Abstract: The primary winding of an engine ignition coil is coupled to an ionization probe detecting cylinder combustion in order to apply a bias voltage.

Abstract: The timing of the signal to the primary of an ignition coil is controlled by selectively connecting impedance to a transducer in accordance with an engine operating parameter such as revolutions per minute.

Abstract: The air-to-fuel ratio of a combustible mixture supplied to an engine is controlled by a feedback loop which includes an integration circuit for integrating the output signal of an oxygen sensor which detects the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gases of the engine, to produce an output voltage. The output of the sensor is applied to the integration circuit through a switch which opens in response to predetermined conditions of the engine whereby the output voltage of the integration circuit is held at a value occurring just before the switch opens.

Abstract: The output of a knock sensor for detecting a knock signal of an engine is applied to a bandpass filter for bandpassing only the knock signal. The output of the bandpass filter is applied to an automatic gain control circuit for variably controlling the gain of the knock signal. The output of the automatic gain control circuit is applied to an averaging circuit via a maximum clamp circuit. A comparator supplies an output to an integration circuit of the next stage when the output of the bandpass filter becomes greater than that of the averaging circuit. An ignition control device for controlling the spark timing of an ignition coil energizes the ignition coil by the output from a pick-up coil and that of the integration circuit and delivers a feedback signal to the integration circuit.

Abstract: Electric signals produced in association with both a speed of movement of an acceleration pedal and an engine temperature are transmitted to a fuel injection valve in an intake system asynchronously with the running of an engine, so that an amount of fuel being injected from the fuel injection valve is increased as the speed of movement of the acceleration pedal increases and as the engine temperature is lowered. As a result, fuel is injected at a proper rate according to both the acceleration required and the engine temperature, the driving feeling during acceleration as well as a fuel consumption rate are improved, and an amount of detrimental components in the exhaust gases is lowered.

Abstract: An ignition timing regulating device for use in an internal combustion engine for regulating the ignition timing of the engine depending on the pressure of ambient atmosphere. Based on the fact that the pressure in the intake manifold of the engine is equal to the pressure of ambient atmosphere in the starting stage of the engine, the output of a pressure sensor sensing the intake manifold pressure in the engine is applied to an atmospheric pressure sensing circuit so as to sense the value of atmospheric pressure in the engine starting stage, and the output of this atmospheric pressure sensing circuit is used for correcting the ignition timing of the engine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device wherein a positive voltage induced in an exciter coil at the time of a high speed rotation is sensed, a switching transistor is switched on by the terminal voltage of a time constant circuit connected in series with the exciter coil through the switching transistor and, in spite of a negative voltage then induced in the exciter coil, the discharge of a discharging capacitor connected in series with an ignition coil to the ignition coil is delayed by a thyristor for controlling the discharge in response to the above mentioned time constant characteristic to delay the ignition speed, that is, to positively prevent the over-rotation of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A pair of power transistors in a push-pull connection are connected with a pair of primary coils of a transformer acting as an ignition coil. Between the neutral point of the pair of the primary coils and a power source at least one diode is connected. The paired power transistors are turned on and off with a high frequency to generate in the secondary coil of the transformer high voltage trigger pulses and substantially continuous discharge voltages which last over a long period during each ignition period.

Abstract: An idling speed control device of an internal combustion engine comprising a bypass passage which interconnects the intake passage located upstream of the throttle valve to the intake passage located downstream of the throttle valve. A flow control valve is arranged in the bypass passage and actuated by a step motor for controlling the amount of air flowing within the bypass passage to maintain the idling speed of an engine at a predetermined speed.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine, which has a combustion chamber with a coordinated piston where the combustion chamber is divided into a first and second section, and where the piston has an extension which slides into the second chamber section during the later part of the piston's upward movement, and compresses the fuel-air mixture contained in that chamber section to a pressure somewhat higher than the pressure in the first section. The second chamber wall and the piston extension has two air passages, which are coordinated in such a way that during the last part of the compression cycle, the air passages overlap and provide an escape passage for the fuel-air mixture in the second section which is released suddenly into the first combustion chamber section and sets the fuel-air mixture in that section in a swirling motion, which helps to better mix the fuel and the air, and facilitates the ignition process of a lean mixture when used with a suitably adapted, extended electric spark ignition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling ignition system spark timing. Engine revolution speed is sensed and whether the engine is under cranking or not is sensed. Correction means are provided which, when the engine is under cranking and at the same time the engine speed is lower than a predetermined value, decreases spark advance to small values in accordance with a drop in the engine speed. A digital computer is used to calculate the preferred spark advance values in the preferred embodiment.

Abstract: The operation of a motor vehicle is controlled by reading of a programmed memory to accelerate the vehicle along a predetermined optimum efficiency curve. The acceleration is independent of the position of the accelerator pedal, provided the pedal is neither in the idling position nor in the full throttle position. For these positions, the acceleration of the vehicle is not under the control of the programmed device.

Abstract: An ignition timing control for an internal combustion engine is performed by measuring engine operating variables to estimate the engine operating conditions and determining an optimal ignition timing depending upon the measured engine operating variables. The thus determined ignition timing is subject to two limitations to limit the amount of ignition timing change to be within a predetermined range, thereby to prevent an abrupt change of ignition timing even when the engine operating conditions change from one state to another. The ignition timing may be further limited to limit the amount of ignition timing change toward a spark advance during an initial period of acceleration.

Abstract: An intake vacuum sensor with a correction device for determining intake vacuum in an engine intake manifold can correct the sensor output when intake vacuum temperature introduced into the sensor is relatively high or the engine is driven for a relatively long period. The correction device comprises a memory unit for storing a correction coefficient, a correction circuit for correcting the sensor output based on the correction coefficient and a valve means for selectively introducing the intake vacuum and atomospheric air to the vacuum sensor. The memory unit, correction circuit and valve means are operatively responsive to the correction command from an engine control means.

Abstract: A glow plug control system which includes a controller connected to a battery through an ignition switch, an indicator lamp and a glow plug relay connected to the controller and a parallel combination of four glow plugs connected to the battery through normally open contacts of the relay. The controller includes a comparator having its two inputs connected across the parallel glow plugs, and a constant current circuit for supplying a constant current to the parallel combination of the glow plugs for sensing the resistance of the glow plugs. The controller senses the resistance of the glow plugs due to their temperature through the comparator and permits the battery to supply a current to the parallel combination of the glow plugs for a time determined in response to the sensed resistance.

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio control system which is adapted to perform feedback control of the air/fuel ratio of a mixture being supplied to an internal combustion engine, selectively by porportional term control or by integral term control in response to changes in the output of an O.sub.2 sensor. Immediately after changeover from open loop control to closed loop control, the position of an actuator for driving an air/fuel ratio control valve is controlled initially with integral term correction for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio, to thereby keep small the deviation of the actuator position from its proper position immediately after the changeover to the closed loop control.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying power to at least two heater filaments of two glow plugs in a diesel engine, or to a heater of one glow plug and a ballast load having substantially the same maximum rated voltage as the filament, is disclosed. The power source has a supply voltage greater than the maximum rated voltage of the filament and sufficiently high to cause an overheating temperature capable of burning out the filament under continuous operation. A switch is operable in a first position to prevent the application of the supply voltage to the apparatus, operable in a second position to apply the supply voltage to the apparatus, and operable in a third position to maintain the condition of the second position and to apply the supply voltage to the apparatus and to a starter for the engine.

Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus of the type in which the degree of opening of a fuel measuring gate disposed in a fuel supply passage is controlled by air flow rate detecting means for detecting the rate of flow of air being sucked into an engine, and the amount of fuel is controlled by a solenoid valve adapted to be opened and closed by signals which detect the operating conditions of the engine, thereby compensating the air-fuel ratio, wherein a second solenoid valve is disposed in parallel with the first-mentioned solenoid valve and adapted to be opened and closed by the above-mentioned signals, so as to correct the basic air-fuel ratio which is set in connection with the air flow rate detecting means and the fuel measuring gate, thereby maintaining the air-fuel ratio at a desired constant value.

Abstract: In an elastic coupling with two similar central gears assemblable on respective shaft ends and having rows of teeth, respectively, disposed adjacent one another, and a planet gear with a row of teeth having an angular pitch equal to that of the rows of teeth of the central gears, the central gears being turnable elastically resiliently so that the flanks of the teeth of the central gears form generally wedge-shaped virtual tooth gaps having a profile varying with reciprocal turning of the central gears, the teeth of the planet gear being also generally wedge-shaped and projecting into the generally wedge-shaped virtual tooth gaps, the tooth flanks of the teeth of the planet gear being in direct contacting engagement with the tooth flanks of the teeth of the central gears, and the teeth of the planet gear and the teeth of the central gears being spring-biased radially toward one another so that the teeth of the planet gear remain fully in engagement in the virtual tooth gaps.

Abstract: An apparatus for stopping and restarting a motor vehicle by means of a flywheel alternately clutched to the engine crankshaft to be driven thereby or declutched to rotate freely for subsequent driving of the engine to restart the engine, the engine being shut off in response to release of the accelerator pedal deactivating switches controlling the clutch mechanism after a predetermined time delay longer than the time normally required for a gear shift change.