Inductive-capacitive modulated ignition system

Abstract

An inductive-capacitive cyclic charge-discharge ignition system includes an ignition transformer primary winding in parallel with a capacitor and fed by a unipolar alternating current source providing a plural number of repetition cycles during each igniter firing period. Such unipolar cycles cause the capacitor and primary winding to charge and discharge during each of the repetition cycles creating a plurality of ringing periods for each igniter firing period. A diode or an additional capacitor, or both, inserted in series with the parallel combination of the first stated capacitor and primary winding, substantially increases the velocity of arc provided by an igniter. The system is triggered by a magnetic pulse generating timer which generates AC voltages to modulate the output of the unipolar source. Where discharge currents are developed, such generated AC voltages also modulate the discharge currents.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.