Ignition systems for internal combustion engines

A device for providing rapid switching of the primary circuit of an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine to thereby induce a desired voltage in the secondary circuit of the ignition coil, said device comprising a radiation sensitive element which will switch on or conduct when exposed to radiation and switch off when the radiation is cut off;

• a solid state infra-red radiation source;
• a cylindrical cup forming part of a rotor enclosing the radiation source;
• at least one inclined slot in said cup;
• means for rotating the cup in timed relation to the engine revolutions;
• means for displacing the radiation sensitive element relative to the slot in the cup and thereby the line of sight between the radiation source and the radiation sensitive element so as to achieve an advance or retard of the ignition timing;
• [a transistorized ignition circuit including an amplifier having at least two transistors connected in cascade to the output of the radiation sensitive element and arranged to switch in inverse relation to one another;
• and switching means connected to the output of the amplifier means and associated with the ignition coil, said transistorized ignition circuit causing rapid switching of the primary circuit, and the resultant production of the desired voltage in the secondary circuit, responsive] and a switch circuit interconnecting the radiation sensitive element with the ignition coil and including a plurality of transistors interconnected in a manner such that adjacent ones switch off and on in inverse relation to each other and such that at least one is conducting at any one time, the first of the transistors being connected to the output of the radiation sensitive element and the last of the transistors being connected to the primary circuit of the ignition coil, whereby the switching circuit, in response to a slot permitting a beam of radiation to fall onto and to be cut off from the radiation sensitive element , causes rapid switching of the primary circuit and the resultant production of the desired voltage in the secondary circuit.

A device for providing rapid switching of the primary circuit of an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine to thereby induce a desired voltage in the secondary circuit of the ignition coil, said device comprising a radiation sensitive element which will switch on or conduct when exposed to radiation and switch off when the radiation is cut off;

• a solid state infra-red radiation source;
• a disc having as many substantially V-shaped slots cut therein in equi-spaced relation around the circumference as there are cylinders in the engine, said disc being positioned between the radiation source and the radiation sensitive element;
• means for rotating the disc in timed relation to the engine revolutions;
• means for moving the line of sight between the radiation source and the radiation sensitive element through the slots in the disc so as to achieve an advance or retard of the ignition timing;
• [a transistorized ignition circuit including an amplifier having at least two transistors arranged in cascade and fed from the output of the radiation sensitive element so as to switch rapidly in inverse relation to one another;
• and a power transistor fed from the output of the amplifier means and feeding the ignition coil, said transistorized ignition circuit causing a switching action to effect] and a switching circuit interconnecting the radiation sensitive element with the ignition coil and including a plurality of transistors interconnected in a manner such that adjacent ones switch on and off in inverse relation to each other and such that at least one is conducting at any one time, the first of the transistors being connected to the output of the radiation sensitive element and the last of the transistors being connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil, whereby the switching circuit causes the sequential magnetic build up and collapse of the field in the primary winding of the ignition coil responsive to a slot permitting a beam of infra-red radiation to fall on and be cut off from the radiation device, said collapse of said field resulting in the production of the desired voltage in the secondary circuit.

A device for providing rapid switching of the primary circuit of an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine to thereby induce a desired voltage in the secondary circuit of the ignition coil, said device comprising a photo-transistor sensitive to infra-red radiation which will switch on or conduct when exposed to the radiation and switch off when the radiation is cut off;

• a solid state infra-red radiation source;
• an element which is opaque to infra-red radiation positioned between the infra-red radiation source and the photo-transistor, said opaque element having as many equi-spaced apertures therein as there are cylinders in the engine;
• means for moving the opaque element in timed relation to the engine revolutions;
• means for moving the line of sight between the infra-red radiation source and the photo-transistor through the apertures in the element so as to achieve an advance or retard of the ignition timing;
• [a transistorized ignition circuit including an amplifier having at least two transistors connected in cascade to the output of the photo-transistor and arranged to switch in inverse relation to one another;
• and a power transistor connected to the output of the amplifier and connected in circuit relationship with the ignition coil such that each time a beam of infra-red radiation is cut off from said photo-transistor, the transistorized amplifier circuit causes] and a switching circuit interconnecting the photo-transistor with the ignition coil and including a first transistor connected to the output of the photo-transistor, a second transistor, and a power transistor connected to the primary circuit of the ignition coil, the first, second and power transistors being interconnected in a manner such that adjacent ones switch on and off in inverse relation to one another and such that at least one is conducting at any one time, whereby the switching circuit, in response a beam of infra-red radiation being cut off from the photo-transistor, causes rapid switching of the primary circuit and a resultant production of the desired voltage in [said] the secondary circuit.

An opto-electronic ignition system for an internal combustion engine including an ignition coil having primary and secondary windings, said system including an infra-red radiation source;

• a photo-transistor which will switch on or conduct when exposed to infra-red radiation from the source and switch off when the radiation is cut off;
• an element opaque to infra-red radiation positioned between the radiation source and the photo-transistor and having as many equi-spaced apertures therein as there are cylinders in the engine;
• means for moving the opaque element in timed relation to the engine revolutions;
• a first transistor connected to the output from the photo-transistor so as to conduct when said photo-transistor conducts;
• a second transistor connected to the output of the first transistor so as to switch in inverse relation to the first transistor;
• and a third transistor connected to the output of the second transistor so as to switch in inverse relation to the second transistor and having an output connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil, whereby, every time radiation is cut off from the photo-transistor, the third transistor is rendered non-conductive to cause a collapse of the magnetic field associated with the primary winding and the resultant induced voltage in the secondary winding produces an ignition spark.