Patent ID: 7178496

Claim:
An intake manifold for conducting air into an engine, comprising: a manifold body, including: a manifold inlet, a plurality of manifold outlets, a plurality of plenum chambers which receives air entering the manifold inlet, and at least two runners for each manifold outlet, wherein each runner conveys air from at least one plenum chamber to its respective manifold outlet and at least one of the at least two runners has a shorter length than another of the at least two runners; a rotary valve disposed in the manifold body between at least two plenum chambers and between an inlet end of each of the short runners and a wall of the manifold body, said rotary valve controlling air flow between plenum chambers and controlling air flow from the plenum chambers into each of the short runners; and a rotary valve actuator, wherein the rotary valve actuator actuates the rotary valve between at least three positions, including a first position which prevents air flow into the short runners and prevents air flow between at least two plenum chambers, a second position which prevents air flow into the short runners and permits air flow between at least two plenum chambers, and a third position which permits air flow into the short runners and permits air flow between at least two plenum chambers.