Abstract:
The ignition system of the present invention involves the forming of multiple ignition sparks within the fuel-burning chamber of an internal combustion engine during each cylinder combustion cycle through electrical current flow through a plurality of electrodes functioning in series and forming at least two sparking gaps where the initial and last electrode in the electrode series respectively function as anode and cathode (ground) electrodes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES  
         [0001]    None.  
         FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the operation of internal combustion engines, and particularly concerns apparatus and methods for developing a series of sparks within an internal combustion engine combustion chamber during each engine cylinder combustion cycle.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    There has long been a need in the United States for an internal combustion engine that functions to “burn” fuel more efficiently, to reduce undesirable engine combustion emissions, and to simultaneously increase power output. Spark plug devices which can enhance engine performance by optimally accommodating a wide range of engine loads and speeds are needed to increase engine efficiency. Spark plug devices which can accommodate different fuels such as ethanol, methanol, nitrous oxide, hydrogen, gasoline and propane within an internal combustion engine without being changed are needed because modern internal combustion engines are designed to operate on a variety of fuel types. Many different forms of conventional spark plug devices for causing ignition of fuel in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine are known. However, none of the known spark plug devices accomplish engine combustion ignition in a manner that meets the foregoing stated needs. Also, known spark plug devices can not optimally accommodate wide ranges of engine loads and speeds and can not accommodate many different types of fuels.  
           [0004]    Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for causing ignition of fuel in the fuel-burning chamber of an internal combustion engine in a manner that produces highly efficient fuel “burning”.  
           [0005]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for causing ignition of fuel in the fuel-burning chamber of an internal combustion engine that effects a reduction of undesirable combustion product emissions.  
           [0006]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for causing ignition of fuel in the fuel-burning chamber of an internal combustion engine that is accomplished with improved engine power output.  
           [0007]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a spark plug device which optimally can accommodate a wide range of engine loads and speeds.  
           [0008]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a spark plug device which optimally can accommodate different fuels.  
           [0009]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during consideration of the detailed descriptions, drawings, and claims which follow.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The ignition system of the present invention involves the forming of multiple ignition sparks within the fuel-burning chamber of an internal combustion engine during each cylinder combustion cycle through electrical current flow through a plurality of electrodes functioning in series and forming at least two sparking gaps where the initial and last electrode in the electrode series respectively function as system anode and cathode (ground) electrodes. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an internal combustion engine spark plug having six electrodes arranged in series in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an internal combustion engine spark plug having six electrodes arranged in series, the electrode arrangement being in the form of an add-on adapter for a basic conventional dual-electrode spark plug;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view taken through an end region of the spark plug combination of FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an adapter end showing an electrode wiring diagram;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 5 through 7 schematically and respectively illustrate the different combinations of electrodes that obtain from two to four serial sparks in each invention firing cycle;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention in an alternate form suitable for installation in an annular recess of a counter bore provided within a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 illustrates, in plan, the FIG. 8 invention embodiment installed in an internal combustion engine cylinder head recess; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of FIG. 9. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    In FIG. 1 I illustrate an internal combustion engine spark plug  10  having six different electrodes  12  through  22  electrically combined in series as a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Electrodes  12  through  22  are generally circumferentially arranged and embedded within and project from the surface  13  of an insulated element  15  affixed to the lower externally threaded body portion  26  of spark plug  10 . Preferably electrodes  12  through  22  are formed from a single continuous conductor wire embedded within insulator element  15  with electrodes  12  through  22  projecting through the surface  13  of insulator element  15 . See FIG. 3. The electrode sparking gaps  28  are formed from cutting the portion of the continuous conductor wire which projects above the free end or surface  13  of the insulator element  15  at the locations where electrodes are desired to form gaps  28  of desired width. The electrodes  12  through  22  may be bent to obtain a desired width sparking gap  28 . See FIG. 4. Additionally, the gaps  28  may be sized differently to provide different sparks to accommodate different fuels and different engine operating parameters. Although electrodes  12  through  22  are depicted in a generally circular configuration, they may be arranged in any desired pattern including a straight line.  
         [0020]    The initial and last electrodes,  12  and  22  in the electrode series respectively, function as system anode and cathode (ground) electrodes. Electrode  12  is connected to and is electrically a part of the spark plug conventional anode or power supply connector  24  and electrode  22  is electrically connected to the ground or non-insulated metallic threaded body portion  26  of spark plug  10 . Each adjacent pair of electrodes in the series is separated by a sparking gap  28 . When a voltage is applied to the spark plug power supply connector  24 , a spark is developed across each of the sparking gaps  28 . Preferably, electrodes  12  through  22  are constructed of platinum-coated, nickel wire although other suitable materials may be substituted therefore. The spark plug  10  of FIG. 1 includes a series of three serial spaced-apart sparking gaps  28 .  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 illustrates a different embodiment of the present invention designated  30  and also having a generally similar arrangement of electrodes  12  through  22  as in FIG. 1, but such are incorporated in the insulated element  15  of a threaded add-on adapter  32  appended to a conventional spark plug  31 . Elements similar to those in FIG. 2 are identified by identical numbers. Preferably, the ground electrode of spark plug  31  is removed prior to being threaded into adapter  32 . Adapter  32  has a cylindrical metallic upper receiver portion  33  with an internal thread  35  adapted to receive the lower threaded portion  26  of conventional single electrode spark plug  31 . Adapter  32  has a cylindrical lower body portion  36  with a metallic threaded portion  37  having the same diameter and thread size as that of conventional spark plug  31 . Preferably electrodes  12  through  22  are formed from a single conductor embedded within insulator element  15  with electrodes  12  through  22  projecting through the surface  13  of insulator element  15 . The electrode sparking gaps  28  are formed from cutting the portions of the continuous wire which project above the free end or surface  13  of the insulator element  15  at the locations where electrodes are desired to form sparking gaps  28  of desired width. The electrodes  12  through  22  may be of different lengths and/or may be bent to obtain a desired width sparking gap  28  and to precisely position the sparking gap  28 . Additionally, one or more of the sparking gaps  28  may be sized differently to provide different sparks to accommodate different fuels and different engine operating parameters. Although electrodes  12  through  22  are depicted in a generally circular configuration, they may be arranged in any desired pattern including a straight line.  
         [0022]    It should be noted that electrode  12  comprises a moveable spring biased conductor element  17  connected to and electrically connected to one end  23  of spark plug anode and power supply connector  24 , and electrode  22  is electrically connected to the ground or non-insulated metallic threaded body portion  26  of the conventional spark plug  31 . When a voltage is applied to power supply connector  24 , a spark is developed across each of the sparking gaps  28 . In both embodiments  10  and  30 , and throughout the drawings of this application, the included electrical insulation element, usually a high-temperature ceramic material, is designated  15 . The insulation material also may be aluminum oxide or an epoxy-based material depending upon the application of the device. It should be understood that the different electrodes  12  through  22  in each sparking device assembly are each at least partially embedded or potted or molded in molded insulating element  15  for the purpose of retaining the electrodes in their proper relative positions. Insulating material is provided to fill the gap between electrodes  12  and  22 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is an electrical schematic depicting the method of forming electrodes  12  through  22  from a single continuous wire W embedded within insulator element  15 . Wire W lies above the surface  13  of insulator element  15  at locations where sparking gaps  28  are desired. One end section W 1  of wire W embedded in insulator element  15  is connected to power supply connector  24  and forms electrode  12 . The other end section W 2  of wire W embedded in insulator element  15  is connected to ground or non-insulated metallic threaded body portion  26  of a spark plug  31  and forms electrode  22 . An end of a third section W 3  of wire W embedded in insulator element  15  form electrodes  18  and  20 , and the ends of a fourth section W 4  of wire W embedded in insulator element  15  form electrodes  14  and  16 . It may be observed that there are one fewer sparking gaps  28  (three) than the number of serial electrode wire sections (four).  
         [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 5 through 7 depict a spark plug  10  or an adapter  32  having from two to four serial spaced-apart sparking gaps  28 . The electrodes defining the sparking gaps  28  for these embodiments may be manufactured utilizing the method depicted in connection with the FIG. 4 embodiment above.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 8 through 10 illustrate still another sparking device embodiment  40  of the present invention that is distinguished by the fact that it is installed in a recess or counter bore  42  provided in an engine cylinder head  44  rather than in a conventional threaded spark plug opening in the wall or head of the engine cylinder. It should be observed that sparking device  40  also may be installed in a recess formed in an engine block where the piston has sufficient clearance. Note from FIG. 8 that each of invention electrodes  12  through  22  is embedded or molded in electrical insulation material  15 , which preferably is a high-temperature ceramic material, in the manner shown. Preferably electrodes  12  through  22  are formed from a single conductor within insulator element  15  with electrodes  12  through  22  projecting through the surface of insulator element  15 . The electrode gaps are formed from cutting a portion of the continuous wire W which projects above the surface of insulator element  15  to form electrode wire sections W 1  through W 6  at the locations where electrodes are desired to form sparking gaps  28  of desired width. The electrodes  12  through  22  may be bent to obtain a desired gap  28 . Additionally, the gaps  28  may be sized differently to provide different sparks to accommodate different fuels and different engine operating parameters. It may be seen that there are one fewer electrode sparking gaps  28  (five) than the number of serial electrode wire sections (six). Although electrodes  12  through  22  are depicted as equally spaced, they may be spaced in any desired manner to obtain optimum engine performance. Additionally, the sparking gaps  28  have different widths to also obtain optimum engine performance. It should be noted that one of electrodes  12  or  22  is connected electrically to a positive voltage supply and the other electrode  12  or  22  is connected to ground. When voltage is applied to the electrodes  12  and  22 , a spark is developed across each of the sparking gaps  28 .  
         [0026]    Various changes in shape, size, proportioning, and materials of construction may be made without departing from the scope, meaning, or intent of the claims which follow.