Oil dilution inhibiting apparatus and method

Abstract

An oil dilution inhibiting apparatus is mounted on a vehicle provided with an engine in which alcohol fuel can be used, the oil dilution inhibiting apparatus provided with: an intake amount integrating device for integrating amount of an air sucked into the engine while the engine is in operation, thereby calculating an integrated intake amount; a temperature detecting device for detecting oil temperature of engine oil of the engine; and a controlling device for controlling the vehicle to move into an oil heating mode in which the oil temperature is increased in such conditions that the calculated integrated intake amount is greater than an integrated intake amount threshold value and that the detected oil temperature is less than a first temperature threshold value.

1 . An oil dilution inhibiting apparatus mounted on a vehicle comprising an engine in which alcohol fuel can be used, said oil dilution inhibiting apparatus comprising:
 an intake amount integrating device for integrating amount of an air sucked into the engine while the engine is in operation, thereby calculating an integrated intake amount;   a temperature detecting device for detecting oil temperature of engine oil of the engine; and   a controlling device for controlling the vehicle to move into an oil heating mode in which the oil temperature is increased in such conditions that the calculated integrated intake amount is greater than an integrated intake amount threshold value and that the detected oil temperature is less than a first temperature threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The oil dilution inhibiting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said controlling device
 includes a judging device for judging whether or not the calculated integrated intake amount is greater than the integrated intake amount threshold value and whether or not the detected oil temperature is less than the first temperature threshold value, and   controls the vehicle to move into the oil heating mode if it is judged that the calculated integrated intake amount is greater than the integrated intake amount threshold value and if it is judged that the detected oil temperature is less than the first temperature threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The oil dilution inhibiting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a duration detecting device for detecting a time in which the vehicle continues to be in the oil heating mode, and
 said controlling device controlling the vehicle to maintain the oil heating mode in such conditions that the detected oil temperature is less than a second temperature threshold value and that the detected time is less than a duration threshold value.   
     
     
         4 . The oil dilution inhibiting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vehicle state detecting device for detecting a vehicle state of the vehicle;   an oil-level height detecting device capable of detecting oil-level height of the engine oil in an oil pan of the engine; and   a duration detecting device for detecting a time in which the vehicle continues to be in the oil heating mode,   said controlling device controlling said oil-level height detecting device to detect the oil-level height in such a condition that the detected vehicle state is a predetermined state, said controlling device controlling the vehicle to continue the oil heating mode in such conditions that the detected oil-level height is greater than a height threshold value, that the detected oil temperature is less than a second temperature threshold value, and that the detected time is less than a duration threshold value.   
     
     
         5 . The oil dilution inhibiting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a high oil temperature time integrating device for integrating a time in which the detected oil temperature is an oil temperature greater than a third temperature threshold value, thereby calculating an integrated high oil temperature time; and   a duration detecting time for detecting a time in which the vehicle continues to be in the oil heating mode,   said controlling device controlling the vehicle to continue the oil heating mode in such conditions that the calculated integrated high oil temperature time is less than an integrated time threshold value, that the detected oil temperature is less than a second temperature threshold value, and that the detected time is less than a duration threshold value.   
     
     
         6 . The oil dilution inhibiting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the engine includes a heating device capable of heating the engine oil, and   the oil heating mode is a mode in which the engine oil is heated by the heating device to increase the oil temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The oil dilution inhibiting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil heating mode is a mode in which the engine is continuously operated to increase the oil temperature. 
     
     
         8 . An oil dilution inhibiting method in an oil dilution inhibiting apparatus mounted on a vehicle comprising an engine in which alcohol fuel can be used, said oil dilution inhibiting method comprising:
 an intake amount integrating process of integrating amount of an air sucked into the engine while the engine is in operation, thereby calculating an integrated intake amount;   a temperature detecting process of detecting oil temperature of engine oil of the engine; and   a controlling process of controlling the vehicle to move into an oil heating mode in which the oil temperature is increased in such conditions that the calculated integrated intake amount is greater than an integrated intake amount threshold value and that the detected oil temperature is less than a first temperature threshold value.