Abstract: When a main switch is turned on, a main relay is energized so as to supply electric power to a computer system; when an engine starting switch is turned on, an engine is started and energization of the main relay is continued; when an engine stopping switch is turned on, the engine is stopped, and the main relay is de-energized so as to stop supply of electric power to the computer system.

Abstract: A system, circuit, and method are provided for generating continuous plasma to control combustion including the ignition and maintenance of the combustion process. An electric potential difference is generated across a pair of electrodes in a combustible bulk gas in the form of an oscillating driving potential just below the arcing threshold which alternates in polarity to cause an alternating gap current between the electrodes which generates continuous plasma to contribute to combustion of the bulk gas by providing for more efficient combustion.

Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine includes at least one gaseous communication charge passage between a crankcase chamber and a combustion chamber of the engine and a piston to open and close the top end of the transfer passage. The air inlet port to the transfer passage for stratified scavenging is opened and closed by the piston that has passages and cutouts. The charge inlet to the crankcase chamber is opened and closed by the piston. The air and charge inlet passages are substantially asymmetrical to the layout of the transfer passages and are closer to one transfer passage compared to the other. The internal air passage in the piston is substantially perpendicular to the piston pin.

Abstract: In a capacitor-discharge ignition system for an internal combustion engine having a power generation coil, a capacitor connected to the power generation coil, an ignition coil having a primary winding connected to the capacitor through a thyristor and a secondary winding connected to a spark plug, and a microprocessor which turns on the thyristor at a predetermined crank angular position to produce ignition in the spark plug, an engine stop switch is installed to input an engine-stop command signal to the microprocessor when being turned off by the operator. With this, it becomes possible to surely stop the engine at any time if desired.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine can be produced at low cost and small size by preventing the generation of a spark at a spark plug due to a turn-on voltage with a simple ignition coil construction having no energy loss. The apparatus include an ignition coil having a primary coil and a secondary coil, a spark plug to which a high voltage from the secondary coil is impressed, and a coil driver for driving the ignition coil. The coil driver has a switching element for controlling the primary current, an IC for driving the switching element, and a turn-on voltage prevention circuit inserted between a secondary coil low-voltage side terminal and ground. The turn-on voltage prevention circuit is composed of a parallel circuit comprising a diode in the form of a bare chip and a thick film resistor, and is mounted on the same substrate together with the IC.

Abstract: A controller for an ignition coil, the controller comprising means for determining a rate of change of current flow through a primary winding of the ignition coil; and means for switching off current flow through the primary winding of the ignition coil as a function of the rate of change of current.

Abstract: A device to control the charging rate of an ignition coil for an internal combustion spark ignition engine. The device controls the turn-on rate of the primary coil by slew-rate limiting using switching devices and a Miller-effect capacitor in order to reduce secondary oscillation magnitudes originated by a sharp transition of the controlling switch.

Abstract: An igniter of the present invention has an insulated gate semiconductor device having a collector terminal, an emitter terminal and a gate terminal, a current control circuit which limits current by controlling voltage at the gate terminal when current for flowing through the insulated gate semiconductor device exceeds a fixed value, a voltage monitor circuit for detecting a potential of the collector, and a control current adjusting circuit for controlling current which flows through the gate terminal by receiving output from the voltage monitor circuit.

Abstract: A system for firing a spark plug is disclosed. The system includes a timing controller configured to send a first timing signal and a second timing signal. The system also includes an ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding and a spark-plug that is operably associated with the secondary winding. A first switching element is disposed between the timing controller and the primary winding of the ignition transformer. The first switching element controls a supply of power to the primary winding based on the first timing signal. Also, a second switching element is disposed between the timing controller and the primary winding of the ignition transformer. The second switching element controls the supply of power to the primary winding based on the second timing signal. A method for firing a spark plug is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is proposed an internal combustion engine ignition apparatus in which a switching circuit having no power supply terminal connected to a power supply such as a battery, and includes an output terminal connected to an ignition coil, an input terminal for receiving supply of an ignition signal voltage, and a reference potential terminal connected to a reference potential. A current supply circuit is connected between the input terminal and the reference potential terminal, and a current is supplied from the current supply circuit to a drive resistor of the switching element. This current supply circuit is controlled by a constant current circuit, and supplies a driving current, which is made a constant current, to the drive resistor between a rising portion of the ignition signal voltage and a falling portion thereof. The driving current, which is made the constant current, keeps the gate voltage of the switching element being constant in the on period.

Abstract: An ignition system for a vehicle includes a distributor having with a Hall Effect stator assembly and ignition module formed preferably as a thick film integrated (TFI) module, which receives a spark output (SPOUT) signal from an electronic control assembly (ECA). The ignition module includes a microprocessor for generating a control signal to an ignition coil and switching ON and OFF the primary current therein. A temperature sensing circuit is operative with the microprocessor for reducing the duty cycle or overall current or power as applied to the control signal from the TFI ignition module to the ignition coil and reducing the heat generated by the TFI ignition module when a temperature threshold for the TFI ignition module has been exceeded.

Abstract: An ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes a control circuit that generates an ignition signal for allowing or interrupting the supply of a primary current of an ignition coil under control, a waveform shaping circuit that waveform-shapes the ignition signal, a switching element that allows and interrupts the supply of the primary current on the basis of the ignition signal that is waveform-shaped to generate a high voltage on a secondary side of the ignition coil, and an over-current protection circuit that forcedly interrupts the supply of the primary current and holds an interrupt state until the ignition signal turns off when the primary current of the ignition coil exceeds a given value.

Abstract: The ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes two spark plugs provided for each cylinder, ignition coils arranged independently to each of the spark plugs, an ignition power source circuit for supplying electrical energy to first coils which constitute the ignition coils, and an ignition transistor circuit for switching on and off the electrical supply from the ignition power source circuit to the first coils. In the ignition device, the first coils corresponding to spark plugs that are provided to the same cylinder are connected in parallel with the ignition transistor circuit that is arranged to each cylinder. The ignition power source circuit is a circuit including an energy storage condenser for storing electrical energy supplied to the first coil. The electrical supply circuit is a circuit including an MOS-type field effect transistor.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine (ICE) on-plug ignition coils with transistor drivers located in powertrain control modules (PCM) or other remote locations are prone to high electrical and magnetic interference (EMI) emissions and are subject to interference from other components due to long connecting wires. Ionization detection circuits have even greater sensitivity to EMI because of their very low signal current levels (microampere). The present feature of the invention integrates both the coil driver transistor and ionization detection circuits into the on-plug ignition coil. In a preferred embodiment, parts rated at 140 degrees centigrade are used in both the coil driver transistor and the ionization circuits which are located on the coil to address temperature and thermal shock concerns. Additionally, parts rated at 20 G are used in both the coil driver transistor and the ionization circuits to address vibration concerns.

Abstract: A power supply system for a control unit of an internal combustion engine is provided which is capable of holding an engine controllable state after starting of the engine until the engine is stopped. A relay with a self holding function is inserted in a power supply line exclusively used for supplying electric power from a battery to the internal combustion engine control unit and its related devices. A relay drive and hold circuit 11 receives a relay drive signal and a main switch signal, drives and holds the relay 8 into a power supplying state as long as at least one of the main switch and the relay drive signal from an arithmetic processing section is input to the relay drive and hold circuit.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine has an arrangement comprising a power part and a control part which are accumulated in a one-chip in an IGBT monolithic silicon substrate. The control circuit part has current limiting function of prevent the flowing of any current which is above a predetermined value as well as function of detecting malfunction heat generation by which a primary electric current is blocked compulsorily. The secondary voltage of an ignition coil is generated repeatedly below a plug discharge voltage so as not to generate spark discharge in the sparking plug when the electric current compulsory blocking is carried out, and energy charged in the ignition coil is emitted or discharged. With this arrangement, the one-chip ignition apparatus with high reliability can be achieved.

Abstract: A drive circuit for an ignition system includes an ignition coil and spark plug associated with each cylinder of an internal combustion engine. Each ignition coil has a primary winding with the first end connectable to a power source and a second end opposite the first end connected to a silicon-control rectifier (SCR). Each coil also has a secondary winding connectable to a respective spark plug. The SCR may be integrated with the coil. A main driver device is connected between the other end of the SCR and ground. The driver device is configured to conduct a primary current in response to a drive signal. The SCRs are controlled into conduction by a respective gating signal. A control circuit is configured to generate the gating signals and the drive signal in response to one or more ignition control signals. An SCR for each coil is used to select which coil is allowed to carry current when the main driver is turned on.

Abstract: The electronics partitioning for an ignition system with complex control circuits configures a first ignition coil out of a plurality of ignitions coils for an internal combustion engine to include an electronic circuit, such as a complex integrated circuit, that can be shared with the remainder of the plurality of ignition coils. An appropriate wiring harness is configured so that the remainder of the plurality of ignition coils can use the common, shared integrated circuit in the first ignition coil in response to the operation thereof. The inventive arrangement substantially reduces cost of electronics by a factor that is the reciprocal of the number of ignition coils, as well as increases reliability by reducing the absolute total number of complex integrated circuits.

Abstract: A main IGBT conducts or blocks a primary current flowing through the ignition coil in response to an input ignition control signal to generate a high voltage on the secondary side of the ignition coil. The main IGBT and a current limiter circuit are integrated in a monolithic silicon substrate of an insulating gate bipolar power transistor. The main IGBT has a collector and agate connected through a depletion IGBT forming part of a constant current circuit, and a resistor. When a voltage generated across the resistor becomes equal to or higher than a zener voltage, a zener diode leads this current to an emitter of the main IGBT.

Abstract: In the ignition apparatus for internal combustion engine according to the invention, during a period when spark discharge voltage is detected by a waveform detecting unit 20 and an ignition coil 12 supplies the spark discharge voltage by use of ignition detection 22, ignition in each of cylinders is detected in accordance with discharged voltage by the waveform detecting unit 20. When the ignition detection 22 detects the ignition by use of, for example, an ignition control unit 24, during a discharging period of supplying the spark discharge voltage having detected the ignition, the supply of the spark discharge voltage is stopped. Thereby, since the supply of the spark discharge voltage is stopped after having detected the ignition, it is possible to avoid the surplus supply of spark energy to the spark plug 10 after having fired.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine has an arrangement comprising a power part and a control part which are accumulated in a one-chip in an IGBT monolithic silicon substrate. The control circuit part has current limiting function of prevent the flowing of any current which is above a predetermined value as well as function of detecting malfunction heat generation by which a primary electric current is blocked compulsorily. The secondary voltage of an ignition coil is generated repeatedly below a plug discharge voltage so as not to generate spark discharge in the sparking plug when the electric current compulsory blocking is carried out, and energy charged in the ignition coil is emitted or discharged. With this arrangement, the one-chip ignition apparatus with high reliability can be achieved.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for energy control on an ignition system for an internal combustion engine are presented having an ignition coil or an ignition transformer whose primary winding can be short circuited by means of a switch, called a short-circuit switch, the ignition coil forming the ignition voltage and having a primary winding and a secondary winding, and, an ion current can be measured with the secondary winding of the ignition coil by means of one or several spark plugs, the primary current in the short-circuit phase of the short-circuit switch is detected with a suitable means and is transmitted to the control unit, the measurement quantity is processed in the form of a function or filtering in the control unit after actuation of the short-circuit switch and an energy control via closure time or closure angle is built up with the obtained feature.

Abstract: The primary winding of an ignition coil is connected in series with an ignition switch that can be switched by a control circuit. A circuit including a capacitor, a resistor, and a diode is configured between the control terminal and the collector of the ignition switch. When the primary current is switched on, the capacitor discharge brings about a voltage reduction at the base of the ignition switch resulting in slowing down the trailing voltage edge at the collector of the ignition switch.

Abstract: An ignition coil device is provided in which a damaged portion can be exchanged and which requires no connector for connecting a power switch with a wiring harness. Since an ignition coil device 2 is constructed such that a primary coil portion 21 and a power switch 22 are secured by fitting the primary coil portion 21 into a hollow core of a secondary coil portion 23 mounted in advance on an engine 30, the primary and secondary coil portions 21, 23 can be detachably connected via an iron core 21c as a magnetic core. Accordingly, only the secondary coil portion 23 having a relatively short life due to the generation of varying high voltage can be easily exchanged. Further, since the power switch 22 and the primary coil portion 21 are integrally or unitarily connected with a wiring harness 40, the construction can be made inexpensive and simple by the deletion of a connector provided in a prior art ignition coil device, thereby enhancing electrical reliability.

Abstract: A discharge load driving circuit has a transformer with a low voltage coil and a high voltage coil wound around a magnetic core. The high voltage coil has a transformation ratio for setting a high self-resonance frequency value for the transformer to thereby output high voltage at a short rise time period. The discharge load driving circuit further includes a switching element connected to the transformer for switching on and off a d-c input supplied thereto through the low voltage coil of the transformer. The discharge load driving circuit further includes a driver circuit for driving a switching element driving pulse, a control circuit for controlling the driver circuit, a discharge load connected to the high voltage coil for discharging load by a high voltage output generated in the high voltage coil when the switching element is turned on, and a detector for detecting a flow of discharge current in the discharge load. The switching element repeats its on-off action in a predetermined.

Abstract: To control the ON or conduction time of a transistor (4) serially connected with the primary winding (2) of an ignition coil, the voltage drop across the collector or base respectively, and emitter is sensed and used as a control parameter with respect to a set or reference value determining current flow through the ignition coil under conditions of complete discharge of stored energy from the ignition coil. Conditions of complete discharge occur within a first speed range; in other speed ranges, in which residual stored energy remains within the ignition coil, indicative of current flow therethrough starting from a value other than zero or null, the voltage sensed across the transistor is compared with the reference value, and the current flow time adjusted in dependence on the comparison.

Abstract: An apparatus for distributing a high voltage arc from the high voltage ignition coil of a piston type internal combustion engine to the respective spark plug terminals by means of a high resistance, field-interrupting dielectric device which has an aperture therethrough defining a conductive path through the non-conductive dielectric device. The device is rotated in a fixed gap between the fixed location high voltage ignition coil electrode and the opposing spark plug terminal electrodes in such a manner so as to cause the aperture therethrough to pass directly between the electrodes which in turn allows a high voltage arc to bridge the fixed gap between the electrodes thus causing the spark plugs to be fired. When the aperture is not present in the fixed gap between the electrodes, the high resistance dielectric material of the device interrupts the electrical field between the electrodes, thus preventing an arc from bridging the gap and the spark plugs from being fired.

Abstract: Ignition control pulses as well as fuel injection control pulses can be obtained from a single signal generator structure by providing two generator units (28, 29) on the structure (1) which includes a rotating shield, vane or gate element (20) to generate by magnetic, for example Hall generator elements, or optical couplers, pulses (U28, U29). The vanes are so positioned, and the rotation thereof, at half engine speed, so arranged that the pulses (U28) generated by the first generator (28) extend over the pulse gaps or intervals of the pulses (U29) from the second pulse generator (29). At least one, and for example two vanes are foreshortened, so that the pulse generated by the first signal generator (28), upon passage of the foreshortened vane (23, 26) commences only when part of the pulse gaps of the second generator (29) has already elapsed.

Abstract: A dwell angle control has three counting devices for detecting acceleration. In a first UP/DOWN counter (17), the count in one direction takes place throughout the time the current in the primary circuit of an ignition coil (25) exceeds a current threshold value (I1). The count in the other direction is constant with respect to time. The counts on the first counter are taken over into a second UP/DOWN counter (11) in response to the input signal, the counting direction also being determined by the input signals. When the count in the second counter (11) reaches an adjustable trigger threshold value, the closure time is initiated, the actual ignition time being fixed by an edge of a sensed signal, or the edge of the signal from an ignition computer. The adjustable trigger threshold value is advantageously determined by a third UP/DOWN counter (12) which is set to a fixed value (X) by an edge of the sensed signal and whose counting direction is also determined by the sensed signals.

Abstract: A device and a method are provided for improving the operation of ignition devices, in which the parasitic waves causing interference are attenuated by means of a combination of resistors, connected in the primary and/or secondary of the ignition circuit (high voltage circuit of the coil). According to the invention, frequency sensitive resistor cables and a direct or simulated secondary resistance (formed by a small resistance placed in the primary of the ignition circuit) are substituted for the classical secondary resistive ignition cables and/or lumped resistors.Ignition and RFI-radiation can so be optimized by reducing ignition energy to its original level, and by adapting the last to the actual need i.e. varying its value in accordance with engine rpm etc.

Abstract: A non-contactor ignition system for generating an ignition voltage under controlling a primary current of an ignition coil by a semiconductor switching element, comprises a capacitor which is charged by a first power source and repeats a charging and a discharging in each constant period; a semiconductor switching element for ignition timing which is connected to the capacitor and the input terminal of said semiconductor switching element; and a second power source which generates an output voltage which is connected in said input circuit of said semiconductor switching element for ignition timing and whose value is varied depending upon the variation of revolution velocity of an engine and which has a long period including at least the charging period of said capacitor.

Abstract: In a known ignition system, the emitter-collector circuit of the ignition transistor is connected in series with the primary winding of the ignition coil and with a precision resistor. When the voltage across the latter exceeds a predetermined value, an auxiliary transistor is switched to a conductive state. The emitter-collector circuit of the auxiliary transistor is connected to the base of the ignition transistor and, when conductive, prevents further increases of current through the primary winding of the ignition coil. To protect this circuit, a series circuit including two Zener diodes is connected between the base and collector of the ignition transistor. Further, a voltage divider is connected in parallel with the emitter-collector circuit of the ignition transistor and an additional resistor is connected between the base and the emitter thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a distributor device for H.T. supply to an internal combustion engine, and comprising several ignition coils and a single contact breaker to interrupt supply to one or more of those coils at any instant, each of the coils having its primary winding shunted by a thyristor which can be controlled to select whether the primary winding of that particular coil is to be energized, or not, as the case may be.In one embodiment, the thyristors are polarized so as to conduct in a direction allowing "idling" circulation of current through the closed circuit comprising the shunting thyristor and its associated primary winding; in another embodiment the thyristors are polarized in the reverse direction and a diode is connected between the gate and the cathode of each thyristor to protect the cathode from gate voltage and another diode is connected to protect the gating circuit of that particular thyristor.