Internal-combustion engines – High tension ignition system – Electronic cylinder sequencing
Patent
1990-07-23
1991-11-19
Wolfe, Willis R.
Internal-combustion engines
High tension ignition system
Electronic cylinder sequencing
73115, 324380, 123637, F02P 703, F02P 1508, F02P 1700
Patent
active
050657291
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a distributorless ignition system for an internal combustion engine and more particularly to an apparatus for generating signals for identifying in which cylinder of the engine an ignition event is occurring.
Distributorless ignition systems for internal combustion engines are already known. These systems dispense with mechanical (rotary) distribution of the high tensions sparks and are usually used in combination with other electronic open or closed loop systems such as fuel injection systems where a timing signal is required for controlling the operation of a fuel injection system to sequentially inject fuel for each cylinder in synchronism with the rotation of the engine. In one type of distributorless ignition system, the distribution of high-voltage pulses is accomplished statically by selective triggering of ignition coils, each of which produces two high-voltage sparks simultaneously. One spark acts during the power stroke of one cylinder and the other spark acts during the exhaust stroke of another cylinder.
With this type of static distribution, there exists the need to detect the cylinder which is in its power stroke. One way of carrying out the detection electronically is disclosed in EP-A-177145 where the two simultaneous sparks are both detected and the voltage levels of the detection signals directly compare in a gated comparator. The output of the comparator is used to control a monostable multivibrator which generates a pulse when an ignition event occurs in a selected one of the two cylinders involved. No pulse is generated at the output of the monostable multivibrator when an ignition event occurs in the other of the two cylinders involved.
The disadvantages of this prior arrangement is that two detectors and a considerable amount of circuitry are required and it is still necessary to logically process the gating signal to the comparator and the output from the monostable multivibrator in order to determine in which of the two cylinders an ignition event has occurred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cylinder recognition apparatus which is simpler than the currently known cylinder recognition apparatus.
The present invention provides cylinder recognition apparatus for a distributorless ignition system comprising ignition control means for generating ignition signals, a signal distributor connected to the ignition control means and arranged to be connected to ignition coils associated with two cylinders, detection means for generating a signal indicative of spark generation in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, processing means for processing the signal generated by the detection means, and control circuit responsive to the processing means for outputting a control signal indicative of the cylinder which is operating in the power stroke of the cycle of the engine, characterised in that the detection means comprises a single detector for detecting the output pulse from the signal distributor to one of the two cylinders of the engine, in that the processing means comprises a circuit for generating a signal representing the peak amplitude of the signal generated by the detection means, and in that there is further provided means for evaluating the magnitude of the peak amplitude detected by the peak value circuit to determine whether said one of the two predetermined cylinders is in a power or exhaust stroke condition.
An advantage of the present invention is that it simplifies the circuitry as compared with that disclosed in EP 177,145 and only requires the use of one detector.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a distributorless ignition system;
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of part of the electrical circuitry shown in FIG. 1 and
REFERENCES:
patent: 3901205 (1975-08-01), Brungsberg
patent: 4101859 (1978-07-01), Reeves et al.
patent: 4186337 (1980-01-01), Volk et al.
patent: 4380989 (1983-04-01), Takaki
patent: 4711119 (1987-12-01), Hamren
patent: 4724702 (1988-02-01), Hamren
patent: 4915086 (1990-04-01), Ciliberto et al.
patent: 4951628 (1990-08-01), Matsuoka et al.
patent: 4987770 (1991-01-01), Nanyoshi et al.
Klotzner Winfried
Krauter Immanuel
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
Wolfe Willis R.
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