SYSTEM AND METHOD OF IGNITION COIL TESTING

• US 20150361946A1
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Inventors: Pham, Phuong, Protti, John, Constable, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 9,494,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/12 Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 2017/121 by measuring spark voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/72 Testing of electric windings testing of transformers G01R31/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1844 Monitoring or fail-safe circuits for relays H01H47/002

Abstract

An ignition coil tester for testing an ignition coil having primary and secondary circuits. The tester includes a cable connector including a primary circuit connector and a secondary circuit connector electrically connectable to the ignition coil. The tester further includes an electronic ignition control module electrically coupled to the primary and secondary circuit connectors and configured to generate ignition coil testing signals for communication to the ignition coil via the primary and secondary circuit connectors The electronic ignition control module is further configured to monitor the connection between the primary circuit connector and the primary circuit of the ignition coil and the connection between the secondary circuit connector and the secondary circuit of the ignition coil, and cease communication of the ignition coil testing signals when the primary circuit connector or secondary circuit connector are not connected to the respective ones of the primary and secondary circuits.

Claims

1. An ignition coil tester for testing an ignition coil having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, the ignition coil tester comprising:

a cable connector including;

a primary circuit connector electrically connectable to the primary circuit of the ignition coil; and

a secondary circuit connector electrically connectable to the secondary circuit of the ignition coil; and

an electronic ignition control module electrically coupled to the primary circuit connector and the secondary circuit connector, the electronic ignition control module being configured to;

generate ignition coil testing signals for communication to the ignition coil via the primary circuit connector and the secondary circuit connector; and

monitor at least one of the connection between the primary circuit connector and the primary circuit of the ignition coil and the connection between the secondary circuit connector and the secondary circuit of the ignition coil, and cease communication of the ignition coil testing signals when the primary circuit connector or secondary circuit connector are not connected to the respective ones of the primary circuit and secondary circuit of the ignition coil.

2. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, wherein:

the primary circuit connector and secondary circuit connector collectively define a unique connector ID;

the electronic ignition control module being configured to generate the ignition coil testing signals in accordance with the unique connector ID.

3. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, wherein the cable connector includes an air gap.

4. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 3, further comprising a resistor operatively associated with the air gap.

5. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, further comprising a magnetic pickup sensor configured to collect a signal from a trigger ignition coil.

6. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, further comprising a power supply in electrical communication with the electronic ignition control module.

7. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic ignition control module is configured to generate ignition coil testing signals associated with multiple RPM speeds.

8. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, wherein the ignition coil testing signals are adapted to test current leakage.

9. The ignition coil tester recited in claim 1, wherein the ignition coil testing signals are adapted to test winding resistance.

10. A method of testing an ignition coil having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

generating ignition coil testing signals for communication to the ignition coil; and

communicating the ignition coil test signals to the ignition coil, wherein a primary circuit connector communicates the ignition coil test signals to the primary circuit and a secondary circuit connector communicates the ignition coil test signals to the secondary circuit; and

monitoring at least one of the connection between the primary circuit connector and the primary circuit of the ignition coil and the connection between the secondary circuit connector and the secondary circuit of the ignition coil; and

ceasing communication of the ignition coil testing signals when the primary circuit connector or secondary circuit connector are not connected to the respective ones of the primary circuit and secondary circuit of the ignition coil.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the primary circuit connector and secondary circuit connector collectively define a connector ID, the ignition coil testing signals generated being dependent upon the connector ID.

12. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the step of generating ignition coil testing signals includes generating testing signals for testing ignition coil performance at multiple speeds.

13. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the step of generating ignition coil testing signals includes generating testing signals for testing current leakage of the ignition coil.

14. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the step of generating ignition coil testing signals includes generating testing signals for testing winding resistance of the ignition coil.