Abstract:
A smart exhaust gas flow control apparatus comprises at least a control unit, a solenoid valve, a vacuum auxiliary storage tank, a valve located on an auxiliary exhaust pipe, a sensor set and an operation interface. The control unit receives control commands from the operation interface to control opening and closing of the valve to select an exhaust gas path according to requirements to discharge exhaust gas, thus can avert traffic jam caused by too slow of vehicle speed and can adjust exhaust gas flow amount according to different road conditions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a smart exhaust gas flow control apparatus and particularly to an apparatus that contains exhaust gas paths selectable according to requirements to avert traffic jam caused by slower vehicle speed and adjustable exhaust gas flow according to different road conditions. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Exhaust gas discharge conditions in vehicles affects engine running efficiency. On the general diesel engine vehicle exhaust gas discharge problem caused by carbon clogging in the catalyst converter often results in dropping of engine efficiency and slow down of vehicle speed. In urbane area such a problem causes serious traffic jam. Moreover, regulations on noise, exhaust gas pollution and speed of motor vehicles are different in urban areas and suburbs. Driver&#39;s requirements for motor power and feeling also are different. All this has some relations with exhaust gas flow of the exhaust pipe. For instance, climbing a hill at country site requires enhanced acceleration and power, hence must have more exhaust gas flow to meet actual requirement. Diving in city area demands lower noise and pollution, thus exhaust gas discharge is restricted. The conventional exhaust pipe has a fixed amount of exhaust gas discharge and cannot be dynamically adjusted to suit driving requirements of different road conditions. Although adjustable exhaust pipe has long been developed and introduced in the industry, it still has a big drawback, i.e. the driver has to stop the vehicle and get off the car to adjust the exhaust gas flow of the exhaust pipe with a tool, and is inconvenient and troublesome. To remedy this problem, Applicant has proposed a technique disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,390. It includes a controller to control open and close of a valve. It greatly improves usability over the conventional manual approach. But it still does not provide fully automatic control. There is room for improvement. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In view of the aforesaid problem, the present invention aims to provide a smart exhaust gas flow control apparatus that provides exhaust gas paths selectable according to requirements to avert traffic jam caused by slower vehicle speed and adjustable exhaust gas flow according to different road conditions. 
         [0006]    To achieve the foregoing object the present invention comprises at least a control unit, a solenoid valve, a vacuum auxiliary storage tank, a valve located on an auxiliary exhaust pipe, a sensor set and an operation interface. The control unit receives control commands from the operation interface to control open and close of the valve to discharge gas according a selected exhaust gas path based on requirements. 
         [0007]    The operation interface is located on a vehicle body (such as steering wheel or dashboard), and includes at least a manual control button and an automatic control button. 
         [0008]    In one aspect, the operation interface is a remote controller, and includes at least a manual control button and an automatic control button. 
         [0009]    The control unit performs automatic control based on at least one detection value provided by the sensor set. The sensor set contains a first sensor to detect the cam shaft RPM (rotation per minute) of a vehicle engine. 
         [0010]    The control unit, aside from performing automatic control based on the detected value of the first sensor, also has a second sensor to detect exhaust gas flow amount discharged by an exhaust pipe set. 
         [0011]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a structural block diagram of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the invention showing the auxiliary exhaust pipe in a closed condition. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the invention showing the auxiliary exhaust pipe in an open condition. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the valve of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the invention showing the valve in closed condition- 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the invention showing the valve in closed condition- 2 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the invention showing the valve in open condition- 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of the invention showing the valve in open condition- 2 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention in operating condition- 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention in operating condition- 2 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the operation interface of the invention 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    Please refer to  FIG. 1  for the structural block diagram of the invention (also refer to  FIG. 2  for an embodiment of the invention). The present invention aims to provide a smart exhaust gas flow control apparatus A which comprises at least a control unit  1 , a solenoid valve  2 , a vacuum auxiliary storage tank  3 , a valve  4 , a sensor set  5  and an operation interface  6 . 
         [0024]    The control unit  1  provides comparison, process and memory functions, and receives detection values from the sensor set  5  and control signals from the operation interface  6  to control operation of the solenoid valve  2 . 
         [0025]    The solenoid valve  2  receives the control signals from the control unit  1  to change valve position for opening or closing. 
         [0026]    The vacuum auxiliary storage tank  3  is a closed tank and forms a negative interior pressure, and is coupled with a first connection tube  31  and a second connection tube  32 . The first connection tube  31  has another end connecting to an engine vacuum tube  9  of a vehicle. The second connection tube  32  is connected to the solenoid valve  2  and has another end connecting to the valve  4  (referring to  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0027]    The valve  4  is located on an auxiliary exhaust pipe  72  of an exhaust pipe set  7 , and includes a valve holder  43  connecting to an adapter box  42  and a vacuum valve  41  (referring to  FIG. 4 ). The valve holder  43  has a throttle plate  434  movable in a throttle duct  433  to control exhaust gas flow paths. 
         [0028]    The sensor set  5  includes at least one sensor. 
         [0029]    The operation interface  6  aims to enter the control signals to the control unit  1  to drive the solenoid valve  2  to switch valve position to control open and close of the valve  4 . It has at least a manual control button  61  and an automatic control button  62 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the valve holder  43  includes a left holding plate  431 , a left coupling duct  432 , the throttle duct  433 , a right coupling duct  436  and a right holding plate  437  in this order. The throttle plate  434  is held in the throttle duct  433  and controlled by a control bar  435  to control whether exhaust gas to pass through the throttle duct  433 . The adapter box  42  of the valve  4  includes a base  421  and a casing  422  to form a chamber  420  inside (referring to  FIG. 5 ) to house a first fastening hole  426  of a picking blade  425  coupled on an upper section of the control bar  435 . The picking blade  425  has a second fastening hole  427  coupled on a lower section of a second strut  424 . The second strut  424  has an upper section fastened to a first strut  423 . The vacuum valve  41  is divided by a membrane  410  to form a front chamber  413  and a rear chamber  414 . The membrane  410  has one side connected to an action bar  411  which runs through the front chamber  413  to connect to the first strut  423 . The rear chamber  414  houses a spring  416  inside and has an aperture  417  connecting to the first connection tube  31 . The front chamber  413  further has a gas discharge orifice  415 . 
         [0031]    By means of the structure set forth above, in the event that a greater amount of exhaust gas flow is needed on the exhaust pipe set  7  or carbon clogging occurred to a main exhaust pipe  71 , the valve  4  on the auxiliary exhaust pipe  72  has to be opened to allow the exhaust gas to pass through the auxiliary exhaust pipe  72  (referring to  FIG. 3 ) corresponding to the adjusted exhaust gas path. Operation can be controlled in three approaches: 
         [0032]    1. Push the manual control button  61  on the operation interface  6  to send an open (ON) signal to the control unit  1 . The control unit  1  receives the signal, then drives the solenoid valve  2  to move a flow divider  21  to an open position. Meanwhile, air in the vacuum auxiliary storage tank  3  is drawn out through the first connection tube  31  and the rear chamber  414  of the vacuum valve  41  due to the negative pressure; the membrane  410  compresses the spring  416  to move the action bar  411 , first strut  423 , second strut  424  and picking blade  425  so that the control bar  435  rotates to open the throttle plate  434  (ON) as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  7  and  8  to allow the exhaust gas to be discharged through the auxiliary exhaust pipe  72 . 
         [0033]    2. By pushing the automatic control button  62  on the operation interface  6  an open (ON) signal can be sent to the control unit  1 . The control unit  1 , based on the detected value (namely the RPM of the cam shaft  8 ) obtained by the first sensor  51  at that moment, sets that when the current and upcoming vehicle speed has reached that RPM the control unit  1  automatically drives the solenoid valve  2  to control the flow divider  21  to move the valve at the open position. Other processes are same as those discussed at item  1  above, including the vacuum auxiliary storage tank  3  interacts with the vacuum valve  41  to open (ON) the throttle plate  434 . 
         [0034]    3. By pushing the automatic control button  62  on the operation interface  6  another open (ON) signal can be sent to the control unit  1 . The control unit  1 , based on the detected value (i.e. the exhaust gas flow amount of the exhaust pipe set  7 ) obtained by the second sensor  52  at that moment, sets that when the current and upcoming exhaust gas flow amount has reached that amount the control unit  1  automatically drives the solenoid valve  2  to control the flow divider  21  to move the valve at the open position. Other processes are same as those discussed at item  1  above, including the vacuum auxiliary storage tank  3  interacts with the vacuum valve  41  to open the throttle plate  434  (ON). 
         [0035]    When the automatic control button  62  is pushed to open and discharge the exhaust gas through the auxiliary exhaust pipe  72 , the control unit  1  automatically sets and remember the detected value measured at that moment. The detected value serves as a setting value. Thereafter, whenever the RPM or exhaust gas discharge amount has reached that setting value the valve  4  will be automatically opened (ON). If to change the vehicle speed or exhaust gas amount is desired, push the automatic control button  62  again, the process of executing and memorizing a new set value is performed. 
         [0036]    When the manual control button  61  is pushed to close (OFF) or the vehicle speed or exhaust gas flow amount does not reach the set value, the control unit  1  drives the solenoid valve  2  to control the flow divider  21  to move the valve at the closed (OFF) position. As the membrane  410  and spring  416  in the vacuum valve  41  are no longer subject to the action of the negative vacuum pressure, the spring  416  provides a return elastic force to drive the membrane  410 , action bar  411 , first strut  423 , second strut  424  and picking blade  425  to move the control bar  435  to rotate in the reverse direction so that the throttle plate  434  is moved to a closed (OFF) condition, and the path of the auxiliary exhaust pipe  72  also is closed (referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  6 ); meanwhile the air in the front chamber  413  of the vacuum valve  41  is discharged through the gas discharge orifice  415 . 
         [0037]    Please refer to  FIGS. 9 and 10  for an embodiment of the invention adopted for use on a diesel vehicle. It includes an exhaust pipe set  7 ′ with a main exhaust pipe  71 ′ and a catalyst converter  73 ′ located thereon to filter out impurities in the exhaust gas and eliminate noise. It also has an auxiliary exhaust pipe  72 ′ with a valve  4  located thereon.  FIG. 9  shows a general exhaust gas discharge condition. In the event that exhaust gas discharge difficulty takes place or in a road outside city area, the auxiliary exhaust pipe  72  discussed in the previous embodiment and shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  can be activated to discharge the exhaust gas. The technical measure is same as the previous embodiment, thus details are omitted here. 
         [0038]    The operation interface  6  of the invention may also be implemented in a wireless fashion (referring to  FIG. 2 ). In such an environment the operation interface  6  is a remote controller. The control unit  1  contains a signal receiver  11  to receive the control signals sent by the operation interface  6 . Moreover, referring to another embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , the operation interface  6 ′ may also be connected to the control unit  1  through line connection. The control signals sent by the operation interface  6 ′ through the manual control button  61 ′ or automatic control button  62 ′ can control operation of the control unit  1 . The operation interface  6 ′ is preferably located on the steering wheel or dashboard. 
         [0039]    While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.