U.S. patent number 3,839,659 [Application Number 05/066,574] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-01 for multi-pulse capacitor discharge ignition system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to U.S. Philips Corporation. Invention is credited to Hugo Georg Bruijning, Frans Meijer.
United States Patent |
3,839,659 |
Bruijning , et al. |
October 1, 1974 |
MULTI-PULSE CAPACITOR DISCHARGE IGNITION SYSTEM
Abstract
An electric ignition system for an automobile engine includes a
capacitor and a SCR in series with the primary winding of a high
voltage transfer. The SCR is triggered by means of an AND gate to
which a recurrent control signal synchronized with the engine and a
voltage derived from the capacitor voltage are applied. During each
control signal, a plurality of high voltage pulses are generated by
the repeated charge and discharge of the capacitor through the SCR
and transformer.
Inventors: |
Bruijning; Hugo Georg
(Emmasingel, NL), Meijer; Frans (Emmasingel,
NL) |
Assignee: |
U.S. Philips Corporation (New
York, NY)
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Family
ID: |
19799964 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/066,574 |
Filed: |
August 24, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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722850 |
Apr 22, 1968 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Apr 26, 1967 [NL] |
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6705849 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
315/209SC;
123/637; 123/597; 315/209CD |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02P
3/0884 (20130101); H03K 3/57 (20130101); F02P
15/10 (20130101); F02P 7/073 (20130101); F02P
3/093 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F02P
7/073 (20060101); H03K 3/57 (20060101); F02P
15/00 (20060101); F02P 7/00 (20060101); F02P
3/09 (20060101); F02P 15/10 (20060101); F02P
3/08 (20060101); F02P 3/00 (20060101); H03K
3/00 (20060101); F02p 003/08 (); F02p 005/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;315/29R,29SC,29CD,29T
;123/148E |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
van Houter et al., "A New Ignition System for Cars," Electronics,
Vol. 37, No. 26, Oct. 5, 1964 (pp. 70-71)..
|
Primary Examiner: Rolinec; Rudolph V.
Assistant Examiner: Larkins; William D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Trifari; Frank R. Franzblau;
Bernard
Claims
1. An apparatus for producing high-voltage pulses for a spark plug
of an internal-combustion engine comprising, a capacitor connected
in series with the primary winding of a step-up high-voltage
transformer across the secondary winding of which at least one
spark plug is connected, a voltage supply source including means by
which said capacitor is charged to a predetermined voltage level
sufficient to produce a spark discharge, a controlled rectifier
through which the capacitor is discharged through the primary
winding of the high-voltage transformer, and a control circuit for
causing the controlled rectifier to become conductive including an
and-gate to which a recurrent control signal synchronized with the
engine rotation and a voltage derived from the voltage across the
capacitor are applied so that the controlled rectifier is
repeatedly rendered conductive when the voltage across the
capacitor reaches said predetermined level and
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control circuit
includes a transistor between the emitter and base electrodes of
which a voltage is applied that is the difference between a
proportional part of the voltage across the capacitor and a
reference voltage proportional to the voltage of the supply source
with the control signal present, so that the repetition frequency
of the high-voltage pulses produced is substantially
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the series
combination of the capacitor and the primary winding of the
high-voltage transformer is shunted by the series combination of
two rectifier elements so that when the controlled rectifier
conducts the first mentioned series combination forms a resonant
circuit closed for currents of both directions, characterized in
that the capacitance of the capacitor and the inductance effective
across the primary winding of the high-voltage transformer are
chosen so that one half-cycle of the natural oscillation of the
resonant circuit is shorter than the recovery time of the
controlled rectifier, so that each high-voltage pulse produced is
an oscillation pulse extending
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control signal is
produced by the illumination of a photosensitive element through a
slot formed in a screening member driven by the engine,
characterized in that the width of this slot varies gradually, and
means for varying the intensity of the source of light used for
illuminating the photosensitive element and/or the sensitivity of
said photosensitive element under control of the respective values
of one or more operational parameters of
5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for
varying the intensity of the light source and/or the sensitivity of
the
6. An electric ignition system for an engine having one or more
spark plugs comprising, a source of voltage, a transformer having a
primary winding and a secondary winding coupled to a spark plug, a
capacitor connected in series with said primary winding across the
voltage source, means including said voltage source for charging
the capacitor to a predetermined value sufficient to produce a
spark discharge, a discharge circuit for said capacitor including a
controlled rectifier connected in series with the capacitor and
primary winding, and a control circuit coupled to the control
electrode of the controlled rectifier so as to initiate current
flow therein comprising, a gate circuit having an output coupled to
said control electrode and an input, means controlled by the engine
for generating a recurrent control signal that varies as a function
of the engine speed, means for deriving a voltage proportional to
the capacitor voltage, means coupling said signal generating means
and said voltage deriving means to the input of said gate circuit
whereby the gate circuit supplies a current initiating pulse to
said control electrode when the control signal is present at the
gate input and the capacitor voltage
7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the electrical parameters
of the transformer and capacitor are chosen so that a
charge-discharge cycle of the capacitor is substantially shorter
than the recurrence gating period of said control signal for low
engine operating speeds whereby the capacitor is charged and
discharged at least twice during each recurrence period of the
control signal thereby to develop a plurality of spark discharge
pulses across said spark plug during each recurrence gating
8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said gate circuit
includes an electronic switch having one input coupled to said
signal generating means and said voltage deriving means and a
second input coupled to a source of reference voltage of a value
chosen so that said electronic switch passes a control pulse to
said control electrode each time said predetermined capacitor
voltage is developed and the control signal is present at the
9. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said voltage source
comprises a DC-AC converter including electric oscillating means
having an output circuit coupled to said capacitor and controlled
rectifier via a rectifier circuit so that oscillations therein are
inhibited during at least a part
10. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control signal
generating means comprises a contact breaker operated in
synchronism with the engine.
11. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control signal
generating means comprises a photosensitive element connected in
the input of said gate circuit, a source of light spaced from said
photosensitive element, and an opaque member having a slot therein
positioned between said light source and photosensitive element and
rotatable in synchronism with the
12. A system as claimed in claim 11 further comprising means for
varying the intensity of the light emitted by said light source as
a function of
13. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said gate circuit
comprises a transistor having a base electrode and an emitter
electrode which together form the input thereof, and means for
applying a reference voltage proportional to the voltage of the
voltage source to one of said electrodes and said capacitor
proportional voltage to the other of said transistor electrodes,
the capacitor voltage being determined by the
14. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said voltage deriving
means comprises a first voltage divider connected across said
capacitor and to the input of the gate circuit and a second voltage
divider connected across the voltage source and to the input of the
gate circuit, and wherein said control signal generating means
includes switching means synchronized to the engine shaft rotation
and coupled to said first and second voltage dividers so as to
alter the voltage distribution
15. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control signal
generating means comprises a photosensitive element conncted in the
input of said gate circuit, a source of light spaced from said
photosensitive element, an opaque screening member having a slot
therein positioned between said light source and photosensitive
element and rotatable in synchronism with the engine, and means for
varying the intensity of the light emitted by said light source in
a manner so as to control the instant of ignition of
16. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control circuit
further comprises a time delay network coupled to the input of the
gate circuit and arranged to maintain the flow of said current
pulse to said control electrode subsequent to the discharge of the
capacitor and for a time
17. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the width of the slot
in the
18. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control signal
generating means comprises a photosensitive element connected in
the input of said gate circuit, a source of light spaced from said
photosensitive element, an opaque screening member having a slot
therein positioned between said light source and photosensitive
element and rotatable in synchronism with the engine, the width of
said slot varying gradually with its radial distance from the axis
of rotation of the screening member, and means for varying the
intensity of the light emitted by said light source as a function
of the engine speed.
Description
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing
high-voltage pulses, especially for producing sparks at a spark
plug of an internal combustion engine. The invention particularly
relates to an apparatus of the type known, for example, from U.S.
Pat. No. 3,051,870, including a capacitor connected in series with
the primary winding of a step-up high-voltage transformer across
the secondary winding of which at least one spark plug may be
connected. The apparatus also includes a voltage source by which
said capacitor is charged, a controlled rectifier through which the
capacitor is discharged through the primary winding of the
high-voltage transformer, and a control circuit for causing the
controlled rectifier to conduct.
In an internal combustion engine, especially a spark-ignition
engine provided with an apparatus of the above defined type or of
one of most of the other known types, starting difficulties
frequently occur. These are usually due to a weak storage battery,
for example, due to its age. When the engine is driven by an
electric starter-motor energized by the battery, the battery
voltage drops excessively and hence the driving torque developed by
the starter-motor is too weak to bring the internal combustion
engine up to a sufficient starting speed. These poor starting
conditions are aggravated by the fact that, owing to the abnormally
low battery voltage, the ignition spark also is weak and of short
duration if the same battery is used for feeding the starter-motor
and the ignition-apparatus.
With the known ignition-apparatuses, combustion frequently is far
from complete so that the efficiency of the engine is reduced and
the toxicity of its exhaust gases is increased. In the towns, the
air is increasingly contaminated by exhaust gases, so that this
toxicity must be combated with all available means. On the other
hand, internal combustion engines of ever higher speeds and ever
higher compression ratios continuously require better ignition
apparatuses.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved and yet
simple apparatus of the above defined type.
The apparatus in accordance with the invention is characterized in
that the control circuit includes an and-gate to which a recurrent
control signal and a voltage derived from the voltage across the
capacitor are applied, so that, during the application of the
control signal, the controlled rectifier is repeatedly rendered
conductive when the voltage across the capacitor reaches a
predetermined value. Consequently, for example, when an
internal-combustion engine is running slowly or is being started,
and owing also to the comparatively long duration of the control
signals, a train of high-voltage pulses and a corresponding train
of ignition sparks are produced during each control signal.
It should be noted that the use of a train of high-voltage pulses
for igniting the combustible gas mixture in a combustion chamber of
a spark-ignition internal-combustion engine is known, inter alia
from Belgian Pat. specification No. 509,801. The apparatus in
accordance with the invention, however, is very simple and
effective.
The invention will now be described more fully with reference to
the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is the circuit diagram of a first embodiment of the
apparatus in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 2 is the circuit diagram of a second embodiment,
FIG. 3 is the circuit diagram of a third embodiment,
FIG. 4 shows a detail of this third embodiment, and
FIG. 5 is the circuit diagram of a modification of the third
embodiment.
The first embodiment shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 includes a
capacitor 1 connected in series with the primary winding 2 of a
step-up high-voltage transformer 3. Across a secondary winding 4 of
the transformer a spark plug 5 can be connected, for example,
through a distributor, not shown. The system further includes a
voltage source constituted by a source 6 of a low direct voltage in
the form of a 12 volt battery and by a converter in the form of a
blocking oscillator including a transistor 7 and a transformer
which comprises a core 8 made of a square-loop ferromagnetic
material, a primary winding 9 connected in the collector circuit of
the transistor 7, a feedback winding 10 connected in the
base-emitter circuit of this transistor and a high voltage
secondary winding 11. The emitter of the transistor 7, which is of
the p-n-p type, is connected to the positive terminal of the source
6, its base is connected to its emitter through the series
combination of a feedback capacitor 13 shunted by a resistor 12 and
the winding 10 and to the negative terminal of the source 6 through
a biasing resistor 14. Its collector is connected to this negative
terminal through the winding 9. One end of the secondary winding 11
is connected to ground and to the negative terminal of the source
6, and the other end is connected to a full-wave rectifier in
voltage-doubling connection which comprises a coupling capacitor 15
and two rectifier elements 16 and 17. The rectifier elements 16 and
17 are connected in series and in the same pass direction across
the series combination of the capacitor 1 and the winding 2, and
the capacitor 15 is connected between the nongrounded terminal of
the winding 11 and the junction of the rectifier elements 16 and
17. Both windings 2 and 4 of the transformer 3 are connected to
ground at one end, and the electrode of the capacitor 1 which is
not connected to the winding 2 is positively charged to a voltage
of, say, 400 volts through the rectifier 15, 16, 17.
The apparatus further includes a controlled rectifier in the form
of a semiconductor controlled rectifier or thyristor 18 through
which the capacitor 1 is discharged through the primary winding 2,
and a control circuit for rendering the controlled rectifier 18
conducting.
The control circuit includes a p-n-p transistor 19 which acts as an
and-gate. The emitter of this transistor is directly connected to
the positive terminal of the source 6, its collector is connected
to ground through a load resistor 20 and its base is connected to
the tapping of a voltage divider which comprises resistors 21 and
22 connected across the capacitor 1. A second voltage divider
comprising resistors 23 and 24 is connected between the base of the
transistor 19 and the positive terminal of the source 6, and its
tapping is connected to ground through a switch 25, for example,
the contact breaker of a spark-ignition internal-combustion engine
having at least one combustion chamber which is provided with the
spark plug 5. The control circuit further includes a p-n-p
amplifying transistor 26. The base of this transistor is connected
to the collector of the transistor 19, its emitter is directly
connected to the positive terminal of the source 6 and its
collector is connected to ground through a load resistor 27 and to
the control electrode of the thyristor 18 through a resistor
28.
The resistors 21, 22, 23 and 24 have values such that the
transistor 19 is highly conducting as long as the switch 25 is
closed, even if the capacitor 1 is fully charged. Under these
conditions the transistor 26 is cut off and supplies no forward
current to the control electrode of the thyristor 18, so that this
thyristor also remains cut off. When a control signal is produced
by the circuit of the switch 25 being broken, the transistor 19
compares the voltage of the source 6 applied to its emitter with
the voltage across the resistor 22 applied to its base and derived
from the voltage across the capacitor 1. If the latter voltage
exceeds a predetermined value, the transistor 19 is cut off. The
transistor 26 becomes highly conducting and, through the resistor
28, part of its collector current flows to the control electrode of
the thyristor 18, rendering the latter conducting. The capacitor 1
now discharges through the thyristor 18 and the winding 2, the
current pulse through this winding produces a high-voltage pulse
across the secondary winding 4 and causes a spark discharge to take
place between the electrodes of the spark plug 5.
Owing to the capacitor 1 being discharged, the voltage at the base
of the transistor 19 again becomes negative with respect to the
voltage at its emitter, even if the contact of the switch 25 is
still open. Hence, this transistor begins to conduct again and cuts
off the transistor 26, enabling the thyristor 18 to be extinguished
again at the next passage through zero of its main current.
Owing to the secondary winding 11 of the converter transformer
being completely short-circuited by the thyristor 18 via the
rectifier 15, 16, 17, the converter including the transistor 7
substantially stops oscillating until the thyristor 18 is again
rendered non-conducting.
As soon as the thyristor has again become non-conducting, the
converter including the transistor 7 starts oscillating strongly,
and the capacitor 1 is thus charged again through the rectifier 15,
16, 17. At the instant at which the voltage across this capacitor
again reaches the predetermined value, the transistor 19 is again
cut off unless the contact of the switch 25 has been closed in the
meantime. If this is not the case, the transistor 26 and hence the
thyristor 18 become conductive again, the capacitor 1 again
discharges through the thyristor and the winding 2 and the
apparatus produces a second spark between the electrodes of the
spark plug 5, and so on.
Thus, each time the contact of the switch 25 is broken the system
produces a train of high-voltage pulses and a corresponding train
of sparks, these trains being interrupted only by the contact of
the switch 25 being closed again. The time interval between two
successive pulses is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor
1, by the internal resistance of the source of charging voltage
comprising the source 6, the converter 7 - 14 and the rectifier 15
- 17, by the predetermined voltage across the capacitor 1, which is
determined by the resistors 21, 22, 23 and 24, and by the
transformation ratio of the converter with the rectifier.
When the thyristor 18 is conducting, the capacitor 1 together with
the inductance of the winding 2 forms a resonant circuit closed for
both directions of current flow; for currents in the reverse
direction of the thyristor 18 it is closed through the rectifier
elements 16 and 17. This closed circuit is strongly excited by the
discharge of the capacitor 1 through the thyristor 18 and
oscillates with damped oscillations at its resonant frequency. If a
half-cycle of this oscillation is sufficiently longer than the
recovery time of the thyristor 18, say, 20 microseconds, the latter
is cut off after a full oscillation cycle. If this half-cycle is
shorter than the recovery time of the thyristor, for example, is
equal to 10 microseconds (frequency of oscillation 50 kc/s), the
thyristor remains conducting in its forward direction until the
oscillation amplitude has decreased to such an extent that the
forward current through the thyristor 18 can no longer maintain it
in the conductive state.
When the full-wave rectifier 15-17 is replaced by a half-wave
rectifier, for example, by omitting the capacitor 15 and the
rectifier element 17 and connecting the winding 11 to the anode of
the rectifier element 16, the capacitor 1 together with the winding
2 form, for one direction of current flow, a resonant circuit
having a comparatively high natural frequency and closed through
the thyristor 18 and, for the other direction of current flow, a
resonant circuit having a lower natural frequency and closed
through the rectifier 16 and the winding 11. Hence, the second and
any further even-numbered half-cycles are of longer duration and
lower amplitude than the first and any further odd-numbered
half-cycles of the oscillation.
According to another modification, not shown in the drawings, the
winding 2 may be shunted by a diode which would have its cathode
connected to ground and would suppress the even-numbered
half-cycles of the oscillation across the winding 2, so that each
pulse produced is limited to only about the first quarter-cycle of
the resonant circuit 1, 2.
The shape, the duration, the nature (of one polarity or of
alternating polarities) and the mutual time intervals of the
high-voltage pulses may thus be acted upon at will. It should be
noted that if the converter 7 - 14 were to continue oscillating and
supplying a charging current to the capacitor 1 during the pulses,
the thyristor 18 could not be so readily extinguished and, under
certain conditions, would not extinguish at all. These conditions
obtain when the charging current supplied by the converter 7 - 14
through the rectifier 15 - 17 forms a sufficient holding current
for the thyristor used. By ensuring that the converter 7 - 14
cannot oscillate when the thyristor 18 conducts, the thyristor 18
is prevented from being maintained in the conducting condition by
the rectified alternating current supplied by the converter 7 - 14
through the rectifier 15 - 17. This also results in slightly
shortening the high-voltage pulses produced, by suppressing a
useless low-amplitude end portion or "tail," and also in reducing
the dissipation in the element 7 of the converter 7 - 14 and the
mean value of the current supplied by the source 6 of low direct
voltage.
Especially for starting a cold engine, the described train of
ignition sparks has proved more effective than a single continuous
spark of the same duration. Combustion is accelerated and is more
complete, the exhaust gases contain less carbon monoxide and less
carbon is deposited in the exhaust and in the engine, especially on
the electrodes of the spark plugs.
The second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is equipped with a balanced
converter including two transistors 7 and 7'. The transformer 8 -
11 has a primary winding 9, 10, 9', 10', which also acts as a
feedback winding and is provided with a centre tapping connected to
the positive terminal of the source 6. The ends of the winding are
connected to the bases of the transistors 7 and 7' through biasing
resistors 12 and 12', respectively, the emitters of said
transistors being connected to intermediate taps on this winding.
The transformer 8 - 11 has a high transformation ratio and its
secondary winding 11 is connected to the input terminals of a
rectifier bridge 15'. The control circuit includes a delay circuit
comprising capacitors 32, 33, 34 and resistors 35, 36, 37 which
determines, or at least limits, the duration of each pulse produced
by a discharge of the capacitor 1. This network is connected
between the emitter and the base of the transistor 19 so that the
capacitors 32, 33, 34 are charged to the difference between the
voltage across the resistor 22 of the voltage divider 21, 22 and
the voltage of the supply source 6. The emitter of the transistor
19 is connected to the tapping on the voltage divider 21, 22 and
its base is connected to the positive terminal of the supply source
6 through the resistors 35, 36, 37 of the delay network. Therefore,
the transistor 19 becomes conductive when the said voltage
difference is positive and exceeds its base emitter threshold. The
collector current flows through the resistor 20 and the resulting
voltage across this resistor biases the base of a second transistor
26' of the n-p-n type in the forward direction.
The collector of the transistor 26' is connected to the negative
terminal of the supply source 6 through a switch, for example, a
contact breaker 25, and its emitter is connected to the control
electrode of the thyristor 18 through a resistor 28. Consequently,
the transistor 26' can supply a forward current to this control
electrode only if the transistor 19 is conducting and the contact
of the switch 25 is broken. When these two conditions are
simultaneously satisfied the thyristor 18 becomes conducting and
the capacitor 1 discharges through this thyristor 18 and the
winding 2. The resulting reduction of the potential of the emitter
of the transistor 19 is delayed by the network 32 - 37, so that a
reduction of the voltage across the capacitor 1 does not
immediately cut off the transistors 19 and 26'. As a result the
thyristor 18 is also maintained conducting, even after
interruptions of its anode current of a duration longer than its
recovery time. The duration of the forward current supplied to its
control electrode is thus limited by the time constant of the
network 32 - 37, provided the contact of the switch 25 remains
broken during this time. During the time determined by this time
constant, a train of high-voltage pulses may be produced across the
secondary winding 4, for example, in the form of pulses of damped
oscillations of a comparitively low frequency, for example, 20
kc/s, of the circuit 1,2 which is alternately closed through a
thyristor 18 and through the rectifier 15'.
A practical embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1 included a
balanced converter as shown in FIG. 2. The following components
were used: Transistors 7 and 7' Philips type ASZ 18, Transistors 19
and 26 Philips type BC 186, Rectifier 15' Philips type BY 123,
Thyristor 18 Philips type BTY 91, Capacitor 1 1 .mu.F, Resistors 12
and 12' 5 ohms each, Resistors 14 and 14' 270 ohms each, Resistor
20 22 kilo-ohms, Resistor 21 180 kilo-ohms, Resistor 22 5.6
kilo-ohms, Resistor 23 27 ohms, Resistor 24 4.7 kilo-ohms, Resistor
27 1 kilo-ohm, Resistor 28 220 ohms, Transformer 8-11 12
volts.fwdarw.400 volts, Transformer 2-4 normal ignition coil.
The control signal may be produced by various means other than a
switch or contact breaker, for example, by a permanent magnet
displacable relative to a coil or a Hall generator.
In the third embodiment, part of which is shown in FIG. 3, this
signal is transmitted as a sudden large variation of a
photosensitive resistor. The transistors 19 and 26' are connected
in the manner shown in FIG. 2, with the exception that the base of
the transistor 19 is directly connected to the positive terminal of
the supply source 6, the delay network 32 - 37 being omitted, and
that the collector resistor 20 of this transistor is also omitted
and replaced by a photosensitive resistor or LDR 38 connected in
series with a variable resistor 39 between the collector of the
transistor 19 and the base of the transistor 26'. An electric
incandescent lamp 40 is fed from the source 6 through a variable
resistor 41. It is arranged so as to be capable of illuminating the
LDR 38 through an aperture 42 in a screening member 43.
As shown in FIG. 4, the screening member 43 is a disc having two
apertures 42. The disc may be driven by the crankshaft of a
two-cylinder four-stroke spark-ignition internal-combustion engine
together with the rotor of the distributor thereof.
As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the transistor 19
compares a proportional part of the charge voltage of the capacitor
1 with the voltage of the supply source 6 and conducts only if the
capacitor voltage exceeds a predetermined value. The collector
circuit of this transistor includes the control electrode cathode
path of the thyristor 18, the resistor 28, the base emitter path of
the transistor 26' and, in addition, the variable resistor 39 and
the LDR-38. So long as the latter is not illuminated its resistance
is so high that only a negligibly small collector current can flow
to the base of the transistor 26' so that the emitter current of
this transistor is not sufficient to render the thyristor 18
conducting. Consequently, the thyristor becomes conducting only
when, the capacitor 1 being sufficiently charged, the LDR 38 is
illuminated by the lamp 40.
The duration of the train of high-voltage pulses produced is equal
to the time during which the LDR 38 is sufficiently illuminated to
cause the transistor 26' to supply a sufficient forward current to
the control electrode of the thyristor 18.
As shown in FIG. 4, the apertures or slots 42 of the screening
member 43 have a gradually varying width, so that a gradually
increasing and decreasing part of the light emitted by the lamp 40
illuminates the LDR 38. On the other hand, the sensitivity
threshold of the control circuit can be varied by means of the
variable resistor 39 and/or the brightness of the lamp 40 can be
varied by means of the variable resistor 41. The duration of the
train of high-voltage pulses and/or the starting instant of this
train relative to the position of the screening member 43 can thus
be controlled. In an ignition apparatus for a spark-ignition
internal-combustion engine, this control can be automatically
performed, for example, by varying the value of the resistor 41
under the control of data supplied by a gas-chromatograph and/or a
tachometer-generator. A transistor can thereby obviously be used as
the variable resistor. U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,123 (R. Kasama et al.)
describes an ignition system in which the internal resistance of a
transistor is varied as a function of engine speed to provide an
automatic ignition advance capability. This automatic control is a
very useful and desirable property because the composition and the
pressure of the combustible gas mixture in a spark-ignition
internal-combustion engine vary very strongly, whereas the most
complete combustion possible is always desired or even required,
incomplete combustion giving rise to strong corrosion of the spark
plug electrodes, which again results in a still poorer combustion.
An indispensable means for counteracting such incomplete combustion
is a permanently operating automatic adjustment of the instant of
ignition and of the duration of the ignition spark or train of
ignition sparks. U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,407 (A. Schneider) provides
background information for the invention and further illustrates
the state of the art by describing a control system in which a
parameter of an internal combustion engine is used to vary an
electrical characteristic of an engine control system or the like.
Bosch et al. discloses a fuel injection system for an internal
combustion engine in which the airflow in the engine intake
manifold influences the amount of fuel injection via a heated
negative temperature coefficient resistor placed in the manifold
and electrically connected in a transistor control circuit. Bosch
et al also shows a centrifugal device coupled to the engine shaft
and mechanically coupled to the arm of a variable resistor
connected in the same transistor control circuit whereby the engine
speed is made a factor in the control arrangement. The engine
parameter control principles disclosed in the foregoing U.S.
patents may be utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 3 of the
invention.
In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the transistor 19 forms part
of an integrated circuit 50 which also comprises base, emitter and
collector resistors 29, 30 and 31 for this transistor, a protection
diode 44, connected with the opposite polarity in parallel with its
base emitter path, a phototransistor 38' which replaces the LDR 38
of FIG. 3, and three additional n-p-n amplifying transistors 46, 47
and 49 in grounded emitter connection with thin collector resistors
46 and 51 respectively, and coupling resistors 48 and 52
respectively. By using such an integrated circuit having only four
connecting leads, namely two for the supply, one for the input and
one for the output, the entire apparatus is reduced to very small
dimensions, whilst its production is rendered very simple and hence
cheap.
* * * * *