Patent Grant
10749317
The present application claims the benefit of priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-226218 filed on Nov. 24, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This disclosure relates generally to an ignition coil for internal combustion engines.
Japanese Patent First Publication No. 2006-269613 teaches an ignition coil for internal combustion engines which is equipped with a primary coil, a secondary coil magnetically connected to the primary coil, a resistor working to eliminate noise arising from electrical discharge in a spark plug, and a case. The case includes a case body in which the primary and secondary coils are disposed and a cylindrical high-voltage tower extending downward from the case body.
The high-voltage tower has a high-voltage output terminal press-fit therein. The high-voltage output terminal has formed in an upper end thereof a recess in which the resistor is press-fit.
The ignition coil, as taught in the above publication, has the whole of the high-voltage output terminal press-fit in the high-voltage tower. The resistor is, as described above, press-fit in the recess of the high-voltage output terminal. This may result in a risk that an excessive pressure is exerted by the high-voltage output terminal on both the resistor and the high-voltage tower, which leads to concern about a decrease in durability of the resistor and the high-voltage tower.
It is an object of this disclosure to provide an ignition coil for internal combustion engines which is configured to reduce pressure acting on a resistor and a high-voltage tower.
According to one aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an ignition coil for an internal combustion engine which comprises: (a) a primary coil and a secondary coil which are magnetically coupled with each other; (b) a case which includes a case body in which the primary and secondary coils are disposed and a high-voltage tower which is of a hollow cylindrical shape and extends downward from the case body; (c) a high-voltage terminal which is press-fit in the high-voltage tower to close an inside of the high-voltage tower, the high-voltage terminal being of a hollow cylindrical shape with a bottom and an upper opening facing upward; (d) a resistor which is fit in the high-voltage terminal; and (e) a filled resin which is disposed inside the case body and hermetically seals the primary and secondary coils.
The high-voltage terminal includes a pressed wall and a non-pressed wall which are arranged adjacent each other in a vertical direction. The pressed wall is pressed against the high-voltage tower. The non-pressed wall is not pressed against the high-voltage tower.
The resistor is fit in the non-pressed wall.
The ignition coil, as described above, has the high-voltage terminal which has the pressed wall occupying a portion of a length thereof extending in the vertical direction. The pressed wall is pressed against the high-voltage tower. The high-voltage terminal is press-fit at the pressed wall in the high-voltage tower, so that it is firmly retained by the high-voltage tower. The high-voltage terminal also has the non-pressed wall discrete from the pressed wall in the vertical direction. The resistor 4 fit in the non-pressed wall. This minimizes pressure which results from the press-fit of the high-voltage terminal in the high-voltage tower and acts on the resistor. This enables a length of the pressed wall press-fit in the high-voltage tower to be increased in the vertical direction, which results in an increase in area of contact between the high-voltage tower and the high-voltage terminal. The pressed wall which has an increased area is, therefore, capable of bearing the pressure exerted by the high-voltage tower on the high-voltage terminal, thereby ensuring a desired mechanical strength of the high-voltage tower and the high-voltage terminal. Further, the increased area of contact between the high-voltage tower and the high-voltage terminal enhances the degree of hermetical sealing between the high-voltage tower and the high-voltage terminal, thereby minimizing the leakage of the filled resin from the case.
The resistor is, as described above, fit in the non-pressed wall, not the pressed wall, thereby eliminating the need for increasing a mechanical strength of a structural combination of the pressed wall of the high-voltage terminal and the resistor, which avoids exertion of a large degree of pressure from the pressed wall on the high-voltage tower.
As apparent from the above discussion, the ignition coil is capable of decreasing pressure acting on the resistor and the high-voltage tower.
In this disclosure, symbols in brackets represent correspondence relation between terms in claims and terms described in embodiments which will be discussed later, but are not limited only to parts referred to in the disclosure.
The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given hereinbelow and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which, however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments but are for the purpose of explanation and understanding only.
In the drawings:
The ignition coil 1 for internal combustion engines according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to
The ignition coil 1, as clearly illustrated in
The high-voltage terminal 3, as clearly illustrated in
The structure of the ignition coil 1 will be described below in detail.
In this disclosure, the vertical direction Z is, as described above, a direction in which the high-voltage tower 22 protrudes from the case body 21. A region where the high-voltage tower 22 protrudes from the case body 21 in the vertical direction Z will also be referred to below as a lower side. The opposite side will also be referred to below as an upper side. “upper” or “lower” is used for the sake of convenience and not limited to orientation of the ignition coil 1 relative to the vertical direction.
In use, the ignition coil 1 is connected to a spark plug mounted in an internal combustion engine for automotive vehicles or cogeneration systems and works to apply high-voltage to the spark plug.
The primary coil 11 and the secondary coil 12 are, as can be seen in
The case 2 is made of PBT (Poly Butylene Terephtalate) resin. The case body 21, as illustrated in
The high-voltage tower 22 is of a hollow cylindrical shape and has a through hole extending therethrough in the vertical direction Z. The high-voltage tower 22 has the inner peripheral surface 221 formed therein. The inner peripheral surface 221 includes portions which are arranged in the vertical direction Z and different in inner diameter from each other. Specifically, the inner peripheral surface 221 of the high-voltage tower 22 includes the lower inner tower surface 221b and the upper inner tower surface 221a. The lower inner tower surface 221b is arranged below the upper inner tower surface 221a in the vertical direction Z. The upper inner tower surface 221a is greater in inner diameter than the lower inner tower surface 221b. The inner peripheral surface 221 of the high-voltage tower 22 also includes the inner tower shoulder 221c lying between the lower inner tower surface 221b and the upper inner tower surface 221a.
The high-voltage terminal 3 is, as illustrated in
The high-voltage terminal 3, as can be seen in
Although not illustrated, the upper inner tower surface 221a of the high-voltage tower 22 has a positioning portion(s) which contacts the connecting cylindrical portion 36 of the high-voltage terminal 3. Specifically, the positioning portion is implemented by a protrusion which is formed on the inner surface of the high-voltage tower 22 and bulges in the radial direction of the high-voltage tower 22 between the lower cylindrical portion 34 and the upper cylindrical portion 33 of the high-voltage terminal 3. This layout avoids a physical interference of the lower cylindrical portion 34 with the positioning portion when the high-voltage terminal 3 is press-fitted from above the high-voltage tower 22 inside the upper inner tower surface 221a of the high-voltage tower 22 and also achieves a mechanical interference of the connecting cylindrical portion 36 with the positioning portion in the vertical direction Z, thereby positioning the high-voltage terminal 3 relative to the high-voltage tower 22 in the vertical direction Z. The positioning portion may be shaped to extend continuously to the inner tower shoulder 221c of the high-voltage tower 22 in the vertical direction Z, but may alternatively be made into another configuration. The positioning may be formed on a circumferential portion of the inner peripheral surface 221 of the high-voltage tower 22 or alternatively be shaped to extend along an entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface 221 of the high-voltage tower 22. Instead of the positioning portion, the positioning of the high-voltage terminal 3 relative to the high-voltage tower 22 in the vertical direction Z may be achieved in another way.
The lower cylindrical portion 34 which constitutes the non-pressed wall 32, as illustrated in
The resistor 4 is, as can be seen in
The resistor 4, as illustrated in
The resistor 4, as can be seen in
The above air gap between the major portion of the resistor 4 and the inner periphery of the high-voltage terminal 3 is filled with the resin 5. At least an entire circumference of the major portion of the resistor 4 is covered with the filled resin 5. In this embodiment, the entire circumference of the resistor 4 including the electrode caps 42 is covered with the filled resin 5.
The upper cylindrical portion 33, as illustrated in
The lower electrode cap 42 of the resistor 4 is electrically connected to a spark plug, not shown, through the high-voltage terminal 3. The upper electrode cap 42 of the resistor 4 is, as clearly illustrated in
The component parts of the ignition coil 1, as illustrated in
The operation and beneficial advantages of this embodiment will be described below.
The ignition coil 1 in this embodiment has the high-voltage terminal 3 which has a portion (i.e., the pressed wall 31) of length thereof pressed against the high-voltage tower 22. The high-voltage terminal 3 is press-fit at the pressed wall 31 in the high-voltage tower 22, so that it is firmly retained by the high-voltage tower 22. The high-voltage terminal 3 has the non-pressed wall 32 discrete from the pressed wall 31 in the vertical direction Z. The resistor 4 is fit in the non-pressed wall 32. This minimizes the pressure which results from the press-fit of the high-voltage terminal 3 in the high-voltage tower 22 and acts on the resistor 4. This enables a length of the pressed wall 31 press-fit in the high-voltage tower 22 to be increased in the vertical direction Z, which results in an increase in area of contact between the high-voltage tower 22 and the high-voltage terminal 3. The pressed wall 31 which has an increased area is, therefore, capable of bearing the pressure exerted by the high-voltage tower 22 on the high-voltage terminal 3, thereby ensuring a desired mechanical strength of the high-voltage tower 22 and the high-voltage terminal 3. Further, the increased area of contact between the high-voltage tower 22 and the high-voltage terminal 3 enhances the degree of hermetical sealing between the high-voltage tower 22 and the high-voltage terminal 3, thereby minimizing the leakage of the filled resin 5 from the case 2.
The resistor 4 is, as described above, fit in the non-pressed wall 32, not the pressed wall 31, thereby eliminating the need for increasing a mechanical strength of a structural combination of the pressed wall 31 of the high-voltage terminal 3 and the resistor 4, which avoids exertion of a large degree of pressure from the pressed wall 31 on the high-voltage tower 22.
The pressed wall 31 has the inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the resistor 4, thereby preventing the pressed wall 31 from physically interfering with the resistor 4 which will produce stress between the resistor 4 and the pressed wall 31.
The high-voltage terminal 3 is, as described above, made up of the upper cylindrical portion 33, the connecting cylindrical portion 36, the lower cylindrical portion 34, and the bottom 35. The upper cylindrical portion 33 constitutes the pressed wall 31. The resistor 4 is fit in the lower cylindrical portion 34. This enables the high-voltage terminal 3 which, as described above, contributes to a decrease in pressure acting on the resistor 4 and the high-voltage tower 22 to be shaped in a simple form, thereby enhancing the productivity of the high-voltage terminal 3.
The non-pressed wall 32, as described above, has the inner protrusions 341 formed on the inner periphery thereof. The inner protrusions 341 bulge inward and are placed in direct contact with the outer periphery of the resistor 4, thereby decreasing pressure required to press-fitting the resistor 4 into the high-voltage terminal 3 and ensuring the stability of electrical conductivity between the high-voltage terminal 3 and the resistor 4.
As apparent from the above discussion, the ignition coil 1 in this embodiment is capable of decreasing pressure acting on the resistor 4 and the high-voltage tower 22.
Specifically, the high-voltage terminal 3, as illustrated in
The upper inner protrusions 341a and the lower inner protrusions 341b are, as clearly illustrated in
Other arrangements are identical with those in the first embodiment.
In the second embodiment and following embodiments, the same or similar reference numbers as employed in the first or preceding embodiments refer to the same or similar parts unless otherwise specified.
The second embodiment offers substantially the same other beneficial advantages as those in the first embodiment.
The high-voltage terminal 3 of this embodiment is, as described above, equipped with a plurality of arrays of the inner protrusions 341 which are arranged away from each other in the vertical direction Z, thereby minimizing undesirable movement of the resistor 4 relative to the high-voltage terminal 3. In other words, the high-voltage terminal 3 firmly holds the resistor 4 at a plurality of points located away from each other in the vertical direction Z, thereby ensuring the stability of securement of the resistor 4 to the high-voltage terminal 3.
The high-voltage terminal 3 has the non-contact protrusions 342 formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The non-contact protrusions 342 bulge inward in the radial direction of the high-voltage terminal 3 and are placed in non-contact with the outer periphery of the resistor 4.
The non-contact protrusions 342 are offset from at least one of the inner protrusions 341 in the vertical direction Z.
The non-contact protrusions 342 are, as can be seen in
The inner protrusions 341 are, as illustrated in
The non-contact protrusions 342 are, as can be seen in
Other arrangements are identical with those in the first embodiment.
The high-voltage terminal 3 of this embodiment is, as described above, equipped with the non-contact protrusions 342 which bulge inward and are located away from the outer periphery of the resistor 4. The non-contact protrusions 342 are offset from at least one of the inner protrusions 341 in the vertical direction Z. The non-contact protrusions 342 serve to achieve physical interference of the outer periphery of the resistor 4 with the non-contact protrusions 342 when the resistor 4 is tilted relative to the high-voltage terminal 3, thereby minimizing such tilt of the resistor 4.
The third embodiment offers substantially the same beneficial advantages as those in the first embodiment.
Specifically, each of the non-contact protrusions 342 is formed in an elongated shape and bulges inward from the inner periphery of the high-voltage terminal 3. Each of the non-contact portions 342 has a length extending in the vertical direction Z. More specifically, each of the non-contact protrusions 424 extends from the bottom 35 of the high-voltage terminal 3 to substantially the middle of the lower cylindrical portion 34 in the vertical direction Z.
Other arrangements are identical with those in the third embodiment.
The fourth embodiment offers substantially the same beneficial advantages as those in the third embodiment.
While the present invention has been disclosed in terms of the preferred embodiments in order to facilitate better understanding thereof, it should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in various ways without departing from the principle of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all possible embodiments and modifications to the shown embodiments which can be embodied without departing from the principle of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
For instance, the inner protrusions 341 in the first to fourth embodiments may be, like the non-contact protrusion 342 in the fourth embodiment, shaped to have a length elongated in the vertical direction Z. The connecting cylindrical portion 36 in the first to fourth embodiments is designed to have a diameter decreasing downward, but however, the high-voltage terminal 3 may alternatively be shaped to have a shoulder which connects between the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 33 and the upper end of the lower cylindrical portion 34 and extends substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction Z instead of the connecting cylindrical portion 36. In this case, the high-voltage tower 22 may have formed on the inner periphery thereof an inner shoulder which is contactable with the shoulder of the high-voltage terminal 3 in the vertical direction Z, thereby minimizing a variation in location of the high-voltage terminal 3 relative to the high-voltage tower 22 in the vertical direction Z. The connecting cylindrical portion 36 may alternatively be curved.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-226218 | Nov 2017 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7036495 | Shimizu | May 2006 | B1 |
| 20170016422 | Akimoto | Jan 2017 | A1 |
| 20170040104 | Akimoto | Feb 2017 | A1 |
| 20170321648 | Sano | Nov 2017 | A1 |
| 20190165550 | Akimoto | May 2019 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2002-050528 | Feb 2002 | JP |
| 2011-100758 | May 2011 | JP |
| 2014-022602 | Feb 2014 | JP |
| 2014-022603 | Feb 2014 | JP |
| 2014-022604 | Feb 2014 | JP |
| 2017-098462 | Jun 2017 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190165549 A1 | May 2019 | US |
