An ignition control apparatus for engines is provided. The ignition control apparatus is designed to control a switch to release energy stored in a capacitor during spark discharge, thereby supplying a primary current to an other end side opposite a one end of a primary winding of an ignition coil c
An ignition control apparatus for engines is provided. The ignition control apparatus is designed to control a switch to release energy stored in a capacitor during spark discharge, thereby supplying a primary current to an other end side opposite a one end of a primary winding of an ignition coil connected to a dc power supply. This provides the ignition control apparatus which is capable of minimizing an increase in size or manufacturing cost and stabilizing the state of combustion of an air-fuel mixture.
대표청구항▼
1. An ignition control apparatus engineered to control operation of a spark plug provided to ignite an air-fuel mixture within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an ignition coil which is equipped with a primary winding and a secondary winding and designed so that a primary cur
1. An ignition control apparatus engineered to control operation of a spark plug provided to ignite an air-fuel mixture within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an ignition coil which is equipped with a primary winding and a secondary winding and designed so that a primary current that is an electric current flowing through said primary winding is increased or decreased to develop a secondary current in said secondary winding connected to said spark plug;a dc power supply with a non-grounding output terminal connected to an end of said primary winding to have said primary current flow through said primary winding;a first switching device that is a semiconductor switching device which is equipped with a first control terminal, a first power supply terminal, and a first grounding terminal and works to establish or block electric communication between said first power supply terminal and said first grounding terminal based on a first control signal inputted to said first control terminal, said first power supply terminal being connected to an other end of said primary winding, said first grounding terminal being connected to a ground side;a second switching device that is a semiconductor switching device which is equipped with a second control terminal, a second power supply terminal, and a second grounding terminal and works to establish or block electric communication between said second power supply terminal and said second grounding terminal based on a second control signal inputted to said second control terminal, said second grounding terminal being connected to said other end of said primary winding,a third switching device that is a semiconductor switching device which is equipped with a third control terminal, a third power supply terminal, and a third grounding terminal and works to establish or block electric communication between said third power supply terminal and said third grounding terminal based on a third control signal inputted to said third control terminal, said third power supply terminal being connected to said second power supply terminal of said second switching device, said third grounding terminal being connected to said ground side;an energy storage coil that is an inductor disposed in a power line connecting between said non-grounding output terminal of said dc power supply and said third power supply terminal of said third switching device, said energy storage coil working to store energy when said third switching device is turned on and discharge the energy when said third switching device is turned off;a capacitor which is connected in series with said energy storage coil between said non-grounding output terminal of said dc power supply and said ground side, said capacitor working to store the energy released from said energy storage coil when said third switching device is turned off; anda controlling portion is programmed to: control the second switching device and said third switching device,turn off said third switching device and turn on said second switching device during discharge of a spark from said spark plug, as initiated upon turning off of said first switching device, to release the energy from said capacitor which is in turn supplied to said primary winding through said other end, thereby cause said primary current to flow through said primary winding, andvariably set a duty factor of said second control signal. 2. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controlling portion is programmed to set said duty factor as a function of a running condition of said internal combustion engine. 3. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said running condition of said internal combustion engine contains at least an engine speed. 4. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controlling portion is further programmed to variably set said duty cycle in one combustion cycle. 5. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said controlling portion is further programmed to increase said duty factor with time. 6. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said controlling portion is further programmed to variably set a rate of increase in said duty factor with time. 7. An ignition control apparatus for igniting an internal combustion engine which at lease comprises: a dc power supply;a step-up circuit which steps up a power supply voltage at said dc power supply;an ignition coil which develops a high secondary voltage at a secondary winding by an increase or a decrease in current flowing in the primary winding connected to said step-up circuit;an ignition switching device which switches between supply and cutoff of current to said primary winding;a spark plug which is connected to said secondary winding and produces a spark discharge upon application of secondary voltage from said secondary winding, andan auxiliary power supply which additionally performs ignition switching device discharge from said step-up circuit and stop the ignition switching device discharge after said spark plug is started by opening or closing of said ignition switching device to discharge the spark plug, thereby increasing current flowing through said secondary winding,wherein said auxiliary power supply is equipped with an auxiliary switching device which switches between input of energy from said auxiliary power supply and stop thereof, said auxiliary switching device includes a soft-off circuit which is configured to set a turning off speed to be slower than a turning on speed, andwherein the input of energy from said auxiliary power supply is applied to said primary winding from a low voltage side thereof. 8. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further comprising an auxiliary device driver configured to open or close said auxiliary switching device one time or a plurality of times according to a discharge duration signal which instructs to start and stop the input of energy from said auxiliary power supply. 9. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said soft-off circuit includes one or a plurality of soft-off capacitors connected between a gate and a source of said auxiliary switching device. 10. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said soft-off circuit is a driver and is configured to slowly decrease a drive voltage for driving said auxiliary switching device. 11. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step-up circuit is made up of an energy storage inductor which is connected to said dc power supply, a switching device which switches between supply and cut of current to said inductor in a given cycle only for a given period of time according to said ignition signal, a capacitor which is connected in parallel to said inductor, and a first rectifying device which rectifies current from said inductor to said capacitor. 12. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said auxiliary power supply is made up of an auxiliary switching device which is disposed between said capacitor and said primary winding and configured to switch between discharge from said capacitor and stop of the discharge from said capacitor, a second rectifying device which rectifies current from said capacitor to said primary winding, said dc power supply, said inductor, and said capacitor. 13. An ignition control apparatus for igniting an internal combustion engine which at lease comprises: a dc power supply;a step-up circuit which steps up a power supply voltage at said dc power supply;an ignition coil which develops a high secondary voltage at a secondary winding by an increase or a decrease in current flowing in the primary winding connected to said step-up circuit;an ignition switching device which switches between supply and cutoff of current to said primary winding according to an ignition signal outputted as a function of a running condition of the internal combustion engine;a spark plug which is connected to said secondary winding and produces a spark discharge upon application of secondary voltage from said secondary winding,an auxiliary power supply which additionally performs discharge from said the step-up circuit to a junction between the primary winding of the ignition coil and the ignition switching device and then stop the discharge, thereby increasing current through said secondary winding in a discharge period of time after start of discharge from said spark plug made by opening or closing said ignition switching device, wherein said auxiliary power supply is equipped with an auxiliary switching device which switches between discharge from said auxiliary power supply and stop of the discharge, an auxiliary switching device driving circuit which opens or closes the auxiliary switching device, anda frequency calculating portion configured to increase or decrease a drive frequency for said auxiliary switching device,said frequency calculating portion is configured to decrease a rate of increase in drive pulse frequency for said auxiliary switching device as a speed of the internal combustion engine decreases while keeping a drive duty factor for driving said auxiliary switching device, and alternatively to increase the rate of increase in the drive pulse frequency as the speed of the internal combustion engine increases while keeping the drive duty factor. 14. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said calculating portion is configured to decrease or increase the rate of increase in drive pulse frequency for said auxiliary switching device based on at least one of an intake pressure, an accelerator position, a crank angle, an engine coolant temperature, an EGR rate, an air-fuel ratio, a primary voltage at the ignition coil, a secondary voltage at the ignition coil, and a secondary current in the ignition coil in addition to the speed of the internal combustion engine. 15. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein said drive duty factor is increased when the frequency is decreased and attenuated when the frequency is increased. 16. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein in said discharge period of time between start of discharge and end of the discharge, a frequency of a drive pulse for driving said auxiliary switching device is increased toward the end of the discharge. 17. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the input of energy from said auxiliary power supply is performed to said primary winding. 18. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said step-up circuit is made up of an energy storage inductor which is connected to said dc power supply, a switching device which switches between supply and cut of current to said inductor in a given cycle only for a given period of time according to said ignition signal, a capacitor which is connected in parallel to said inductor, and a first rectifying device which rectifies current from said inductor to said capacitor. 19. An ignition control apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein said auxiliary power supply is made up of an auxiliary switching device which is disposed between said capacitor and said primary winding and configured to switch between discharge from said capacitor and stop of the discharge from said capacitor, a second rectifying device which rectifies current from said capacitor to said primary winding, said dc power supply, said inductor, and said capacitor.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (3)
Nanjyo Hirotoshi (Mishima JPX) Serizawa Hiroshi (Gotenba JPX) Sagae Michio (Namazu JPX), Ignition system for internal combustion engine.
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