EP0512357B1 - A plug-top coil-ignition unit for an internal combustion engine - Google Patents

A plug-top coil-ignition unit for an internal combustion engine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0512357B1
EP0512357B1 EP92107180A EP92107180A EP0512357B1 EP 0512357 B1 EP0512357 B1 EP 0512357B1 EP 92107180 A EP92107180 A EP 92107180A EP 92107180 A EP92107180 A EP 92107180A EP 0512357 B1 EP0512357 B1 EP 0512357B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cover
holes
ignition
coil
conductors
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP92107180A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0512357A2 (en
EP0512357A3 (en
Inventor
Vincenzo c/o Industrie Magneti Romano
Maurizio Marcuzzi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Federal Mogul Italy SRL
Original Assignee
Cooper Industries Italia SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Cooper Industries Italia SpA filed Critical Cooper Industries Italia SpA
Publication of EP0512357A2 publication Critical patent/EP0512357A2/en
Publication of EP0512357A3 publication Critical patent/EP0512357A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0512357B1 publication Critical patent/EP0512357B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P13/00—Sparking plugs structurally combined with other parts of internal-combustion engines
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
    • H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
    • H01T13/40—Sparking plugs structurally combined with other devices
    • H01T13/44—Sparking plugs structurally combined with other devices with transformers, e.g. for high-frequency ignition

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a coil-ignition unit for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of so-called plug-top ignition coils each including an ignition transformer housed in an insulating casing, from which input terminals and at least one output terminal extend at opposite ends, the at least one output terminal being connected to electrical connection means carried by a tubular appendage of insulating material which is connected to the casing of the coil and is adapted to be fitted directly onto a spark plug, and a coil support including a base wall with a plurality of holes each associated with one of the coils, through which holes the appendages for connection to the plugs extend beyond the base wall.
  • PCT patent application WO-A-84/00402 relates to a coil-ignition unit of the type specified above, in which the support for the coils comprises a metal casing with two side panels fixing the coils and an aluminium top portion carrying an electronic circuit for controlling the coils.
  • the circuit is encapsulated in a plastic body and the input terminals of the coils comprise medium voltage cables connected with the encapsulated circuit. A unit of this type is difficult to assemble.
  • United States patent US-A-4 706 639 relates to an ignition module comprising a plastic housing and a metallic cover. A plurality of ignition coils are clamped between the housing and the cover. The lower wall of the housing has high voltage conductors embedded therein for connection with tubular members which are adapted to slip onto the spark plugs of the engine. The output terminals of each coil are electrically connected to two spark plug connector members.
  • a module of this type may be subject to drawbacks in the insulation of the embedded conductors.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an improved plug-top coil-ignition unit of the above-specified kind.
  • the drawings show, by way of example, an ignition unit according to the invention for a four-cylinder internal combustion engine.
  • the unit generally indicated 1, includes a casing formed by a channel-shaped support element 2 made of metal and by a cover 3 of electrically-insulating material connected to the support element 2.
  • the channel-shaped element 2 has a substantially flat base wall 2a and two side walls or panels each of which has a portion 2b which is perpendicular to the base wall and a portion 2c which is bent so as to be horizontal and coplanar with the corresponding portion of the other side wall of the shaped element.
  • the cover 3 is substantially tank-shaped and its longitudinal side walls have respective coplanar flanges 3a which bear on the portions 2c of the side walls of the channel-shaped element 2.
  • the end walls of the cover 3 have respective extensions, indicated 3b in Figure 1, which close the ends of the channel-shaped element 2.
  • the channel-shaped element 2 and the cover 3 are interconnected by rivets 4 which, in the embodiment illustrated, are constituted by tubular elements which are integral with the appendages or flanges 2c of the channel-shaped element 2 and extend through corresponding holes in the flanges 3a of the cover 3 and are then clenched onto the flanges.
  • the top wall of the cover 3 has four holes 5 surrounded by respective collars 6 for retaining corresponding removable closure elements 7.
  • This appendage may be formed as a separate part, as shown in Figure 7, having appendages or pins 8a which can be upset ultrasonically to fix it to the cover 3.
  • a plurality of electrical terminals for example, of the flat pin type, which are not visible in the drawings but are of known type, extend in the connector appendage 8 of the cover 3.
  • these terminals are integral with or at any rate connected to conductors 9 which are incorporated in the top wall of the cover 3 and have projecting ends (indicated 9a in Figures 1 and 2) which extend through the holes 5 in the cover.
  • the base wall 2a of the channel-shaped element 2 has four holes, indicated 10 in Figure 2.
  • Each coil is substantially of the type described in British patent application GB-A-2 231 729 in the name of the present Applicant.
  • Each coil includes, in known manner, an insulating casing 12, which houses the primary and secondary windings of an ignition transformer and from which input terminals 13 and an output terminal 14 (only one of which is shown in broken outline in Figure 2) extend at opposite ends.
  • Each ignition coil 11 includes a magnetic core constituted by a pack of plates 15 which extend substantially around the casing 12.
  • Each coil 11 and, in particular, its pack of plates 15 is wider than each hole 10 in the base wall of the channel-shaped element 2.
  • Each coil 11 is thus positioned with most of its casing 12 between the channel-shaped element 2 and the cover 3 but with part of its casing extending downwardly through a hole 10 in the channel-shaped element 2.
  • the channel-shaped support element 2 Adjacent each hole 10, the channel-shaped support element 2 has integral fixing appendages 16 which are turned over onto the pack of plates 15 of the associated ignition coil 11 (see in particular Figures 1 and 2).
  • the ignition coils 11 are of the so-called plug-top type and are intended to be fitted directly onto respective spark plugs of the internal combustion engine. Accordingly, as described in British patent application GB-A-2 231 729, electrical connecting elements are connected to the output terminal 14 of each coil and are housed in a flexible tubular appendage 17 of electrically insulating material, such as an elastomeric material, connected to the portion of the casing 12 of the coil 11 which projects from the channel-shaped element 2.
  • the flexible tubular appendages 17 of the coils 11 are intended to be fitted in corresponding recesses in the internal combustion engine and their distal ends are intended to fit onto the ends of the corresponding plugs the central electrodes of which are thus connected to the output terminals 14 of the associated ignition coils 11.
  • each coil 11 The input terminals 13 of each coil 11 are bent upwardly and are welded in order, for example by resistance welding, to the corresponding ends 9a of the conductors 9 which are incorporated in the top wall of the cover 3.
  • the connector 8 is connected to the outputs of an ignition control unit which can drive the ignition coils 11 selectively by means of the conductors incorporated in the cover 3.
  • the base wall 2a of the channel-shaped element 2 conveniently has further holes, indicated 18 in Figure 2, for the passage of members of the internal combustion engine.
  • the flanges 2c of the channel-shaped element 2 have holes 4a in which the members for fixing the ignition unit to the internal combustion engine can be inserted.
  • the ignition coils 11 and their associated connecting appendages 17 are conveniently produced as preassembled units.
  • the entire unit described above can thus be assembled extremely quickly, easily, and above all, completely automatically, for example by means of electronically-controlled assembly machines.
  • the assembly involves first of all the positioning of the coils 11 in the holes in the base wall of the channel-shaped support element 2 and the turning-over of the appendages 16 of the channel-shaped element to anchor the coils 11 and the cover 3 and the channel-shaped support element 2 are then riveted together.
  • the input terminals 13 of the coils 11 can be welded to the corresponding ends 9a of the conductors carried by the cover 3 through the holes 5 in the top wall of the cover 3. Upon completion of the welding, the holes in the top of the cover 3 are closed by the fitting of the removable closure elements or plugs 7.
  • the extremely simple structure of the ignition unit described above also facilitates operations, when the need arises, to check the functioning of the ignition coils after a certain period of use.
  • the channel-shaped element 2 and the conductors 9 of the cover together form a screen against radio interference generated by the coils in operation.
  • the conductors carried by the cover 3 are constituted by metal members incorporated in its top wall.
  • the conductors could be constituted by pre-blanked and bent metal elements fitted on the underside of the top wall of the cover 3 and retained thereon by conventional retaining members such as engagement teeth or appendages integral with the wall which are upset over the conductor members, etc.
  • Figure 4 shows in plan, by way of example, a conductor structure formed by blanking for incorporation (co-moulding) in the cover 3.
  • the structure includes the conductors 9 with respective appendages 9a for connection to the coils and ends 9b which are intended to extend through the connector 8 shown in Figures 2 and 7.
  • the structure shown in Figure 4 also has bridges 9c which connect the various conductors 9 and hold the structure together until it has been incorporated in the cover 3, after which the bridges are removed so that the conductors 9 are electrically separated.
  • Figure 5 is a transparent view of the cover 3 from above showing the conductor structure 9 incorporated therein.
  • Figure 5 shows the terminals 9a and 9b of the conductors 9 and the bridges 9c which are accessible through the holes 5 and 5a from both sides of the cover 3 so that the bridges can be cut off and removed.
  • the terminals 9a are shown in broken outline in their initial positions, in which they are coplanar with the conductors 9; after the conductor structure has been incorporated in the cover, the terminals 9a are bent so as to be substantially parallel to the axes of the holes 5 for subsequent connection to the terminals of the coils.
  • Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the cover 3 in which a conductor structure similar to that shown in Figure 4 is anchored by the upsetting (for example, by ultrasound) of pins or appendages which are integral with the cover and are inserted through corresponding holes in the conductors 9.
  • the upset appendages are indicated 3g in Figure 6.
  • the invention is not limited to the number and arrangement of coils shown in the drawings but these may differ according to the number of cylinders in the combustion engine for which the ignition unit is intended.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
EP92107180A 1991-05-03 1992-04-28 A plug-top coil-ignition unit for an internal combustion engine Expired - Lifetime EP0512357B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITTO910328 1991-05-03
ITTO910328A IT1246068B (it) 1991-05-03 1991-05-03 Gruppo di accensione a bobine di tipo plug-top per un motore a combustione interna

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0512357A2 EP0512357A2 (en) 1992-11-11
EP0512357A3 EP0512357A3 (en) 1992-12-09
EP0512357B1 true EP0512357B1 (en) 1996-07-03

Family

ID=11409324

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92107180A Expired - Lifetime EP0512357B1 (en) 1991-05-03 1992-04-28 A plug-top coil-ignition unit for an internal combustion engine

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0512357B1 (it)
DE (1) DE69211908T2 (it)
ES (1) ES2089278T3 (it)
IT (1) IT1246068B (it)

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2700115B2 (ja) * 1992-02-26 1998-01-19 矢崎総業株式会社 エンジン取付け部品の電気配線方法
DE4244883C2 (de) * 1992-07-14 1998-07-09 Audi Ag Zündkerzenstecker
DE4405989C2 (de) * 1994-02-24 2000-07-06 Opel Adam Ag Zündeinheit für Ottomotoren
DE4420271B4 (de) * 1994-06-10 2007-09-27 Robert Bosch Gmbh Zündspulensatz für eine Mehrzylinder-Brennkraftmaschine
JP3207077B2 (ja) * 1995-05-25 2001-09-10 三菱電機株式会社 内燃機関用点火装置
FR2737054B1 (fr) * 1995-07-21 1997-08-14 Renault Dispositif de protection pour cables d'allumage haute-tension de moteur a combustion interne multicylindre a allumage commande
DE19604105A1 (de) * 1996-02-06 1997-08-07 Bosch Gmbh Robert Zündvorrichtung für eine Mehrzylinder-Brennkraftmaschine
DE29621692U1 (de) * 1996-12-13 1997-02-06 Grote & Hartmann Gmbh & Co Kg, 42369 Wuppertal Kontaktierungsvorrichtung für Einzelfunken-Zündspulen
DE19702696A1 (de) * 1997-01-25 1998-08-06 Telefunken Microelectron Zündschiene mit abgedichteten, beweglichen Verbindungen
FR2775318B1 (fr) * 1998-02-26 2000-04-28 Sagem Module d'injection multi-points pour moteur a combustion interne
US7350488B2 (en) * 2006-01-20 2008-04-01 Harbert Richard H Rocker arm cover
US9903311B1 (en) 2016-10-06 2018-02-27 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Engine cam cover with integrated wiring and quick-connect electrical components
JP6813389B2 (ja) * 2017-02-24 2021-01-13 本田技研工業株式会社 車両用内燃機関

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE437286B (sv) * 1982-07-09 1985-02-18 Saab Scania Ab Tendsystem for flercylindrig fyrtaktmotor
US4706639A (en) * 1986-12-04 1987-11-17 General Motors Corporation Integrated direct ignition module
FR2630782B1 (fr) * 1988-04-28 1993-05-14 Marchal Equip Auto Bobine d'allumage pour l'allumage des moteurs a combustion interne de vehicules automobiles, et son procede de fabrication

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69211908T2 (de) 1997-01-30
EP0512357A2 (en) 1992-11-11
EP0512357A3 (en) 1992-12-09
IT1246068B (it) 1994-11-07
DE69211908D1 (de) 1996-08-08
ITTO910328A0 (it) 1991-05-03
ES2089278T3 (es) 1996-10-01
ITTO910328A1 (it) 1992-11-03

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