ENGINE START SYSTEM MINIMIZING MECHANICAL IMPACT OR NOISE
First Claim
1. An engine start system comprising:
- a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque;
an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor;
a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine;
a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear;
a pinion actuator working to move said pinion movable body to the ring gear;
a switching mechanism working to open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit to cut or supply the electric power from the battery to said motor;
a controller which controls operations of said pinion actuator and said switching mechanism when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and
delay means for delaying a second operation time that is a time when said switching mechanism is to be activated to close the main contacts until after a first operation time that is a time when said pinion actuator is to be activated to move said pinion movable body when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to close the main contacts through said switching mechanism to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion movable body is moved by said pinion actuator to shift the pinion gear from a rest position to a gear engageble position where said pinion gear is engageble with the ring gear, and then said pinion gear engages the ring gear.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
-
Citations
47 Claims
-
1. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a pinion actuator working to move said pinion movable body to the ring gear; a switching mechanism working to open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit to cut or supply the electric power from the battery to said motor; a controller which controls operations of said pinion actuator and said switching mechanism when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and delay means for delaying a second operation time that is a time when said switching mechanism is to be activated to close the main contacts until after a first operation time that is a time when said pinion actuator is to be activated to move said pinion movable body when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to close the main contacts through said switching mechanism to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion movable body is moved by said pinion actuator to shift the pinion gear from a rest position to a gear engageble position where said pinion gear is engageble with the ring gear, and then said pinion gear engages the ring gear. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a pinion actuator working to move said pinion movable body to the ring gear; a switching mechanism working to open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit to cut or supply the electric power from the battery to said motor; a controller which controls operations of said pinion actuator and said switching mechanism when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and delay means for delaying a second operation time that is a time when said switching mechanism is to be activated to close the main contacts until after a first operation time that is a time when said pinion actuator is to be activated to move said pinion movable body when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to close the main contacts through said switching mechanism to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion movable body is moved by said pinion actuator to advance the pinion gear from a rest position to a maximum movable position where engagement of said pinion gear with the ring gear is to be achieved, and then said pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a pinion solenoid actuator which produce magnetic attraction to thrust said pinion movable body toward the ring gear; a motor on-off switch which opens or closes main contacts installed in the motor circuit to cut or supply the electric power to said motor; a first relay disposed in an excitation circuit which supplies electric power from the battery to said pinion solenoid actuator; a second relay disposed in an excitation circuit which supplies electric power from the battery to said motor on-off switch; a controller which electrically controls an operation of said pinion solenoid actuator through said first relay and an operation of said motor on-off switch through said second relay when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; a delay circuit which delays a second operation time that is a time when said second relay is to be energized until after a first operation time that is a time when said first relay is to be energized when the engine is restarted; and a single electric wire connecting with an output port of said controller, said electric wire having a first relay branch line leading to said first relay and a second relay branch line leading to said second relay through said delay circuit, wherein said delay circuit produces a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to close said motor on-off switch to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion gear is moved by said pinion solenoid actuator from a rest position to a gear engageble position where said pinion gear is engageble with the ring gear and then engages the ring gear or from the rest portion to a maximum movable position where engagement of said pinion gear with the ring gear is to be established and then engages the ring gear. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
-
21. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a solenoid switch which works to produce a magnetic attraction to attract a plunger to thrust said pinion gear toward the ring gear and also open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit interlocking with movement of the plunger for cutting or supplying the electric power to said motor; a motor on-off relay which has relay contacts disposed in the motor circuit and opens or closes the relay contacts electrically; a controller which electrically controls an operation of said solenoid switch and an operation of said motor on-off relay when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and delay means for delaying a second operation time that is a time when said motor on-off relay is to be energized until after a first operation time that is a time when said solenoid switch is to be energized when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to turn on said motor on-off relay to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion gear is moved by said solenoid switch to the ring gear and then engages the ring gear at least partially or to a maximum movable position where engagement of said pinion gear with the ring gear is to be established and then engages the ring gear, and after the main contacts are closed. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a solenoid switch which works to produce a magnetic attraction to attract a plunger to thrust said pinion gear toward the ring gear and has an external terminal which is connected to the motor circuit and through which the electric power is supplied to said motor; a motor on-off relay which has relay contacts disposed in the motor circuit and opens or closes the relay contacts electrically; a controller which electrically controls an operation of said solenoid switch and an operation of said motor on-off relay when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and delay means for delaying a second operation time that is a time when said motor on-off relay is to be energized until after a first operation time that is a time when said solenoid switch is to be energized on when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to turn on said motor on-off relay to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion gear is moved by said solenoid switch to the ring gear and then engages the ring gear at least partially or to a maximum movable position where engagement of said pinion gear with the ring gear is to be established and then engages the ring gear. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32-35. -35. (canceled)
-
36. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a solenoid switch which works to produce a magnetic attraction to attract a plunger to thrust said pinion gear toward the ring gear and also open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit interlocking with movement of the plunger for cutting or supplying the electric power to said motor; a normally closed type of motor on-off relay which has relay contacts disposed in the motor circuit, when deenergized, said motor on-off relay keeping the relay contacts closed; a starter relay which is disposed in an excitation circuit working to supply an excitation current to said solenoid switch from the battery; a motor on-off sub-relay which is disposed in an excitation circuit working to supply an excitation current to said motor on-off relay from the battery; a controller which electrically controls an operation of said solenoid switch through said starter relay and an operation of said motor on-off relay through said motor on-off sub-relay when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and delay means for delaying a second operation time that is a time when said motor on-off relay is to be energized until after a first operation time that is a time when said solenoid switch is to be energized on when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing a time lag between the first and second operation times so as to turn on said motor on-off relay to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion gear is moved by said solenoid switch to the ring gear and then engages the ring gear at least partially or to a maximum movable position where engagement of said pinion gear with the ring gear is to be established and then engages the ring gear, and after the main contacts are closed, wherein said controller energizes said motor on-off sub-relay to open said motor on-off relay before said main contacts are closed by the solenoid switch and then closes said motor on-off relay following the first operation time. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a solenoid switch which works to produce a magnetic attraction to attract a plunger to thrust said pinion gear toward the ring gear and also open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit interlocking with movement of the plunger for cutting or supplying the electric power to said motor; a motor on-off relay which has relay contacts disposed in the motor circuit and opens or closes the relay contacts electrically; and a controller which electrically controls an operation of said solenoid switch and an operation of said motor on-off relay, during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine, said controller energizing said solenoid switch to move said pinion gear and delaying the operation of said motor on-off relay until after said pinion bear engages the ring gear at least partially or said pinion is moved to a maximum movable position wherein engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear is to be established and then engages the ring gear, and the main contacts are closed, after which an engine restart request signal is inputted to said controller. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. An engine start system comprising:
-
a motor which is energized by supply of electric power from a battery through a motor circuit to produce torque; an output shaft which rotates when subjected to the torque, as produced by said motor; a pinion gear through which the torque, as produced by said motor, is transmitted to a ring gear coupled to an engine; a pinion movable body which is movable along said output shaft together with said pinion gear; a pinion actuator working to move said pinion movable body to the ring gear; a switching mechanism working to open or close main contacts installed in the motor circuit to cut or supply the electric power from the battery to said motor; a controller which controls operations of said pinion actuator and said switching mechanism when the engine is restarted during deceleration of the engine prior to stop of the engine; and delay means for electrically or mechanically delaying a second operation time that is a time when said switching mechanism is to be activated to close the main contacts until after a first operation time that is a time when said pinion actuator is to be activated to move said pinion movable body when the engine is restarted, said delay means producing one of a first time lag and a second time lag between the first and second operation times so as to close the main contacts through said switching mechanism to supply the electric power to said motor after said pinion movable body is moved by said pinion actuator to shift the pinion gear from a rest position to a gear engageble position where said pinion gear is engageble with the ring gear, and then said pinion gear engages the ring gear, said delay means selectively setting the first time lag when it is required to restart the engine after complete stop of rotation of the engine and the second lag time when it is required to restart the engine before complete stop of rotation of the engine, the second time lag being longer than or equal to the first lag time. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
-
Specification