Abstract:
A system is shown, which when attached to an internal combustion engine, will charge the air/fuel mixture or fuel mixture and oppositely charge the spark plug such that the air/fuel mixture or fuel mixture will be attracted to the opposite charge of the spark plug in the combustion chamber resulting in fewer exhaust emissions.

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/351,171 filed on Jan. 25, 2002. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention relates to the reduction of exhaust gas emissions through the art of effectively controlling the molecular structures of both air and fuel as they exist within the context of internal combustion engines. It is the intent of this invention to place this technology at the fingertips of the consumer so that all may benefit. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Internal combustion engines are powered by metered air and fuel quantities. Traditionally, the molecular state of the air and fuel are complex due to both how they exist in nature, as well as the various effects played out by fuel lines and air passageways which can introduce the effects of positive static energy, to name only one such influence. As clusters of complex air and fuel particles enter the combustion chamber and are burned, unwanted exhaust elements such as hydrocarbons, carbon-monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, to name a few, are produced. A great amount of endeaver has been spent on reducing the amount of these gases after they had already been produced; catalytic converters, exhaust gas re-circulation, etc. It is the intent of this invention to reduce the amount of these and other unwanted exhaust gasses by improving combustion efficiency through electrically charging molecular structures of the air and fuel before they enter the combustion chamber and are burned. 
     Other patents have disclosed similar systems: U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,467 Marouka (&#39;467 patent) discloses a float bowl, a sensor that is located within the combustion chamber, and a means of attracting the fuel into the combustion chamber by influencing the fuel with alternating positive and negative electric charges. The addition of a separate float bowl, as well as a sensor that is located within the cylinder head requires extensive redesign of the fuel system, the cylinder head and, in some cases the piston. Such major retooling of the engine is in direct contradiction to the stated purpose of the invention. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,910 Tanaka (&#39;910 patent) discloses concentric rings that loop air and fuel inlets of the engine. These rings contain capacitors and are claimed to reduce concentrations of negative ions of the air and fuel. This art limits the effects of the disclosure to breaking down the molecular structures of air and fuel prior to entry into the combustion chamber. This affect creates a lean air/fuel mixture that can cause serious engine damage. 
     The means disclosed by the present invention have been proven through tests to be very effective. In tests, rates of carbon monoxide are at levels that are below one percent and hydrocarbon levels registered at 30-35 ppm. 
     If all are to benefit from this technology, it must be presented in a manner that can be applied to many different types of engines. It must also be simple in design so that anyone with ordinary mechanical skills may apply it. 
     The present embodiment of the invention is the most effective example of the art. The present disclosure is the only existing application that re-formulates the lean air/fuel mixture or fuel mixture and concentrates it near the spark plug electrode via the spark plug electrode itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The intended use of this present invention is to lower the amount of harmful exhaust emissions such as carbon monoxide, hydro carbons, oxides of nitrogen, etc. of internal combustion engines of types found in cars, trucks, motor cycles, vessels, weed eaters, mopeds and the like. Likewise, it is the intent of this invention to reduce the emissions with a relatively low cost method that can be installed and maintained by anyone with competent mechanical skills. Once installed, the separate entities of the invention work in unison to control the air/fuel mixture while simultaneously reducing the amount of noxious exhaust emissions. The first application of preferred embodiments to be discussed relates to engines which have carburetors. 
     1. An electrically insulated screen is placed between the point of fuel dispersion and the cylinder head. This screen is then connected to a negative energy source. The act of forcing air/fuel mixture or air through an electrically charged screen contributes to the art by creating a more thoroughly charged mixture. Prior art either wraps the outside of the intake passages with capacitors or relies on a separate float bowl in a similar attempt, but with obvious limitations and therefore less predictable results. 
     2. The intake manifold and cylinder head are each electrically insulated and can be connected to a negative pole of an energy source or power supply. This prevents the air/fuel mixture from clinging to inner surfaces of the intake manifold and cylinder head. Although it is well known in the art that an electrically charged air or fuel mixture will become attached to inner surfaces of said engine parts, prior art has either omitted this from the design, or has failed to effectively control this vital function. The &#39;467 patent, allows the electrically charged air/fuel mixture to cling to the surfaces of the intake and engine when the mixture becomes positively charged. 
     3. A PED (Positive Energy Device) is electrically insulated and located between the spark plug and the ignition power source. As air and fuel pass through the screen, the various negative ion clusters become dispersed through an electrostatic force. As the complex molecular forms of the mixture are broken down into simple structures, the air/fuel mixture becomes lean. The PED creates a positive, low voltage pulse that attracts the negatively charged lean air/fuel mixture or air and fuel to an area near the spark plug electrode. A normal, or relatively non-lean mixture, is therefore created from an otherwise lean mixture. The richened mixture ignites during the normal spark cycle and the function of the engine resumes while simultaneously producing fewer harmful emissions. 
     The present invention is an improvement over prior art by placing a PED between the spark plug and the ignition power source and a screen to charge the air/fuel mixture. In doing so, the spark plug electrode becomes the sensor that attracts the lean air/fuel mixture. There is no need for a separate sensor to be added to the combustion chamber. 
     Some art places a separate sensor within the vicinity of the spark plug in order to attract the lean mixture to the spark plug electrode area. Locating a separate sensor within the combustion chamber affects the flow of air and fuel as they enter the combustion chamber. Also, adding a separate sensor to an already complex and sophisticated structure as a cylinder head requires expensive redesign that must be performed by the manufacturer, or at great cost to the consumer. 
     For applications which use fuel injection, where fuel is injected into the cylinder head or throttle body, an alternative, embodiment exists. 
     1. A screen is placed between the engine air inlet and the cylinder head. This screen is electrically insulated and connected to a negative energy source or power supply. As air passes through the screen, the air density increases and produces an oxygen enriched air charge. Also, the atomic molecules of the air, which normally cling together in the natural state, become dispersed through electrostatic force. 
     2. The air inlet manifold and cylinder head are both electrically insulated and connected to a negative energy source or power supply so that the electrically charged air does not cling to the inner surfaces of the intake manifold and cylinder head. If the intake and other surfaces were made of materials that were not capable of holding or obtaining an electrical charge, the connections to the negative energy source would not be needed as the air or air/fuel mixture would not adhere to these surfaces. 
     3. An electrically insulated sensor is located within the fuel injection delivery line and is connected to the negative energy source. The sensor electrically charges the fuel prior to entry into the cylinder head or throttle body. This is an improvement over prior art. Prior art requires a separate float bowl in which the sensor resides. Such a design cannot be fitted without either extensive re-engineering by the manufacturer, or significant costs to the consumer. The present invention requires replacing the fuel lines with a fuel line that retains the sensor. This is a simple, more cost effective application than the prior art. 
     4. A PED (Positive Energy Device) is located between the distributor or ignition power source and spark plug. The PED emits a low voltage pulse that attracts the electrostatically charged mixture of air and fuel near the spark plug electrode in order to richen the mixture at the point of ignition. 
     The PED is connected within the ignition circuit via the spark plug wire. The connection of the PED to the spark plug wire is by universal connectors commonly known in the art. This design allows the low voltage pulse to be tailored to the requirements of each individual cylinder. This simple design makes controlling this vital entity similar to changing a spark plug. Also, the simplicity of the PED, like the screen and the fuel line and sensor allow it to be obtained at the local automotive parts store and installed by most consumers. 
     5. The spark plug ignites the richened mixture during the normal spark cycle and the normal function and cycling of the engine resumes while continuing to produce fewer exhaust emissions. 
     An additional benefit to this invention may be an increased fuel economy. Although this result was not specifically tested for, common sense would dictate that because the air/fuel mixture is leaner, less total fuel would be used for the same amount of work output. 
     These objects, together with other objects of this invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize this invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of this invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of this version of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of preferred embodiments relate to application of this present invention to overhead valve, four-stroke engines. However, applications to other types of engines such as: two-stroke, side-valve, diesel and others shall be made apparent to those skilled in the art without altering the design entities which this present invention correlates. Therefore, application of this present invention shall not be limited by interpretation of the enclosed preferred embodiments, only by literal interpretation of claims set forth herein. 
     FIG. 1 shows a depiction of an engine equipped with a traditional carburetor  5 , fuel system. Air A, enters the engine through the carburetor  5 , where it then passes through the screen  1 , located in this embodiment at the base of the carburetor  5 , and above the intake manifold  4 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a depiction of one embodiment of a screen  1  having a connection  11 . The screen  1 , must not interfere with the mechanical operation of the carburetor  5 . Although it is best to locate screen  1 , closest to the carburetor  5 , it may also be located closest to the cylinder head  18 , or anywhere in between. Although the screen  1 , may theoretically consist of any common combination of metals or materials normally used to conduct and transmit electrical current, a type of metal with a content largely composed of copper is a preferred embodiment. In another embodiment, the screen  1  could be manufactured from any of the noble metals or other mixtures or alloys as long as they are electrically conductive. The gauge of metal wire that is preferred, as well as the size of area between each wire must be of a type that provides greatest electrostatic affect while at the same time provides the least amount of physical resistance to the volume of air and fuel passing through the screen  1 . The screen  1 , is connected to a gasket material  24 . The gasket material  24 , shall be of a type that isolates both heat and insulates against electrical current in order that exposure to such affects does not limit effectiveness of screen  1 . The connection  11  is connected to the screen connection  32  which in turn connects the screen  1  to the negative pole of the energy source  19 . 
     Both intake manifold  4 , and cylinder head  18 , are connected to the negative pole of the energy source  19 , via connections  3 ,  16 , respectively, so that electrostatically charged air and fuel does not cling to the inner surfaces of these components, FIG.  1 . These elements, if not made from electrically non-conductive materials, would need to be electrically insulated. 
     As air mixes with fuel in the carburetor  5 , and then passes through the screen  1 , both the air and fuel become electrostatically charged. The mixture is then drawn through the intake manifold  4 , in through the intake port  13 , by downward movement of the piston  10 . 
     FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a PED (Positive Energy Device)  6 . The PED  6 , emits a low voltage pulse that attracts the electrostatically charged air/fuel mixture through the intake port  13 , past the intake valve  21 , to the vicinity of the spark plug electrode  12 , which resides within the combustion chamber  22 , FIG.  1 . The PED  6 , consists of electrical circuits that store, reduce and emit electrical current. These electrical circuits that exist within the PED  6 , may be similar to a capacitor. The voltage capacity of the PED  6 , must not be exceeded by the voltage capacity of the ignition power source  8 . The electrical current passing through the PED  6 , is controlled by parameters: one parameter allows electric current to be stored; one parameter allows electrical current to be reduced; one parameter allows electrical current to be emitted; one parameter allows electrical current to pass through the circuits of the PED  6 , in a state that is relatively unaltered. Both the rate by which the electrical current is to be reduced, as well as the rate at which the electrical current is to be emitted must be decided and applied by those skilled in the art. 
     For best results, it is required that the current emitted during the pulse mode of the PED  6 , not ignite the applicable fuel mixture in the combustion chamber  22 . It is also required that the current emitted in pulse mode is within the parameter of the non-spark cycle. In the interest of economy, parameters of the PED  6 , that control electrical activity may be in a state that is pre-determined. However, some applications may require that some parameters of the PED  6 , be independently adjustable. Applications in which the fine tuning of the PED  6 , is desirable may require additional electrical circuitry that allows for the fine tuning of parameters or adjustment means of the PED  6 . These adjustments means may require physical changes, or adjustment devices, to the PED  6 , such as adjustment screws, slides, or similar. Alternatively, these adjustments may be made through the implementation and operation of control software, which would read certain inputs and adjust the output of the PED  6  accordingly. The controller  35  can read various inputs and combination of inputs such as I 1 -I 8  which could read engine rpm, load, fuel quality, temperature and other factors normally monitored in engine operation. The number of inputs is only limited by the capacity of the controller, FIG.  4 . Once these inputs are read by the controller, a software program or algorithm can be run using these inputs to control the voltage and duration of the signal sent to the spark plug  12  for drawing the air/fuel mixture or air and fuel into the combustion chamber  22 . 
     These adjustment devices, or adjustment means, cannot adversely effect the physical limitations of PED  6 , because of exposure to heat, moisture and other harmful elements that are known to exist in the vicinity of engines. 
     The electrical circuits of the PED  6 , shall be enclosed in a case  30 , that consists of a non-conductive material and a substance that protects the circuits from effects of heat, moisture, physical shock, exterior electrical influences and other harmful elements commonly found near engines. Both electrical circuits and casing  30 , shall be of a physical size that fully economizes the use of space. The PED  6 , shall be connected to the spark plug wire  25 , by terminals  26 . The terminals  26 , consist of a type that use connectors that are commonly found in the market. 
     The enriched air/fuel mixture burns within the combustion chamber  22 , during the normal combustion cycle and the piston  10 , moves downward. Once the air/fuel mixture is burned, the exhaust gases exit through the exhaust port and the combustion cycle begins again. 
     FIG. 4 shows a depiction of an engine equipped with a traditional fuel injection type induction. Air A, enters the engine through the intake manifold  4 , where it passes through the screen  1 , and becomes electrostatically charged. The screen  1 , must not physically interfere with the mechanical operation of the air intake mechanism  23 . Although the screen  1 , may be located near the air intake mechanism  23 , as in this embodiment, it may also be located nearer the cylinder head  18 . 
     Both intake manifold  4 , and cylinder head  18 , are electrically insulated and connected to the negative pole of energy source  19 , via manifold connection  3 , and cylinder head connection  16 , respectively, so that electrically charged air and air/fuel does not cling to the inner surfaces of the intake manifold  4 , or cylinder head  18 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a depiction of a sensor  14 , in a fuel line  20 . The fuel line  20 , with sensor  14 , consists of material compatible with those used to deliver fuel from the fuel distribution point  15 , to the cylinder head  18 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a sensor  14 , having an electrode  27 , which is made from a material that is known to conduct and transmit electrical current. 
     The diameter of the electrode  27 , is such that fuel F, surrounding the electrode  27 , becomes electrostatically dispersed. The diameter of the electrode  27 , must not inhibit the expected flow of fuel F, into the cylinder head  18 , FIG. IV. The electrode  27 , is attached to a casing  28 . 
     The casing  28 , is composed of a material that electrically insulates the electrode  27 , and prevents the effects of static electricity. The casing  28 , is composed of a material that does not conduct electrical current and has an electrical fitting  29 , that is attached to one end of the electrode  27 . 
     The casing  28 , fuel line  20 , fittings and electrode  27 , are each capable of withstanding fluid pressures normally associated with fuel injection systems known in the art. The casing  28 , locates the electrode  27 , at a point near the cylinder head  18 , without physically and electronically influencing other separate entities that exist within the fuel line  20 , and related engine systems; for example: fuel injectors  17 . 
     The fuel line  20 , and casing  28 , are made from a material that electronically isolates the function of the electrode  27 , from external electronic influences normally associated with internal combustion engines such as ignition systems, radio waves, microwaves etc. The terminal  29 , of the fuel line sensor  14 , which is connected to a negative pole of energy source  19 , charges the fuel prior to entry into the cylinder head  18 . The molecular structure of the fuel thus becomes electrostatically dispersed. 
     The system then functions as the prior embodiments where the PED  6 , emits a low-voltage pulse that attracts both electrically charged air and fuel to an area near the spark plug electrode  12 , which resides inside the combustion chamber  22 . The air and fuel mixture becomes enriched in the area surrounding the charge of spark plug  12 , from the charge of the PED  6 . The enriched air and fuel mixture ignites during the normal combustion cycle and the piston  10 , moves downward in the cylinder  9 , and thus continues in the engine cycle commonly known in the art and the prior embodiments. While the prior embodiments specifically discuss charging the screen  1 , intake manifold  4 , carburetor  5  and combustion chamber  22  negatively and the spark plug  12  positively, it should be understood that the inverse could also be operational, in that the spark plug  12  could be negatively charged and the other elements positively charged. 
     It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, improvements, details and uses can be made consistent with the letter and spirit of the foregoing disclosure and within the scope of this patent, which is limited only by the following claims, construed in accordance with the patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.