Crankshaft driven flywheel magneto generator with circular winding for power supply in handheld batteryless combustion engines

Abstract

A magneto ignition system for battery less hand-held combustion engines includes a claw generator with a stationary circular power coil winding enclosed by two iron claw halves and with a rotating flywheel magnet ring with multiple magnetic poles. The stationary circular coil winding includes a trigger coil with a stationary coil winding arranged in a plane orthogonal to the stationary circular power coil winding. The magneto ignition system further includes an engine control module ECM for establishment of appropriate ignition timing, and an ignition coil module ICM. The stationary circular power coil winding may provide the electrical power supply to both the ignition timing module ECM and the ignition coil module ICM.

Claims

1. A magneto ignition system for a batteryless hand-held combustion engine comprising; a claw generator arranged with a stationary circular power coil winding enclosed by two ferro magnetic claw halves with a plurality of legs in each claw half and with claws in each claw half facing and arranged overlapping each other, and with a rotating flywheel magnet ring driven by a crankshaft of the batteryless hand-held combustion engine around said stationary circular power coil winding (10), with a plurality of magnet poles arranged in said rotating flywheel magnet ring with alternating polarity; a trigger coil with a stationary coil winding arranged in said claw generator around at least one claw in each claw half with a low impedance coil winding of the trigger coil and the stationary coil winding of the trigger coil lying in a plane orthogonal to the stationary circular power coil winding; an engine control module arranged at a distance from said claw generator, said engine control module containing a processor and associated memory for establishment of appropriate ignition timing dependent on a trigger coil signal and mapped ignition timing in said memory, wherein the trigger coil signal from the claw generator is used for determining the rotational position for starting and ending the ignition timing; an ignition coil module electrically connectible to an ignition plug of the combustion engine; an electric supply system with a current conductor attached in one feeding end at the stationary circular power coil winding, said current conductor connected to and supplying energy to an ignition timing module and the ignition coil module.

2. The magneto ignition system according to claim 1, wherein the number of legs in each claw half is at least 4.

3. The magneto ignition system according to claim 2, wherein the number magnet poles is at least 8.

4. The magneto ignition system according to claim 1, wherein an ignition coil module is of the coil-on plug type with a housing connectible to an ignition plug of the combustion engine.

5. The magneto ignition system according to claim 1, further comprising a vibration sensitive knock sensor arranged permanently to the stationary circular power coil winding.

6. The magneto ignition system according to claim 5, further comprising a signal transmission architecture with a first vibration signal (Knock Signal) wire transmitting a vibration signal from the vibration sensitive knock sensor (23) to the engine control module (ECM).

7. The magneto ignition system according to claim 1, further comprising an ionization detection module electrically connected to the ignition coil, detecting the ionization current through the spark plug gap via the ignition coil.

8. The magneto ignition system according to claim 7, further comprising a signal transmission architecture with a second ionization signal wire (Ion Current) transmitting a signal representative for the ionization current from the ionization detection module (IDM) to the engine control module (ECM).

9. The magneto ignition system according to claim 7, wherein the ionization detection module (IDM) is integrated in the ignition coil module.

10. The magneto ignition system according to claim 6, further comprising a fueling system connected to the engine control module via a control conductor wire and said fueling system connected to the current conductor for supplying electrical energy to the fueling system from the claw generator.

11. The magneto ignition system according to claim 6, wherein the fueling system includes at least one electrically controlled fuel injector.

Description

LIST OF DRAWINGS

(1) In the following schematic drawings are details numbered alike in figures, and details identified and numbered in one figure may not be numbered in other figures in order to simplify figures.

(2) FIG. 1; shows the inventive claw generator mounted in an engine casing of a hand-held engine.

(3) FIG. 2; shows a cross section view of the claw generator along A-A in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3; shows the same a cross section view along A-A in FIG. 1 but with a crankshaft mounted in the center of the claw generator;

(5) FIG. 4; shows a cross section view of the claw generator along B-B in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5a; shows one embodiment of the magnetic poles in the rotating flywheel magnet ring;

(7) FIG. 5b shows one possible configuration of asymmetric poles for establishment of a rotational reference position;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a possible alternative embodiment of the magnetic poles in the rotating cag; and

(9) FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the inventive modularization of the ignition system with the signal transmission and power supply architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) In FIG. 1 is the inventive claw generator 1 mounted in an engine casing 3 of a hand-held engine around a bearing seat 4 for a crankshaft. The engine casing 3 is conventionally casted in aluminum or any other light weight alloy. The claw generator consists of two basic part. The first basic part is a stationary part with a stationary circular power coil winding 10 clamped between an upper claw half 11 (as seen in FIG. 1) and lower claw half 12. The two claw halves 11,12 are firmly attached to the engine casing 3 with screws (not shown per se) applied through several mounting holes 14 ending with threaded screw holes 14a in the engine casing 3. Each claw half consists of a flat pentahedron shaped disc with a leg on each point end of the pentahedron shaped disc, wherein each leg is bent orthogonally to the orientation of the disc.

(11) The upper and lower claw halves are mounted together such that the legs of one claw half lies between legs of the opposite claw half, i.e. such that the legs in each claw half are displaced 36°. All legs are preferably located uniformly around the circumference of the claw generator, and in one claw half are the 5 legs located 72° degrees apart, with the legs of the other claw half located in-between, i.e. 36° degrees apart.

(12) The claw halves are in direct metallic contact with the engine casing and a knock sensor 23, a vibration sensor typically of the piezo electric type, is firmly attached to one claw half. As the engine casing is a good sound conductor for the pinging noise that occurs during a knocking combustion, could the knock sensor detect the high frequency pinging noise from a knocking combustion and the engine control module may then alter ignition timing in order to mitigate the knocking condition.

(13) Further, the first stationary part also includes a trigger coil winding 2, which trigger winding 2 is lying in a plane orthogonal to the plane of the stationary circular power coil winding 10. The trigger winding is wound on a circular bobbin 2a and the bobbin and winding is mounted over two legs of the claw halves as shown in FIG. 1. Around the stationary first basic part is the second basic part arranged, which is a rotating flywheel magnet ring 13 with magnet poles. The inner diameter of the rotating flywheel magnet ring 13 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the legs 11a,12a, leaving a gap of about 1 mm or less in-between the stationary and rotating part. This rotating flywheel magnet ring 13 is driven by the crankshaft of the handheld engine.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a cross section view of the claw generator 1 along A-A in FIG. 1. The upper claw half 11 with the downwardly leg 11a is mounted to the lower claw half 12 with the upwardly directed leg 12a, with the stationary circular power coil winding 10 located radially inside of the legs 11a and 12a. The trigger coil winding 10 and its bobbin 2a is located around 2 legs of the claw halves, i.e. one leg from each claw half.

(15) FIG. 3 shows the same cross section view as in FIG. 2, but with a crankshaft 4a mounted in the bearing seat 4, supported by a crankshaft bearing 4c, said crankshaft having a flywheel magnet ring carrier 4b firmly connected to the rotating flywheel magnet ring 13.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a cross section view of the claw generator along B-B in FIG. 1, but seen in a slight inclined view from above. Here are two of the three mounting holes 14 disclosed that penetrates both claw halves, in register with threaded screw holes 14a in the engine casing 3. FIG. 5a show one principle design of the rotating flywheel magnet ring. In this embodiment are 20 magnet poles arranged around the rotating flywheel magnet ring, all with same size and radial extension over the circumference of the rotating flywheel magnet ring resulting in maximal pole arc width. This kind of rotating flywheel magnet ring may be used if no reference signal, as to a specific

(17) rotational position, is to be obtained from the generator as such. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5a may also be combined with a hall sensor or similar that register a reference position once per revolution.

(18) If a specific rotational position is to be obtained may one pole have a shorter or longer pole arc width than all the others. FIG. 5b shows a modification of the principle design of FIG. 5a with a first section of the rotating flywheel magnet ring having an unsymmetrical arrangement of the magnetic poles that

(19) cause a change in the magnetic flux once per revolution. In this embodiment are the first three poles of the same polarity. Alternatively, the second pole may be a non-magnetic pole.

(20) The poles of the rotating flywheel magnet ring may have varying design.

(21) A first option is to arrange all poles with a short gap between each pole segment resulting in a reduced pole arc width.

(22) Another option is shown in FIG. 6 where the poles are shaped with a trapezoidal form. This option with trapezoidal form of the poles has shown to be advantageous in claw-pole machines where the output torque from the claw-pole machine was about 1,5 times higher than using poles with varying pole arc width. In a generator application may the voltage output be stabilized on a higher level with trapezoidal form of the poles.

(23) System Architecture

(24) The magneto ignition system with a claw generator providing the electrical power supply to the engine control module ECM as well as the ignition control may in the low-end system be divided into 3 physical modules, i.e. The claw generator with the optional knock sensor of the piezo-electric type; The engine control module ECM; and The ignition coil with the optional ionization detection module IDM.

(25) The IDM is conventionally located in the low voltage connection to the secondary winding of the ignition coil.

(26) The high-end system, with fuel injector control instead of a conventional carburetor may be divided into 4 physical modules, based upon the 3 physical modules of the low-end system i.e. The claw generator with the optional knock sensor of the piezo-electric type; The engine control module ECM; The ignition coil with the optional ionization detection module IDM: and The fueling system.

(27) The power supply to the modules may be implemented as shown in FIG. 7, with the power supply from the generator directly to a power supply board in the engine control module ECM. Further power supply to the ignition coil and the fueling system may be done from the power supply board in the engine control module.

(28) The signal transmission architecture includes a first vibration signal wire, Knock Signal, transmitting a vibration signal from the vibration sensitive knock sensor (23 in FIGS. 1-4)) to the engine control module ECM, but also a second ionization signal wire, Ion Current, transmitting a signal representative for the ionization current from the ionization detection module IDM to the engine control module ECM. The signal transmission architecture also includes a control conductor wire, Fuel on/off, between the engine control module and the fueling system, but also a control conductor wire, Ignition on/off, between the engine control module and ignition control module ICM.