US2888574A

US2888574A - Ignition circuit device

Info

Publication number: US2888574A
Application number: US631839A
Authority: US
Inventors: Buon Georges Andre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-12-31
Filing date: 1956-12-31
Publication date: 1959-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1976-05-26

Description

y 1959 G. A. BUON 2,888,574

IGNITION CIRCUIT DEVICE Filed Dec. 51, 1956 GEOEg E 0N F/6. 4 I A 4/ A ORNEY United States Patent M 2,833,574 TGNTIION CIRCUIT DEVICE Georges Andr Buon, Queens, N.Y. Application December 31, 1956, Serial No. 631,839 11 Claims. Cl. 307- This invention relates to ignition circuit devices, and more particularly to booster devices for improving ignition circuit service during the initial periods of operationthereof.

.The invention contemplates providing vehicles which employ ignition circuits with optimum ignition condi tions each time the engine of the vehicle is started and takes particular consideration of the adverse conditions to which vehicles and their elements can be exposed.

During the starting period of an engine, the drain upon its electrical starting system is severest. For example, in an automobile, when the ignition switch is employed to close the electrical circuit, the starting motor and the ignition system constitute simultaneous loads on the battery. Moreover, under adverse conditions such as low ambient temperatures, the electric starting motor has a heavy mechanical load imposed upon it so that the starting motor in turn increases its drain upon the battery which itself is at its lowest electrical capacity due to the low temperature.

, An object of the invention is to avoid severe drains on the starter power supply by the provision of a temporary supplementary supply to the ignition circuit which is effective only during the starting period of the engine with which it is associated.

Otherwise expressed, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved ignition device for facilitating engine starting especially under adverse conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unit which can be installed in known ignition circuits to cooperate therewith to achieve the various improvements which inure to the benefit of ignition circuits incorporating features of the invention.

To provide its various benefits, the invention in its various embodiments involves the use of a supplementary power supply which is effective in the ignition circuit, in combination with the usual power supply of the starting device of an engine, during the starting period of the engine. In combination with the supplementary supply, there is further provided a switching means which is operative to render the supplementary supply ineflective after a period of time has elapsed following the starting operation initiation.

Advantageously, the intermittent use of the supplementary or booster supply enables a very efficient use of this component. Thus, since the booster is not always in use, it is not necessarily of the same strength or reserve as would be required for full time operation. Moreover, the life of this unit is accordingly extended.

A further advantage of the means provided in accordance with the invention is that, since they can be installed in existing devices for cooperation therewith, they can be independently and economically assembled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be shown in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, this and other embodiments of the invention being illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Patented May 26, 1959 Figure 1 is a partially schematic and partially diagrammatic illustration of an ignition circuit embodying featunes of the invention;

Figure 2 is a pictorial view of an ignition device in which the invention is employed in correspondence with the circuitry shown in Fig. l;

Figure 3 is a partially pictorial and partially schematic illustration of another embodiment of the invention featuring a variation in the switching means for controlling the operation of the booster supply; and

Figure 4 represents still another embodiment of the invention also featuring a variation in the switching means.

The ignition device and circuit shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a battery 10, an ignition switch 12, an ignition coil 14, a breaker 16, a distributor 18, and spark plugs 20. In known ignition devices, the battery 10 is conpled to the ignition switch 12 by a connection 22, the

switch 12 controlling the supply of power to a starting motor (not shown) and via the ignition coil 14 to the breaker 16 and to the distributor 18.

Connections

24 and 26 are provided between the coil 14 and the distributor 18, and the breaker 16 and coil 14, respectively. These components are known in various arrangements of which the illustrated arrangement is exemplary only, the invention being equally applicable to the various types of devices in a manner similar to that which will be shown. For present purposes, the relay 86 illustrated in the circuit will be assumed to be a short circuit.

In accordance with the invention, there is further provided a device 29 including a booster voltage supply or battery 28 and a switch means (generally indicated) 30, these components being coupled intermediate the ignition switch 12 and coil 14 by

leads

32 and 34. Also provided are the leads or connections 3640.

The switch means 30 includes the heat generating element or heater 42 which may simply be a resistor, and a heat responsive element 44 which may be a bimetallic strip. There are commercially available units capable of serving as the switch means 30 but the unit may be such as is illustrated in Fig. 2 by the micro-switch 46 including contacts 48 and 50 and blade 52.

In fact, the structures of Figs. 1 and 2 differ slightly in that in Fig. 1 the bimetallic strip is a conductor whereas in Fig. 2 the bimetallic strip operates the microswitch within which the blade 52 acts as the conductor. However, in principle, the two devices operate almost identically.

In use, the

batteries

10 and 28 are connected in their respective circuits so that they are series adding when the ignition switch 12 is closed. Moreover, the closing of switch 12 couples the heater 42 to the battery 10.

As a consequence thereof, When the ignition switch 12 is closed, the combined voltages of the

batteries

10 and 28 are applied to the ignition coil 14 and to other utilization devices in the circuit. The battery 10 is applied to the heater 42 which generates suflicient heat in a determinable period of time to cause a switching action by means of the bimetallic strip 44. This switching action is very nearly instantaneous in the micro-switch 46 and also in the element 44 of Fig. l in accordance with known spring biasing provisions.

Thus, in accordance with the principles of the invention, an action is provided whereby a booster supply is employed in an ignition circuit during the starting period and for a. period of time following the closing of the ignition switch. The auxiliary voltage provided by the booster 28 is preferably fifty percent of the normal voltage supply so as to compensate for the voltage drop in the main power supply or to add thereto during the warmup period. Trial has shown that the utilization elements of ignition circuits can readily absorb this additional power without deleterious efiects.

The period during which the booster supply is employed is generally defined by the expected length of the warmup period and the booster mechanism is readily calibrated with the length of this period by the parameters of the heater and the heat responsive element as well as thespacing therebetween. It will be noted, however, that the choice of these parameters establishes an unalterablepredetermined period of time for the booster application unless, for example, the heater is provided in variable form. It is conceivable, notwithstanding the above provisions, that another form of time control may be desirable and for this reason the invention contemplates an analogue control which may be, for example, a control of the period in response to a quantity of energy or the like generated or existing in the engine itself.

Accordingly, there is illustrated in Fig. 3 a mechanism in which the period of booster application can be variable and in which the period is controlled by a quantity of energy supplied by the engine. The circuit employed in this embodiment consists of the same elements as in the previously described embodiment and in similar manner the booster battery 28 is connected in series with the main battery or the booster battery is by-passed by means of the

leads

54 and 56, respectively as controlled by operation of the micro-switch 46.

In this embodiment, however, the bimetallic strip 44 responds to the temperature of the exhaust manifold 58 of the engine 60 which function is achieved through the simple expedient of mounting the switch and the heat responsive element on and adjacent the manifold. As a consequence thereof, the booster battery operates during the initial warmup period of the engine and cuts out when the exhaust manifold reaches a predetermined temperature.

It is obvious that various mounting positions can be used to accommodate the switch and its heat responsive element and that the manifold is illustrated for exemplary purposes only. The illustration should be considered as one of a device wherein the period of time during which the booster supply is employed is variable in accordance with operating conditions. This embodiment more suitably takes into account such things as weather conditions and the like.

Attention is next directed to the fact that the embodiments which have been described have each employed heat responsive elements. It is not to be assumed, however, that the invention is thus limited and, by way of example, the invention is further illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein is shown an electrical time delay circuit which is rendered operative upon the closing of an ignition switch and maintains the booster supply effective for a determinable period of time.

The device of Fig. 4, apart from the elements previously described, includes the

contacts

62 and 64 and the blade 66 of a relay 68 whose coil is 70 is coupled to a transistor 72.

The transistor, as is known, comprises a collector electrode 74, an emitter electrode 76 and base electrode '78, the latter being coupled through a capacitor 80 and a resistor 82 to ground. A resistor 34 of high value can be used in parallel with capacitor 80 to enable the complete discharge thereof when the circuit is at rest.

The emitter electrode 76 is connectible by theignition switch 12 to the battery 10 and, when the switch is closed, the transistor 72 conducts thereby activating the relay 68 so that the blade 66 is transposed from the contact 62 to the contact 64 in order to connect the booster battery 23 in series with the battery it).

Once the ignition switch has been closed, the capacitor 80 commences to charge and reaches a condition at which the transistor is biased to cutoff after a determinable period of time dependent upon the values of the capacitor and resistor. With the transistor 'cut olf, the coil 70 no longer operates to retain the blade 66 on the contil tact 64 and the blade returns to the contact 62 to remove the booster 28 from the circuit.

A further circuit which can be used is illustrated in Fig. 12-25, page 462 of Transistor Electronics by 1.0, Endres, Zawels, Waldhauer and Cheng; Prentice-Hall, Inc.; 1955. In this circuit, the relay can be connected to the output terminal with the ignition circuit being connected to the voltage source (Vcc).

The devices which have been shown and described have in common the utilization of a booster supply which is employed for a finite period of time following the initiation of the starting of an engine by means of closing the associated ignition switch. The period of time may be predetermined or it may vary in accordance with operating conditions and the like. The device may be heat responsive or it may be controlled by other means or forms of energy.

The functions of the devices of the invention include providing an additional source of voltage to a main source of power for the starting of an engine or the like at the time during which such assistance is especially required. The use of the invention is especially noteworthy under adverse conditions. Advantageously, the booster supply is rendered ineffective and is thus conserved after its objectives have been achieved.

The incorporation of accessories in the ignition circuit is of little consequence since the devices of the invention can readily be modified to accommodate the same. Assuming, therefore, that an accessory represented by the lamp 86 (see Figs. 14) is incorporated into the ignition circuit so as to present a discharge path for the booster battery 28, a relay 8-8 can be simply added to the circuit so that the discharge circuit for the battery 28 is open excepting during the warmup period as explained above.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations utilizing the principles set forth and realizing many or all of the objects of the invention, but which do not depart essentially from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A booster device for an engine ignition circuit provided with a battery, an ignition switch coupled to the battery and a utilization device adapted for being operatively coupled to the battery, said booster device comprising a booster voltage source, circuit means for normally coupling said booster voltage source operatively with said battery to provide said utilization device with an adequate source of power with said ignition switch closed, and switch means in said circuit means, said switch means including means for being actuated at the clos-. ing of the ignition switch to commence a delay period and rendering said booster voltage source ineffective following the period.

- 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said switch means renders said booster voltage source ineffective a predetermined period of time following the closing of said ignition switch. 7

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said switch means is thermal-responsive for rendering said booster voltage source ineffective.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said switch means is an electro-mechanical device for providing a switching operation after a determinable time delay.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said booster voltage source is a booster battery.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said circuit means normally couples said booster battery in series with said ignition circuit battery and said switch means and said switch means operates to switch said booster battery out of the circuit a predetermined period of time after the ignition switch is closed.

7., A device as claimed in claim 6 comprising a source of heat and wherein said switch means comprises a heat responsive element coupled in said circuit means and responsive to said source of heat for switching said booster battery into and out of the circuit.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said switch means comprises a heat generating element which is coupled to said ignition circuit battery by means of said ignition switch, said heat generating element being cooperative with said heat responsive element to cause a switching operation a determinable period of time following the coupling of said heat generating element to said ignition circuit battery by the closing of said ignition switch.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said switch means is responsive to an external source of heat.

10. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said switch means is an electro-mechanical device including a relay 6 for switching said booster battery into and out of said circuit and a time delay circuit for controlling the operation of said relay.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 comprising a transistor coupled to said relay and by said ignition switch to said ignition circuit battery and a resistor-capacitor circuit coupled to said transistor to enable said transistor to pass power from said ignition circuit battery to said relay for only a determinable period of time after said 10 ignition switch is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS