CA1086816A - Opto-electronic ignition systems - Google Patents

Opto-electronic ignition systems

Info

Publication number
CA1086816A
CA1086816A CA291,124A CA291124A CA1086816A CA 1086816 A CA1086816 A CA 1086816A CA 291124 A CA291124 A CA 291124A CA 1086816 A CA1086816 A CA 1086816A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
photo
transistor
opto
collector
electronic ignition
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA291,124A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
John P. Coates
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lumenition Ltd
Original Assignee
Lumenition Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lumenition Ltd filed Critical Lumenition Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1086816A publication Critical patent/CA1086816A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02PIGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P7/00Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices
    • F02P7/06Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices of circuit-makers or -breakers, or pick-up devices adapted to sense particular points of the timing cycle
    • F02P7/073Optical pick-up devices
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02PIGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P3/00Other installations
    • F02P3/02Other installations having inductive energy storage, e.g. arrangements of induction coils
    • F02P3/04Layout of circuits
    • F02P3/0407Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with electronic switching means
    • F02P3/0435Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with electronic switching means with semiconductor devices

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Combustion Methods Of Internal-Combustion Engines (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An opto-electronic ignition system of the type disclosed in our Canadian Patent Application No. 256,761 in which the improvements are:-(a) a reverse diode across the infra-red lamp;
(b) a capacitor connected in parallel with the protective zener diode associated with the power Darlington pair; and (c) a Schottky diode connected in the forward direction between the base and collector electrodes of the photo-transistor.

Description

10151~;~16 The present invention relates to improvements in the opto-electronic ignition system disclosed in our Canadian Patent No. 1,073,037, issued 4th March 1980.
Our Canadian Patent No. 1,073,037 discloses an opto-electronic ignition system having a solid state infra-red radiation source, a photo-transistor and a plurality of Darlington pairs connected between the out-put of the photo-transistor and the~primary winding of the ignition coil, the Darlington pairs switching in inverse relation with one another in the chain, and the photo-transistor switching in inverse relation with the first Darlington pair, the infra-red radiation:from the solid state lamp being interrupted in timed relation with ::
the engine revolutions by an opaque element in the form of an apertured or slotted disc, whereby the circuit is switched between its two stable states in synchronism -.
with the engine. The last Darlington pair is protected :~.
by at least one zener diode connected between the commoned collector electrodes and the base electrode of :
the first transistor.
The present invention relates to a number of minor improvements in the design of the opto-: electronic ignition system of the type disclosed in our Canadian Patent No. 1,073,037. :.
According to the present invention, there is provided an opto-electronic ignition system for an internal combustion engine for use with an f 10~68~16 ignition coil including: a photo-transistor which will conduct when exposed to radiation; means for preventing the voltage at the collector electrode of the photo-transistor from falling below a given level; a solid state radiation source; a reverse diode connected across said radiation source; an opa~ue element having apertures or slots therein positioned between the radiation source and the photo-transistor; means for rotating the opaque element in timed relation to the engine revolutions; a transistoriæed ignition circuit having a plurality o~ switching Darlington pairs connected between the photo-detector and the i~nition coil, and switching in inverse relation to one another, the first Darlington pair of the circuit also switching in inverse relation to the photo-transistor, transient protection means connected between the commoned collector eleotrodes of the last Darlington pair and the base eleotrode of the first transistor of said last Darlington pair; and means for slowing down the rate of switch of~ of said last Darlington pair, said means being connected in parallel with said transient protection means.
The means for preventing the voltage at the collector electrode of the photo-transistor from falling below a given level may be a Schottky diode, which is connected in the forward direction between the base and collector electrodes of the photo-transistor.

; ~ - 3 -In an alternative form, the photo-transistor may be prevented from becoming over-saturated by designing the chip of the photo-transistor such that when irradiation exceeds a given level the current arising from the irradiation of the base area passes to the collector area and via the collector-emitter junc*ion so that some of the photo-current is not amplified.
The present invention wîll now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the sole figure is a circuit diagram of opto-elec~ronic ignition system for internal combustion engines disclosed in our Canadian Patent No. 1,073,037 and including the improvements referred to above~
Referring to the drawing, the circuit in-cludes a solid state gallium arsenide lamp 1, a photo-transistor 2, and two pairs of Darlington pairs Ql and Q2. The lamp 1 and the photo-transistor
2 are each in series with respective resistors Rl and R2, and receive a 7.5 volt stabilized supply from a zener diode Zl. The zener diode is connected across the 12 volt battery of the vehicle through a resistor R3. A reverse diode D4 is connected across the lamp 1, in order to protect the lamp against negative ; going transients.
Connected across the emittcr-collector electrodes of the photo-transistor 2 is a diode D1, which serves not only to ensure clean switching of the photo-transistor 2~ but ensures that a~y negative transients on the line during the time that the photo-transistor is non-conductive are conducted past the photo-transistor, and are thus unable to cause any damage to its structure. A Schottky diode SD
is connected acrosæ the base and collector :
electrodes of the photo-transistor 2, for the purpose of preventing the photo-transistor from becoming over-saturated du~ to excessive irradiation irom the lamp 1.
It has been found that in the absence of a Schottky diode, i~ the photo-transistor is excessively irradiated~ it becomes over-saturated ; 15 with the consequence that, when the irradiation falls to zero, its switching speed is slow. Under these conditions of high irradiance the collector-emitter saturation voltage of the photo-transistor will fall below a given ~alue which is typically 300 m V.
In an alternative form, instead of providing the Schottky diode SD, the photo-transistor can be prevented from becoming over-saturated due to excessive irradiation by appropriate design of the chip of the photo-transistor, such that when irradiation exceeds a given level the current arising from the irradiation o~ the base area passes to the::collector area and via the collector-emitter junction so that some of the 30 photo-current is not amplified.

: - 5 -~08G~
The Darlington pairs Q1 and Q2 each consist of a pair of translstors T1, T2 and T3, T4 respectively, arranged in conventional Darlington configuration. The base electrode of the transistor T1 is connected to the collector electrode of the photo-transistor 2. The commoned collector electrodes of the transistors T1 and T2 are connected firstly to the base electrode of the transistor T3 of the second Darll~gton pair Q2 through a diode D3, and, secondly, to the 7.5 volt zenered supply through a reSlstor R4.
A diode D2 is connected between the emitter electrode of the transistor T4 and the ba~e electrode of the transistor T3. The diode D1 is likewise connected between the emitter electrode of the transistor T2 and the base electrode of the transistor T1. The diodes D1 and D2 serve to protect the Darlington pairs against negative going transients, and also against a careless mechanic connecting the battery the wrong way around. The diode D1 also serves to protect the photo-transistor 2 againæt reverse battery connection.
The commoned collector electrodes of the transistors T3 and T4 are connected to one end of the primary winding of the ignition coil 4, the o~her end of which is connected to the positi~e terminal of the 12 volt battery. Between the commoned collector electrodes of the transistors T3 and T4, the base electrode of the transistor T3, there is connected a circuit comprising a -1~)`13~816 pair of serics connected zener diodes Z2 and Z3, a capacitor C connected in parallel with the zener diodes Z2 and Z3, and a resistor R5 connected in series with the parallel circuit comprising the capacitor C and zener diodes Z2 and Z3. The purpose of this circuit is, firstly, to control the rate of switching of the Darlington pair Q2, secondly, to protect the Darlington pair against positive going transients, as explained in our Canadian Pate~t No. 932,382 and thirdly, to prevent undesired electro-magnetic radiation being radiated from the coil.
The basic operation of the circuit is identi-cal with that disclosed in our Canadian Patent No.
1,073,037. ~ :
The above described improvements over the circuit disclosed in our Canadian Patent No. 1,073,037 have the following advantages:-~a) The provision of the diode D4 across the gallium arsenide lamp 1 prevents negative going transients from damaging the lamp.
(b) The provision of either a Schottky diode SD across the base and collector electrodes of the photo-transistor 2 or the appropriate alteration to the design of the chip of the photo-transistor prevents the photo-transistor 2 from going into the over-saturated state due to excessive irradiation.
~c) The provision of the capacitor C across ~0~6t~6 the zener diodes Z2 and Z3 has the effect of slowing down the rise time of the first leakage inductance spike of induced voltage which occurs at the beginning of the turn off of the Darlington pa~r Q2.
Because the capacitor C slows down the rise time of the first leakage inductance spike, the rise in voltage ln the secondary winding is able to follow the primary rise With complete magnetic interlinkage between the primary and secondary windlngs. Thus, the whole of the magnetic energy is kept within the ignition coil and no energy is radiated externally.
It should be pointed out that in the absence of the : capacitor C there is some radiation liable to occur in the radio band of the electro-magnetic spectrum.

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- , ;:

Claims (4)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:--
1. An opto-electronic ignition system for an internal combustion engine for use with an ignition coil including: a photo-transistor which will conduct when exposed to radiation; means for preventing the voltage at the collector electrode of the photo-transistor from falling below a given level; a solid state radiation source; a reverse diode connected across said radiation source; an opaque element having apertures or slots therein positioned between the radiation source and the photo-transistor; means for rotating the opaque element in timed relation to the engine revolutions;
a transistorized ignition circuit having a plurality of switching Darlington pairs connected between the photo-detector and the ignition coil, and switching in inverse relation to one another, the first Darlington pair of the circuit also switching in inverse relation to the photo-transistor, transient protection means connected between the commoned collector electrodes of the last Darlington pair and the base electrode of the first transistor of said last Darlington pair; and means for slowing down the rate of switch off of said last Darlington pair, said means being connected in parallel with said transient protection means.
2. An opto-electronic ignition system according to Claim 1, wherein said means for preventing the voltage at the collector electrode from falling below a given level is a Schottky diode which is connected in the forward direction between the base and collector electrodes of the photo-transistor.
3. An opto-electronic ignition system according to Claim 1, wherein the photo-transistor is prevented from becoming over-saturated by designing the chip of the photo-transistor such that when irradiation exceeds a given level the current arising from the irradiation of the base area passes to the collector area and via the collector-emitter junction, so that some of the photo-current is not amplified.
4. An opto-electronic ignition system according to Claim 1, wherein said transient protection means is a pair of zener diodes connected in series and said means for slowing down the rate of switch off is a capacitor.
CA291,124A 1976-11-26 1977-11-17 Opto-electronic ignition systems Expired CA1086816A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB49514/76A GB1539454A (en) 1976-11-26 1976-11-26 Opto-electronic ignition systems
GB49514/76 1976-11-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1086816A true CA1086816A (en) 1980-09-30

Family

ID=10452608

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA291,124A Expired CA1086816A (en) 1976-11-26 1977-11-17 Opto-electronic ignition systems

Country Status (12)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS5368332A (en)
AU (1) AU509654B2 (en)
BR (1) BR7707760A (en)
CA (1) CA1086816A (en)
DE (1) DE2752808A1 (en)
ES (1) ES464883A2 (en)
FR (1) FR2372326B2 (en)
GB (1) GB1539454A (en)
IT (1) IT1116378B (en)
MX (1) MX143396A (en)
SE (1) SE416344B (en)
ZA (1) ZA776788B (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3215105A1 (en) * 1982-04-23 1983-10-27 Rainer 8963 Waltenhofen Achterholt Contactless, potential-free ignition pulse distribution for internal combustion engines
KR940005456B1 (en) * 1990-11-27 1994-06-18 미쓰비시덴키 가부시키가이샤 Distributor with a built-in crank angle sensor

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3710131A (en) * 1971-01-08 1973-01-09 Lumenition Ltd Transistorized ignition systems
GB1437770A (en) * 1974-05-31 1976-06-03 Lumenition Ltd Optoelectronic transistorized ingition systems for internal combustion engines
FR2360763A1 (en) * 1976-08-04 1978-03-03 Lumenition Ltd IC engine optoelectronic ignition system - has photodetector apertured opaque element and transistorised ignition circuit with several Darlington pairs

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE7712907L (en) 1978-05-27
DE2752808A1 (en) 1978-06-01
SE416344B (en) 1980-12-15
FR2372326B2 (en) 1984-01-27
GB1539454A (en) 1979-01-31
AU3072077A (en) 1979-05-24
JPS5368332A (en) 1978-06-17
MX143396A (en) 1981-04-30
ZA776788B (en) 1978-09-27
AU509654B2 (en) 1980-05-22
IT1116378B (en) 1986-02-10
FR2372326A2 (en) 1978-06-23
ES464883A2 (en) 1978-09-01
BR7707760A (en) 1978-08-01

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