Fuel vaporizer carburetor for internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A carburetor for supplying a fuel/air mixture to an internal combustion engine of the type having an intake manifold, said carburetor comprising, in combination: an elongated tubular housing having sidewall portions defining a float bowl for receiving liquid fuel and an elongated vapor mixing chamber overlying and disposed in fluid communication with the float bowl, said tubular housing have a combustion air inlet port disposed in communication with the vapor mixing chamber at one end, and a fuel/air mixture outlet port disposed in communication with the mixing chamber at the opposite end; a fluid permeable wick assembly received within said housing and disposed between the float bowl and the mixing chamber; a heating element received within the housing for transferring heat to fuel in the float bowl; a closure valve movably disposed in the fuel/air mixture outlet; an electrical actuator having a movable arm coupled to the closure valve; a light sensitive transducer disposed in the fuel/air mixture flow path for generating a control signal in response to light emitted by flames propagating from the intake manifold; and, a threshold detector control circuit having an input coupled to the transducer and an output coupled to the actuator for driving the closure valve into sealing engagement with the fuel/air mixture outlet in response to a said control signal.