Controllable air intake system for an internal combustion engine and control process therefor

US6510832B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Filterwerk Mann & Hummel GmbH · DE
• Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Hermann Maurer · Oberstenfeld, DE
• Klaus Waltenberg · Steinheim an der Murr, DE
• Alfred Sadlauer · Leonding, AT
• Georg Novotny · Steyr, AT

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 26, 2001
• Grant date: Jan 28, 2003
• Expiry date: Oct 26, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F02M35/168
• WIPO field: Engines, pumps, turbines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An intake system for an internal combustion engine to avoid water intake, which includes a main air inlet (10), an auxiliary air inlet (11), and an air filter (12). In the main air inlet (10) there is a valve 16 to sealingly close the main air inlet (10) and a moisture sensor (15), which is connected so as to communicate with an evaluator (22) which, in turn, is connected to at least one other sensor (23) disposed outside the intake system and provided to detect other functions. Examples of possible other sensors (23) include rain sensors and/or temperature sensors. The sensor signals are coupled and or correlated in the evaluator (22), and in accordance with a logic which resides in the evaluator (22), a control signal is produced that opens or closes the main air inlet (10) by means of the valve (16), which can be moved into the respective open or closed positions by any of a number of diverse types of drives, such as, electrical, pneumatic, or electro-pneumatic drives.