Patent ID: 7234437

Claim:
A direct-injection internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder; a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel toward a cavity formed in a crown surface of a piston received in the cylinder such that a mixed fuel-air mass is formed by the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve that is inverted after striking the cavity and mixed with air in the combustion chamber; a spark plug having a discharge electrode portion disposed in a proximal area of the fuel injected by the fuel injection valve, wherein the fuel that is present in a proximity of the discharge electrode portion is ignited immediately after fuel injection, but before the injected fuel reaches the cavity; an operating condition sensor for detecting an engine operating condition; and a control device for controlling the amount of fuel injected by the fuel injection valve, fuel injection timing, and ignition timing of the spark plug based on the detected operating condition; wherein the control device is configured to control the ignition timing so that the ignition is carried out after the mixed fuel-air mass is formed, but before the mixed fuel-air mass reaches the proximity of the discharge electrode portion.