THIS INVENTION relates to a fuel supply accessory for use with an internal combustion engine. It relates also to an internal combustion engine.

In accordance with the invention there is provides a fuel supply accessory for use with an internal combustion engine, which accessory includes a conduit of a magnetic material connectable in-line to a fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine, and at least one permanent magnet located in close proximity of the conduit.

The accessory may include at least one winding of an electric conductor around at least the or one magnet.

The accessory may also include two permanent magnets located on opposite sides of the conduit and arranged so that their polarities oppose each other.

Both magnets each may have a winding of an electric conductor around it and the windings of the two magnets may be serially connected. The windings may be oriented in the same direction. In a particular embodiment, the electric conductor may have four turns around each magnet.

The magnets may be ring magnets, and may be of ferrite, ceramic or Alnico.

The accessory may include a current reducing device in series with the windings.

The accessory may also include an indicating device for indicating when the accessory is energized.

The accessory may further include a relay having a switch in series with the windings, and a switch activation means in parallel with the switch.

The accessory may yet further include a housing through which the conduit extends and within which the magnet is, or both magnets are housed.

Ends of the conduit may be provided with connections for connecting the device to the fuel supply line of the internal combustion engine.

The invention extends to an internal combustion engine which includes a device as hereinbefore described connected in its fuel supply line.

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows, in top plan view, a fuel supply accessory in accordance with the invention, with a lid of a housing thereof removed; Figure 2 shows a sectional front elevation, taken at 11-II in figure 1, of the fuel supply accessory; and Figure 3 shows a circuit diagram of the fuel supply accessory.

With reference to the drawings, a fuel supply accessory in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The accessory 10 includes a conduit in the form of a pipe 12 of a magnetic material, in this embodiment mild steel, connectable in-line to a fuel supply

line of an internal combustion engine (not shown). The pipe 12 includes at ends thereof connectors 13,15 for connecting the accessory 10 to the fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine.

The accessory 12 includes two ring magnets 14,16 located on opposite sides of the pipe 12 and arranged so that their polarities oppose each other, i. e. the magnets 14,16 repel each other when located operatively. The magnets 14,16 are ferrite permanent magnets that have a field strength of 2000 to 3000 gauss. They have an external diameter of about 3.5cm, an internal diameter of about 1.8cm and a thickness of about 0.8cm. It is to be appreciated that the magnets need not necessarily be ring magnets, but can be magnets of any other shape, such as bar magnets or the like. Likewise, routine experimentation may yield further ranges of the field strength of the magnets which creates a similar effect as a field strength of 2000- 3000 gauss.

The accessory 10 further includes an electric circuit (Figure 3) generally indicated by reference numeral 18 connectable to a direct current power supply such as, for example, a battery of a motor vehicle. The electric circuit 18 includes an electric wire 20 which is wound around the magnet 14 to form four turns, generally indicated by reference numeral 26, around it, and thereafter is wound around the magnet 16 also to form four turns, generally indicated by reference numeral 28, around it. In other embodiments (not shown) the electric wire 20 can be wound around the two magnets 14,16 to form more than or less than four turns.

The electric circuit 18 further includes a current reducing device in the form of a resistor 30 connected to the electric wire 20 in series with the windings 26, 28. Further, the electric circuit 18 includes an indicating device in the form of a light- emitting diode (LED) 32 connected to the electric wire 20 and in series with the windings 26,28 and the resistor 30. In use, the LED 32 lights up when the electric circuit is connected to a power supply, and switched on, to indicate that the accessory 10 is energised.

The electric circuit 18 yet further includes a relay 34. Components constituting the relay are enclosed in a broken-lined block 34 in Figure 3.

95 The relay 34 includes a switch 36 in series with the windings 26,28, the resistor 30, and the light-emitting diode 32. The relay 34 further includes a switch activation means 38 in the form of a solenoid 40 and a parallel resistor 42 for activating the switch 36.

100 As can be seen in Figure 3, the circuit diagram 18 includes a supply wire 22 and an earth wire 23, that are connected, in use to the power supply.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the accessory 10 105 further includes a parallelepipedal housing 48. The housing 48 includes a floor 50, and side walls 52,54, 56,58 protruding operatively upwardly therefrom. The housing 48 further includes a partition 60 dividing an interior of the housing 48 into a first compartment 62 and a second compartment 64, the first compartment housing the relay 34, and the second compartment 64 housing the magnets 14,16, the resistor 30 no and the light emitting diode 32. The walls 52,56 provide holes through which the pipe 12 protrudes, and the wall 54 provides holes through which the wires 22 and 23 protrude.

The floor 50 has an opening (not shown) through which the light-emitting 115 diode is visible. Naturally, the housing 48 can operationally be oriented so that the floor 50 of the housing 48 faces upward or sideways.

The housing 48 further includes a lid 66 (only shown in Figure 2) which is securable to the housing 48 by means of screws (not shown).

120 In use, the accessory 10 is connected in-line to a fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine, i. e. so that fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine flows through the pipe 12. The accessory 10 is further connected to a power supply, typically when the internal combustion engine is part of a motor vehicle, to a battery of 125 the motor vehicle, by means of the electric circuit 18.

When energised, the switch 36 closes and current flows through the electric wire 20, which is indicated by the LED 32.

130 The Applicant has found that an accessory 10 in accordance with the invention connected in-line to a fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine, in particular a diesel engine, of a motor vehicle reduces fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine.

135 Advantageously, the power supply is a 12 volt battery, of the type used in ordinary passenger vehicles, and the resistor has a resistance of 22000. A current flowing through the electric wire 20 is ideally thus of the order of 4-12mA. Current flow through the electric wires 22,23 is ideally of the order of 130-200 mA. It is, however, to be appreciated that any other suitable combination of resistors and power supplies 140 producing a current flow of similar magnitude, as the 12 volt battery and the 2200Q resistor, can be employed. Experimentation may even yield further ranges of currents through the conductor 20 which creates a similar effect as a current of 4-12mA. In particular, it was found that a power supply in the form of a 24 volt battery or combination of batteries, of the type used in heavy duty vehicles, can also 145 advantageously be employed.

The Applicant has found that, when the power supply is in the form of a 24 volt battery, typically in diesel engine applications, omission of the relay 34 from the electric circuit 18, reduced fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine more so 150 than when the electric circuit 18 included the relay 34. For 24 volt applications, the

electric circuit will thus, preferably, not include the relay 34.

Further, in the embodiment illustrated, the pipe 12 has an outer diameter of 10mm and a wall thickness of 1mm. Here also, it is to be appreciated that different sized pipes may be used and that experimentation may be employed to determine the optimum pipe size.

Still further, the Applicant has found that relays rated at 20A or 30A are preferred.