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US 4,998,526 AGranted
Alternating current ignition system
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorKalyan P. Gokhale
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorKalyan P. Gokhale
Estimating the term…
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine. The system can apply alternating current to the electrodes of a spark plug to maintain an arc at the electrodes for the desired length of time. The amplitude of the arc current can be varied. The alternating current is developed by a DC to AC inverter that is comprised of a transformer that has a center tapped primary and a secondary that is connected to the spark plug. An arc is initiated at the spark plug by discharging a capacitor through one of the winding portions of the center-tapped primary. Alternatively, the energy stored in an inductor can be supplied to a primary winding portion to initiate an arc. The ignition system is powered by a controlled current source that receives input power from a source of direct voltage such as a battery on a motor vehicle.
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine comprising, a transformer having a primary winding means comprised of at least one primary winding and a secondary winding, means connecting said secondary winding to a spark plug, a source of direct voltage, a capacitor, means for charging said capacitor from said source of direct voltage, means for discharging said capacitor through said primary winding means to thereby cause a voltage to be developed in said secondary winding that is high enough to initiate an arc at the electrodes of said spark plug, and means operative after said arc has been initiated for causing an alternating current to be developed in said secondary winding that is applied to the electrodes of said spark plug from said secondary winding to maintain said arc, said last named means comprising means connecting said primary winding means sequentially to said source of direct voltage.
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine comprising, a transformer having a center tapped primary winding defining a pair of primary winding portions and a secondary winding, means connecting said secondary winding to a spark plug, a source of direct voltage, a capacitor, means for charging said capacitor from said source of direct voltage, means for discharging said capacitor through one of said primary windings portion to thereby cause a voltage to be developed in said secondary winding that is high enough to initiate an arc at the electrodes of said spark plug, and means operative after said arc has been initiated for causing an alternating current to be developed in said secondary winding that is applied to the electrodes of said spark plug from said secondary winding to maintain said arc, said last named means comprising means connecting said primary winding portions sequentially to said source of direct voltage.
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine comprising, a DC to AC inverter that is comprised of a transformer having a center tapped primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding comprised of a pair of winding portions, means connecting said secondary winding to a spark plug, a source of direct voltage, a capacitor, means for charging said capacitor from said source of direct voltage, means for discharging said capacitor through one of said primary winding portions to thereby cause a voltage to be developed in said secondary winding that is high enough to initiate an arc at the electrodes of said spark plug, and means operative after said arc has been initiated for causing said inverter to be energized from said source of direct voltage and to operate such that an alternating current is developed in said secondary winding which is applied to the electrodes of said spark plug for maintaining an arc.
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine comprising a DC to AC center tapped primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding comprised of a pair of winding portions, said inverter including first and second switching means connected respectively to said primary winding portions, means connecting said secondary winding to a spark plug, a source of direct voltage, a capacitor, circuit means for causing said capacitor to be charged from said source of direct voltage including means for causing said first and second switching means to both be in an open condition to charge said capacitor, a capacitor discharge circuit for discharging said capacitor through one of said primary winding portions including one of said first and second switching means, said capacitor discharging when said one of said first and second switching means is closed, the discharge of the capacitor through a primary winding portion causing a voltage to be developed in said secondary winding that is high enough to initiate an arc at the electrodes of said spark plug, and means operative after said arc has been initiated for causing said first and second switching means respectively to connect and disconnect said primary winding portions to and from said source of direct voltage such that an alternating current is developed in said secondary winding that is applied to the electrodes of said spark plug to maintain said arc.
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine comprising, a DC to AC inverter that is comprised of a transformer having a center tapped winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding comprised of a pair of winding portions, said inverter including first and second switching means connected respectively to said primary winding portions, means connecting said secondary winding to a spark plug, a source of direct voltage, a current source control circuit energized by said source of direct voltage comprising a third switching means and an inductor, said third switching means connecting and disconnecting said inductor to and from said source of direct voltage, a capacitor, circuit means for causing said capacitor to be charged from said current source control circuit including means for causing said first and second switching means to both be in an open condition to charge said capacitor, a capacitor discharge circuit for discharging said capacitor through one of said primary winding portions including one of said first and second switching means, said capacitor discharging when said one of said first and second switching means is closed, the discharge of the capacitor through a primary winding portion causing a voltage to be developed in said secondary winding that is high enough to initiate an arc at the electrodes of said spark plug, and means operative after said arc has been initiated for causing said first and second switching means to connect and disconnect said primary winding portions to and from said current source control circuit such that an alternating current is developed in said secondary winding that is applied to the electrodes of said spark plug to maintain said arc.
An ignition system for a spark ignited internal combustion engine comprising, a DC to AC inverter that is comprised of a transformer having a center tapped primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding comprised of a pair of winding portions, means connecting said secondary winding to a spark plug, a source of direct voltage, a current source control circuit comprising an inductor and a switching means for connecting and disconnecting said inductor to and from said source of direct voltage, means operative after said switching means has disconnected said inductor from said source of direct voltage for connecting said inductor to one of said primary winding portions to thereby cause a voltage to be developed in said secondary winding that is high enough to initiate an arc at the electrodes of said spark plug, and means operative after said arc has been initiated for causing said inverter to be energized from said current source control circuit and to operate such that an alternating current is developed in said secondary winding which is applied to the electrodes of said spark plug for maintaining said arc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.