METHOD FOR ENGAGING A STARTING PINION OF A STARTING DEVICE WITH A RING GEAR OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20120024253A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seg Automotive Germany GMBH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hartmann, Sven, Gross, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 9,169,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/179.25
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0844 with means for restarting the engine directly after an engine stop request, e.g. caused by change of driver mind
• 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 15/022 the starter comprising an intermediate clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/046 of the planetary type
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/063 with resilient shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/067 the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/022 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/041 Starter speed

Abstract

A method is described for engaging a starting pinion of a starting device with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, the starting pinion having a peripheral speed and the ring gear having a peripheral speed, the starting pinion being pushed forward axially along its axis of rotation, the starting pinion making contact with the ring gear at a peripheral speed which is lower than the peripheral speed of the ring gear.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for engaging a starting pinion of a starting device with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine having a driving shaft, the method comprising:

providing a peripheral speed to a starting pinion;

providing a peripheral speed to a ring gear; and

pushing forward the starting pinion axially along its axis of rotation, so that the starting pinion makes contact with the ring gear at a peripheral speed which is lower than the peripheral speed of the ring gear;

wherein an angular velocity of the ring gear is opposed to a driving direction of rotation of the driving shaft and thus has a negative value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the peripheral speed of the starting pinion is unequal to zero.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the peripheral speeds are oriented in the same direction.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the peripheral speed of the ring gear at the moment of initial contact is higher at most by a value formed by the product of 5 meters per second per millimeter and module m of the ring gear in mm and is at least higher than the peripheral speed of the starting pinion.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the starting device has a pinion shaft which drives the starting pinion, wherein a spring force of a spring acts on the starting pinion, and wherein the spring is compressed during contact between the starting pinion and the ring gear.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a switching criterion is recognized by a control unit and the starting pinion is pushed forward toward the ring gear in one step and is set into rotation in another step, and wherein the peripheral speed of the starting pinion when reaching the ring gear is lower than the peripheral speed of the ring gear.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the switching criterion is a signal which corresponds to an intention to switch off the internal combustion engine.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a point in time at which the starting device is activated is calculated based on the switching criterion.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the starting pinion is first set into rotation in one step and then pushed forward to the ring gear in one step.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein a speed of the ring gear is essentially reduced.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the starter motor and the stroker are activated separately from each other.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the starting pinion has teeth having front sides and the ring gear has teeth having front sides, the starting pinion teeth having cants and the ring gear teeth having cants, the cants of the teeth of the starting pinion and the cants of the teeth of the ring gear facing each other.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein during the initial pinion engaging attempt a so-called tooth-on-tooth position occurs, then the teeth of the ring gear slide along the front sides of the teeth of the starting pinion until theoretically the possibility arises for the teeth of the starting pinion to engage with a gap between the teeth of the ring gear, then the cants of the teeth of the starting pinion collide with the cants of the teeth of the ring gear and the starting pinion first ricochets off the cants, but loses kinetic energy in the process, and is pushed back toward the axis of rotation, the ring gear rotates further in relation to the starting pinion, so that the cants of the teeth of the starting pinion now face the cants of the teeth of the ring gear, the teeth of the starting pinion not colliding as hard with the cants of the teeth of the ring gear, the ring gear transfers a certain rotating impulse to the starting pinion as a result of the collision of the starting pinion, so that the starting pinion does not ricochet or almost does not ricochet off the cants of the teeth with its own teeth and that due to a pre-tensioning force of a spring the starting pinion is pushed further into the gaps, until they have left the cants of the ring gear behind.