IP Library Granted Patent US 11,313,328
Granted Patent B2
US 11,313,328 · App. 16/089,103 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

Fuel supply system for engine warm-up

Inventors: Hiroki Ogasawara (Ogawara-Machi, JP); Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Shibata-county, JP)
Assignee: Walbro LLC
F02M1/10F02D41/064F02D41/067F02M1/08F02B25/10F02M17/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,313,328
App. No.
16/089,103
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In at least one implementation, a method of operating a combustion engine, includes determining a temperature equal or related to a temperature of an engine at an engine start and comparing the determined temperature to a temperature threshold, determining if an engine operating condition exceeds an engine threshold within a threshold time after the engine was started, and if the determined temperature is below the threshold temperature and the engine operating condition remains above the engine threshold and the threshold time has not passed, providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine.

Claims (25)

1. A method of operating a combustion engine, comprising:

comparing a determined temperature, that is equal or related to a temperature of the engine at an engine start, to a temperature threshold;

determining engine speed and comparing the engine speed to a threshold speed;

determining if a time since the engine was started is less than a threshold time, where the threshold time is set as a function of the determined temperature; and

if the determined temperature is below the threshold temperature and the engine speed is above the threshold speed, and the time since the engine was started is less than the threshold time, providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold speed includes an engine speed that is at least 1,000 rpm greater than a nominal idle speed of the engine.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold speed includes an engine speed that is between 3,500 rpm and wide open throttle engine operation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold speed includes an engine speed that is at least 25% greater than a nominal idle speed of the engine.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold time is between 10 and 200 seconds.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing an enriched fuel and air mixture includes opening a valve associated with a charge forming device to provide additional fuel into a fuel and air mixture provided from the charge forming device than is provided when the valve is closed.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the valve is selectively opened and closed during the threshold time when the engine speed is greater than a speed threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing an enriched fuel and air mixture includes closing a valve associated with an air passage to reduce air within a fuel and air mixture delivered to the engine.

9. The method of claim 1 which also includes the step of providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine when the engine speed is below a speed threshold and the time since the engine was started is less than a warm-up time threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold temperature is between −5° C. and 15° C.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine is accomplished as a function of at least one of the time since the engine was started and the difference between the determined temperature and the threshold temperature.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel and air mixture is provided to the engine by a charge forming device having a throttle valve and wherein the engine threshold relates to the position of the throttle valve relative to a position of the throttle valve when the engine is operating at a nominal engine idle speed.

13. The method of claim 1 which also includes determining cycle-to-cycle engine speed deviation and providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine when the determined cycle-to-cycle engine speed deviation is greater than a maximum cycle-to-cycle engine speed deviation.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold time is between 10 and 200 seconds and the threshold temperature is between −5° C. and 15° C.

15. A method of operating a combustion engine, comprising:

determining a temperature equal or related to a temperature of the engine at an engine start and comparing the determined temperature to a temperature threshold;

determining if an engine operating condition exceeds an engine threshold within a threshold time after the engine was started; and

if the determined temperature is below the threshold temperature and the engine operating condition remains above the engine threshold and the threshold time has not passed, providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine, wherein the step of providing an enriched fuel and air mixture includes opening a valve associated with a charge forming device to provide additional fuel into a fuel and air mixture provided from the charge forming device than is provided when the valve is closed, wherein the valve is selectively opened and closed during the threshold time when the engine speed is greater than a speed threshold, and wherein the valve is repeatedly opened for a first period of time and closed the remainder of the time within the threshold time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the valve is open for at least 10 percent of the engine revolutions within the threshold time.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first period of time includes one or more engine revolutions and the second period of time includes a greater number of engine revolutions than the first period of time.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the valve is open for at least 1 revolution out of every 10 to 100 revolutions.

Assignments (6)
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 Sep 27, 2018
From: OGASAWARA, HIROKI; WATANABE, TSUYOSHI
To: WALBRO LLC
Reel/Frame 046996/0645 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62314045 · Mar 28, 2016
Related Publication 20190113004A1 · Apr 18, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,631,152