Outboard Marine Corporation

David L Enlow

Dale A Wiegele

James N Furukawa

Mark J Skrzypchak

Gregry M Remmers

Peter Dogadko

Paul T Ng

Gerhard A Maier

An electronic ignition and engine management system with anti-lockup and anti-kickback features for use in an internal combustion marine engine wherein the engine's operating speed is measured and appropriate ignition advance timing values are determined from the operating speed. An ignition pulse is generated at the ignition advances unless the engine is in a startup mode, or below a predetermined startup threshold speed. During startup mode, ignition pulses are generated at or top dead center to avoid overadvanced firing conditions and thus prevent engine lockup and kickback.

Electronic ignition timing control and engine management system

Power pack and sensor

An improved engine ignition system for a marine engine or the like, which provides reliable start-up capability. The system provides two timing characteristics for discharging a capacitive discharge ignition, one of which is advanced relative to the other. The advanced timing is invoked at startup and is switched to regular timing in response to the engine temperature reaching a predetermined temperature from a temperature switch and also as a result of a circuit having a thermistor near the engine. The thermistor circuit may operate if the temperature switch does not, due to debris or the like preventing proper operation of a thermostat.

Engine ignition system having improved warmup advanced timing control

A trigger system for spark-fired internal combustion engines includes a plurality of magnets mounted in a structure that rotates in a timed relationship with the engine. One magnet is provided for each cylinder in the engine. All of the magnets except one have the same pole face exposed to couple inductively with a sensing coil, while the remaining magnet has an exposed pole of opposite polarity. The sensing coil is doubly wound and the resulting two coils are connected in opposite senses. The outputs of the two coils are taken to a decoding unit which produces an output of one pulse per magnet. Those pulses are substantially identical, regardless of magnet polarity, and are used to fire the spark plugs at the appropriate times. The decoding unit also produces a unique pulse which identifies the magnet of opposite polarity. That pulse is used to identify a selected cylider in the engine, such as the No. 1 cylinder. In this manner, the firing of all of the spark plugs, and the identification of the cylinders, are controlled using a single magnet for each cylinder.

Trigger system for ignition system for internal combustion engines

A circuit protecting against overspeed and overheating in a two-cycle engine having a capacitive discharge ignition system which includes a charging coil in which voltage is induced when a magnet in the flywheel of the engine passes the coil. A rectifier bridge is connected to the coil and a capacitor connected to the bridge. An ignition coil and spark plug are associated with each cylinder of the engine. An electronic switch is associated with each ignition coil and has a trigger which responds to an applied trigger voltage to conduct and discharge the capacitor through the ignition coil. A trigger coil applies a trigger voltage to the triggers. The protective circuit includes a control responsive to engine speed. The control triggers one of the electronic switches to conduct and discharge the capacitor in response to a predetermined response speed. A circuit responsive to operation of an engine temperature responsive switch reduces the predetermined response speed of the control to a lower response speed. The lower response speed is maintained effective even if the engine temperature subsequently falls below the maximum engine temperature. The circuit requires reduction of the engine speed to a speed below the lower response speed in order to restore the response speed of the speed responsive control to the predetermined speed.

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Wadsworth, IL, United States of America

David L Enlow