FR2467301A1 - IGNITION SYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES - Google Patents

Abstract

An ignition system operating in response to the rotation of a flywheel or harmonic balancer mounted on the crankshaft. A decade counter receives ignition trigger pulses which are produced by the passage of lights 26, 28, 30, 32 of flywheel 20 as they rotate between a light source and an optical detector, the output signals of the counter controlling the spark plug ignition circuits. Application to the ignition of the spark plugs of an automobile car engine. (CF DRAWING IN BOPI)

Description

2467301.1

  The invention relates to ignition systems of internal combustion engines and in particular to an ignition system which is controlled by and synchronized with the rotation of a steering wheel or harmonic balancer mounted on the crankshaft of the engine. The prior art ignition systems of the prior art are mechanical and include a mechanical switch or platen-moved screws moved by a cam, a low-voltage current conversion coil into a high-voltage current for the electrodes of the spark plugs. ignition, a mechanical distributor such as a rotor for directing the high-voltage current on the spark plugs and ignition advance adjusting devices, for example a weight subjected to centrifugal force and vacuum devices. In general, the control cam of the

  platinum screws and the rotor are mounted on a tree whose -

  rotational speed is dependent on that of the motor. These

  Mechanical controls have a number of disadvantages.

  In addition, they wear relatively quickly and are poorly

  compatible with high engine speeds.

  The difficulties raised in operation by the platen screws of a distributor are well known to the specialist. Plated screws become dirty and corrode and must be continually adjusted and replaced. In addition, the mechanical characteristics inherent to the platinized screws cause variations in their switching times, so that even immediately after a vehicle has been adjusted, its performance begins to decrease as a result of the variations of the setting compared to that which would be ideal. Moreover, the establishment and the circuit breakage by the set screws of the switch are produced by a cam controlled in synchronism with the running of the motor- and, when the speed of the latter increases, the frequency of the operations performed by the cam increases. . Consequently, the masses of the components involved have the consequence that the contacts of the switch often do not remain in a stable condition of closure during the downtime during which the charge of the ignition coil takes place and a phenomenon occurs. referred to as the rebound of platinum screws. "Furthermore, in order to satisfy government orders concerning engine gas emissions, the criteria imposed on the adjustment of these engines are extremely difficult to obtain and / or maintain with the engines.

  conventional ignition systems with platinum-plated screws.

  In addition, these ignition systems can easily be adjusted by the owners of motor vehicles or by other persons who modify the engine settings and the throttle emissions from the latter being closely related to their adjustment, the modifications This adjustment often leads to the engine giving off gases

  in a way that does not comply with the

  mental. Different ignition systems have been suggested to try to solve the problems raised by conventional switch-type systems. For example, transistors have been used to assume the switching function for the coil load thereby replacing the breaker contacts for this purpose. However, these transistorized systems continue to use the conventional contacts of the switch that are actuated in the usual way to make the conductive and non-conductive transistors in synchronism with the rotation of the motor and therefore these systems - nevertheless remain ultimately dependent on screws.

  mechanical platinum. In other words, the time to live

  at high engine speeds is always relatively

  short circuit and the coil which is charged by the transistor is in many cases insufficiently. In addition, at high engine speeds, platen screws continue to bounce, thereby reducing the time available to charge the spool, resulting in poor engine tuning, and the system may be subject to different tuning changes. of one that would be ideal with a concomitant increase in the emission of gas by the engine. So, although an ignition system

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  However, these systems retain the same weaknesses due to practically the same disadvantages and the troublesome characteristics of conventional switch and coil systems. Other embodiments of the transistorized ignition system described above include a non-contact pulse generator which consists of either a light source and a photodetector, or a magnetic sensor or probe. which intersects a magnetic field, these assemblies being used to make a transistor mounted in the circuit conductive, in synchronism with the rotation of the motor. In this type of assembly, the rotor of the distributor is supported on a magnet to be moved in front of magnetic detectors, or is perforated to pass periodically a beam

  emitted by a light source and directed to a photo-

  detector. This arrangement has the apparent advantage of eliminating all the troublesome characteristics of the platinum screws of the mechanical breakers. However, this circuit has other disadvantages. For example, in the case of a magnetic detector, the output voltage of the magnetic probe is as follows: the speed at which the magnetic field is traversed by this probe. As a result, at low engine speeds, for example at start-up, it is difficult to obtain an output signal from the magnetic detector which is sufficient to operate the transistor with a small diameter rotor which rotates twice as much. fast as the engine. In addition, both with a magnetic detector and a photodetector, virtually all the components of a conventional distributor are nevertheless present, which increases the cost price and the complexity of the engine and moreover they remain nevertheless accessible for setting the engine with the consequence that it is easy to circumvent the rules regarding the emission of exhaust gases. Other embodiments of solid state ignition systems have been used, but none have been used. 2467301i

  received a real approval by the industrialists of the

  mobile. The invention therefore relates to a new and improved ignition system for an internal combustion engine, this system not being dependent on a switching produced by a mechanical switch to assume the ignition distribution function. According to an embodiment of

  system of the invention, it comprises a semi-automatic device

  driver that is photosensitive for ignition control. In an alternative embodiment, it comprises a magnetic switching circuit for controlling the ignition functions. The distribution function is correlated with the rotation of a steering wheel or a harmonic balancer connected to the crankshaft of the engine, the conventional distributor is thus completely eliminated. The operating mode of the ignition system of the invention is reliable and this system is tamper-proof, so that after being adjusted, its adjustment can not be modified so that the distribution is no longer in conformity with that which is

prescribed for the engine. -

  According to an essential feature of the invention

  an ignition system of an internal combustion engine comprises a sensitive element mounted on the crank of the engine and rotating at the same speed as it, a detector being mounted so that it detects the rotation of the sensitive element passing in front of it, this sensitive element passing during its rotation in front of said detector when a spark is necessary and a spark generator responding to said detector when the sensitive element passes in front of the latter during its rotation so as to

produce a spark.

  According to one embodiment of the invention, the ignition system is intended for a four-stroke internal combustion engine which comprises an even number of spark plugs intended for an identical number of cylinders, groups of two spark plugs. 'ignition joint being intended for groups of two cylinders whose pistons are out of phase by 1800 so that one is at top dead center

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  one compression stroke while the other is dead at the top of the exhaust stroke. In this case, the system comprises a radiation source and a receiver of the latter which is intended to emit a signal when it is exposed to said source, a disk being mounted on the crankshaft of the engine so that it rotates at the same speed as him. This disk is mounted between the radiation source and the receiver and has lights whose number is equal to that of groups of two joint spark plugs and which are placed at a distance from each other around the disk so that the during the rotation of the latter, they pass between said light source and the receiver so as to expose the latter to said source of radiation so that it emits a signal when a spark plug of a group of two joint candles must be on. A circuit triggered in response to said radiation receiver signals then produces a spark of the two joint candles when one of them

must be on.

  As an alternative embodiment of the invention, the disk mounted on the crankshaft comprises a detectable area and either this detectable area, or the remainder of said disk is made of material that can be detected magnetically, while the other is made of material that can not be detected. being. Several magnetic detectors are arranged in such a way that said detectable area passes in front of them during their rotation, the number of these detectors being identical to that of said groups of joint spark plugs and being placed at a distance from each other so that said zone detectable passes in front of them at the instant at which a spark plug of a group of two joint candles must be lit. These detectors emit signals in response to the rotation of said detectable area passing in front of them and a circuit is triggered in response to said signals from the detectors such that the two candles of a group of joint candles produce a spark when one of

these candles must be lit.

  According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the disk consists of a steering wheel or a harmonic balancer mounted on the crankshaft of the engine and an adjustment device is intended for determining the ignition advance in a manner that to allow the engine to run without causing knocking and / or

  detonation at the moment of the bursting of a spark.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of examples in which: FIG. 1 is an end view of an internal combustion engine and represents a disc that can be either a harmonic balancer; a wheel mounted on the crankshaft of the engine, the disk having lights distributed around its periphery and intended to assume the function of distributing the ignition of the engine; FIG. 2 is an elevation of the disk shown in FIG. 1 and represents a light source and photodetectors placed on the opposite sides of this disk so that the lights of the latter rotate with each other so as to cause the transmission of signals. ignition; FIG. 3 is a partial diagram of a circuit for receiving the ignition distribution signals emitted by the photodetector and intended for igniting the spark plugs of the engine in response to the reception of these signals;

  FIG. 4 is a diagram of an embodiment of

  a synchronization circuit of the circuit of FIG. 3 to allow proper adjustment of the motor; FIG. 5 is a diagram of a variant of

  realization of the reception circuit of the distribution signals -

  from the photodetectors and ignition of the engine spark plugs in response to receiving these signals; FIG. 6 is an end view of an internal combustion engine and represents a disc which may be either a harmonic balancer or a flywheel mounted on the crankshaft of the engine, this disc comprising alternatively

  embodiment of the invention a magnetic detectable marker

  close to its outer periphery and intended, during the rotation of the disk, to pass magnetic detectors placed on the engine and intended to emit ignition distribution signals; FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but the disc being removed, and represents the magnetic detectors mounted on the motor and intended to emit ignition distribution pulses in response to the passage of the mark of the disc in front of them; during its rotation g and - Figure 8 is a partial diagram of the circuit for receiving the ignition distribution signals from the magnetic detectors, this circuit triggering the ignition of the engine spark plugs in response to the receipt of

these signals.

  Figures 1 to 4 show a way of realizing

  of an ignition system according to the invention for a

  four-stroke internal combustion engine whose distribution

  The ignition and spark initiation is produced by a disk attached to the crankshaft of the engine and which can very advantageously consist of either a flywheel attached to one end of the crankshaft or a harmonic balancer attached to the other end. Admitting for the

  description that will follow that the disc is a steering wheel, the

  outer periphery is placed so that it rotates inside the profile of a stirrup on one side of which is mounted a photoluminescent diode and on the other side of which is mounted a light-sensitive diode. Diaphragms, lights or passages are made in the steering wheel, around its outer periphery and, when the steering wheel rotates, the lights pass successively between the photoluminescent diode and the photosensitive diode so as to pass successively a light beam between these diodes so that the photosensitive diode emits signals of

ignition distribution.

  Signals from this photosensitive diode

  are sent to a circuit consisting of a combination of ignition coils, amplifiers or driver stages of the coils and a circuit for sending a spark ignition signal to a selected driving stage coil to ignite a candle of a selected cylinder when the light beam falls on the light-sensitive diode through one of the passages of the steering wheel. The flywheel is wedged on the crankshaft and thus it is oriented in rotation relative to the train of valves and other synchronized mechanisms of the engine. Thus, the precise positioning of the crankshaft passages allows a particular passage to

  between the photoluminescent diode and the photo diode

  every time a spark plug matches

must be lit.

  Figure 1 particularly shows a steering wheel 20 mounted on one end of a crankshaft 22 of a four-stroke internal combustion engine 24. Assuming that the engine is eight cylinders, it being understood that the principles of the invention are equally applicable to engine ignition systems having a different number of cylinders, the steering wheel has four lights, diaphragms or passages 26, 28 , 30 and 32 which are made near its outer periphery and which are offset 900 relative to each other. Three openings 26, 28 and 30 are relatively small and may be circular while the other opening 32 is a little larger and may consist of a radially oriented buttonhole. The passages ensure the timely ignition of the engine spark plugs, the passage 32 causing on the one hand the ignition of the candles and

  on the other hand the synchronization of the distribution function

  ignition in a manner to be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the periphery of the flywheel rotates inside the profile of a stirrup 34, one wing of which supports a light source, for example a diode

  photoluminescent 36, and the other wing supports two photo-

  detectors, for example light-sensitive diodes 38 and 40. The length of the spokes between the axis of the crankshaft and the passages of the steering wheel, the light source and the light receivers is such that, during the rotation of the steering wheel, the course of the beam light transmitted from the source is established only for the photodetector 40 when one of the passages 26, 28 and 30 passes between this source and the latter, but the transmitted light beam falls on the two photodetectors 38 and 40 when the passage 32 goes into

^ 2467301-

  turning between the source and these. Thus, with each complete revolution of the steering wheel, four electrical pulses are emitted by the photodetector 40 and only one by the

  photodetector 38, the pulse emitted by the latter appears

  simultaneously with one of the pulses emitted by the

photodetector 40.

  As mentioned previously, the flywheel is wedged on the crankshaft and therefore it is rotated by

  compared to the train of valves and other synchro-

  motorized. Thus, the precise positioning of the passages of the steering wheel is such that a passage is between the photoluminescent diode 36 and the photosensitive diode 40 at each

  spark plug must produce a spark.

  The pulses from the photodetector 40 control the ignition of the candles, while the pulses

  photodetector 38 assume a function of synchronization

  ignition timing. FIG. 3 represents an embodiment of a circuit that can receive the pulses of the photodetectors and cause the ignition of the spark plugs of the motor, the pulses coming from the photodetector 40 being

  sent by an amplifier 42 and a circuit 44 of teimpori-

  variable sation at the input of a counting circuit 46 decade. The counting circuit comprises four outputs and sends an individual signal successively to one of its outputs in response to receiving the pulses at its input. Thus, when the steering wheel rotates and the pulses are emitted by the photodetector 40, a signal is sent sequentially to the successive outputs of the counter until all the outputs have emitted a signal, then the cycle

start again.

  A spark generation circuit with the general reference 40 and connected to a first output of the counter 48 comprises a driver circuit 50 for controlling the flow of current in the primary 52 of a spark plug 54. The secondary 56 of the coil is connected to two spark plugs 58 and 60 so as to

  burst a spark between their electrodes. The provision

  If the counter 46 sends a signal 10 to its first output, the driver stage causes the discharge of a capacitor 62 in the primary 52 so as to produce a high voltage in the secondary 56. way to light

  candles 58 and 60 simultaneously. As a variant of

  the capacitor could be eliminated and the drive stage could normally cause a current flow in the primary so that when a signal appears at the first output of the meter, the flow is cut off so that produce a high voltage across the secondary. It should be understood, although these arrangements are not shown, that for an eight-cylinder engine, similar spark emission circuits are connected to each of the second, third and fourth outputs of the counter 46, each of these circuits causing each cycle of operation of the meter the ignition of two

eight candles at a time.

  As is well known and conventional, in a four-stroke internal combustion engine and -an even number

  of cylinders, the steering wheel performs two complete revolutions at -

  each complete cycle of engine operation and the

  The mechanical arrangement is such that groups of two cylinders and joint pistons operate exactly at 1800. In other words, when the piston of one of the cylinders is at the top dead center of a compression stroke, the piston of the joint cylinder is at the top dead center of the exhaust stroke, and vice versa. Taking this factor into consideration, the two spark plugs that are ignited by each spark initiation circuit 48, for example the spark plugs 58 and 60, are intended for cylinders and pistons of the engine whose operation is shifted by 1800. Thus, when the piston of the cylinder corresponding to the spark plug 58 is at the top dead center of the compression stroke, the piston of the cylinder corresponding to the spark plug is at the top dead center of the exhaust stroke and vice versa. Consequently, although the spark plugs 58 and 60 are lit simultaneously, when the triggering of the sparks is synchronized with the operation of the engine, only one of the spark plugs creates a driving stroke in its

24673011.

  it cylinder because the other candle that lights up at the same time

  located in an evacuated cylinder, and containing no

  rant. In other words, each time the spark plugs 58 are turned on, one produces a driving stroke and the other lights up during the sweep in a way that is not harmful to the operation.

engine.

  In view of the foregoing, the manner in which the buttonhole 32 and the photodetector 38 assume the timing function of the distribution can be easily understood. The passage 32 is placed on the steering wheel so that each time it is between the light source 36 and the photodetectors 38 and 40, the spark plugs 58 and must produce a spark. In other words, the location of the passage 32 is such that each time it is between the light source and the photodetectors, one of the pistons that corresponds to the spark plugs is ready to run a race driving. As shown in FIG. 3, the output of photodetector 38 is connected to a reset input of counter 46 whose operation is such that

  that every time a pulse is emitted by the photo-

  detector 38, it is automatically reset so that it emits a signal at its first output. Then, given the cyclical operation of the counter and in response to successive pulses from the photodetector 40 during the rotation of the steering wheel, signals are transmitted cyclically to one of its successive individual outputs depending on the particular group of two candles to be lit. Thus, the operation of the engine is determined by the groups of two joint plugs which are connected to the selected outputs of the meter so that one of the spark plugs of one of these groups lights up in a cylinder whose piston is ready. to execute a driving stroke when a signal is emitted at the corresponding output of the counter which is determined by the rotational orientation, i.e. the angular setting of the steering wheel. It is understood that when the counter has been reset, it maintains the

  timing of the ignition distribution and the continuity

  This synchronism is guaranteed, since a synchronization pulse is emitted by the photodetector 38 at each

  revolution of the steering wheel 20 or at each half-cycle of the

engine.

  The variable delay circuit 44 is connected to and controlled by a group 64 for detecting the speed of rotation of the motor as well as the vacuum created at the suction of the latter so that the system adjusts the ignition advance. so that the engine runs with optimal efficiency and consumption and with a minimum of gas emissions. When the ignition circuit is in operation, it is assumed that the passages 26, 28, 30

  and 32 of the steering wheel are placed so as to cause normal

  The corresponding spark plugs are then switched on to adjust the maximum ignition advance. Thus, the detector 64 of the engine speed and the vacuum produced at the intake regulates the delay imposed by the delay circuit 44 to the pulses passing from the amplifier 42 to the input of the counter 46. justified

  the maximum advance, the detector inhibits the timing circuit.

  tion so that the pulses from the amplifi-

  must be sent to the meter without delay. When the engine is operating under conditions requiring less than the maximum advance, the detector variably controls the degree of delay imposed by the timing circuit on the pulses so as to obtain a distribution of the engine ignition. can go from

  the maximum advance to the absence of advance.

  To avoid the disappearance of the timing of the distribution when the car is stopped or that the power supply of the circuit is cut in another way, for example when the circuit power supply battery is disconnected and in order to thus avoiding the potential occurrence of damage due to ignitions of the candles that do not take place in time during the first revolution of the steering wheel during the initial start of the engine and until a pulse of synchronization is emitted as shown in FIG. 4, a switch 66 inhibits each driver circuit 50 of a coil but does not inhibit the rest

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  of the ignition circuit when a switch 68 of the ignition of the engine is first set to a power supply position of the starter relay and for a time of duration equal to or slightly longer than the time required for the steering wheel to be driven by the startup engine so that it performs a complete revolution. Thus, the ignition of the candles is prevented for a time of sufficient duration to allow the counter circuit 46

  to be synchronized by at least one output signal of the photo-

  38. Then, when the distribution of the ignition is synchronized again, the driving circuits of the coils are validated and switch on the coils.

  ignition 54 to start the engine.

  Figure 5 shows a variant of

  3 of the circuit in which like references designate similar elements. There are two essential differences between the circuit of FIG. 5 and that of FIG. 3, the first being that the group 64 for detecting the speed of rotation of the motor and of the vacuum at its suction is replaced by a knock detector 70 and detonation caused by a spark, this detector providing control ignition advance. The knock and detonation detector includes a sound sensor that "listens" to noises occurring inside the engine, as is well known in this art and which

  controls the delay imposed on the pulses from the photo-

  detector 40 by variable delay circuit 44 so as to operate the engine with the maximum advance allowable ignition without knocking or detonation inside the engine. So, the motor always works with the maximum advance and so with a

  maximum efficiency and efficiency, the circuit-

  easily adaptable even to distribution system responses reaching extreme values such as those encountered in a turbocharged or supercharged engine. The second difference is that the groups of two joint spark plugs that were connected in

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  parallel in the first circuit and which were controlled in the first circuit by a single ignition coil are each connected to independent ignition coils 72 and 74 having corresponding primaries 76 and 78 and secondary 80 and 82. This arrangement represents an improvement over that of Figure 3, because it has been observed that, although it may be admitted that a single coil can deliver sufficient voltage and energy to trigger the two candles, in practice one of the Spark plugs often come on first and offer a low-resistance circuit for the secondary current with the result that when a single coil is used, the entire ignition current is often shunted by the first of the spark plugs. turn on and the other does not turn on. Separate coils allow you to get-always a

reliable ignition of both candles.

  The two ignition coils 72 and 74 are connected in parallel in the manner shown, this case being that of a 12-volt ignition system in which each of

  candles operate under a voltage of -12 volts. It would be-

  however, it is also possible to light the bubbles satisfactorily with two coils operating at 6 volts and connected in series on a 12-volt circuit, since each coil would have 6 volts at its terminals. Although an assembly of this type with coils operating at 6 volts does not present any particular advantage of operation on coils operating at 12 volts, it can be advantageous from the point of view of the cost price and / or to facilitate the concrete realization.

  Figure 6 represents a variant of

  tion of the ignition system of the invention in which a flywheel 100 is mounted on a crankshaft 102 of an internal combustion engine 104. In this case, the flywheel comprises a single detectable mark -106 placed near its outer periphery. and may consist of a passage through which can pass a light beam. The marker preferably however consists of an insert or an area independent of the steering wheel, one of the independent zones and the

2467301.

  rest of the steering wheel being made of magnetically detectable material and

  the other being in a material that is not.

  Figure 7 shows a similar arrangement to that of Figure 6, except that the flywheel 100 which is mounted on the crankshaft 102 is not shown. As shown in this figure, four detectors 108, 110, 112 and 114 are placed on the motor 104 at intervals of 90 around the crankshaft and at a radial distance from the crankshaft at which they are in alignment with the crankshaft mark 106 when it turns in front of them. The detectors may be photodetectors in the case where the mark 106 is a passage made in the steering wheel and through which the light is transmitted, but it is preferably magnetic sensors for detecting a transition between the magnetically detectable material and the one that is not and whose

  are constituted the marker 106 and the rest of the steering wheel 100.

  The use of gage sensors is preferable to that of photodetectors because these require the use of four separate light sources which are placed in front of each of the photodetectors and run a potential risk of being rendered non-functional by an accumulation of photodetectors. dirt or other dirt on them. In any case, with each complete revolution of the steering wheel, a signal or an individual pulse is emitted by each of the detectors

108, 110, 112 and 114.

  Each detector cooperates with a separate ignition circuit of two spark plugs in response to a signal being transmitted by the detector. As shown in FIG. 8, the signal coming for example from the detector 108 is sent to the input of an amplifier 116 whose output is connected via a delay circuit 118.

  variable at the input of a circuit 120 for driving a coil.

  The primaries 126 and 128 of two ignition coils 122 and 124 are connected in parallel to the output of the driver and their secondary 130 and 132 are connected to a

  corresponding group of two spark plugs 134 and 136.

  In response to a signal emitted by the detector 108, the drive circuit of the coils interrupts the current flowing in the primary 2467301 z thereby causing the appearance of a high voltage across the secondary for ignition of the coils. candles. Likewise, the detectors 110, 112 and 114 are connected to similar circuits controlling the ignition of corresponding groups of two candles, only the

  circuit connected to the detector 110 being shown.

  As in the ignition circuits previously described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the two candles lit by each circuit of FIG. 8 are mounted in two cylinders whose pistons simultaneously reach the high dead spots, one being in neutral top of the race de.compression while the other is simultaneously at the top dead center of the exhaust race. Thus, when lighting a group of two spark plugs whose selection is determined by the angular setting of the steering wheel and therefore by the particular detector 108, 110, 112 or 114 in which the marker 106 passes during its rotation, the one of the corresponding pistons performs the compression and executes a driving stroke, while the other piston performs the escape stroke and there is a lighting of the candle which

  does not hinder the sweep inside the cylinder.

  To set the ignition advance, a spark and detonation sensor 138 produced by a spark is sensitive to the occurrence of a knock and / or such a detonation and adjusts the delay imposed by each delay circuit. variable to the passing signal of the corresponding amplifier of pulses in the corresponding coil driving circuit, all these operations taking place so that the motor operates without knocking and / or without

  detonation by allowing the engine to run efficiently-

  and with good performance with minimal gas emissions. The advantages of the embodiment of the ignition system of FIGS. 6 to 8 to that of FIGS. 1 to 5 are that four independent detectors 108, 110, 112 and 114 still allow the automatic synchronization and its mechanical maintenance, even at the time of in initial engine running. This assembly eliminates the need for a circuit such as

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  counter and a corresponding reset detector as well as the need for a device intended in one way or another to safely bring the ignition system into the synchronized state when the initial start-up of the engine. As a result, the spark is available immediately to start the engine when it is attacked by the starter and the possibility of a false ignition that is potentially dangerous or the suppression of the timing of the ignition system is

eliminated.

  The invention thus provides improvements

  ignition systems of internal combustion engines.

  The ignition of the spark plugs being controlled by the rotation of the steering wheel itself, the conventional distributor and its mechanical components are completely eliminated from the engine, which reduces both the complexity and the price of the engine.

  come back. Another advantage is that the steering wheel and the balance

  the ignition of the motor is precisely and immediately obtained from manufacture, so

  crankshaft, even when performed by a hand-

  unskilled, directly adjusts the ignition of the engine. In addition, ignition systems may not be altered or otherwise adjusted by the owner of a motor vehicle or by anyone else, so

  that the optimum setting of ignition, as initially

  at the factory and as determined in such a way as to ensure the minimum consumption and maximum efficiency of the engine and

  that the low emission of gas, is maintained permanently.

  Other advantages also result from the simultaneous ignition of groups of two spark plugs, since the ignition of the spark plug when sweeping a cylinder in which the exhaust takes place takes place in the absence of compression and without cause the ignition shock of the mixture of fuel and air, so that this ignition cleans the gap between electrodes without

cause significant wear.

24-

  It goes without saying that the invention has only been described by way of example and that various modifications can

  to be brought without leaving his domain.

Claims (7)

  1. - Ignition system of an internal combustion engine, characterized in that it comprises sensitive elements (26, 28, 30, 32) mounted on the crankshaft (22) of the motor (24) so as to rotate with it at the same rotational speed, a detector (40) being mounted to detect the passage of said sensitive elements (26, 28, 30, 32) in front of it during their rotation, the latter passing during their rotation in front of said detector when a spark is required, and a spark generator circuit (48) responsive to said detector (40) when said detector detects passage of sensitive elements (26, 28,   , 32) when rotating to produce a spark.   2. - An ignition system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensitive elements comprise a disc (100) mounted on the crankshaft (102) of the engine (104) so as to rotate with it at the same speed, said disc supporting a detectable mark (106), one of the markers or remaining portion of the disc being of a magnetically detectable material, while the other is of a material which is not, magnetic detectors (108, 110, 112, 114) being then mounted so that said detectable landmark   (106) passes in front of them during its rotation, said detections   transmit a signal when the detectable mark passes in front of them during its rotation and a circuit (120, 122, 124)   responding to the occurrence of a signal emitted by said detections   by producing a spark of ignition of the candle (134, 136).   3. - An ignition system according to claim 1, for a four-stroke engine comprising an even number of candles for cylinders whose number is identical, groups of two joint candles being assigned to groups of two cylinders whose pistons are out of phase so that one piston is at the top dead center of a compression stroke while the other is in neutral 2467301 '   top of an exhaust stroke, characterized in that it comprises a disc (100) mounted on the crankshaft (102) of the engine (104) so as to rotate with it at the same speed, this disc (100) carrying a detectable marker (106) and either this marker or the remainder of the disc being of a magnetically detectable material, while the other of   these two parts are not, several magnetic detectors   ticks (108,110,112,114) being mounted so that said adjustable detector passes in front of them during its rotation, the number of the detectors being equal to the number of the groups of   two joint candles, these detectors being placed at   each other so that said mark detects   table passes in front of them when rotating each time a candle of a group of two joint candles is to be lit, these detectors emitting signals in response to the passage of the detestable mark before them and a circuit (120, 122, 124 ) being triggered in response. transmitting the signals by said detectors by producing a spark in the two candles (134, 136) of a group of two joint candles each time one of them is to be lit. 4. - Ignition system according to any one of   claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said disk   (20, 100) is the steering wheel or harmonic balancer crankshaft of the engine.   5. - An ignition system according to claim 3, characterized in that said circuit which is triggered in response to the emission of signals by the detectors consists of several circuits (120, 122, 124) for lighting the candles each of which is connected to one of said respective detectors (108, 110, 112, 114) and to a corresponding group of two joint candles (134, 136) so as to light the latter when a signal is transmitted by a detector every time one of the candles in the group of two has to to be lit.   6. - Ignition system according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a device (138) which 2467301.-   is sensitive to the operating conditions of the engine and which is intended to regulate the time of sending of said signals emitted by the detectors to said ignition circuit of the candles   in order to adjust the ignition timing of the engine.   7. - An ignition system according to claim 5, characterized in that said detectors (120, 122, 124), are placed so that the signals they emit cause the ignition of the corresponding group of two joint candles for the setting of the maximum ignition timing of the motor, and a variable delay relay (118) is   intended to delay the sending of said signals emitted by   detectors to said spark ignition circuits, a device (138) responsive to the occurrence of a knock and / or detonation produced by a spark in the engine being arranged to control said timing relay (118) in such a manner as to delaying the sending of said signals emitted by the detectors to said spark-ignition circuits for a period of time sufficient to allow the motor to operate without the occurrence of knocking and / or detonation.