Patent ID: 6237546
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: F01L,F02D

Abstract:
A method of operating an internal combustion engine with fuel injection including a piston movably disposed in a cylinder, gas change valves and electromagnetic actuators for operating said gas change valves, a control unit for controlling actuation of said gas change valves, a direction of movement switch for providing to said control unit a signal indicating the desired direction of rotation of said internal combustion engine, and a direction of rotation monitor associated with said engine for providing a direction of rotation signal and a stand still signal of said engine, as well as a signal indicating the position of the respective piston and supplying said signals to said control unit for the processing of said signals to form a control signal controlling said electromagnetic actuators, wherein, upon changing the position of said direction of movement switch to reverse the direction of movement of the vehicle by driving the vehicle with reverse rotation of said engine, the engine is uncoupled from an associated drive line, the fuel injection and, if the engine has an external ignition system, the ignition is interrupted and the internal combustion engine is braked at a rate exceeding the vehicle slow-down rate and, when the engine speed falls below a predetermined value, the intake valve and exhaust valve opening and closing times are changed in accordance with the desired direction of rotation, fuel injection and ignition are reestablished also in accordance with the desired direction of rotation, the engine is restarted in the opposite direction of rotation all while the vehicle is still being slowed down and, the engine is then re-coupled to said drive line when the travel speed of a vehicle, in which the engine is installed, falls below a predetermined value.