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US 2016/0102648 A1Published application
Ignition control apparatus
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsSatoru NAKAYAMA, Makoto TORIYAMA, Akimitsu SUGIURA, Masahiro ISHITANI, Yuuki KONDOU
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ignition control apparatus for engines is provided. The ignition control apparatus is designed to control a switch to release energy stored in a capacitor during spark discharge, thereby supplying a primary current to an other end side opposite a one end of a primary winding of an ignition coil connected to a dc power supply. This provides the ignition control apparatus which is capable of minimizing an increase in size or manufacturing cost and stabilizing the state of combustion of an air-fuel mixture.
Claims20
An ignition control apparatus engineered to control operation of a spark plug provided to ignite an air-fuel mixture within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an ignition coil which is equipped with a primary winding and a secondary winding and designed so that a primary current that is an electric current flowing through said primary winding is increased or decreased to develop a secondary current in said secondary winding connected to said spark plug;
- a dc power supply with a non-grounding output terminal connected to an end of said primary winding to have said primary current flow through said primary winding;
- a first switching device that is a semiconductor switching device which is equipped with a first control terminal, a first power supply terminal, and a first grounding terminal and works to establish or block electric communication between said first power supply terminal and said first grounding terminal based on a first control signal inputted to said first control terminal, said first power supply terminal being connected to an other end of said primary winding, said first grounding terminal being connected to a ground side;
- a second switching device that is a semiconductor switching device which is equipped with a second control terminal, a second power supply terminal, and a second grounding terminal and works to establish or block electric communication between said second power supply terminal and said second grounding terminal based on a second control signal inputted to said second control terminal, said second grounding terminal being connected to said other end of said primary winding,
- a third switching device that is a semiconductor switching device which is equipped with a third control terminal, a third power supply terminal, and a third grounding terminal and works to establish or block electric communication between said third power supply terminal and said third grounding terminal based on a third control signal inputted to said third control terminal, said third power supply terminal being connected to said second power supply terminal of said second switching device, said third grounding terminal being connected to said ground side;
- an energy storage coil that is an inductor disposed in a power line connecting between said non-grounding output terminal of said dc power supply and said third power supply terminal of said third switching device, said energy storage coil working to store energy when said third switching device is turned on and discharge the energy when said third switching device is turned off;
- a capacitor which is connected in series with said energy storage coil between said non-grounding output terminal of said dc power supply and said ground side, said capacitor working to store the energy released from said energy storage coil when said third switching device is turned off;
- and
- a controlling portion which controls the second switching device and said third switching device, said controlling portion working to turn off said third switching device and turn on said second switching device during discharge of a spark from said spark plug, as initiated upon turning off of said first switching device, to release the energy from said capacitor which is in turn supplied to said primary winding through said other end, thereby causing said primary current to flow through said primary winding,
- wherein said controlling portion variably sets a duty factor of said second control signal.
7 more elements
An ignition control apparatus for igniting an internal combustion engine which at lease comprises:
- a dc power supply;
- a step-up circuit which steps up a power supply voltage at said dc power supply;
- an ignition coil which develops a high secondary voltage at a secondary winding by an increase or a decrease in current flowing in the primary winding connected to said step-up circuit;
- an ignition switching device which switches between supply and cutoff of current to said primary winding;
- and
- a spark plug which is connected to said secondary winding and produces a spark discharge upon application of secondary voltage from said secondary winding,
- wherein it also comprises an auxiliary power supply which additionally performs ignition switching device discharge from said step-up circuit and stop the ignition switching device discharge after said spark plug is started by opening or closing of said ignition switching device to discharge, thereby increasing current flowing through said secondary winding,
- in that said auxiliary power supply is equipped with an auxiliary switching device which switches between input of energy from said auxiliary power supply and stop thereof, said auxiliary switching device includes a soft-off circuit which works to set a turning off speed to be slower than a turning on speed.
5 more elements
An ignition control apparatus for igniting an internal combustion engine which at lease comprises:
- a dc power supply;
- a step-up circuit which steps up a power supply voltage at said dc power supply;
- an ignition coil which develops a high secondary voltage at a secondary winding by an increase or a decrease in current flowing in the primary winding connected to said step-up circuit;
- an ignition switching device which switches between supply and cutoff of current to said primary winding according to an ignition signal outputted as a function of a running condition of the internal combustion engine;
- a spark plug which is connected to said secondary winding and produces a spark discharge upon application of secondary voltage from said secondary winding,
- wherein it also comprises an auxiliary power supply which additionally performs discharge from said the step-up circuit to a junction between the primary winding of the ignition coil and the ignition switching device and then stop the discharge, thereby increasing current through said secondary winding in a discharge period of time after start of discharge from said spark plug made by opening or closing said ignition switching device,
- and in that said auxiliary power supply equipped with an auxiliary switching device which switches between discharge from said auxiliary power supply and stop of the discharge, an auxiliary switching device driving circuit which opens or closes the auxiliary switching device, and a frequency calculating portion which increases or decreases a drive frequency for said auxiliary switching device as a function of an engine parameter indicative of a running condition of the internal combustion engine.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.