Breakerless ignition systems

Claim 1

A breakerless ignition system for use in an internal combustion engine and having advanced and delayed ignition phases, comprising: a. a primary ignition circuit including a primary coil element of an ignition coil, a source to supply primary ignition current to said primary coil element of said ignition coil and a first controlled semi-conductor device to control the conduction of said primary ignition current to said primary coil element of said ignition coil; b. a secondary ignition circuit including a secondary coil element of said ignition coil and an ignition plug connected to said secondary coil element of said ignition coil, said plug being disposed within a cylinder of said engine; c. an ignition signal generator driven by said engine to produce an ignition signal in timing with the position of a piston in said cylinder; and d. an ignition signal convertor connected between said ignition signal generator and said first controlled semi-conductor device, said ignition signal convertor comprising a capacitor charged by said ignition signal generator, a Zener diode rendered conductive in response to predetermined voltage across said capacitor, a second controlled semi-conductor device rendered conductive upon conduction by said Zener diode, said capacitor thereupon discharging through the gate and cathode of said second controlled semi-conductor and through the anode and cathode of said first controlled semi-conductor and a variable electrical resistor connected to said capacitor to control charging of said capacitor by said ignition signal generator, said variable electrical resistor having a wiper movable in accordance with movement of the accelerator of said engine so that when said accelerator moves to provide increased acceleration of said engine, said variable electrical resistor effects increased charging of said capacitor for the advanced ignition phase of said system and so that when the accelerator of said engine moves to provide increased deceleration of said engine, said variable electrical resistOr reduces the charging of said capacitor for the delayed ignition phase of said system.