Ignition Coil Air Passage Layout to Block Water Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ignition coils for internal combustion engines are vulnerable to water entry through air passages, which can disrupt combustion due to exposure to rainwater or cleaning water.
Innovation Solution
The ignition coil design includes an air passage connecting the external environment and the plug hole, with a first opening located beneath the flange portion and aligned with the mounting hole, and a protector that blocks water entry using a bolt or receiving portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an air passage connects the external environment and the plug hole, then air can be discharged from the plug hole, but water can enter through the same passage and disturb combustion
Solution Approach 1:
The air passage is segmented into two separate openings: a first opening in the flange portion and a second opening in the protector. This segmentation allows the air discharge function to be maintained while distributing the openings in different locations, making it possible to protect one opening from water while maintaining the other's accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt inserted through the mounting hole in the flange portion acts as an intermediary protective element. It blocks water from reaching the first opening of the air passage, while still allowing the air passage to function. The bolt serves as a mediator that prevents harmful water entry without obstructing the beneficial air discharge function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the first opening is located beneath the flange portion aligned with the mounting hole, then water is blocked by the bolt, but the air passage structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The flange portion serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for mounting the ignition coil, contains the mounting hole for the bolt, and houses the first opening of the air passage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity despite the enhanced water blocking capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An ignition coil 2 includes a protector 16 including: a head portion 28 exposed outside an internal combustion engine 4; and a tubular portion 30 extending downward from a bottom surface of the head portion 28 and inserted in a plug hole 6 of the internal combustion engine 4. The ignition coil 2 includes an air passage 64 connecting an external environment and the plug hole 6 of the internal combustion engine 4. The air passage 64 includes a first opening 50 located in a region on an outer surface of a coil assembly 8 located beneath a flange portion 14 or an outer surface of the head portion 28. The region extends in an up-down direction. When viewed in a reference direction that is perpendicular to a central axis Lf of a mounting hole 20 of the flange portion 14 and extends from the central axis Lf of the mounting hole 20 toward a central axis Lp of the protector 16, a centerline of the region overlaps with the central axis Lf of the mounting hole 20. When viewed in the reference direction, a width of the region is equal to a width of the mounting hole 20.