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:
Aug. 06, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 07, 2000
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A hybrid vehicle is provided in which even if the temperature of a catalyst is decreased after a long period of travel by means of a motor, the temperature of the catalyst can be increased immediately and the exhaust of harmful materials can be suppressed. A hybrid vehicle having a normal travel mode as a travel mode in which travel is conducted while switching between motor travel and engine travel in accordance with the degree of the depression of an accelerator, comprising: a switching device being capable of switching between the normal travel mode and a specific travel mode in which travel is conducted only by means of an engine irrespective of the degree of the depression of the accelerator; an activity detector for detecting activity of a catalyst provided in the exhaust system of the engine employed in the engine travel; and a determination device for determining whether or not the catalyst is activated; wherein when the determination device determines that the catalyst is not activated, the switching device compels the switching of the travel mode to the specific travel mode engine.