Engine ignition system adapted to prevent engine rotation in the wrong direction

Claim 2

In the ignition system of an internal combustion engine having an engine crankshaft, in combination, charging generator means having a mechanical input coupled to the engine crankshaft and having an electrical output winding and operative for generating an AC output voltage; ignition capacitor means; rectifying means connecting said output winding of said charging generator means to said ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said ignition capacitor means voltage halfcycles of only one predetermined polarity; an ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a fuel igniting unit connected across said secondary winding; circuit means connecting said ignition capacitor means to said primary winding and including an electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said discharge switch is conductive for discharging said ignition capacitor means through said electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said ignition transformer; triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said electronic discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced by said charging generator means; and control means connected to said triggering signal generating means and connected to said charging generator means and operative for preventing said triggering signal generating means from rendering said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said triggering signal generating means to render said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity, wherein said triggering signal generating means comprises an electromechanical triggering signal generator having an output winding connected to said control input of said discharging switch and operative for periodically generating triggering signals in synchronism with the generation of voltage half-cycles by said charging generator means, and wherein said control means comprises diverting means connected to said output winding of said charging generator means and connected to said output winding of said triggering signal generator and operative for diverting triggering signals produced by said trigGering signal generator away from said control input of said electronic switch when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said output winding of said charging generator means is of said predetermined first polarity, wherein said diverting means comprises a semiconductor switch circuit having an input connected to said output winding of said charging generator means and having an output current path connected across said output winding of said triggering signal generator and operative when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said output winding of said charging generator means is of said predetermined first polarity for substantially short-circuiting said output winding of said triggering signal generator.

Claim 3

The system defined in claim 1 wherein said semiconductor switch circuit is comprised of a transistor having an emitter-collector path connected across said output winding of said triggering signal generator, connecting means connecting the base of said transistor to the output winding of said charging generator means and operative when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said output winding of said charging generator means is of said first polarity for applying to the base of said transistor a voltage such as to render said transistor conductive.

Claim 4

A system defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting means comprises a voltage divider having two end terminals and a voltage-divider tap, one of said end terminals being connected to one terminal of said output winding of said charging generator means, and a diode having one electrode connected to the other terminal of said output winding of said charging generator means and having an other electrode connected to the other end terminal of said voltage divider, and said voltage-divider tap being connected to the base of said transistor, and said diode having such a polarity as to render said transistor conductive when the voltage being generated across said output winding of said charging current generator means is of said first polarity.

Claim 5

In the ignition system of an internal combustion engine having an engine crankshaft, in combination, charging generator means having a mechanical input coupled to the engine crankshaft and having an electrical output winding and operative for generating an AC output voltage; ignition capacitor means; rectifying means connecting said output winding of said charging generator means to said ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said ignition capacitor means voltage half-cycles of only one predetermined polarity; an ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a fuel igniting unit connected across said secondary winding; circuit means connecting said ignition capacitor means to said primary winding and including an electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said discharge switch is conductive for discharging said ignition capacitor means through said electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said ignition transformer; triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said electronic discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced by said charging generator means; and control means connected to said triggering signal generating means and connected to said charging generator means and operative for preventing said triggering signal generating means from rendering said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said triggering signal generating means to render said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity, wherein said trIggering signal generating means comprises an electromechanical triggering signal generator having an output winding and operative for generating across its output winding triggering signals in synchronism with the generation of voltage half-cycles by said charging generator means, and wherein said control circuit comprises a voltage divider having two end terminals and a voltage-divider tap, and wherein one of said end terminals is connected to one terminal of said output winding of said charging generator means, and a diode connecting the other end terminal of said voltage divider to the other terminal of said output winding of said charging generator means, and means connecting said voltage divider tap to said control input of said electronic discharge switch, a semiconductor switch having an output current path connected across said voltage-divider tap and one end terminal of said voltage divider, and means connecting said output winding of said triggering signal generator to the control electrode of said semiconductor switch and operative for controlling the conductivity of said semiconductor switch in dependence upon the triggering signals generated across said output winding of said triggering signal generator.

Claim 6

In the ignition system of an internal combustion engine having an engine crankshaft, in combination, charging generator means having a mechanical input coupled to the engine crankshaft and having an electrical output winding and operative for generating an AC output voltage; ignition capacitor means; rectifying means connecting said output winding of said charging generator means to said ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said ignition capacitor means voltage half-cycles of only one predetermined polarity; an ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a fuel igniting unit connected across said secondary winding; circuit means connecting said ignition capacitor means to said primary winding and including an electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said discharge switch is conductive for discharging said ignition capacitor means through said electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said ignition transformer; triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said electronic discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced by said charging generator means; and control means connected to said triggering signal generating means and connected to said charging generator means and operative for preventing said triggering signal generating means from rendering said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said triggering signal generating means to render said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity, wherein said trIggering signal generating means comprises an electromechanical triggering signal generator having an output winding and operative for generating across its output winding triggering signals in synchronism with the generation of voltage half-cycles by said charging generator means, and wherein said control circuit comprises a voltage divider having two end terminals and a voltage-divider tap, and wherein one of said end terminals is connected to one terminal of said output winding of said charging generator means, and a diode connecting the other end terminal of said voltage divider to the other terminal of said output winding of said charging generator means, and means connecting said voltage divider tap to said control input of said electronic discharge switch, a semiconductor switch having an output current path connected across said voltage-divider tap and one end terminal of said voltage divider, and means connecting said output winding of said triggering signal generator to the control electrode of said semiconductor switch and operative for controlling the conductivity of said semiconductor switch in dependence upon the triggering signals generated across said output winding of said triggering signal generator.

Claim 7

In the ignition system of an internal combustion engine having an engine crankshaft, in combination, charging generator means having a mechanical input coupled to the engine crankshaft and having an electrical output winding and operative for generating an AC output voltage; ignition capacitor means; rectifying means connecting said output winding of said charging generator means to said ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said ignition capacitor means voltage half-cycles of only one predetermined polarity; an ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a fuel igniting unit connected across said secondary winding; circuit means connecting said ignition capacitor means to said primary winding and including an electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said discharge switch is conductive for discharging said ignition capacitor means through said electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said ignition transformer; triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said electronic discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced by said charging generator means; and control means connected to said triggering signal generating means and connected to said charging generator means and operative for preventing said triggering signal generating means from rendering said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said triggering signal generating means to render said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity, wherein said charging generator means comprises an additional electrical output winding and is operative for generating across each of the two output windings thereof an AC voltage, the AC voltages being phase-shifted relative to each other, and further comprising an additional ignition capacitor means; additional rectifying means connecting said additional output winding to said additional ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said additional ignition capacitor means voltage half-cycles of only one predetermined polarity; an additional ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; an additional fuel igniting unit connected across the secondary winding of said additional transformer; additional circuit means connecting said additional ignition capacitor means to said primary windiNg of said additional transformer and including an additional electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said additional electronic discharge switch is conductive for discharging said additional ignition capacitor means through said additional electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said additional ignition transformer; additional triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said additional discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced across said additional output winding of said charging generator means; and additional control means connected to said additional triggering signal generating means and connected to said additional output winding of said charging generator means and operative for preventing said additional triggering signal generating means from rendering said additional discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said additional output winding of said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said additional triggering signal generating means to render said additional discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said additional output winding of said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity.

Claim 8

In the ignition system of an internal combustion engine having an engine crankshaft, in combination, charging generator means having a mechanical input coupled to the engine crankshaft and having an electrical output winding and operative for generating an AC output voltage; ignition capacitor means; rectifying means connecting said output winding of said charging generator means to said ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said ignition capacitor means voltage half-cycles of only one predetermined polarity; an ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a fuel igniting unit connected across said secondary winding; circuit means connecting said ignition capacitor means to said primary winding and including an electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said discharge switch is conductive for discharging said ignition capacitor means through said electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said ignition transformer; triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said electronic discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced by said charging generator means; and control means connected to said triggering signal generating means and connected to said charging generator means and operative for preventing said triggering signal generating means from rendering said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said triggering signal generating means to render said discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated by said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity, wherein said charging generator means comprises an additional electrical output winding and is operative for generating across each of the two output windings thereof an AC voltage, the AC voltages being phase-shifted relative to each other, and further comprising an additional ignition capacitor means; additional rectifying means connecting said additional output winding to said additional ignition capacitor means and operative for applying across said additional ignition capacitor means voltage half-cycles of only one predetermined polarity; an additional ignition transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; an additional fuel igniting unit connected across the secondary winding of said additional transformer; additional circuit means connecting said additional ignition capacitor means to said primary windiNg of said additional transformer and including an additional electronic discharge switch having a control input and operative when said additional electronic discharge switch is conductive for discharging said additional ignition capacitor means through said additional electronic discharge switch and through said primary winding of said additional ignition transformer; additional triggering signal generating means having a mechanical input coupled to said engine crankshaft and having an electrical output connected to said control input of said additional discharge switch for controlling the conductivity of the latter and operative for producing triggering signals synchronized with voltage half-cycles produced across said additional output winding of said charging generator means; and additional control means connected to said additional triggering signal generating means and connected to said additional output winding of said charging generator means and operative for preventing said additional triggering signal generating means from rendering said additional discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said additional output winding of said charging generator means is of predetermined first polarity and operative for permitting said additional triggering signal generating means to render said additional discharge switch conductive when the voltage half-cycle being generated across said additional output winding of said charging generator means is of opposite second polarity.

Claim 9

The system defined in claim 5, wherein said two output windings of said charging generator means are wound around a common iron core.