STARTER MOUNTED ON VEHICLE HAVING IDLE-STOP APPARATUS

• US 20100251853A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: MURATA, Mitsuhiro, USAMI, Shinji, NIIMI, Masami
• Granted Patent: US 8,476,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/7.C
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0855 during engine shutdown or after engine stop before start command, e.g. pre-engagement of pinion
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/06 the toothed gears being moved by axial displacement
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/067 the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/041 Starter speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/134 Clutch connection

Abstract

A starter includes an electromagnetic solenoid that generates force for pushing a pinion gear 6 to a ring gear side, and an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a motor contact point. When idle-stop is performed, an ECU energizes a solenoid coil of the electromagnetic solenoid during inertial rotation until the ring gear stops rotating. After rotation of an engine is stopped, the ECU stops energizing the solenoid coil. As a result, in the starter, the pinion gear can mesh with the ring gear that is rotating by inertia without use of the rotational force of a motor. The meshed state can be maintained even after energization of the solenoid coil is stopped.

Claims

1. A starter mounted on a vehicle having an idle-stop apparatus that automatically controls stop and restart of an engine, the starter for starting the engine, comprising:

a motor that generates rotational force by being energized;

an output shaft that rotates by receiving the rotational force from the motor;

a one-way clutch that is engaged with an outer circumference of the output shaft by a helical spline;

a pinion gear provided such as to be movable in an axial direction along the outer circumference of the output shaft, integrally with the one-way clutch;

an electromagnetic solenoid that generates force for pushing the pinion gear integrally with the one-way clutch outward in the axial is direction (ring gear side of the engine);

an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a motor contact point provided on an energizing circuit of the motor; and

a controlling means for controlling an operation of the starter wherein the controlling means configured to control the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch independently, such that the controlling means energizes the electromagnetic solenoid during inertial rotation until the ring gear stops rotating when the engine is automatically stopped, and stops energizing the electromagnetic solenoid after the engine stops rotating.

2. The starter according to claim 1, wherein the starter further comprising a rotation speed detecting means for detecting a rotation speed of the ring gear;

and

the controlling means is configured to energize the electromagnetic solenoid when the rotation speed of the ring gear detected by the rotation speed detecting means drops to a predetermined rotation speed or less, the predetermined rotation speed being lower than an idling engine speed.

3. The starter according to claim 2, wherein the rotation detecting means is a crank angle sensor.

4. The starter according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means is an idle-stop electronic control unit involved with control of the idle-stop apparatus.

5. The starter according to claim 2, wherein the controlling means is an idle-stop electronic control unit involved with control of the idle-stop apparatus.

6. The starter according to claim 3, wherein the controlling means is an idle-stop electronic control unit involved with control of the idle-stop apparatus.

7. The starter according to claim 1, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are integrated and are disposed in series in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

8. The starter according to claim 2, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are integrated and are disposed in series in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

9. The starter according to claim 3, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are integrated and are disposed in series in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

10. The starter according to claim 4, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are integrated and are disposed in series in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

11. The starter according to claim 1, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are separate, individual components and are adjacent to or in contact with each other in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

12. The starter according to claim 2, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are separate, individual components and are adjacent to or in contact with each other in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

13. The starter according to claim 3, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are separate, individual components and are adjacent to or in contact with each other in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.

14. The starter according to claim 4, wherein the starter is configured such that the electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are separate, individual components and are adjacent to or in contact with each other in an axial center direction of the electromagnetic solenoid.