Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – Combustible mixture ionization – ozonation – or electrolysis
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2004-08-03
McMahon, Marguerite (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
Combustible mixture ionization, ozonation, or electrolysis
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769420
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ion generator adapted to generate ozone by ionizing air introduced into a casing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
There have been used ion generators designed to supply ionized air to intake manifolds of internal combustion engines for the purposes of enhancing the combustion efficiency thereof, improving the fuel economy and reducing the air pollution.
FIG. 10
is a sectional view showing an exemplary prior-art ion generator. A casing
80
of this ion generator includes a cylinder body
89
which is formed from stainless steel or the like and the opposite ends of which are closed by caps
84
,
85
. One
84
of the caps is formed with an intake port
86
whereas the other cap
85
is formed with an exhaust port
87
. The ion generator has an arrangement wherein a gap between the intake port
86
and the exhaust port
87
defines an air-flow passage A in which a high-voltage generator
88
is disposed on an upstream side and an ionization electrode I is disposed on a downstream side.
The ionization electrode I includes an outside electrode
81
formed by a part of the cylinder body
89
, an inside electrode
82
disposed centrally of the outside electrode
81
, and a pair of disk-like support members
83
for supporting the inside electrode
82
. The inside electrode
82
includes a conductive shaft
82
a
bridging the pair of support members
83
, and a plurality of star electrodes
82
b
axially mounted on the conductive shaft
82
a
at regular space intervals. The inside electrode
82
is connected to one pole of the high-voltage generator
88
while the outside electrode
81
is connected to the other pole of the high-voltage electrode
88
.
The pair of support members
83
are formed from an insulating material. The support members are each formed with vent holes
83
c
extended through a side thereof and arranged at given space intervals along a circumference about the shaft
82
a
such that the air introduced into the casing
80
through the intake port
86
is guided to the exhaust port
87
by the vent holes.
In the ion generator, a high voltage is applied between the outside electrode
81
and the inside electrode
82
of the ionization electrode I for effecting corona discharge therebetween such that the air in the electrode is ionized to produce ozone.
Unfortunately, the ionization electrode I of
FIG. 10
suffers a poor air-ionization efficiency because a majority of the corona discharge develops from the star electrodes
82
b
at the opposite ends of the shaft
82
a
while the other star electrodes
82
b
between these electrodes do not function effectively. The ionization electrode also suffers the following problem. If the star electrodes are eccentric with respect to the outside electrode
81
due to the working errors or mounting errors of the outside electrode
81
and the inside electrode
82
, the corona discharge will concentrate on some of the pointed ends of the star electrodes
82
b
that are the closest to the outside electrode
81
, thus developing into spark discharge, which will cause burn of an electric circuit component and the like of the high-voltage generator
88
. Furthermore, even if the discharge does not concentrate on one place, there occurs an instable corona discharge rather closer to the spark discharge. Hence, a measure must be taken to provide the stable discharge by increasing the current value of a primary winding of a transformer incorporated in the high-voltage generator
88
. This results in an increased power consumption.
FIG. 11
is a sectional view showing an ionization electrode D of another prior-art ion generator.
A casing
90
of the ionization electrode D includes a cylinder body
91
formed from a resin material and a pair of closure plates
92
for closing opposite ends of the cylinder body
91
, the closure plate formed with a plurality of vent holes
92
a.
The ionization electrode D includes a hollow brass electrode
93
attached to one of the closure plates
92
of the casing
90
, and a spherical electrode portion
94
attached to the other closure plate
92
. The spherical electrode portion
94
consists of a spherical electrode
94
a
and a support member
94
b.
A plurality of rectangular fins
93
a
formed from a thin stainless-steel sheet are attached to an outer periphery of a distal end of the hollow electrode
93
, the fins arranged with equal spacing.
The ionization electrode D operates as follows. A DC positive high voltage is applied between the hollow electrode
93
and the spherical electrode portion
94
while allowing for an air flow from the hollow electrode
93
to the spherical electrode portion
94
, thereby effecting corona discharge B from end faces of the fins
93
a
toward the spherical electrode
94
a,
the end faces opposing the spherical electrode portion
94
. The air within the electrode D is ionized by the corona discharge B to produce ozone.
The ionization electrode D of
FIG. 11
involves a cumbersome working of the fins
93
a,
which are insufficient in the ability to generate discharge unless they are so thin as about 0.1 mm. In addition, this electrode also suffers the same drawbacks as the ionization electrode I of FIG.
10
. That is, the discharge concentrates on one place due to the working errors or mounting errors of the electrodes, resulting in the burn of the electric circuit component and the like. Even if the discharge does not concentrate on one place, the current value of the primary winding of the transformer must be increased and hence, an increased power consumption results.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an ion generator adapted for stable generation of corona discharge despite the working errors or mounting errors of the electrodes.
It is another object of the invention to provide an ion generator allowing for the reduction of the current value of the primary winding of the transformer thereby achieving the reduction of power consumption.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an ion generator adapted to improve the air ionization efficiency.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An ion generator according to the invention for achieving the above objects comprises a casing having an intake port and an exhaust port; an ionization electrode contained in the casing and including a first plate-like pole having a plurality of pointed ends at least on a part of its edge and a second pole opposing a flat surface of the first pole; and a high-voltage generator for applying a high voltage to the ionization electrode (claim
1
).
According to the ion generator of this arrangement, the discharge is prevented from concentrating on some of the pointed ends of the first pole that are closer to the second pole than the rest due to the working errors or mounting errors of the poles. This is presumed to be the result of the arrangement wherein the second pole in the ionization electrode opposes the flat surface of the first pole or the first pole does not present its pointed ends directly to the second pole. That is, the corona discharge has a lower directivity than in the arrangement wherein the pointed ends of the first pole are in direct face-to-face relation with the second pole. Accordingly, the corona discharge occurs in a stable manner free from the fear of developing into the spark discharge. Thus, the ion generator of the invention eliminates the possibility of troubles such as the burn of the electric circuit component of the high-voltage generator. Furthermore, the inventive ion generator is adapted to save power by reducing the current value of the primary winding of the transformer and to improve the air ionization efficiency.
According to one preferred mode of the invention, the ion generator has an arrangement wherein the second pole has a discharge surface three-dimensionally curved into a convex surface (claim
2
). The ion generator features a further lowered directivity of the corona discharge. This leads to an even greater effect to prevent the discharge from concentrating o
Fujiwara Satoko
McMahon Marguerite
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