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:
Aug. 22, 2003
Shunsuke Toshioka, Numazu, JP;
Shinya Hirota, Susono, JP;
Yoshimitsu Henda, Numazu, JP;
Kazuhiro Itoh, Mishima, JP;
Takamitsu Asanuma, Susono, JP;
Koichi Kimura, Nagoya, JP;
Yasuaki Nakano, Sunto-gun, JP;
Koichiro Nakatani, Mishima, JP;
Akira Mikami, Susono, JP;
Takanori Ueda, Susono, JP;
Shunsuke Toshioka, Numazu, JP;
Shinya Hirota, Susono, JP;
Yoshimitsu Henda, Numazu, JP;
Kazuhiro Itoh, Mishima, JP;
Takamitsu Asanuma, Susono, JP;
Koichi Kimura, Nagoya, JP;
Yasuaki Nakano, Sunto-gun, JP;
Koichiro Nakatani, Mishima, JP;
Akira Mikami, Susono, JP;
Takanori Ueda, Susono, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
Exhaust emission control apparatus and method for an internal combustion engine maintain a small amount of sulfur components contained in exhaust gas flowing out of a sulfur component retainer agent even if the amount of sulfur components retained by the agent becomes great. The exhaust emission control apparatus includes a NOx retainer agent and the sulfur component retainer agent. The apparatus performs a NOx releasing process of adjusting the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the sulfur component retainer agent so that the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the NOx retainer agent becomes substantially stoichiometric or rich of stoichiometry if NOx retained by the NOx retainer agent is to be released. The apparatus prohibits the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the sulfur component retainer agent from becoming substantially stoichiometric or rich of stoichiometry if the amount of the sulfur components retained by the agent is at least a first predetermined amount.