Automatic starting system

• US 10,054,081 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Rotter, Terrence, Stenz, Gary, Freund, Anthony, Torres, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US14/880,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20160108856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 261 38, 261 391, 261 393, 261 394, 236 92 D, 236 92 R
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/20 Mixing gases with liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/714 for feeding predetermined amounts B01F35/88 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2009/0216 of the air-vane type
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 1/02 the means to facilitate starting or idling being chokes for enriching fuel-air mixture automatic chokes F02M1/08
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 1/08 the means to facilitate starting or idling becoming operative or inoperative automatically in connection with auxiliary carburetting apparatus F02M1/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 1/10 dependent on engine temperature, e.g. having thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 1/12 with means for electrically heating thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 1/14 dependent on pressure in combustion-air- or fuel-air-mixture intake dependent on both pressure in combustion-air or fuel-air-mixture intake and engine temperature F02M1/10
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 7/12 Other installations, with moving parts, for influencing fuel/air ratio, e.g. having valves F02M7/24 takes precedence

Abstract

An automatic starting system includes a choke or similar apparatus. The apparatus includes at least a choke plate, a choke arm, and a control arm. The choke plate is configured to control a ratio of fuel and air for an engine. The choke arm is fixedly coupled with the choke plate. The control arm adjustably coupled with the choke arm. The control arm and the choke arm cooperate to move the choke plate into multiple positions, which correspond to multiple ratios of fuel and air for the engine.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a choke plate configured to control a ratio of fuel and air for an engine;

a choke arm fixedly coupled with the choke plate;

a control arm adjustably coupled with the choke arm; and

a heat responsive device configured to apply at least one torque to the control arm according to a sensor that detects whether the engine is running,

wherein the control arm and the choke arm cooperate to move the choke plate into a plurality of positions in response to the heat responsive device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions include a fully open position, a fully closed position and at least one intermediate position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one intermediate position includes two intermediate positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a slot integrated with the choke arm; and

a shaft integrated with the control arm, wherein the plurality of positions of the choke plate correspond to relative positions of the slot and the shaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an air vane responsive to airflow from a flywheel and coupled with the choke arm.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the air vane is rotatably mounted on a manifold of the engine.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a linkage device coupling the air vane and the choke arm, wherein is the linkage is slidably engaged with a slot in the choke arm.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a first position for the linkage in the slot of the choke arm corresponds to a first running state of the engine, and a second position for the linkage in the slot of the choke arm corresponds to a second running state of the engine.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one dimension of the slot in the choke arm is selected to define one or more of the plurality of positions of the choke arm.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat responsive device at a first temperature applies a first torque tending to close the choke plate via the control arm, and the heat responsive device at a second temperature applies a second torque.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat responsive device is a bimetallic device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the heat responsive device comprises:

a heater for changing the shape of the bimetallic device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the heater is electrically connected to an ignition of the engine.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions include a first position that corresponds to an ambient temperature and a stopped state of the engine, a second position that corresponds to the ambient temperature and a running state of the engine, a third position that corresponds to an increased temperature and the running state of the engine, and a fourth position that corresponds to the increased temperature and the stopped state of the engine.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat responsive device includes a heater that receives a current from the sensor.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a choke plate configured to control a ratio of fuel and air for an engine;

a choke arm fixedly coupled with the choke plate; and

a control arm adjustably coupled with the choke arm;

a heat responsive device configured to apply at least one torque to the control arm, wherein the heat responsive device is a bimetallic device,

wherein the control arm and the choke arm cooperate to move the choke plate into a plurality of positions

a heater for changing the shape of the bimetallic device, wherein the heater is electrically connected to a temperature sensor or an oil pressure sensor.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a first positional setting for a choke plate from a choke arm fixedly coupled with the choke plate;

receiving a second positional setting for the choke plate from a control arm adjustably coupled with the choke arm, wherein the second positional setting is provided by a heat responsive device that applies at least one torque to the control arm according to a sensor that detects whether an engine is running; and

providing a plurality of fuel ratios for the engine based on corresponding positions of the choke plate from the cooperative relationship of the first positional setting and the second positional setting.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the corresponding positions include a first position that corresponds to an ambient temperature and a stopped state of the engine, a second position that corresponds to the ambient temperature and a running state of the engine, a third position that corresponds to an increased temperature and the running state of the engine, and a fourth position that corresponds to the increased temperature and the stopped state of the engine.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the heat responsive device includes a heater that receives a current from the sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the heat responsive device includes a bimetallic device configured to change shape in response to the heater.