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US4308848A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ignition system for an internal combustion engine

Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
•
Filing: 1980-04-16
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Granted: 1982-01-05
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Expires: 2000-04-16
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Abstract

Abstract To improve an ignition system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,645, Jundt et al., in which a threshold switch is provided which controls current flow through the ignition coil, the turn-ON point of the current flow being determined, in part, by an integrator, and to prevent malfunction due to corroded terminals, improper installation and the like, a variable resistance branch, including a transistor 66, is connected across the integrator 31, 44, and so connected that, as the supply voltage drops, the effect of the integrator 31, 44 on the threshold switch 15, 16 is decreased, thus preventing modification of the inherent threshold level of the threshold switch by the action of the integrator. The transistor 66 in the variable resistance circuit 64 may be connected as a comparator, having its base connected to a junction J at fixed voltage (Zener diode 68, resistor 69), which is compared with the emitter-collector voltage, connected across the integrator 31, 44, and simultaneously changing its resistance value as the comparison is effected.

Inventors

  • 👤 Georg Pfaff
  • 👤 Helmut Schmied

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 21:07
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02P; F02P3/00; F02P3/02; F02P3/04; F02P3/05; F02P3/051

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 205 words
Ignition system for an externally fired internal combustion engine, having a current supply circuit (1, 3, 4, 11) adapted for connection to a source (1) of current supply; an ignition coil (6) having a primary (5) and a secondary (9) winding; a controlled semiconductor switch (7) controlling current flow through the primary winding (5) of the ignition coil (6); a control circuit (8, 59, 53, 45; 15, 31-38) including a threshold switch (15) and an integrator (31, 44) responsive to ignition trigger signals and to current flow through the primary winding (5) of the ignition coil, in which the integrator (31) is connected to the threshold switch (15) to change its threshold response level as a function of integrated current flow through the primary winding of the ignition coil, and comprising, in accordance with the invention, a safety circuit to prevent change of the response level of the threshold switch under control of the integrator under certain low supply voltage conditions which is characterized by a variable resistance circuit (64) connected across the integrator and further connected to be responsive to the voltage level of the current supply circuit, the resistance of said variable resistance circuit decreasing with decreasing voltage across said current supply circuit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 205 words
Ignition system for an externally fired internal combustion engine, having a current supply circuit (1, 3, 4, 11) adapted for connection to a source (1) of current supply; an ignition coil (6) having a primary (5) and a secondary (9) winding; a controlled semiconductor switch (7) controlling current flow through the primary winding (5) of the ignition coil (6); a control circuit (8, 59, 53, 45; 15, 31-38) including a threshold switch (15) and an integrator (31, 44) responsive to ignition trigger signals and to current flow through the primary winding (5) of the ignition coil, in which the integrator (31) is connected to the threshold switch (15) to change its threshold response level as a function of integrated current flow through the primary winding of the ignition coil, and comprising, in accordance with the invention, a safety circuit to prevent change of the response level of the threshold switch under control of the integrator under certain low supply voltage conditions which is characterized by a variable resistance circuit (64) connected across the integrator and further connected to be responsive to the voltage level of the current supply circuit, the resistance of said variable resistance circuit decreasing with decreasing voltage across said current supply circuit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 52 words
Safety circuit according to claim 1, wherein the variable resistance circuit (64) comprises a controlled resistance element (66) connected as a comparator to a source of reference voltage (J) and to the voltage on the integrator to increase the conduction of said element if the voltage across the current supply circuit drops.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 61 words
Safety circuit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the resistance of the variable resistance circuit (64) is matched to the integrator (31) and to the threshold switch (15) to effectively remove the influence of the control voltage from the integrator (31) to the threshold switch (15) when the voltage across said current supply circuit has decreased below a predetermined value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 106 words
Safety circuit according to claim 1, wherein the variable resistance circuit (64) comprises a transistor (66) and a resistor (65), the emitter-collector path of the transistor (66) and the resistor (65) being connected in series and across the output of the integrator (31); means (68, 69) providing a reference voltage at a reference terminal (J), the reference terminal being connected to the base of said transistor to compare the emitter-collector voltage across the integrator with the reference voltage and change the conductivity of the transistor (66) upon change of the voltage across the integrator (31) with respect to the voltage level of the reference terminal (J).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 60 words
Safety circuit according to claim 4, wherein the conductivity of the transistor (66) and the resistance of the resistor (65) are matched to the operating parameters of the integrator (31) and the threshold circuit (15) to effectively remove control by the integrator (31) on the threshold circuit if the voltage across the current supply circuit drops below a predetermined level.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3605713A Cited
US4176645A Cited
US4202304A Cited
US4217874A Cited
US4253442A Cited
US4271812A Cited
DE2847290A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-01-04 1985-07-06 1986-01-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-01-04 1989-07-06 1990-01-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-01-04 1993-07-06 1994-01-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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