Patent · US Expired

Timing light for automotive engines

US5767681A · kind A · utility

45Cited by
50References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 9, 1996
Grant dateJun 16, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 9, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF02P17/06
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A timing light for adjusting an engine's timing has a stroboscopic lamp for illuminating the timing marks and a trigger circuit for causing the stroboscopic lamp to illuminate the timing marks at a desired time. The trigger circuit has an input circuit receiving a signal representative of a spark plug firing; an output circuit providing a trigger signal to the stroboscopic lamp to cause the stroboscopic lamp to flash; and an anticipation circuit configured to determine when to provide the trigger signal to the stroboscopic lamp by establishing a trend in the rate of which the spark plug is firing so as to predict when a next trigger signal is to be provided by the output circuit. Establishment of the trend in the rate of which the spark plug is firing generally enhances the accuracy with which the engine's timing is measured.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.