The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1996
Noritake Mitsutani, Toyota, JP;
Shin Adachi, Toyota, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
The device according to the present invention determines whether the catalytic converter has deteriorated based on the outputs of an upstream air-fuel ratio sensor and a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor only when the flow rate of the intake air is within an allowable flow range. Further, the allowable range is determined in accordance with operating conditions of the engine, for example, the temperature of the catalytic converter. Since the O.sub.2 storage capability of the catalytic converter changes in accordance with the temperature of the catalytic converter, different determination results may be obtained for the same catalytic converter if the determination is carried out at different temperature. In this invention, for example, the flow range is selected in accordance with the temperature of the catalytic converter in such a manner that a normal catalytic converter is always determined as being normal and a deteriorated catalytic converter is always determined as being deteriorated. Therefore, in the present invention, the deterioration of the catalytic converter is correctly determined regardless of a change in the operating conditions of the engine.