Direct fire ignition system having individual knock detection sensor

A direct fire ignition system for an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, a spark plug associated with said at least one cylinder, said spark plug having a a pair of spatially separated electrodes between which a spark is generated to ignite an air fuel mixture within said at least one cylinder, and an engine computer control responsive to operational parameters of said internal combustion engine for generating a fire at a time calculated to optimize the ignition of said air fuel mixture by said spark plug, said direct fire ignition system comprising:

• ignition module means responsive to said fire signal for generating an ignition drive pulse signal;
• a coil assembly mounted directly on said spark plug, said coil assembly having a primary coil energized by said ignition drive pulse signal and a secondary coil inducing a high voltage sufficient to cause a spark to be generated between said spatially separated electrodes in response to said primary coil being energized, said secondary coil having a high voltage output end connectable to one of said pair of spatially separated electrodes;
• a capacitor connected between said high voltage output end of said secondary coil and a common ground;
• and
• spark sensor means for generating a spark confirmation signal in response to signals within a predetermined frequency range being induced into said primary coil when a spark is generated by said spark plug.

A direct fire ignition system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and wherein each cylinder of said plurality of cylinders has its own spark plug and wherein said engine further has an engine computer control which generates a fire signal and a coded signal identifying the cylinder in which the air fuel mixture is to be ignited, said direct fire ignition system comprising:

• p1 a coil assembly mounted directly on each of said spark plugs, each of said coil assemblies having a primary coil energized by an ignition drive pulse signal and a secondary coil generating a high voltage in response to said primary coil being energized, said high voltage being sufficient to cause said spark plug to generate a spark;
• a cylinder select circuit having an output associated with each cylinder of said plurality of cylinders, said cylinder select circuit responsive to said coded signal generated by said engine computer control to generate a signal on said output associated with said cylinder of said plurality of cylinders identified by said coded signal;
• first means for generating a first pulse signal having a first predetermined pulse width in response to said fire signal generated by said engine computer control;
• a plurality of coil drive amplifiers, each coil drive amplifier of said plurality of coil drive amplifiers associated with a respective one of said plurality of cylinders, each coil drive amplifier of said plurality of coil drive amplifiers having its output connected to said coil assembly attached to said spark plug of its associated cylinder;
• means connected to said output of said cylinder select circuit for enabling said coil drive amplifier of said plurality of coil drive amplifiers associated with said cylinder of said plurality of cylinders identified by said coded signal to generate said ignition drive pulse signal in response to said first pulse signal, said ignition drive pulse signal causing a spark to be generated by said spark plug of said selected cylinder of said plurality of cylinders;
• and
• spark sensor means for generating a spark confirmation signal in response to said primary coil generating signals within a predetermined frequency range when a spark is generated by its associated spark plug.

A direct fire ignition system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a spark plug associated with each cylinder for generating a spark to ignite an air fuel mixture in its associated cylinder, and an engine computer control responsive to the operational parameters of said internal combustion engine for generating a coded signal identifying the next cylinder whose spark plug is to be fired and for generating a fire signal at a time when a spark should be generated by said spark plug associated with said identified cylinder to optimize the efficiency of said internal combustion engine, said direct fire ignition system comprising:

• a coil assembly mounted directly on each said spark plug, said coil assembly having a primary coil and a secondary coil for generating a high voltage sufficient to cause each said spark plug to generate a spark under normal operating conditions of said cylinder in response to said primary coil being energized by an ignition drive pulse signal and spark sensor means for generating a spark confirmation signal in response to signals within a predetermined frequency range being induced in said primary coil when a spark is generated by each said spark plug;
• and
• ignition module means responsive to said coded signal identifying said cylinder whose spark plug is to be fired and said fire signal for generating said ignition drive pulse signal which is transmitted to said coil assembly attached to said spark plug associated with said cylinder identified in said coded signal.

A coil assembly for a direct fire ignition system for an internal combustion engine, wherein said internal combustion engine has at least one spark plug and a grounded cylindrical metal sleeve circumscribing said at least one spark plug, said coil assembly comprising:

• a non-conductive plastic cylindrically shaped housing slidably received in said metal sleeve;
• an electrical contact provided at one end of said housing which is adapted to make electrical contact with a central electrode of a spark plug when said housing is received in said metal sleeve;
• a high voltage transformer disposed in said housing, said high voltage transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, said secondary coil having a high voltage output connected to said electrical contact;
• a conductive electrode disposed along a portion of an internal surface of said cylindrically shaped housing, said conductive electrode connected to said high voltage output of said secondary coil and forming in conjunction with said metal sleeve a capacitor between said high voltage output of said secondary coil and ground;
• a spark sensor circuit electrically coupled to said high voltage transformer for generating a spark confirmation signal in response to high frequency signals in a predetermined frequency range being induced in said high voltage transformer in response to said at least one spark plug to which said coil assembly is electrically attached generating a spark, said high frequency signals in said predetermined frequency range uniquely identifying that said at least one spark plug generated a spark;
• and
• an end cap enclosing the end of said housing opposite said conductive electrode, said end cap including a male electrical connector having at least three electrical terminal pins, two of said at least three electrical terminal pins being connected to the opposite ends of said primary coil and a third terminal pin of said at least three electrical terminal pins receiving said spark confirmation signal generated by said spark sensor circuit.