Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080282779 | FUEL PROPERTY DETECTOR - A fuel property sensor is provided with three bypass passages and a measure passage. The measure passage is located inside of a closed loop which is comprised of common tangential lines of adjacent bypass passages and a part of profile line of each bypass passage in a cross section perpendicular to the measure passage. Even if the fuel property sensor is rotated around the axis of a fuel pipe in assembling the fuel property sensor to the fuel pipe, at least one of two bypass passages is always located above the measure passage in a vertical direction. Hence, bubbles included in the fuel are restricted from flowing into the measure passage. The fuel property sensor can detect the concentration of ethanol contained in the fuel with high accuracy. | 11-20-2008 |
20090107215 | ALCOHOL DENSITY SENSOR DISPOSED IN FUEL TANK OF AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE - An alcohol density sensor for detecting an alcohol density in mixture fuel composed of petroleum-fuel and alcohol is installed in a fuel tank of an automotive vehicle. The alcohol density sensor includes a pair of electrodes immersed in the mixture fuel and a conductor portion for connecting the electrodes to a control unit having a circuit board. The conductor portion is composed of a first conductor portion integrally formed with the electrode and a second conductor portion connected to the first conductor portion. The first conductor portion is led out of a casing containing the electrodes and liquid-tightly sealed at a first through-hole formed in the casing. The second conductor portion is led out of the fuel tank through a second through-hole formed in the fuel tank. Since the first through-hole is sufficiently sealed to prevent pressurized mixture fuel in the casing from leaking into an inner space of the fuel tank, sealing of the second through-hole can be simplified. | 04-30-2009 |
20090193873 | FUEL PROPERTY SENSOR AND FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY - A fuel property sensor, which is installed to a fuel tank of a fuel tank assembly, senses a property of fuel at the fuel tank. First and second electrodes of the fuel property sensor are made of an electrically conductive material and are exposed in a fuel flow passage in a housing of the fuel property sensor such that the first and second electrodes are generally parallel to a flow direction of fuel in the fuel flow passage and are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. The fuel property sensor determines the property of the fuel based on a capacitance, which is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode. | 08-06-2009 |
20100059020 | FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM AND FUEL SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - At the time of shifting a fuel property value associated with a first imaginary passage cell as a fuel property value associated with a second imaginary passage cell located on the downstream side thereof, the fuel property value associated with the second imaginary passage cell is corrected in a controller by computing a difference between the fuel property value associated with the first imaginary passage cell and the fuel property value associated with the second imaginary passage cell and multiplying the difference by a correction coefficient. A stoichiometric air/fuel ratio is computed in the controller based on the fuel property value, which is associated with a last one of the imaginary passage cells. Fuel injection of an injector is controlled by the controller based on a computed injection quantity of fuel, which is computed based on the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. | 03-11-2010 |
20100156443 | FUEL-ASPECT SENSOR - An object of the invention is to provide a fuel-aspect sensor having higher detection accuracy. A first electrode is inserted into a hole formed in a first housing member. A cylindrical second electrode is inserted into and firmly fixed to the first electrode by a cylindrical insulating member. A first elastic member, for example, made of rubber, is arranged between the first electrode and a second housing member. The first electrode has a large-diameter portion, which is biased by the first elastic member toward a sealing surface formed on an inner wall of the hole, so as to fluid-tightly seal a space between the first electrode and the second housing member. | 06-24-2010 |
20100157302 | LIQUID FUEL PROPERTY DETECTION SYSTEM - A liquid fuel property detection apparatus includes a fuel passage, a light emitting device for emitting a light including a plurality of predetermined wavelengths toward the fuel in the passage, a light receiving device for receiving the light passing through the fuel, and a calculation unit for calculating the concentration of at least one of aroma, paraffin and olefin, which are hydrocarbon component components contained in the fuel. The calculation unit calculates the concentration of a specific component, which is one of aroma, paraffin and olefin, based on the reference transmittance of light in the specific component and the actual transmittance calculated from the amount of light emitted by the light emitting device and the amount of light received by the light receiving device with respect to each wavelength of the light. | 06-24-2010 |
20100229638 | FUEL PROPERTY DETECTION DEVICE - In a fuel property detection device, a fuel housing is made of a thin-plate metal member that can be elastically-deformed by a fuel pressure in a fuel chamber. Thus, if the fuel pressure in the fuel chamber is increased, the fuel housing expands and the pressure in the fuel chamber is decreased. Further, if the fuel pressure in the fuel chamber is decreased, the fuel housing contracts and the pressure in the fuel chamber is increased. That is, the fuel housing functions as a kind of damper. Therefore, in the fuel property detection device, generation of abnormal noise due to fuel pulsation or the like, and a positional change of the electrodes due to the fuel pulsation or the like can be prevented. | 09-16-2010 |
20100244857 | FUEL PROPERTY SENSOR - In a fuel property sensor, a pair of first and second electrodes is arranged in a fuel chamber to measure an electric capacitance, thereby detecting a mixing ratio of alcohol to gasoline in a fuel of the fuel chamber. An outer wall surface of the first electrode is exposed in the fuel, and a sensing portion contacts an inner wall surface of the first electrode to detect a temperature of the fluid via the first electrode. One end portion of a lead is connected to the sensing portion and the other end portion thereof is connected to a plate portion attached to a housing. Furthermore, an elastic deformation portion is provided as a part of the lead to be elastically deformed, and to cause the sensing portion to be biased in a direction on which the sensing portion contacts the inner wall surface of the first electrode. | 09-30-2010 |
20120126835 | FUEL SENSOR - An outer electrode projects from an opening, which is formed in an upper inner wall of a fuel passage, into the fuel passage. The fuel passage is adapted to conduct fuel generally in a horizontal direction. The outer electrode includes a fuel chamber in an inside of the outer electrode. An inner electrode is placed in the fuel chamber. A sensing circuit senses an alcohol concentration of the fuel based on an electrical property between the outer electrode and the inner electrode and a fuel temperature, which is sensed with a thermistor. The outer electrode includes a blocking portion and communication holes. The blocking portion limits intrusion of air bubbles, which flow along the upper inner wall of the fuel passage, into the communication holes. | 05-24-2012 |
20120181174 | FUEL SENSOR - A fuel sensor includes a passage forming unit, an outer electrode, an inner electrode, and a fuel characteristic detecting device. The passage forming unit defines a fuel passage and a receiving hole intersecting with the fuel passage perpendicularly. The outer electrode having a cylindrical shape is accommodated in the receiving hole, and includes first and second flow ports, which communicate with an inlet side part and an outlet side part of the fuel passage in a radial direction of the outer electrode respectively. The inner electrode is disposed radially inward of the outer electrode. The fuel characteristic detecting device detects an electrical characteristic of fuel flowing through an inner passage which is formed between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. Passage resistance against fuel is larger along an outer passage, which is formed between the outer electrode and the passage forming unit, than along the inner passage. | 07-19-2012 |
20120248763 | TUBULAR-MEMBER MOUNTING DEVICE - A tubular member has one end inserted in a fluid passage of a passage member through an insertion hole. The tubular member includes a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion therebetween having a step defining an inclined portion. The inclined portion is inclined from the radially outside toward the radially inside. A lock member is held by a holding portion located on the radially outside of the insertion hole. The lock member urges the inclined portion radially inward and applies force to the inclined portion to move the tubular member in the axial direction, thereby to cause the outer surface of the tubular member to urge a regulating portion to cause the regulating portion to regulate movement of the tubular member in the axial direction. | 10-04-2012 |
20130033275 | FUEL PROPERTY DETECTION DEVICE - A first electrode has a fuel passage. A second electrode defines a predetermined gap with the first electrode in the fuel passage. A third electrode defines a predetermined gap with the second electrode in the fuel passage. The first electrode and the second electrode form a first capacitance therebetween. The second electrode and the third electrode form a second capacitance therebetween. A circuit portion is configured to compute a property of fuel in the fuel passage according to the first capacitance and the second capacitance. | 02-07-2013 |
20130213118 | FUEL PROPERTY DETECTING DEVICE - A fuel property detecting device includes a passage member, an electrode holding member, a first electrode having a distal end part on a fuel passage-side immersed in fuel in the fuel passage, a second electrode formed radially inward of the first electrode in a tubular shape to extend in an axial direction, spaced away from the first electrode, and having one end part on the fuel passage-side immersed in fuel in the first electrode, an elastic member, and an insulating member. The elastic member is located on the fuel passage-side relative to the holding member to liquid-tightly seal a clearance between the first electrode and the passage member. The insulating member is located on the fuel passage-side relative to the holding member and disposed between the one end part and the other end part of the second electrode to liquid-tightly seal a clearance between the first and second electrodes. | 08-22-2013 |
20140020451 | FUEL PROPERTY SENSOR - A fuel property sensor includes an electrode portion, a first thermistor, a second thermistor, and a circuit portion. The electrode portion detects an electrostatic capacity varied according to an ethanol concentration in fuel as a fuel characteristic. The first thermistor is disposed in a flowing area inside the electrode portion, where the fuel flows through. The second thermistor is disposed in a non-flowing area where no fuel flows through. The circuit portion which computes the ethanol concentration based on the electrostatic capacity, a first detection value detected by the first thermistor, and a second detection value detected by the second thermistor. Thus, a fuel temperature can be properly detected, and a detection accuracy of the fuel characteristic can be improved. | 01-23-2014 |
20140020452 | FUEL PROPERTY SENSOR - A fuel property sensor has an external electrode, an internal electrode, a temperature detecting device, a holder portion, a sealing portion, and a calculation unit. The external electrode includes a passage portion and a projecting portion. The internal electrode is disposed in the passage portion of the external electrode at a predetermined distance from an inner wall of the passage portion and the internal electrode. The temperature detecting device detects a fuel temperature. The holder portion is disposed in the projecting portion of the external electrode and holds the temperature detecting device therein, and the holder portion and the projecting portion define a transfer passage. The sealing portion insulates the external electrode and the holder portion from each other, and prevents fuel flowing in the transfer passage from leaking outside. The calculation unit calculates fuel properties and electrical characteristics of fuel flowing between the external electrode and the internal electrode. | 01-23-2014 |
20140023115 | FUEL PROPERTY SENSOR - A fuel property sensor includes an external electrode, an internal electrode, a temperature detecting device, a holder portion, a sealing portion. The external electrode includes a passage portion and a projecting portion to define a transfer passage through which fuel flows. The internal electrode is disposed in the passage portion of the external electrode. The temperature detecting device detects a fuel temperature. The holder portion holds the temperature detecting device. The holder portion has a bottomed-cylindrical shape and disposed in the transfer passage and the through-hole of the internal electrode, or the holder portion has a cylindrical shape and disposed in the transfer passage. The sealing portion seals the transfer passage and prevents fuel flowing in the transfer passage from leaking outside. | 01-23-2014 |
20140095054 | FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - At the time of shifting a fuel property value associated with a first imaginary passage cell as a fuel property value associated with a second imaginary passage cell located on the downstream side thereof, the fuel property value associated with the second imaginary passage cell is corrected in a controller by computing a difference between the fuel property value associated with the first imaginary passage cell and the fuel property value associated with the second imaginary passage cell and multiplying the difference by a correction coefficient. A stoichiometric air/fuel ratio is computed in the controller based on the fuel property value, which is associated with a last one of the imaginary passage cells. Fuel injection of an injector is controlled by the controller based on a computed injection quantity of fuel, which is computed based on the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. | 04-03-2014 |