US3581726A - Capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines - Google Patents

Capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines Download PDF

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US3581726A
US3581726A US843489A US3581726DA US3581726A US 3581726 A US3581726 A US 3581726A US 843489 A US843489 A US 843489A US 3581726D A US3581726D A US 3581726DA US 3581726 A US3581726 A US 3581726A
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transistor
capacitor
voltage
discharge
lead
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US843489A
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Alfred Plume Jr
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Super Shops Inc
Mallory Electric Corp
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Mallory Electric Corp
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    • 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
    • F02P3/06Other installations having capacitive energy storage
    • F02P3/08Layout of circuits
    • F02P3/0876Layout of circuits the storage capacitor being charged by means of an energy converter (DC-DC converter) or of an intermediate storage inductance
    • F02P3/0884Closing the discharge circuit of the storage capacitor with semiconductor 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
    • F02P3/06Other installations having capacitive energy storage
    • F02P3/08Layout of circuits
    • F02P3/0807Closing the discharge circuit of the storage capacitor with electronic switching means
    • F02P3/0838Closing the discharge circuit of the storage capacitor with electronic switching means with semiconductor devices

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  • the capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprises a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings.
  • the capacitor is placed in 3 Claims 3 Drawing series with the primary winding.
  • a DC power source including US. Cl [23/148, a push pull full wave oscillator circuit is provided to charge 315/209 the capacitor.
  • the capacitor is discharged through the prima- Int. Cl F02p 3/06 ry winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to in- Field of Search 123/148 E; Jerusalem a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a 315/209, 214 spark plug.
  • Capacitive-discharge ignition systems have been previously proposed. Capacitive-discharge systems have several advantages over conventional systems. One advantage is that such a system has the ability to cause firing of defective spark plugs. Additionally, in such systems the capacitor is not discharged as often when operating at low speeds as it is when operating at high speeds. This allows a relatively long time in which the capacitor achieves a full charge. This is advantageous in that it results in improved cold-weather starting and reduces power consumption by the ignition system while starting.
  • the present invention provides an improved version of a capacitive-discharge ignition system.
  • a controlled rectifier is provided as the switching device to cause discharge of the capacitor.
  • the controlled rectifier is pulsed to conduct by means of a one-shot circuit.
  • the signal from the one-shot circuit is carefully controlled so that it will be sharply applied at the precise desired instant and the circuit is protected from stray signals being inadvertently applied to cause misfiring.
  • protective means are provided to shield the controlled rectifier from high peak inverse voltages.
  • the capacitive-discharge system for an internal combustion engine/It comprises a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings.
  • a capacitor is provided in series with the primary winding.
  • a DC power source including a push-pull full wave oscillator circuit is provided to charge the capacitor.
  • Discharge means including a controlled rectifier are provided to discharge the capacitor through the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug.
  • Pulse producing means are provided.
  • a first transistor is coupled between the pulse-producing means and the gate of the controlled rectifier for biasing the controlled rectifier to conduct in the desired timed sequence with an operating engine.
  • a diode is provided between the output of the first transistor and the gate of the controlled rectifier. The diode conducts only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto.
  • the first transistor is valued to provide the necessary voltage when it is fired to conduct.
  • a second transistor is connected between the output of the first transistor and ground. Means are provided to bias the second transistor to a conducting state when the first transistor is not biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means and to a nonconducting state when the first transistor is biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means.
  • FIG. l is a schematic view of one embodiment of an electrical switching circuit for a vehicle ignition system in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the push-pull full wave oscillator circuit utilized as a power source
  • FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating operation of the oscillator circuit.
  • a stepup transformer I is included in the circuit for providing a voltage sufficiently high to fire a spark plug of a vehicle engine.
  • the transformer comprises a primary winding 12 and a secondary winding 14.
  • the high voltage output of the winding 14 is utilized by the distributor (not shown) of the ignition system for firing the vehicle spark plugs.
  • a lead 16 extends from one side of the primary winding 12 and is connected to one side of a capacitor 18.
  • a lead 20 extends from the other side of the capacitor I8 and is connected at Z to a DC power source (FIG. 2) which is capable of supplying a relatively high voltage, in the neighborhood of 225- 400 volts.
  • the capacitor 18 In operation of the system, the capacitor 18 is first charged to the voltage of the power supply. The capacitor 18 is then suddenly discharged through the primary winding 12 whereby the voltage applied to the primary winding rises to the full voltage of the capacitor, in the present instance about 400 volts, in a very short period of time, for example, two microseconds. The voltage induced in the secondary winding 14 is sufficient to cause the spark plugs to fire.
  • the present invention is concerned with the circuitry for causing the capacitor 18 to charge and discharge and the DC power source.
  • This circuitry includes a solid-state controlled rectifier 22 which is provided in a lead 24 which extends between the lead 20 and a ground lead 26.
  • the rectifier 22, which may be a silicone-controlled rectifier, has an anode 28, a cathode 30 and a gate 32.
  • a controlled rectifier is a solid-state four-layer device. In its normal state, the controlled rectifier actsas an open circuit that will not pass current. When an appropriate voltage or current pulse is applied to the gate electrode, it will cause the controlled rectifier to be forward biased .to permit current flow.
  • the controlled rectifier can act as a controlled switching diode capable of being switched on and off by application of voltages of appropriate polarity.
  • the gate 32 is connected to circuitry which provides a pulse which is in timed relation to the engine speed.
  • the pulse in the present case, derives from conventional breaker points 34 which are opened and closed in timed relation to the speed of the distributor shaft.
  • the signal may be derived from any suitable source from the engine.
  • One satisfactory method for providing a pulse is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 447,004, filed Apr. 9, 1965, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,993.
  • the pulsing circuit includes a conventional vehicle battery 36 the negative terminal of which is grounded at 38.
  • a lead 40 extends from the positive terminal of the battery.
  • An ignition switch 42 is provided in lead 40 for turning the ignition system on and off.
  • a lead 44 extends between the leads 40 and 26.
  • a current limiting resistor 46 and the breaker points 34 are provided in the lead 44. It will be noted that the lead 26 is grounded at 48. Thus, when the breaker points '34 are closed, current will flow therethrough from the battery 36 to ground.
  • a lead 50 extends from a point between the resistor 46 breaker points 34 to the base 52 of a transistor 54.
  • the transistor 54 forms a portion of what is termed a one-shot circuit" which receives pulses generated by the opening and closing of the breaker points 34 which are proportional to the speed of the engine. The oneshot circuit converts these pulses into a square'wave signal which operates the switching means for charging and discharging the capacitor 18.
  • a pair of resistors 56, 58 are provided in the lead 50.
  • a lead 60 extends from a point between the resistors 56, 58 to the ground lead 26.
  • a capacitor 62 is provided in lead 60.
  • Another capacitor 63 is provided in a lead 65 which extends from the other side of resistor 58 to ground lead 26.
  • the resistor 56 and capacitors 62, 63 form a filter which removes any oscillations of the input voltage.
  • the resistor 58 forms a biasing resistor for the transistor 54.
  • the transistor 54 is connected in the common emitter configuration, the emitter 66 being connected to ground lead 26 by lead 68 and the collector 70 of the transistor being connected to the potential supply line 40 by a lead 72.
  • a load resistor 74 is provided in the lead 72.
  • the one-shot circuit also includes a second transistor 64.
  • the emitter 76 is connected to ground lead 26 by a lead 78.
  • the collector 80 is connected to the potential supply line 40 by a lead 82.
  • a load resistor 84 is provided in the lead 82.
  • the base 86 is coupled by a capacitor 88 in lead 90 to the collector 70 of the transistor 54.
  • a lead 92 extends from the lead 90 into connection with the potential supply line 40.
  • a resistor 94 is provided in lead 92.
  • the resistor 94 functions as a biasing resistor for the transistor 64 and also as a time constant device for controlling operation of the transistor.
  • the collector 80 of the transistor 64 is connected by a lead 96 to the base 52 of transistor 54.
  • a resistor 98 is provided in lead 96 between the lead 82 and the base 52. The resistor 98 acts as a feedback device for feeding back part of the output signal from transistor 64 to the base of the transistor 54.
  • the output of the transistors 54, 64, forming the one-shot circuit, is fed to a second pair of transistors 100, 102. These transistors form part of a switching circuit which includes the controlled rectifier 22.
  • the base 104 of the transistor 100 is connected to the collector of transistor 64 by means of the lead 96 which is connected to the lead 82.
  • the collector 106 of transistor 100 is connected to the potential supply line 40 by a lead 108.
  • the emitter 110 of transistor 100 is connected to the collector 112 of transistor 102 by a lead 114.
  • a resistor 116 is provided in lead 114.
  • the resistor 116 is a current limiting device and functions to prevent reverse or leakage current from damaging the components.
  • the base 118 of the transistor 102 is connected to the base 86 of transistor 64 by means of a lead 120.
  • the emitter 122 of transistor 102 is connected to ground lead 26 by a lead 124.
  • a lead 126 extends from the lead 114 from a point between resistor 116 and emitter 112 into connection with the gate 32 of the controlled rectifier 22.
  • a diode 128 is provided in the lead 126. The diode 128 will not conduct until the voltage thereacross reaches a predetermined level. For example, in one circuit, the diode was designed to conduct at 0.67 volts. The proper voltage for conduction of the diode 128 is provided at the exact point of turning one of the transistors 100, 102 off, and simultaneously turning the other of these transistors on, as will be later described.
  • the diode 128 emits a square-wave pulse to the controlled rectifier 22 to cause conduction of this rectifier.
  • a filter capacitor 129 is provided in level 131 between gate 32 and ground lead 26. The capacitor 129 functions to filter out fake frequencies resulting from point bounce and any other transient frequencies which may appear at the gate 32.
  • a diode 130 is provided in the lead 24 between the anode 28 of the rectifier 22 and the lead 20.
  • the diode 130 is a high voltage, high current, high speed device. The voltage drop thereacross is very rapid. This prevents high peak inverse voltage being applied across the rectifier 22 and thus is a protective device for the rectifier.
  • a pair of diodes 132, 133 are provided in a lead 134 which extends between leads 20 and 26 across the rectifier 22. It will be noted that the diodes 132, 133 are oriented to conduct in the opposite direction with respect to the diode 130 and rectifier 22. The function of the diodes 132, 133 is to shut out any high voltage negative pulses which are reflected from the transformer or any other source. As is well known, such transformers tend to ring after the initial surge of current has flowed therethrough upon discharge of the capacitor 18. Such ringing may cause high voltage negative pulses which are of sufficient magnitude to cause damage. A resonant circuit is placed in series with the diodes 132, 133.
  • the circuit consists of an inductance 136 provided in the lead 134 and stray capacitance of the circuit which is present across the inductance 136.
  • the resonant circuit functions to provide a signal to cause the controlled rectifier 22 to discontinue conduction after the capacitor 18 has been discharged.
  • the circuit also damps the reflected pulses from the transformer 10 after the transformer has been activated to produce the required voltage for firing a spark plug, and recharges the capacitor 18 to some degree.
  • the transistor 102 is also biased to conduct at this time. It will be noted that the collector 112 is connected to the potential supply line 40 through transistor 100. Therefore, the only current which will flow through the collector-emitter circuit of transistor 102 is that which leaks through transistor 100 while it is in the off state. The result of this is that the battery voltage always appears across transistor 100 and when this transistor is biased to conduct, the peak voltage of the signal from the one-shot circuit is reached very quickly and applied to the gate of controlled rectifier virtually instantaneously.
  • transistors 64 and 102 are conducting while transistors 54 and 100 are not conducting.
  • the transistor 54 begins to conduct.
  • transistors 64 and 102 are turned off while transistor 100 is turned on.
  • Conduction of transistor 100 causes the required voltage to appear across diode 128 thus causing this diode to conduct. lt will be appreciated that this diode will conduct at the exact point of turning the transistor 100 on and turning he transistor 102 off.
  • Conduction of diode 128 causes the controlled rectifier 22 to begin conducting thus discharging the capacitor 18 resulting in a high induced voltage in secondary winding 14 to cause sparking ofa spark plug.
  • transistor 64 After capacitor 88 has fully discharged, the base 86 of transistor 64 is again made positive and transistor 64 begins to conduct again. The collector 80 of transistor 54 then goes negative nearly to ground potential, and this potential is again applied by resistor 98 to the base 52 of transistor 54 turning that transistor off. Transistor 100 is also turned off and remains off so long as the near-ground potential remains at the collector 80 of transistor 64. At the same time, transistor 102 is again caused to conduct as the capacitor 18 is recharged bringing the entire system back to the original state.
  • the controlled rectifier 22 will remain in the on condition so long as the transistor 100 conducts.
  • the length of time that the transistor 100 conducts is determined by the R-C time constant of resistor 94 and capacitor 88.
  • the capacitor 88 will, of course, begin to charge to the battery voltage through the resistor 94 as soon as the transistor 54 begins to conduct. The time necessary for this to occur is such that a voltage of sufficient value will have been developed in the secondary winding 14.
  • the power circuit 142 includes an amplifier which comprises a pair of NPN transistors 144, 146, connected in circuitry to form an amplifier of the push-pull full-wave type.
  • the transistors 144, 146 are connected in the common emitter configuration.
  • the emitters 148, 150 are connected via leads 152, 154 to a lead 156.
  • the lead 156 is grounded at 158.
  • the lead 156 is connected to the center of a lead 160 which extends in one direction to one side of a bias winding 162 and in the other direction to one side of a second bias winding 164.
  • the other side of winding 162 is connected to the base 166 of transistor 144 via lead 168.
  • a load resistor 170 is provided in lead 168.
  • the other side of the winding 164 is connected to the base 172 of transistor 146 via lead 174.
  • a load resistor 176 is provided in lead 174.
  • the negative side of the battery 36 is connected at point Y.
  • the positive side of the battery 36 is connected to the center of a lead 178 at the point X.
  • the lead 178 is connected between leads 168, 174.
  • a resistor 180, 182 is provided in the lead 178 on either side of the battery connection X.
  • a lead 184 extends from lead 178 to the center of the primary winding 186 of stepup transformer 188.
  • One side of the winding 186 is connected to the collector 190 of transistor 144 via lead 192.
  • the other side of the primary winding 186 is connected to the collector 194 of transistor 146 via lead 196.
  • the secondary winding 198 of the transformer 188- has a center tap ground 200.
  • One side of the winding 198 is connected to the positive terminal of a junction diode 202 via lead 204.
  • the negative terminal of diode 202 is connected to the positive terminal of a second diode 206 via lead 208.
  • a lead 210 extends from the negative terminal of diode 206 and is connected at Z to the lead 20.
  • a lead 212 extends from the other side of the winding 198 to the positive terminal of a diode 214.
  • the negative terminal of diode 214 is connected to the-positive terminal of a diode 216 via lead 218.
  • a lead 220 extends from the negative terminal of diode 216 into connection with lead 210.
  • the diodes 202, 206, 214, 216 serve as a rectifying circuit. A pair of diodes is placed in series in each of the circuits in order to prevent breakdown of the diodes as a result of peak
  • a lead 222 extends from lead 210 to ground.
  • the lead 222 is connected to lead 210 between the connection of lead 220 and the point Z.
  • a capacitor 224 is provided in lead 222.
  • Another lead 226 extends from lead 210 in parallel with lead 222.
  • the lead 226 is also grounded.
  • a resistor 228 is provided in lead 226.
  • An inductance 230 is provided in lead 210 beyond the connection thereof with lead 222.
  • the inductance 230 serves to stop spikes in lead 210 in either direction
  • a diode 232 is provided between inductance 230 and the connection point Z. The diode 232 functions to prevent application of reverse voltage on the circuit 142.
  • the transistors 144,146 in conjunction with the transformer 188 form a DC to AC inverter.
  • the battery voltage is applied by closure of switch 42, one of the transistors will conduct while the other will go into cutoff.
  • transistor 144 conducts, the expanding field in the primary winding 186 of the transformer 188 caused by the conduction of transistor 144 will develop a forward bias in the base-to-emitter winding 162 of transistor 144 and will maintain transistor 144 in conduction.
  • the magnetic field becomes stationary and there are no longer any moving lines of force to maintain the induced-bias voltage.
  • the transistor 144 will then cease conducting and the magnetic field of transformer 188 will collapse. As this field collapses, it induces a voltage of the opposite polarity that places transistor 146 in conduction and transistor 144 is cut off. With transistor 146 conducting through the opposite half of the primary winding 186, the magnetic field reverses polarity. As the field reaches saturation, the cycle repeats. Transistor 146' becomes cut off and transistor 144 conducts and the magnetic field of primary winding 186 of the transformer 188 reverses polarity. Consequently, transistors 144, 146 act as an oscillator with the voltage on the secondary winding 198 of the transistor 188 appearing as a sine wave.
  • the high AC voltage developed in the secondary winding 198 of the transformer 188 is rectified by diodes 202, 206 and 214, 216.
  • the resistor 228 and capacitor 224 along with the inductance 230 function to safeguard the oscillator circuit.
  • the resistor 228 provides a load for the charge on the capacitor 224 which cyclically discharges at certain times in operation of the circuit as, for example, when an internal combustion is being started and the vehicle spark plugs are not yet firing.
  • the time constant prevents the voltage of the circuit from going above, for example, 600 volts when 2,000 volts are available at the output of the transformer 188.
  • the circuit comprising resistor 228 and capacitor 224 eventually fade out after the spark plugs of the vehicle engine begin firing because the impedance of the remaining circuit falls below the impedance of the resistor.
  • the capacitor 224 in combination with the inductance 230, is a safety device to prevent the oscillator circuit from ever seeing a full short as it might, for example, when the capacitor 18 discharges. This prevents complete stopping of the oscillator which would necessitate restart.
  • the desirability of this arrangement may be understood by study of the curve illustrated in FIG. 3.
  • the curve represents engine speed plotted against output voltage which is sustained by the distributor. As will be noted, a maximum of 600 volts is possible at zero r.p.m. This would be the condition at startup of the vehicle. With the engine speed at 200 rpm, the voltage would be approximately 400 volts. As engine speed increases, the voltage drops somewhere to 225 volts and will remain relatively constant up to speeds of over 10,000 rpm. In one embodiment, a relatively steady output voltage was available at engine speeds of up to l9,000 r.p.m., which is a circumstance only rarely encountered in an internal combustion engine. Thus, the sparking voltage is sufficient over a broad spectrum of engine speeds.
  • a capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprising a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings, a capacitor in series with the primary winding, a DC power source to charge the capacitor, discharge means including a controlled rectifier to discharge the capacitor through the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug, pulse-producing means, a first transistor coupled between said pulse-producing meansand the gate of saidcontrolled rectifier for biasing the controlled rectifier to conduct in timed sequence with an operating engine, a diode between the output of the first transistor and said gate, said diode conducting only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first transistor being valued to provide the necessary voltage when it is biased to conduct, and a second transistor connected between the output of the first transistor and ground, means biasing the second transistor to a conducting state when the first transistor is not biased to conduct by a signal from the pulseproducing means and to a nonconducting state when the first transistor is biased to conduct by a signal from
  • a capacitor-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprising a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings, a first capacitor in series with the primary winding, a DC voltage amplifier including an oscillator, a second capacitor connected to the output of the amplifier to be charged thereby, a resistor in parallel with said capacitor, said resistor providing a discharge path for the capacitor'during operation of the amplifier under no-load conditions, the output of said DC power source being connected to said first capacitor to charge said first capacitor, discharge means to discharge the first capacitor to the primary winding in timed' sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug, pulse producing means, a first transistor coupled between said pulse producing means and the discharge means for actuating said discharge means, a voltage device between the output of the first transistor and said discharge means, said voltage device conducting only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first transistor being valued to provide the necessary voltage when biased to a conducting state, and a second transistor connected between the output of the first transistor and ground, means

Abstract

The capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprises a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings. The capacitor is placed in series with the primary winding. A DC power source including a push-pull full wave oscillator circuit is provided to charge the capacitor. The capacitor is discharged through the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Alfred Plume, Jr.
Taylor, Mich.
Appl, No. 843,489
Filed July 22, 1969 Patented June 1, 1971 Assignee Mallory Electric Corporation Detroit, Mich.
CAPAClTIVE-DISCHARGE SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Primary Examiner-Laurence M. Goodridge Attorney-Whittemore, Hu1b'ert& Belknap ABSTRACT: The capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprises a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings. The capacitor is placed in 3 Claims 3 Drawing series with the primary winding. A DC power source including US. Cl [23/148, a push pull full wave oscillator circuit is provided to charge 315/209 the capacitor. The capacitor is discharged through the prima- Int. Cl F02p 3/06 ry winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to in- Field of Search 123/148 E; duce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a 315/209, 214 spark plug.
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ALFRED PLUME, JR. QM a 7; WWW M ATTORNEYS CAPACITIVE-DISCHARGE SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In conventional inductive-discharge ignition systems, the coil develops the high voltage necessary to cause the vehicle spark plugs to fire. Capacitive-discharge ignition systems have been previously proposed. Capacitive-discharge systems have several advantages over conventional systems. One advantage is that such a system has the ability to cause firing of defective spark plugs. Additionally, in such systems the capacitor is not discharged as often when operating at low speeds as it is when operating at high speeds. This allows a relatively long time in which the capacitor achieves a full charge. This is advantageous in that it results in improved cold-weather starting and reduces power consumption by the ignition system while starting.
The present invention provides an improved version of a capacitive-discharge ignition system. In the present system, a controlled rectifier is provided as the switching device to cause discharge of the capacitor. The controlled rectifier is pulsed to conduct by means of a one-shot circuit. The signal from the one-shot circuit is carefully controlled so that it will be sharply applied at the precise desired instant and the circuit is protected from stray signals being inadvertently applied to cause misfiring. Additionally, protective means are provided to shield the controlled rectifier from high peak inverse voltages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The capacitive-discharge system is provided for an internal combustion engine/It comprises a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings. A capacitor is provided in series with the primary winding. A DC power source including a push-pull full wave oscillator circuit is provided to charge the capacitor. Discharge means including a controlled rectifier are provided to discharge the capacitor through the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug. Pulse producing means are provided. A first transistor is coupled between the pulse-producing means and the gate of the controlled rectifier for biasing the controlled rectifier to conduct in the desired timed sequence with an operating engine. A diode is provided between the output of the first transistor and the gate of the controlled rectifier. The diode conducts only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto. The first transistor is valued to provide the necessary voltage when it is fired to conduct. A second transistor is connected between the output of the first transistor and ground. Means are provided to bias the second transistor to a conducting state when the first transistor is not biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means and to a nonconducting state when the first transistor is biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means.
IN THE DRAWINGS:
FIG. l is a schematic view of one embodiment of an electrical switching circuit for a vehicle ignition system in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the push-pull full wave oscillator circuit utilized as a power source; and
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating operation of the oscillator circuit.
Referring to FIG. 1, it will be noted that a stepup transformer I is included in the circuit for providing a voltage sufficiently high to fire a spark plug of a vehicle engine. The transformer comprises a primary winding 12 and a secondary winding 14. The high voltage output of the winding 14 is utilized by the distributor (not shown) of the ignition system for firing the vehicle spark plugs.
A lead 16 extends from one side of the primary winding 12 and is connected to one side of a capacitor 18. A lead 20 extends from the other side of the capacitor I8 and is connected at Z to a DC power source (FIG. 2) which is capable of supplying a relatively high voltage, in the neighborhood of 225- 400 volts.
In operation of the system, the capacitor 18 is first charged to the voltage of the power supply. The capacitor 18 is then suddenly discharged through the primary winding 12 whereby the voltage applied to the primary winding rises to the full voltage of the capacitor, in the present instance about 400 volts, in a very short period of time, for example, two microseconds. The voltage induced in the secondary winding 14 is sufficient to cause the spark plugs to fire.
The present invention is concerned with the circuitry for causing the capacitor 18 to charge and discharge and the DC power source. This circuitry includes a solid-state controlled rectifier 22 which is provided in a lead 24 which extends between the lead 20 and a ground lead 26. The rectifier 22, which may be a silicone-controlled rectifier, has an anode 28, a cathode 30 and a gate 32. As is well known, a controlled rectifier is a solid-state four-layer device. In its normal state, the controlled rectifier actsas an open circuit that will not pass current. When an appropriate voltage or current pulse is applied to the gate electrode, it will cause the controlled rectifier to be forward biased .to permit current flow. Application of the proper polarity voltage to the controlled rectifier will allow electrons to flow from the cathode to the anode. Reversal of the voltage polarity results in the controlled rectifier being an open circuit. Similarly, when the controlled rectifier is conducting, application of a reverse polarity to the gate electrode will place the controlled rectifier in its original state of an open circuit. Thus, the controlled rectifier can act as a controlled switching diode capable of being switched on and off by application of voltages of appropriate polarity.
In the present invention, the gate 32 is connected to circuitry which provides a pulse which is in timed relation to the engine speed. The pulse,-in the present case, derives from conventional breaker points 34 which are opened and closed in timed relation to the speed of the distributor shaft. However, the signal may be derived from any suitable source from the engine. One satisfactory method for providing a pulse is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 447,004, filed Apr. 9, 1965, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,993.
The pulsing circuit includes a conventional vehicle battery 36 the negative terminal of which is grounded at 38. A lead 40 extends from the positive terminal of the battery. An ignition switch 42 is provided in lead 40 for turning the ignition system on and off.
A lead 44 extends between the leads 40 and 26. A current limiting resistor 46 and the breaker points 34 are provided in the lead 44. It will be noted that the lead 26 is grounded at 48. Thus, when the breaker points '34 are closed, current will flow therethrough from the battery 36 to ground. A lead 50 extends from a point between the resistor 46 breaker points 34 to the base 52 of a transistor 54. The transistor 54 forms a portion of what is termed a one-shot circuit" which receives pulses generated by the opening and closing of the breaker points 34 which are proportional to the speed of the engine. The oneshot circuit converts these pulses into a square'wave signal which operates the switching means for charging and discharging the capacitor 18.
A pair of resistors 56, 58 are provided in the lead 50. A lead 60 extends from a point between the resistors 56, 58 to the ground lead 26. A capacitor 62 is provided in lead 60. Another capacitor 63 is provided in a lead 65 which extends from the other side of resistor 58 to ground lead 26. The resistor 56 and capacitors 62, 63 form a filter which removes any oscillations of the input voltage. The resistor 58 forms a biasing resistor for the transistor 54. The transistor 54 is connected in the common emitter configuration, the emitter 66 being connected to ground lead 26 by lead 68 and the collector 70 of the transistor being connected to the potential supply line 40 by a lead 72. A load resistor 74 is provided in the lead 72.
The one-shot circuit also includes a second transistor 64. The emitter 76 is connected to ground lead 26 by a lead 78. The collector 80 is connected to the potential supply line 40 by a lead 82. A load resistor 84 is provided in the lead 82. The base 86 is coupled by a capacitor 88 in lead 90 to the collector 70 of the transistor 54. A lead 92 extends from the lead 90 into connection with the potential supply line 40. A resistor 94 is provided in lead 92. The resistor 94 functions as a biasing resistor for the transistor 64 and also as a time constant device for controlling operation of the transistor.
The collector 80 of the transistor 64 is connected by a lead 96 to the base 52 of transistor 54. A resistor 98 is provided in lead 96 between the lead 82 and the base 52. The resistor 98 acts as a feedback device for feeding back part of the output signal from transistor 64 to the base of the transistor 54.
The output of the transistors 54, 64, forming the one-shot circuit, is fed to a second pair of transistors 100, 102. These transistors form part of a switching circuit which includes the controlled rectifier 22.
The base 104 of the transistor 100 is connected to the collector of transistor 64 by means of the lead 96 which is connected to the lead 82. The collector 106 of transistor 100 is connected to the potential supply line 40 by a lead 108. The emitter 110 of transistor 100 is connected to the collector 112 of transistor 102 by a lead 114. A resistor 116 is provided in lead 114. The resistor 116 is a current limiting device and functions to prevent reverse or leakage current from damaging the components.
The base 118 of the transistor 102 is connected to the base 86 of transistor 64 by means of a lead 120. The emitter 122 of transistor 102 is connected to ground lead 26 by a lead 124.
A lead 126 extends from the lead 114 from a point between resistor 116 and emitter 112 into connection with the gate 32 of the controlled rectifier 22. A diode 128 is provided in the lead 126. The diode 128 will not conduct until the voltage thereacross reaches a predetermined level. For example, in one circuit, the diode was designed to conduct at 0.67 volts. The proper voltage for conduction of the diode 128 is provided at the exact point of turning one of the transistors 100, 102 off, and simultaneously turning the other of these transistors on, as will be later described.
The diode 128 emits a square-wave pulse to the controlled rectifier 22 to cause conduction of this rectifier. A filter capacitor 129 is provided in level 131 between gate 32 and ground lead 26. The capacitor 129 functions to filter out fake frequencies resulting from point bounce and any other transient frequencies which may appear at the gate 32.
A diode 130 is provided in the lead 24 between the anode 28 of the rectifier 22 and the lead 20. The diode 130 is a high voltage, high current, high speed device. The voltage drop thereacross is very rapid. This prevents high peak inverse voltage being applied across the rectifier 22 and thus is a protective device for the rectifier.
A pair of diodes 132, 133 are provided in a lead 134 which extends between leads 20 and 26 across the rectifier 22. It will be noted that the diodes 132, 133 are oriented to conduct in the opposite direction with respect to the diode 130 and rectifier 22. The function of the diodes 132, 133 is to shut out any high voltage negative pulses which are reflected from the transformer or any other source. As is well known, such transformers tend to ring after the initial surge of current has flowed therethrough upon discharge of the capacitor 18. Such ringing may cause high voltage negative pulses which are of sufficient magnitude to cause damage. A resonant circuit is placed in series with the diodes 132, 133. The circuit consists of an inductance 136 provided in the lead 134 and stray capacitance of the circuit which is present across the inductance 136. The resonant circuit functions to provide a signal to cause the controlled rectifier 22 to discontinue conduction after the capacitor 18 has been discharged. The circuit also damps the reflected pulses from the transformer 10 after the transformer has been activated to produce the required voltage for firing a spark plug, and recharges the capacitor 18 to some degree.
Operation of the entire circuit of FIG. 1 may now be understood. The circuit will be considered in its quiescent condition just before an input pulse is applied to the transistor 54. in this condition, transistor 64 is biased for conduction, and a voltage just above ground potential appears at the collector of transistor 64. This voltage is applied to the base 52 of transistor 54 via the resistor 98. Consequently, the base 52 of transistor 54 is not sufficiently positive to turn transistor 54 on. Transistor is also in its off condition. As a result of the conduction of transistor 64, the capacitor 88 is charged to the polarity indicated.
The transistor 102 is also biased to conduct at this time. It will be noted that the collector 112 is connected to the potential supply line 40 through transistor 100. Therefore, the only current which will flow through the collector-emitter circuit of transistor 102 is that which leaks through transistor 100 while it is in the off state. The result of this is that the battery voltage always appears across transistor 100 and when this transistor is biased to conduct, the peak voltage of the signal from the one-shot circuit is reached very quickly and applied to the gate of controlled rectifier virtually instantaneously.
When a positive pulse is applied to the base oftransistor 54, as by opening the points 34, the transistor 54 is turned on. Its collector 70 then foes to a potential just above ground potential. The voltage across the capacitor 88 suddenly goes negative, and the capacitor begins to discharge through the conducting transistor 54. The voltage on capacitor 88 turns off the transistor 64 and causes its collector 80 to go positive. This turns the transistor 100 to the on state. The positive voltage accruing at the collector 80 of transistor 64 is also applied via the resistor 98 to the base 52 of transistor 54 and holds that transistor on even after the input pulse has terminated.
When the voltage across the capacitor 88 suddenly goes negative, and the capacitor begins to discharge through the conducting transistor 54, the voltage at capacitor 88 also turns off the transistor 102.
It will thus be appreciated that initially transistors 64 and 102 are conducting while transistors 54 and 100 are not conducting. Upon the application ofa positive pulse to the base of transistor 54, the transistor 54 begins to conduct. Simultaneously, transistors 64 and 102 are turned off while transistor 100 is turned on. Conduction of transistor 100 causes the required voltage to appear across diode 128 thus causing this diode to conduct. lt will be appreciated that this diode will conduct at the exact point of turning the transistor 100 on and turning he transistor 102 off. Conduction of diode 128 causes the controlled rectifier 22 to begin conducting thus discharging the capacitor 18 resulting in a high induced voltage in secondary winding 14 to cause sparking ofa spark plug.
After capacitor 88 has fully discharged, the base 86 of transistor 64 is again made positive and transistor 64 begins to conduct again. The collector 80 of transistor 54 then goes negative nearly to ground potential, and this potential is again applied by resistor 98 to the base 52 of transistor 54 turning that transistor off. Transistor 100 is also turned off and remains off so long as the near-ground potential remains at the collector 80 of transistor 64. At the same time, transistor 102 is again caused to conduct as the capacitor 18 is recharged bringing the entire system back to the original state.
The controlled rectifier 22 will remain in the on condition so long as the transistor 100 conducts. The length of time that the transistor 100 conducts is determined by the R-C time constant of resistor 94 and capacitor 88. The capacitor 88 will, of course, begin to charge to the battery voltage through the resistor 94 as soon as the transistor 54 begins to conduct. The time necessary for this to occur is such that a voltage of sufficient value will have been developed in the secondary winding 14.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the power circuit 142 includes an amplifier which comprises a pair of NPN transistors 144, 146, connected in circuitry to form an amplifier of the push-pull full-wave type. The transistors 144, 146 are connected in the common emitter configuration. The emitters 148, 150 are connected via leads 152, 154 to a lead 156. The lead 156 is grounded at 158.
The lead 156 is connected to the center of a lead 160 which extends in one direction to one side of a bias winding 162 and in the other direction to one side of a second bias winding 164. The other side of winding 162 is connected to the base 166 of transistor 144 via lead 168. A load resistor 170 is provided in lead 168. The other side of the winding 164 is connected to the base 172 of transistor 146 via lead 174. A load resistor 176 is provided in lead 174.
The negative side of the battery 36 is connected at point Y. The positive side of the battery 36 is connected to the center of a lead 178 at the point X. The lead 178 is connected between leads 168, 174. A resistor 180, 182 is provided in the lead 178 on either side of the battery connection X. A lead 184 extends from lead 178 to the center of the primary winding 186 of stepup transformer 188. One side of the winding 186 is connected to the collector 190 of transistor 144 via lead 192. The other side of the primary winding 186 is connected to the collector 194 of transistor 146 via lead 196.
The secondary winding 198 of the transformer 188-has a center tap ground 200. One side of the winding 198 is connected to the positive terminal of a junction diode 202 via lead 204. The negative terminal of diode 202 is connected to the positive terminal of a second diode 206 via lead 208. A lead 210 extends from the negative terminal of diode 206 and is connected at Z to the lead 20. Similarly, a lead 212 extends from the other side of the winding 198 to the positive terminal of a diode 214. The negative terminal of diode 214 is connected to the-positive terminal of a diode 216 via lead 218. A lead 220 extends from the negative terminal of diode 216 into connection with lead 210. The diodes 202, 206, 214, 216 serve as a rectifying circuit. A pair of diodes is placed in series in each of the circuits in order to prevent breakdown of the diodes as a result of peak inverse voltage. v
A lead 222 extends from lead 210 to ground. The lead 222 is connected to lead 210 between the connection of lead 220 and the point Z. A capacitor 224 is provided in lead 222.
Another lead 226 extends from lead 210 in parallel with lead 222. The lead 226 is also grounded. A resistor 228 is provided in lead 226.
An inductance 230 is provided in lead 210 beyond the connection thereof with lead 222. The inductance 230 serves to stop spikes in lead 210 in either direction A diode 232 is provided between inductance 230 and the connection point Z. The diode 232 functions to prevent application of reverse voltage on the circuit 142.
Operation of the circuit 142 may now be understood. The transistors 144,146 in conjunction with the transformer 188 form a DC to AC inverter. When the battery voltage is applied by closure of switch 42, one of the transistors will conduct while the other will go into cutoff. Assuming that transistor 144 conducts, the expanding field in the primary winding 186 of the transformer 188 caused by the conduction of transistor 144 will develop a forward bias in the base-to-emitter winding 162 of transistor 144 and will maintain transistor 144 in conduction.
When saturation is reached, the magnetic field becomes stationary and there are no longer any moving lines of force to maintain the induced-bias voltage. The transistor 144 will then cease conducting and the magnetic field of transformer 188 will collapse. As this field collapses, it induces a voltage of the opposite polarity that places transistor 146 in conduction and transistor 144 is cut off. With transistor 146 conducting through the opposite half of the primary winding 186, the magnetic field reverses polarity. As the field reaches saturation, the cycle repeats. Transistor 146' becomes cut off and transistor 144 conducts and the magnetic field of primary winding 186 of the transformer 188 reverses polarity. Consequently, transistors 144, 146 act as an oscillator with the voltage on the secondary winding 198 of the transistor 188 appearing as a sine wave.
The high AC voltage developed in the secondary winding 198 of the transformer 188 is rectified by diodes 202, 206 and 214, 216. The resistor 228 and capacitor 224 along with the inductance 230 function to safeguard the oscillator circuit.
The resistor 228 provides a load for the charge on the capacitor 224 which cyclically discharges at certain times in operation of the circuit as, for example, when an internal combustion is being started and the vehicle spark plugs are not yet firing. The time constant prevents the voltage of the circuit from going above, for example, 600 volts when 2,000 volts are available at the output of the transformer 188. The circuit comprising resistor 228 and capacitor 224 eventually fade out after the spark plugs of the vehicle engine begin firing because the impedance of the remaining circuit falls below the impedance of the resistor. The capacitor 224, in combination with the inductance 230, is a safety device to prevent the oscillator circuit from ever seeing a full short as it might, for example, when the capacitor 18 discharges. This prevents complete stopping of the oscillator which would necessitate restart.
The desirability of this arrangement may be understood by study of the curve illustrated in FIG. 3. The curve represents engine speed plotted against output voltage which is sustained by the distributor. As will be noted, a maximum of 600 volts is possible at zero r.p.m. This would be the condition at startup of the vehicle. With the engine speed at 200 rpm, the voltage would be approximately 400 volts. As engine speed increases, the voltage drops somewhere to 225 volts and will remain relatively constant up to speeds of over 10,000 rpm. In one embodiment, a relatively steady output voltage was available at engine speeds of up to l9,000 r.p.m., which is a circumstance only rarely encountered in an internal combustion engine. Thus, the sparking voltage is sufficient over a broad spectrum of engine speeds.
What I claim as my invention is:
1. In a capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprising a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings, a capacitor in series with the primary winding, a DC power source to charge the capacitor, discharge means including a controlled rectifier to discharge the capacitor through the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug, pulse-producing means, a first transistor coupled between said pulse-producing meansand the gate of saidcontrolled rectifier for biasing the controlled rectifier to conduct in timed sequence with an operating engine, a diode between the output of the first transistor and said gate, said diode conducting only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first transistor being valued to provide the necessary voltage when it is biased to conduct, and a second transistor connected between the output of the first transistor and ground, means biasing the second transistor to a conducting state when the first transistor is not biased to conduct by a signal from the pulseproducing means and to a nonconducting state when the first transistor is biased to conduct by a signal from the pulseproducing means. v
2. A capacitive-discharge system as defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said pulse-producing means includes a one-shot circuit, said one-shot circuit comprising third and fourth transistors cross-coupled by means including a capacitor for translating input pulses to a square wave signal, said first transistor being connected to the collector-emitter circuit of said fourth transistor and biased to conduct when said third transistor conducts, said second transistor being connected between said third and fourth transistors and biased to conduct when said fourth transistor conducts.
3. In a capacitor-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprising a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings, a first capacitor in series with the primary winding, a DC voltage amplifier including an oscillator, a second capacitor connected to the output of the amplifier to be charged thereby, a resistor in parallel with said capacitor, said resistor providing a discharge path for the capacitor'during operation of the amplifier under no-load conditions, the output of said DC power source being connected to said first capacitor to charge said first capacitor, discharge means to discharge the first capacitor to the primary winding in timed' sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug, pulse producing means, a first transistor coupled between said pulse producing means and the discharge means for actuating said discharge means, a voltage device between the output of the first transistor and said discharge means, said voltage device conducting only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first transistor being valued to provide the necessary voltage when biased to a conducting state, and a second transistor connected between the output of the first transistor and ground, means biasing the second transistor to a

Claims (3)

1. In a capacitive-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprising a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings, a capacitor in series with the primary winding, a DC power source to charge the capacitor, discharge means including a controlled rectifier to discharge the capacitor through the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug, pulse-producing means, a first transistor coupled between said pulse-producing means and the gate of said controlled rectifier for biasing the controlled rectifier to conduct in timed sequence with an operating engine, a diode between the output of the first transistor and said gate, said diode conducting only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first transistor being valued to provide the necessary voltage when it is biased to conduct, and a second transistor connected between the output of the first transistor and ground, means biasing the second transistor to a conducting state when the first transistor is not biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means and to a nonconducting state when the first transistor is biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means.
2. A capacitive-discharge system as defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said pulse-producing means includes a one-shot circuit, said one-shot circuit comprising third and fourth transistors cross-coupled by means including a capacitor for translating input pulses to a square wave signal, said first transistor being connected to the collector-emitter circuit of said fourth transistor and biased to conduct when said third transistor conducts, said second transistor being connected between said third and fourth transistors and biased to conduct when said fourth transistor conducts.
3. In a capacitor-discharge system for internal combustion engines comprising a stepup transformer having primary and secondary windings, a first capacitor in series with the primary winding, a DC voltage amplifier including an oscillator, a second capacitor connected to the output of the amplifier to be charged thereby, a resistor in parallel with said capacitor, said resistor providing a discharge path for the capacitor during operation of the amplifier under no-load conditions, the output of said DC power source being connected to said first capacitor to charge said first capacitor, discharge means to discharge the first capacitor to the primary winding in timed sequence with an operating engine to induce a voltage in the secondary winding sufficient to fire a spark plug, pulse producing means, a first transistor coupled between said pulse producing means and the discharge means for actuating said discharge means, a voltage device between the output of the first transistor and said discharge means, said voltage device conducting only when a minimum predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first transistor being valued to provide the necessary voltage when biased to a conducting state, and a second transistor connected between the output of the first transistor and ground, means biasing the second transistor to a conducting state when the first transistor is not biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means, and to a nonconducting state when the first transistor is biased to conduct by a signal from the pulse-producing means, and an inductor in series with said second capacitor, said inductor being located between said first and second capacitors and functioning, along with said second capacitor, to prevent a full short across the voltage amplifier during discharge of said first capacitOr.
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US3716037A (en) * 1969-10-15 1973-02-13 C Jacobs Capacitive discharge ignition system
US3828751A (en) * 1972-08-11 1974-08-13 Solitron Devices Electronic ignition system
US3854466A (en) * 1971-07-24 1974-12-17 Bosch Gmbh Robert Ignition system for an internal combustion engine
US3870027A (en) * 1969-10-15 1975-03-11 Christopher A Jacobs Capacitive discharge ignition system having variable voltage inverter
US3978838A (en) * 1974-02-14 1976-09-07 Oister George K D-C power supply and ignition system
US4169445A (en) * 1978-01-09 1979-10-02 Gerry Martin E Transient intermodulation ignition system
US4181112A (en) * 1976-03-19 1980-01-01 Robert Bosch Gmbh High-voltage ignition system to generate a spark for an internal combustion engine, and method to generate the spark energy
EP0218029A1 (en) * 1985-10-03 1987-04-15 Gert Günther Niggemeyer High voltage capacitive ignition device for an internal-combustion engine
US4733646A (en) * 1986-04-30 1988-03-29 Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha Automotive ignition systems
US5065073A (en) * 1988-11-15 1991-11-12 Frus John R Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5148084A (en) * 1988-11-15 1992-09-15 Unison Industries, Inc. Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5245252A (en) * 1988-11-15 1993-09-14 Frus John R Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5473502A (en) * 1992-09-22 1995-12-05 Simmonds Precision Engine Systems Exciter with an output current multiplier

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US3316448A (en) * 1965-10-15 1967-04-25 Eltra Corp Contactless ignition system
US3331986A (en) * 1964-11-16 1967-07-18 Eltra Corp Contactless ignition system
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US3496921A (en) * 1968-08-01 1970-02-24 Ford Motor Co Capacitive storage ignition system

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US3312860A (en) * 1963-09-27 1967-04-04 Straza Ind Condenser discharge using silicon controlled rectifier control means
US3331986A (en) * 1964-11-16 1967-07-18 Eltra Corp Contactless ignition system
US3383556A (en) * 1965-06-28 1968-05-14 Gen Motors Corp Capacitor discharge ignition system
US3316448A (en) * 1965-10-15 1967-04-25 Eltra Corp Contactless ignition system
US3496921A (en) * 1968-08-01 1970-02-24 Ford Motor Co Capacitive storage ignition system

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3716037A (en) * 1969-10-15 1973-02-13 C Jacobs Capacitive discharge ignition system
US3870027A (en) * 1969-10-15 1975-03-11 Christopher A Jacobs Capacitive discharge ignition system having variable voltage inverter
US3854466A (en) * 1971-07-24 1974-12-17 Bosch Gmbh Robert Ignition system for an internal combustion engine
US3828751A (en) * 1972-08-11 1974-08-13 Solitron Devices Electronic ignition system
US3978838A (en) * 1974-02-14 1976-09-07 Oister George K D-C power supply and ignition system
US4181112A (en) * 1976-03-19 1980-01-01 Robert Bosch Gmbh High-voltage ignition system to generate a spark for an internal combustion engine, and method to generate the spark energy
US4169445A (en) * 1978-01-09 1979-10-02 Gerry Martin E Transient intermodulation ignition system
EP0218029A1 (en) * 1985-10-03 1987-04-15 Gert Günther Niggemeyer High voltage capacitive ignition device for an internal-combustion engine
US4733646A (en) * 1986-04-30 1988-03-29 Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha Automotive ignition systems
US5065073A (en) * 1988-11-15 1991-11-12 Frus John R Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5148084A (en) * 1988-11-15 1992-09-15 Unison Industries, Inc. Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5245252A (en) * 1988-11-15 1993-09-14 Frus John R Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5399942A (en) * 1988-11-15 1995-03-21 Unison Industries Limited Partnership Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5561350A (en) * 1988-11-15 1996-10-01 Unison Industries Ignition System for a turbine engine
US5473502A (en) * 1992-09-22 1995-12-05 Simmonds Precision Engine Systems Exciter with an output current multiplier

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