT, INC.; BPI ACQUISITION COMPANY, LLC; BPI EC, LLC; BPI HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC CHINA LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC INDIA LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC LLC; CARDONE INDUSTRIES, INC.; CARRAND COMPANIES, INC.; CARTER CARBURETOR HOLDINGS, LLC; CARTER CARBURETOR, LLC; CARTER FUEL EXPORT, INC.; CARTER FUEL SYSTEMS, LLC; CHAMPION LABORATORIES, INC.; CWD HOLDING, LLC; CWD INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS I, LLC; CWD INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS II, LLC; CWD, LLC; DALTON CORPORATION; DALTON CORPORATION, KENDALLVILLE; MANUFACTURING FACILITY DALTON CORPORATION, ASHLAND; MANUFACTURING FACILITY DALTON CORPORATION, STRYKER MACHINING FACILITY CO.; DALTON CORPORATION, WARSAW MANUFACTURING FACILITY; EAGLE CASTING, LLC; EAGLE MACHINING, LLC; FIRST BRANDS GROUP INTERMEDIATE, LLC; FIRST BRANDS GROUP, LLC; FRAM GROUP IP LLC; FRAM GROUP OPERATIONS LLC; FRAMAUTO HOLDINGS, LLC; FUEL FILTER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; GLOBAL REMAN VENTURES, LLC; HEATHERTON HOLDINGS, LLC; HOPKINS ACQUISITION, INC.; HOPKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION; HORIZON EURO FINANCE LLC; HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; HORIZON GLOBAL COMPANY LLC; HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION; HORIZON INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC; IBI INTERNATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; INTERNATIONAL BRAKE INDUSTRIES, INC.; JASPER ACQUISITION CORP.; JASPER RUBBER PRODUCTS, INC.; KTRI HOLDINGS, INC.; KTRI OFFSHORE HOLDINGS, LLC; LONGMAN ENTERPRISES, INC.; PHNX ACQUISITION CORP.; PREMIER MARKETING GROUP, LLC; PYLON MANUFACTURING CORP.; PYLON SOUTH BEND, INC.; QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE, L.L.C.; QUALIS ENTERPRISES, LLC; QUALITOR ACQUISITION INC.; QUALITOR AUTOMOTIVE, LLC; QUALITOR SUBSIDIARY H, INC.; QUALITOR SUBSIDIARY S, INC.; QUALITOR, INC.; REMAN MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC; SDC TX, LLC; SMART CHOICE, LLC; SPECIALTY PUMPS GROUP, INC.; STRONGARM, LLC; TAE BRAKES, LLC; TAE CHINA HOLDINGS, INC.; TMD INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC; TMD MEXICO LLC; TOLEDO MOLDING & DIE, LLC; TRANSPORTATION AFTERMARKET ENTERPRISE, LLC; TRICO HOLDING CORPORATION; TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION; TRICO TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; TRIDONEX USA LLC; UCI ACQUISITION HOLDINGS (NO. 4) LLC; UCI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS PARENT, INC.; UCI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; UCI INTERNATIONAL, LLC; UCI PENNSYLVANIA, INC.; UCI-AIRTEX HOLDINGS, INC.; UNITED COMPONENTS, LLC; UNIVERSAL AUTO FILTER LLC; VIPER ACQUISITION I, INC.; VIPER ACQUISITION, INC.; WALBRO LLC; WALBRO MIDCO LLC; WEM US CO.
To: GLAS USA LLC
Reel/Frame 071674/0688 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2023
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WALBRO LLC
Reel/Frame 065198/0833 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2021
From: WALBRO LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058055/0101 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2016
From: GALKA, WILLIAM E.; ROCHE, BRADLEY J.; SPEIRS, DAVID L.; SWANSON, MARK S.; ZBYTOWSKI, ERIC G.
To: WALBRO LLC
Reel/Frame 038550/0234 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2016
From: CASONI, MASSIMO
To: WALBRO LLC
Reel/Frame 038550/0324 →
Continuity (3)
Division 13590500 · Aug 21, 2012
Provisional Application 61526906 · Aug 24, 2011
Related Publication 20160252039A1 · Sep 1, 2016