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:
Jun. 07, 2005
Filed:
Jan. 27, 2003
Hideaki Kobayashi, Yokohama, JP;
Rie Takatsuto, Yokohama, JP;
Masato Kobayashi, Yokohama, JP;
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama, JP;
Abstract
An air/fuel ratio sensor () and a three-way catalytic converter (A) having an oxygen storage function are provided in an exhaust passage () of an internal combustion engine (). A controller () runs the engine () under the alternating application of a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and a rich air/fuel ratio, and a diagnosis of deterioration in the air/fuel ratio sensor () is performed on the basis of the amplitude of variation in the air/fuel ratio detected by the air/fuel ratio sensor (). By executing the diagnosis only immediately after a fuel cut, the amount of oxygen stored in the three-way catalytic converter (A) at the start point of the diagnosis is equal to the maximum amount. When the rich air/fuel ratio is applied, the converter (A) releases the stored oxygen to maintain the exhaust gas purification performance of the converter ().