Internal-combustion engines – High tension ignition system – Specific coil location
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-11
2004-01-13
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
High tension ignition system
Specific coil location
C123S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675786
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-171281 filed on Jun. 12, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an ignition coil device for an engine of, for example, an automobile and more specifically to an ignition coil assembly that includes a plurality of ignition coils, which are connected to corresponding spark plugs securely installed in plug holes of the engine.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-250437 discloses an integrated connector block, in which connectors for supplying electricity to corresponding ignition coils are integrated. The integrated connector block includes a connector block main body, which is formed as an elongated body made of a resin material. Coil connectors are integrally formed in a lower surface of the connector block main body. Each ignition coil, which is secured to a corresponding spark plug installed in an engine, is installed to and is thus engaged with a corresponding one of the coil connectors in an axial direction of the corresponding ignition coil, i.e., in an axial direction of the corresponding spark plug.
Furthermore, in order to allow installation of the ignition coils to the plug holes of the engine in a single step, an ignition coil assembly, which includes a plurality of ignition coils arranged at predetermined intervals, has been proposed. For example, as shown in
FIG. 12
, one such ignition coil assembly
51
includes a base cover
53
and a top cover
54
. The base cover
53
is made of a resin material and has a plurality of receiving through holes
53
a
, each of which receives a main body
52
b
of a corresponding one of a plurality of ignition coils
52
. The ignition coils
52
are arranged at corresponding positions, which correspond to positions of plug holes
131
of an engine
130
. The top cover
54
is connected to the base cover
53
in such a manner that the top cover
54
covers a top surface of the base cover
53
. The top cover
54
includes a plurality of protrusions
54
a
. Each protrusion
54
a
presses a head
52
a
of the corresponding ignition coil
52
. The ignition coil assembly
51
is installed to a top surface of the engine
130
in such a manner that each ignition coil
52
is axially installed into a corresponding one of the plug holes
131
, and fastening bolts
55
are inserted through corresponding through holes
53
d
,
54
d
of the base and top covers
53
,
54
, which are provided at longitudinal ends and the center of the base and top covers
53
,
54
. Then, the fastening bolts
55
are threadably engaged with corresponding threaded screw holes
133
of the engine
130
. In this way, the ignition coil assembly
51
is secured to the engine
130
.
However, in the case of the previously proposed ignition coil assembly
51
, when one or some of the ignition coils
52
need to be replaced after the installation of the ignition coil assembly
51
into the engine
130
, it requires tedious and time consuming reinstallation operation of the ignition coil assembly
51
after replacement of the ignition coils
52
. That is, in the ignition coil assembly
51
, the base cover
53
and the top cover
54
are integrally secured to the engine
130
by the fastening bolts
55
. Thus, when the fastening bolts
55
are removed, both the top cover
54
and the base cover
53
are released from the engine
130
, and thus the base cover
53
tends to be misaligned relative to the engine
130
(see positional deviation of the base cover
53
in FIG.
13
). At the time of reinstallation of the ignition coil assembly
51
into the engine
130
, the receiving through holes
53
a
of the base cover
53
need to be aligned with the plug holes
131
once again, requiring extra time for the reinstallation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the above disadvantage. Thus, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an ignition coil assembly, which allows removable of only a top part of the assembly to facilitate replacement of one or more ignition coils.
To achieve the objective of the present invention, there is provided an ignition coil assembly for an engine. The engine includes a plurality of plug holes, each of which receives a corresponding one of a plurality of spark plugs. The ignition coil assembly includes a plurality of ignition coils, a base cover, a top cover, a connecting member and a fastening member. The ignition coils are arranged to be electrically connected to the spark plugs, respectively. The base cover supports the ignition coils at corresponding positions, which correspond to positions of the plug holes, respectively. The top cover covers a top surface of the base cover. The connecting member connects between the top cover and the base cover. The fastening member secures only the base cover to the engine.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5109828 (1992-05-01), Tagami et al.
patent: 5152274 (1992-10-01), Maekawa
patent: 6543430 (2003-04-01), Moga et al.
patent: 9-250437 (1997-09-01), None
Konishi Atsuyuki
Tsunenaga Koji
Denso Corporation
Mohanty Bibhu
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
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