Magnetic sensor device for ignition systems

Claim 2

A magnetic sensor device in the ignition system for an internal combustion engine including in combination: rotatable shaft means of magnetizable material driven in synchronism with the rotation of the engine drive shaft, a first plate of magnetizable material, said plate having a plurality of radially extending arms, a permanent magnet structure having a cylindrical shape and comprising a plurality of permanent magnet sections, said magnet sections having north and south magnetic poles on opposite ends thereof, with alternate sections having opposite poles located adjacent each other, the number of said magnet sections being equal to twice the number of cylinders of the internal combustion engine and the number of said arms of said plate equaling one-half the number of said magnetic sections, a first end of said permanent magnet structure being mounted adjacent said first plate, a second plate of magnetizable material mounted in spaced relation with respect to said first plate adjacent the oppoosite end of said permanent magnet structure, and sensor coil assembly means mounted concentrically with respect to said permanent magnet structure within the confines thereof, said rotatable shaft means extending through the centers of said second plate, coil assembly and permanent magnet structUre, said first plate being coupled to and rotatable with said shaft means with respect to said permanent magnet structure in response to the operation of said engine for providing magnetic flux lines through said coil assembly varying between a predetermined positive amplitude and a predetermined negative amplitude, whereby an alternately poled output voltage is provided at said coil assembly for regulating the operation of said ignition system in accordance with the speed of said engine.

Claim 3

A magnetic sensor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said radially extending arms of said first plate are fan shaped and each said fan shaped arm comprises a predetermined sector of a circle having a predetermined radius.

Claim 4

A magnetic sensor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arcuate dimension of each said fan shaped sector falls in the range of 25*-45*.

Claim 5

A magnetic sensor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dimensions of said magnet sections of said permanent magnet structure are equal and wherein pairs thereof are spaced predeterminedly from other pairs thereof about said structure.

Claim 6

A magnetic sensor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dimensions of said magnet sections are unequal, predetermined ones of predetermined pairs thereof being sufficiently greater in arcuate dimension than the remaining pairs of said magnet sections to effect a predetermined change in dwell.

Claim 7

In the distributor assembly of an ignition system for an internal combustion engine having an output drive shaft, including a distributor housing and a central shaft member of magnetizable material driven rotatably in synchronism with the rotation of the engine drive shaft, a magnetic sensor device including in combination; a reluctor plate of magnetizable material mounted on the free end of said rotatably drive shaft, said reluctor plate having a plurality of radially, outwardly extending arms equal in number to the cylinders of said internal combustion engine, a permanent magnet structure having a cylindrical shape and comprising a plurality of arcuate permanent magnet segments placed thereabout, said magnet segments being separated by non-magnetic separators and having north and south magnetic poles on opposite ends thereof, with alternate sections having opposite poles located adjacent each other, the number of said magnet segments being equal to twice the number of arms of said reluctor plate, a first end of said permanent magnet structure being mounted adjacent said reluctor plate, a generally circular collector plate of magnetizable material mounted in spaced relation with respect to said reluctor plate within the housing of said distributor assembly, adjacent the opposite end of said permanent magnet structure, and sensor coil means mounted concentrically with respect to said permanent magnet structure within the confines thereof, the rotatable drive shaft of said distributor extending through the centers of said collector plate, coil means and permanent magnet structure, said reluctor plate being rotated on said drive shaft with respect to said first end of said permanent magnet structure in response to the operation of said engine for providing magnetic flux lines through said coil varying between a predetermined positive amplitude and predetermined negative amplitude, whereby an alternately poled output voltage is produced at said coil.

Claim 8

In the distributor assembly of an ignition system for an internal combustion engine having an output drive shaft, including a distributor housing and a central shaft member of magnetizable material driven rotatably in synchronism with the rotation of the engine drive shaft, a magnetic sensor device including in combination; a reluctor plate of magnetizable material mounted on the free end of said rotatably drive shaft, said reluctor plate having a plurality of radially, outwardly extending arms equal in number to the cylinders of said internal combustion engine, a permanent magnet structure having a cylindrical shape and comprising a plurality of arcuate permanent magnet segments placed thereabout, said magnet segments being separated by non-magnetic separators and having north and south magnetic poles on opposite ends thereof, with alternate sections having opposite poles located adjacent each other, the number of said magnet segments being equal to twice the number of arms of said reluctor plate, a first end of said permanent magnet structure being mounted adjacent said reluctor plate, a generally circular collector plate of magnetizable material mounted in spaced relation with respect to said reluctor plate within the housing of said distributor assembly, adjacent the opposite end of said permanent magnet structure, and sensor coil means mounted concentrically with respect to said permanent magnet structure within the confines thereof, the rotatable drive shaft of said distributor extending through the centers of said collector plate, coil means and permanent magnet structure, said reluctor plate being rotated on said drive shaft with respect to said first end of said permanent magnet structure in response to the operation of said engine for providing magnetic flux lines through said coil varying between a predetermined positive amplitude and predetermined negative amplitude, whereby an alternately poled output voltage is produced at said coil.

Claim 9

A distributor assembly as claimed in claim 6 further including a rotor assembly for distributing current between the various sprak plugs of said engine, said rotor assembly being mounted on said rotatable drive shaft for rotation with said reluctor plate.

Claim 10

A distributor assembly as claimed in claim 6 further including engine advance means coupled to said collector plate and permanent magnet structure for changing the position thereof with respect to a predetermined position in response to a predetermined change in engine speed, the latter being rotated within the housing of said distributor assembly about said rotatable shaft.