Time delay ignition circuit for an internal combustion engine

• US 6,173,692 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BRP US Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated), Ficht GmbH
• Original Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hellmich, Wolfram, Bylsma, Philip J., Craft, Todd D., Binversie, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US09/204,697
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 123/295, 123/305, 123/334, 123/335, 123/406.47, 123/406.52, 123/406.59, 123/478, 123/480
• US Class Current: 123/305
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/389 for injecting directly into the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 37/02 one of the functions being ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/401 Controlling injection timing F02D41/402 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/045 combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection in general F02D37/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An internal combustion engine assembly including an internal combustion engine including an engine block having at lest one cylinder, a piston mounted within the cylinder for reciprocal movement in the cylinder, a fuel injector for injecting fuel into the cylinder, the fuel injector initiating a fuel injection event at a predetermined time and a circuit for generating a spark in the cylinder a predetermined amount of time after the injection event to cause combustion of fuel in the cylinder.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine assembly, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including an engine block having at last one cylinder;

a piston mounted within said cylinder for reciprocal movement in said cylinder;

a fuel injector for injecting fuel into said cylinder; and

circuit means for generating an injection control signal indicative of a fuel injection event and for generating a spark in said cylinder a predetermined amount of time after generation of said injection control signal;

wherein said circuit means includes means for measuring the time elapsed since generation of said injection control signal, and means responsive to said elapsed time for generating a spark, including a timer generating a timing signal corresponding to said elapsed time.

2. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes a microprocessor having an injector output for generating said injection control signal, and wherein said injector output is connected to said timer to initiate said timing signal.

3. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said circuit means further includes means for generating a spark signal, and an AND gate receiving said timing signal and said spark signal.

4. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said AND gate generates an ignition current in response to receipt of both said timing signal and said spark signal.

5. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said spark is generated when said AND gate stops generating said ignition current.

7. An internal combustion engine assembly comprising:

an internal combustion engine including an engine block having at least one cylinder;

a piston mounted within said cylinder for reciprocal movement in said cylinder;

a fuel injector for injecting fuel into said cylinder; and

a circuit for generating an injection control signal indicative of a fuel injection event, said circuit including a timer having a timer output for generating an electrical timing signal, said timing signal having a predetermined duration indicating an amount of time elapsed from generation of said injection control signal.

6. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said AND gate stops generating said ignition current when said timer stops generating said timing signal.

8. The internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the circuit for generating an injection control signal indicative of a fuel injection event generates an ignition current in response to crankshaft position at an engine speed above a predetermined threshold.

9. The internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the circuit for generating an injection control signal indicative of a fuel injection event generates an ignition current in response to crankshaft position when an engine condition exceeds a given range.

10. The internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the engine condition is engine speed.

11. The internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein the engine condition is throttle position.

12. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said timer includes a trigger input and wherein said circuit includes a microprocessor connected to said trigger input to initiate generation of said timing signal.

13. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said circuit includes an AND gate connected to said timer output, said AND gate generating an output signal for initiating a spark in said cylinder.

14. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said circuit includes means having a spark output for generating a spark signal, and wherein said AND gate is also connected to said spark output.

15. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said AND gate generates an ignition current in response to receipt of both said timing signal and said spark signal.

16. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said spark is generated when said AND gate stops generating said ignition current.

17. An internal combustion engine assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said AND gate stops generating said ignition current when said timer stops generating said timing signal.

18. A method of timing the ignition of fuel in an internal combustion engine, said engine including an engine block having at least one cylinder, a piston mounted within said cylinder for reciprocal movement in said cylinder, a crankshaft connected to said piston and mounted for rotational movement in response to reciprocal movement of said piston, and a fuel injector for injecting fuel into said cylinder, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) initiating an injection event;

(B) measuring the elapsed time from the initiation of the injection event;

(C) providing a timer generating a timing signal corresponding to the elapsed time; and

(D) generating an ignition current as a function of the timing signal.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 and further including the step of generating said ignition current in response to crankshaft position at an engine speed above a predetermined threshold.

20. A method as set forth in claim 18 and further including the step of generating said ignition current in response to crankshaft position when one of two engine conditions exceeds a given range.

21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein said two engine conditions are engine speed and throttle position.

22. A method as set forth in claim 18 and further including the step of generating said ignition current in response to crankshaft position when an engine condition exceeds a given range.

23. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the engine condition is engine speed.

24. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the engine condition is throttle position.

25. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said step (A) includes the step of generating an injection control signal in response to said injection event.

26. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein said step (D) includes the step of generating a spark signal.

27. A method a set forth in claim 26 wherein said step (B) further includes the step of generating said ignition current in response to said timing signal and said spark signal.

28. An internal combustion engine assembly, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including an engine block having at least one cylinder;

a piston mounted within the at least one cylinder for reciprocal movement in the at least one cylinder;

a fuel injector for injecting fuel into at least one cylinder; and

a circuit for generating an injection control signal indicative of a fuel injection event and for generating a spark in the at least one cylinder a predetermined amount of time after generation of the injection control signal, wherein the circuit includes a timer that measures elapsed time from the generation of the injection control signal and generates a timing signal corresponding to the elapsed time.

29. An internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 28 wherein the circuit includes a microprocessor having an injector output for generating the injection control signal, the injector output being coupled to the timer to initiate the timing signal.

30. An internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 29, wherein the circuit generates a spark signal.

31. An internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 30, the circuit comprising:

a logic gate that receives the timing signal and the spark signal and generates an ignition current in response to the timing signal and the spark signal.

32. An internal combustion engine assembly as recited in claim 31, wherein the logic gate stops generating the ignition current when the timer stops generating the timing signal.