Ignition circuit

Claim 1

AN IGNITION CIRCUIT FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING A SPARK PLUG IN EACH COMBUSTION CHAMBER COMPRISING, A SOURCE OF DIRECT CURRENT; A PAIR OF BREAKER CONTACTS CONTROLLED TO OPEN AND CLOSE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ENGINE''S PISTONS; AN INDUCTOR INCLUDING A WINDING ON A FERROMAGNETIC CORE FOR GENERATING A CURRENT PULSE WHEN CURRENT THROUGH THE WINDING IS CUT OFF; A CHARGING TRANSFORMER INCLUDING A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING ON A FERROMAGNETIC CORE FOR GENERATING A CHARGING PULSE IN ITS SECONDARY WINDING WHEN CURRENT IS CUT OFF IN ITS PRIMARY WINDING; A STORAGE CAPACITOR FOR STORING A QUANTITY OF ELECTRICITY PRODUCED BY SAID SECONDARY WINDING; AN OUTPUT TRANSFORMER INCLUDING A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING FOR TRANSFERING THE ELECTRICITY STORED IN THE STORAGE CAPACITOR TO A DISTRIBUTOR AND SPARK PLUGS; A FIRST CHARGING CIRCUIT CONNECTED ACROSS SAID SOURCE OF CURRENT INCLUDING IN SERIES, SAID INDUCTOR, AND A FIRST SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER HAVING AN ANODE, A CATHODE, AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE, SAID BREAKER CONTACTS CONNECTED AVROSS THE ANODE AND CATHODE; A SECOND CHARGING CIRCUIT CONNECTED ACROSS SAID SOURCE AND INCLUDING IN SERIES, THE PRIMARY WINDING OF THE CHARGING TRANSFORMER, A VOLTAGE DIVIDER, AND A GATE CONTROLLED SWITCH HAVING AN ANODE, A CATHODE, AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE; A FIRST COUPLING CIRCUIT COMPRISING A RESISTOR CONNECTED BETWEEN A MID-POINT ON THE VOLTAGE DIVIDER AND THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF THE FIRST SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER FOR MAKING THE RECTIFIER CONDUCTIVE WHEN A CURRENT THROUGH THE PRIMARY WINDING OF THE CHARGING TRANSFORMER REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE; A CAPACITOR CHARGING CIRCUIT CONNECTED ACROSS THE SECONDARY WINDING OF THE CHARGING TRANSFORMER INCLUDING IN SERIES, SAID STORAGE CAPACITOR, AND THE PRIMARY WINDING OF THE OUTPUT TRANSFORMER; A STORAGE CAPACITOR DISCHARGE CIRCUIT FOR DISCHARGING THE STORAGE CAPACITOR AND GENERATING A SPARK AT ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS, SAID DISCHARGE CIRCUIT INCLUDING IN SERIED CONNECTION, THE STORAGE CAPACITOR, THE PRIMARY WINDING OF THE OUTPUT TRANSFORMER, AND THE ANODE-CATHODE CIRCUIT OF A SECOND SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER; A SECOND COUPLING CIRCUIT COMPRISING A FIRST CAPACITOR CONNECTED BETWEEN ONE END OF THE INDUCTOR AND THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF SAID SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER FOR MAKING THE SECOND RECTIFIER CONDUCTING WHEN THE BREAKER CONTACTS ARE OPENED; AND A THIRD COUPLING CIRCUIT COMPRISING A SECOND CAPACITOR CONNECTED BETWEEN ONE END OF THE INDUCTOR AND THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF THE GATE CONTROLLED SWITCH FOR MAKING THE SWITCH CONDUCTIVE WHEN THE BREAKER CONTACTS ARE OPENED AND FOR MAKING THE SWITCH NONCONDUCTIVE WHEN THE CURRENT THROUGH THE INDUCTOR IS CUT OFF.