The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 20, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1997
Tohru Yoshinaga, Okazaki, JP;
Tokio Kohama, Nishio, JP;
Hiroshi Yorita, Kariya, JP;
Yasuyuki Satou, Aichi-ken, JP;
Masao Kano, Gamagoori, JP;
Nippon Soken, Inc., Nishio, JP;
Abstract
A combustion monitoring apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided which is designed to distinguish abnormal combustion conditions from a normal combustion conditions using a combustion ion current included in a current flowing through plug electrodes of a spark plug, resulting from motion of ions between the plug electrodes which are produced by combustion. For example, if a maximum value of the combustion ion current during one combustion cycle is smaller than a given value, it is determined that a misfire has occurred. If an attenuation time from generation of the current flowing through the plug electrodes until a variation in the current is decreased to a given value is shorter than a given time period, it is determined that a flame has been blown out before combustion is completed.