US3792695A - Continuous-wave ignition system - Google Patents

Continuous-wave ignition system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3792695A
US3792695A US00193909A US3792695DA US3792695A US 3792695 A US3792695 A US 3792695A US 00193909 A US00193909 A US 00193909A US 3792695D A US3792695D A US 3792695DA US 3792695 A US3792695 A US 3792695A
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United States
Prior art keywords
circuit
current flow
signal pulse
oscillator
engine
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00193909A
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English (en)
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R Canup
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Texaco Inc
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Texaco Inc
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P7/00—Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices
    • F02P7/06—Arrangements 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
    • F02P7/067—Electromagnetic pick-up devices, e.g. providing induced current in a coil
    • F02P7/0675—Electromagnetic pick-up devices, e.g. providing induced current in a coil with variable reluctance, e.g. depending on the shape of a tooth
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P3/00—Other installations
    • F02P3/01—Electric spark ignition installations without subsequent energy storage, i.e. energy supplied by an electrical oscillator

Definitions

  • This invention concerns ignition systems for an internal combustion engine in general. More specifically, it relates to an improved ignition system applicable to a high-frequency continuous-wave system. And, even more particularly, it relates to such a system that employs a control winding for starting and stopping the high-frequency continuous-wave energy.
  • the invention concerns a high-frequency continuous-wave ignition system for an internal combustion engine.
  • the said system employs a control winding for starting and stopping such high-frequency continuous-wave energy, and it has means for timing said energy relative to said engine.
  • the invention concerns improved means for controlling current flow through said winding in accordance with a predetermined amount of engine shaft angle rotation. It comprises in combination, breakerpointless means controlled by said engine shaft angle for providing a signal pulse having a duration according to said predetermined amount of rotation for each cylinder of said engine. It also comprises electronic means. for cutting off said current flow during each said signal pulse.
  • the invention concerns a highfrequency continuous-wave ignition system for an internal combustion engine, the said system having a unitary magnetic-circuit type of oscillator that employs a control winding for starting and stopping said oscillator.
  • the system also has means for timing the on-cycles of said oscillator relative to said engine.
  • the invention concerns an improvement that comprises means for controlling DC- current flow through said control winding in accordance with a predetermined amount of engine shaft angle rotation, and electromagnetic means including a coil for providing a signal pulse having a duration according to said predetermined amount of rotation for each cylinder of said engine.
  • the improvement also comprises means for inducing said signal pulse in said coil, which means comprises a magnetic flux path coupled with said coil, and permanent magnet means for generating magnetic flux in said path.
  • the signal-pulse inducing means also comprises a rotor, a stator and a variable air gap therebetween for inducing said signal pulse.
  • the improvement also comprises electronic means for cutting off said DC-current flow during each of said signal pulses, which electronic means comprises a NAND gate having two inputs and an output circuit.
  • the improvement also comprises first circuit means for connecting said coil to one of said inputs including a Zener diode for limiting the amplitude of said signal pulse.
  • it comprises means for applying a.
  • first transistor means in said output circuit for amplifying the output of said gate, as well as a second transistor means controlled by said first transistor means for controlling said DC-current flow in said control winding.
  • FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a system ac cording to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a preferred rotor structure for generating an electromagnetic timing pulse
  • FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.
  • the circuit diagram illustrates a system to be used for providing high-frequency continuous-wave ignition energy to an internal combustion engine.
  • a circuit connection 11 that goes to the common circuit element of a distributor of an internal combustion engine, as indicated by the caption TO DIS. CAP.
  • This connection 11 leads out from a secondary winding 12 that is on a transformer 15 which provides the high-voltage, spark-creating energy.
  • the transformer 15 has a plurality of primary or input windings 14, as illustrated. These are part of an oscillator circuit 16, which is basically like the circuit disclosed in the above-mentioned co-pending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 100,642.
  • the oscillator 16 employs two pairs of transistors 19 and 20 instead of a single transistor in each case. It will be understood that this does not change the man ner in which the oscillator operates.
  • the basic oscillator circuit 16 is not new, per se, but, as employed in this case, it makes use of a control winding 23 that is magnetically coupled with the oscillator windings 14 on the core of the transformer 15. As was the case in the afore-mentioned co-pending application, this control winding 23 acts to control the starting and stopping of the oscillator 16. This involves the application of DC-current flow through the winding 23, along with a low-impedence path, so that when the DC current is flowing and the low-impedence path is effective, the winding 23 will load down the oscillator sufficiently to stop its oscillation. Then, when it is desired to supply spark energy over the output connection 11, the oscillator 16 will be started by removing the DC- current flow through winding 23. The decaying flux thus created will act in the proper direction to cause instantaneous starting of the oscillator 16. The oscillator will, of course, then supply the desired high-voltage high-frequency spark signal over the circuit including output connection 11.
  • the ignition system is energized whenever a power source, e.g., a I2-volt battery 26, is connected to supply the DC power to the system. This is accomplished in a conventional manner with the circuit from battery 26 being carried via an ignition switch 27 which connects the positive side of battery 26 to a power input circuit connection 30 whenever the ignition switch is either in its start or operate positions.
  • the circuit connection 30 supplies DC power voltage to the oscillator 16 via a fuse 31 and a resistor 32.
  • the positive voltage from battery 26 is connected via a circuit connection 35 to one side of each of three resistors 36, 37 and 38.
  • This provides the power input for an electronic means 42 that is shown enclosed in a dashed-line rectangle.
  • This means acts as part of a breakerpointless ignition control unit, which unit acts in a similar manner and the electromagnetic-pulse generating part of which is substantially like that illustrated and described in the above-noted co-pending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 67,450.
  • the breakerpointless arrangement includes a rotor 46 that is carried by a shaft 47.
  • Rotor 46 is surrounded by a magnetic-material stator 48.
  • the shaft 47 is mechanically connected (not shown) to the crank shaft of the engine.
  • the ignition system is arranged in a conventional manner so that the rotation of the shaft 47 and attached rotor 46 will be directly related to the engine shaft angle at all times.
  • the breakerpointless pulse-generating structure described above, includes a magnetic flux path with the rotor 46, stator 48 and cylindrical permanent magnet ring 51 (FIG. 3) joining a lower plate 52 of magnetic material. This makes a complete flux path while providing electromagnetic coupling therewith by a coil 54 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 1).
  • stator 48 There are a plurality of inwardly directed radial projections 55 on the stator 48. These are equal in number to the number of cylinders of the engine, and they extend so as to leave only a small air gap when a corresponding plurality of outwardly directed radial projections 58 on the rotor 46 are in alignment with the projections 55. It will be clear that when these two sets of projections are not in alignment, the air gap is large,
  • the arrangement of the electromagnetic rotor elements is, as already indicated, substantially like that of the co-pending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 67,450. But, in this case the output signals which are generated are treated in such manner as to clip the amplitude of the leading one of the pair of pulses generated as the projections 58 move into and out of alignment with the sharp-pointed projections 55. This limits the amplitude of the pulses generated so that they remain at the same height regardless of engine speed. Also, because of the clipping of the pulse, there is an output voltage during the full time the rotor projections 58 are in alignment with the stator projections 55. Consequently, as will appear more fully below, the system according to this invention gives simplified results and eliminates the need of a special arrangement to shut down the oscillator as was the case in the co-pending application system.
  • NAND gate 61 that has an input connection 62 leading from the other end of the resistor 36 from that which is connected to the common connector 35.
  • the other end of the winding 54 is connected to ground as shown by a grounded connector 64.
  • Zener diode 66 connected across the winding 54 along with a capacitor 67 that is in parallel with the diode 66.
  • both the diode 66 and the capacitor 67 have one side of each connected to the input connection 65 of the NAND gate 61.
  • the transistor 72 is coupled with another transistor 73 in a Darlington configuration to amplify and feed the output of the NAND circuit 61 via the circuit connection 71 to the input of a power transistor 76.
  • the output from the transistor 73 goes via a diode 77 that is connected between a pair of resistors 78 and 79.
  • This network goes to the base-emitter circuit of transistor 76.
  • Transistor 76 is connected with its collectoremitter in series with the oscillator control winding 23 via a circuit connection 82 and a diode 83.
  • Part of the winding 23 (oscillator control) circuit also includes another diode 86 and a capacitor 87. The latter two have one side of each grounded, as shown.
  • the operation during a single continuouswave high-frequency sparking interval may be reviewed as follows. With the engine running and between sparking intervals, the oscillator 16 is cut off because of the low-impedence path across the control winding 23 that includes the diode 86 and the power transistor 76. Also, a DC current in the winding 23 will apply a magnetic bias to the core of the transformer 15.
  • Power transistor 76 will be conducting because the NAND gate 61 has a lack of coincidence at its inputs, i.e., there is a continuous positive voltage applied over connection 62 so long as the ignition switch 27 is on.
  • the sparking interval with the oscillator 16 oscillating continues until the trailing edges of the rotor projections 58 pass out of alignment with the stator projections 55. That causes a negative voltage signal to be generated in the winding 54 which throws the NAND gate 61 on again (positive output voltage). This, in turn, turns the power transistor 76 fully on. Then, the next half cycle of the oscillator 16 that applies a positive voltage to the collector of the transistor 76, will load the oscillator and stop it while, at the same time, DC-current flow is re-established in the winding 23.
  • the system according to this invention does not need any extra elements in the circuit to stop the oscillator if the distributor should stop while the rotor and stator projections are in alignment, because the lack of any generated signal in winding 54 of the distributor (after the clipped voltage falls to zero) causes an anticoincidence at the NAND gate 61 which then stops the oscillator 16 in the manner just described.
  • a high-frequency continuouswave ignition system for an internal combustion engine
  • said system including a square wave oscillator employing a unitary magnetic circuit and including a control winding for starting and stopping said highfrequency continuous-wave energy
  • said system also including means for applying a low-impedance path to said control winding concurrently with a DC current therethrough between each spark duration interval, and said system including means for timing said spark duration intervals relative to said engine
  • improved means for controlling current flow through said winding in accordance with a predetermined amount of engine shaft angle rotation comprising in combination electromagnetic means including a coil,
  • a NAND gate for controlling said current flow through said winding and having two input circuits and an output circuit
  • first circuit means including clipping means for applying said signal pulse to one of said input circuits
  • said clipping means limiting the amplitude of said signal pulse
  • third circuit means for connecting said NAND gate output circuit to said transistor means, all whereby said low impedance path and said DC current flow are concurrently applied between each spark duration interval.
  • variable air gap therebetween for generating said signal pulse.
  • the improvement comprising means for controlling DC-current flow through said control winding in accordance with a predetermined amount of engine shaft angle rotation,
  • electromagnetic means including a coil for providing a signal pulse having a duration according to said predetermined amount of rotation for each cylinder of said engine, and
  • electronic means for cutting off said DC-current flow during each of said signal pulses comprising a NAND gate for controlling said DC cut off interval having two inputs and an output circuit, first circuit means for connecting said coil to one of said inputs including a Zener diode for limiting the amplitude of said signal pulse,

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
  • Permanent Magnet Type Synchronous Machine (AREA)
US00193909A 1971-10-29 1971-10-29 Continuous-wave ignition system Expired - Lifetime US3792695A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US19390971A 1971-10-29 1971-10-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3792695A true US3792695A (en) 1974-02-19

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00193909A Expired - Lifetime US3792695A (en) 1971-10-29 1971-10-29 Continuous-wave ignition system

Country Status (13)

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US (1) US3792695A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4851141A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AU (1) AU458078B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BR (1) BR7207246D0 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA1010945A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CH (1) CH547951A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2159025A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1364009A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
HK (1) HK61777A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IT (1) IT970034B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7213723A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
SE (1) SE389167B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ZA (1) ZA727008B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4320735A (en) * 1980-05-23 1982-03-23 Texaco, Inc. High-frequency continuous-wave ignition system
US4414954A (en) * 1982-05-27 1983-11-15 Texaco Inc. Internal combustion engine ignition system with improvement
WO1987002742A1 (en) * 1985-10-23 1987-05-07 Robert Bosch Gmbh Signal transmitter for an ignition distributor in internal combustion engines
US20090126710A1 (en) * 2007-11-21 2009-05-21 Southwest Research Institute Dual coil ignition circuit for spark ignited engine

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2616693C3 (de) * 1976-04-15 1980-09-18 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Zündanlage für Brennkraftmaschinen
FR2418875A1 (fr) * 1978-03-03 1979-09-28 Texaco Development Corp Dispositif d'allumage pour moteur a combustion interne
EP0073457A3 (en) * 1981-08-27 1983-06-29 Przemyslowy Instytut Automatyki i Pomiarow "MERA-PIAP" Ignition distributor with induction detector

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2976461A (en) * 1959-02-06 1961-03-21 Globe Union Inc Oscillator ignition system
US3407795A (en) * 1966-06-02 1968-10-29 Texaco Inc Ignition system for internal combustion engines
US3418989A (en) * 1967-05-17 1968-12-31 Harvey F. Silverman Electronic ignition system
US3454871A (en) * 1968-02-19 1969-07-08 Texaco Inc Apparatus for measuring and controlling spark advance of internal combustion engine
US3472216A (en) * 1968-03-06 1969-10-14 Willis D Clyborne Engine ignition system
US3554178A (en) * 1969-07-03 1971-01-12 Gen Motors Corp Dual spark capacitor discharge ignition system
US3593696A (en) * 1968-02-29 1971-07-20 Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche Electronic ignition system for producing high frequency spark trains for internal combustion engines
US3626910A (en) * 1967-12-20 1971-12-14 Porsche Kg Ignition and injection control for internal combustion engine

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2976461A (en) * 1959-02-06 1961-03-21 Globe Union Inc Oscillator ignition system
US3407795A (en) * 1966-06-02 1968-10-29 Texaco Inc Ignition system for internal combustion engines
US3418989A (en) * 1967-05-17 1968-12-31 Harvey F. Silverman Electronic ignition system
US3626910A (en) * 1967-12-20 1971-12-14 Porsche Kg Ignition and injection control for internal combustion engine
US3454871A (en) * 1968-02-19 1969-07-08 Texaco Inc Apparatus for measuring and controlling spark advance of internal combustion engine
US3593696A (en) * 1968-02-29 1971-07-20 Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche Electronic ignition system for producing high frequency spark trains for internal combustion engines
US3472216A (en) * 1968-03-06 1969-10-14 Willis D Clyborne Engine ignition system
US3554178A (en) * 1969-07-03 1971-01-12 Gen Motors Corp Dual spark capacitor discharge ignition system

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4320735A (en) * 1980-05-23 1982-03-23 Texaco, Inc. High-frequency continuous-wave ignition system
US4414954A (en) * 1982-05-27 1983-11-15 Texaco Inc. Internal combustion engine ignition system with improvement
WO1987002742A1 (en) * 1985-10-23 1987-05-07 Robert Bosch Gmbh Signal transmitter for an ignition distributor in internal combustion engines
US20090126710A1 (en) * 2007-11-21 2009-05-21 Southwest Research Institute Dual coil ignition circuit for spark ignited engine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1010945A (en) 1977-05-24
AU458078B2 (en) 1975-02-20
DE2252193A1 (de) 1973-05-03
JPS4851141A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-07-18
HK61777A (en) 1977-12-23
GB1364009A (en) 1974-08-21
AU4748972A (en) 1974-04-11
CH547951A (de) 1974-04-11
FR2159025A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-06-15
DE2252193B2 (de) 1977-06-23
IT970034B (it) 1974-04-10
SE389167B (sv) 1976-10-25
ZA727008B (en) 1974-02-27
NL7213723A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-05-02
BR7207246D0 (pt) 1973-08-21

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