Internal combustion engine ignition system

Claim 2

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a predetermined duration of time and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio selected to provide an ignition spark potential of a predetermined rapid rise time; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; an electrical switching device having current carrying elements operable to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device.

Claim 3

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which An ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a predetermined duration of time and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio selected to provide an ignition spark potential of a predetermined rapid rise time; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; a transistor switching device having the collector-emitter electrodes thereof connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device.

Claim 4

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which An ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a predetermined duration of time and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio selected to provide an ignition spark potential of a predetermined rapid rise time; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; a transistor switching device having the collector-emitter electrodes thereof connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device.

Claim 5

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a duration of time of the order of 800 microseconds and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns raio of the order of 60:1 to provide an ignition spark potential of a rapid rise time of the order of 40 microseconds; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; an electrical switching device having current carrying elements operable to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device.

Claim 6

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a duration of time of the order of 800 microseconds and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns raio of the order of 60:1 to provide an ignition spark potential of a rapid rise time of the order of 40 microseconds; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; an electrical switching device having current carrying elements operable to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device.

Claim 7

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a duration of time within a range of 700 - 1,800 microseconds, inclusive, and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio within a range of 40:1 to 60:1, inclusive, to provide an ignition spark potential of a rapid rise time within a range of 30 - 45 microseconds, inclusive; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; an electrical switching device having current carrying elements operable to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device.

Claim 8

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a duration of time within a range of 700 - 1,800 microseconds, inclusive, and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio within a range of 40:1 to 60:1, inclusive, to provide an ignition spark potential of a rapid rise time within a range of 30 - 45 microseconds, inclusive; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; an electrical switching device having current carrying elements operable to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said current carrying elements of said electrical switching device.

Claim 9

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a duration of time within a range of 700 - 1,800 microseconds, inclusive, and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio within a range of 40:1 to 60:1, inclusive, to provide an ignition spark potential of a rapid rise time within a range of 30 - 45 microseconds, inclusive; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; a transistor switching device having the collector-emitter electrodes thereof connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device.

Claim 10

An internal combustion engine ignition system comprising in combination with a source of direct current potential having positive and negative polarity output terminals; an ignition coil having a magnetic core, a primary winding which, during the buildup of the flow of energizing current therethrough, produces a magnetic flux in said core and a secondary winding in which an ignition spark potential of sufficient magnitude to initiate an ignition arc across the arc gap of each of the spark plugs of the engine is induced upon the interruption of the flow of energizing current through said primary winding, said primary winding having an inductance value which, with a predetermined magnitude of energizing current, will provide sufficient stored energy to maintain the ignition arc initiated across each spark plug arc gap for a duration of time within a range of 700 - 1,800 microseconds, inclusive, and said ignition coil having a secondary to primary winding turns ratio within a range of 40:1 to 60:1, inclusive, to provide an ignition spark potential of a rapid rise time within a range of 30 - 45 microseconds, inclusive; an ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit through which energizing current flows from said source of direct current potential through said ignition coil primary winding; a transistor switching device having the collector-emitter electrodes thereof connected in series in said ignition coil primary winding energizing circuit; means for operating said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device to the electrical circuit closed and open conditions in timed relationship with the associated internal combustion engine; and a metal oxide varistor connected in shunt across said collector-emitter electrodes of said transistor switching device.