Discharge ignition apparatus for internal combustion engine having shut-off feature
AssigneeR.E. Phelon Company, Inc.
InventorPaul W. McLeod
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved capacitive discharge ignition apparatus includes disable circuitry for permitting shut-off of the engine. The disable circuitry includes a SCR and a transistor in series to provide a bypass for current that would otherwise charge the ignition capacitor. The SCR is gated by a RC circuit charged by momentary contact of a user-actuated switch. The transistor is rendered conductive only during periods when a positive voltage is induced on the charge coil, thereby limiting discharge of the RC circuit. In addition, the RC circuit is regeneratively charged by a leakage current through the SCR gate. The disable circuitry thus achieves engine stoppage regardless of the time required.
Claims20
An ignition apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine to produce an electrical spark at a spark ignition device, said apparatus comprising:
- a magnet assembly operatively revolved along a circular path, said magnet assembly including a pair of pole faces;
- a magnetically permeable core mounted adjacent to said circular path and having at least two leg portions each including a respective end face, said leg portions being situated such that said pole faces pass proximate to said end faces during revolution of said magnet assembly and produce a magnetic flux in said magnetically permeable core;
- a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil related by a predetermined step-up ratio, said secondary coil electrically connected during operation to the spark ignition device;
- spark generation circuitry operative to apply a primary voltage pulse to said primary coil responsive to a triggering signal, said primary voltage pulse producing a spark generating pulse in said secondary coil;
- and
- disable circuitry operative to inhibit said spark generating pulse by providing a bypass upon actuation of a user-actuated switch, said disable circuitry including holding circuitry to continue said bypass even if said user-actuated switch is released and further including a selectively conducting element to inhibit discharge of said holding circuitry except at predetermined times.
A discharge circuit for use in a discharge ignition system of the type operative to produce an electrical spark at a spark ignition device, said discharge circuit comprising:
- (a) a storage capacitor;
- (b) a charge coil;
- (c) a rectifier electrically connected between said charge coil and said storage capacitor;
- (d) a transformer including a primary coil and a secondary coil, said secondary coil electrically connected during operation to the spark ignition device to produce the electrical spark;
- (e) triggering circuitry including a first electronic switch electrically connected in circuit with said storage capacitor and said primary coil, said triggering circuitry operative to apply a triggering signal derived from a voltage induced across said primary coil to a triggering node of said first electronic switch;
- and
- (f) disable circuitry including a second electronic switch and operatively providing a bypass therethrough upon actuation of a user-actuated switch to prevent substantial charging of said storage capacitor, said disable circuitry including holding circuitry to continue said bypass even if said user-actuated switch is released and further including a selectively conducting element electrically connected in series with said second electronic switch to inhibit discharge of said holding circuitry except at predetermined times.
A discharge ignition apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine to produce an electrical spark at a spark ignition device, said apparatus comprising:
- a movable magnet assembly, said magnet assembly including a pair of pole faces;
- a magnetically permeable core having at least two leg portions each including a respective end face, said magnetically permeable core being mounted such that said pole faces pass proximate to said end faces as said magnet assembly is operatively moved to produce a magnetic flux in said magnetically permeable core;
- a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, said secondary coil electrically connected during operation to the spark ignition device;
- and
- a discharge circuit including:
- (a) an energy storage element;
- (b) a charge coil having a charging voltage induced thereon by said magnetic flux to supply charging energy to said energy storage element;
- (c) a first electronic switch electrically connected in circuit with said energy storage element and said primary coil, activation of said first electronic switch during operation producing a voltage on said primary coil;
- (d) triggering circuitry operative to activate said first electronic switch;
- and
- (e) disable circuitry including a second electronic switch and operatively providing a bypass therethrough upon actuation of a user-actuated switch to prevent substantial charging of said energy storage element, said disable circuitry including holding circuitry to continue said bypass even if said user-actuated switch is released and further including a selectively conducting element electrically connected in series with said second electronic switch to inhibit discharge of said holding circuitry except at predetermined times.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.