Contactless ignition system

Claim 1

AN IGNITION SYSTEM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A POWER CONVERTER FOR SUPPLYING A SOURCE OF HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING CURRENT TO AN ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE AND A SOURCE OF INTERMEDIATE DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE FROM A LOW VOLTAGE SUPPLY, SAID POWER CONVERTOR INCLUDING A POWER TRANSFORMER HAVING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WINDINGS, A SOLID STATE OSCILLATOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LOW VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY AND TO SAID PRIMARY WINDINGS WHEREBY ALTERNATING CURRENT THROUGH SAID PRIMARY WINDING WILL INDUCE SAID HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING CURRENT IN SAID SECONDARY WINDING AND A DIODE RECTIFIER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PRIMARY WINDING THROUGH INTERMEDIATE TAPS TO RECTIFY VOLTAGE INDUCED IN SAID PRIMARY BY AUTOTRANSFORMER ACTION TO PROVIDE SAID INTERMEDIATE DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE, A TRIGGERING MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY DISCHARGING THE ENERGY FROM SAID ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE TO SAID SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE AT A RATE PROPORTIONAL TO ENGINE SPEED, SAID TRIGGERING MEANS COMPRISING (1) A TRANSISTOR OSCILLATOR CIRCUIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID INTERMEDIATE DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE AND HAVING A PARALLEL RESONANT CIRCUIT WHEREBY VARIATIONS TIMED IN PROPORTION TO ENGINE SPEED OF THE TOTAL EFFECTIVE IMPEDANCE OF THE PARALLEL RESONANT CIRCUIT WILL CAUSE SAID OSCILLATOR TO PERIODICALLY OSCILLATE, (2) A DEMODULATOR CIRCUIT OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID OSCILLATOR WHEREBY SAID PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS ARE DEMODULATED TO A SIGNAL HAVING PERIODIC SHARP VOLTAGE VARIATIONS TIMED IN PROPORTION TO ENGINE SPEED, AND (3) CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DEMODULATOR AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID SHARP VOLTAGE VARIATIONS FOR PERIODICALLY CAUSING SAID ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE TO DISCHARGE TO SAID SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE.