Starter for starting internal combustion engine

• US 5,231,307 A
• Filed: 02/04/1992
• Issued: 07/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hosaka, Shigeo, Yumiyama, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOOVER, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/830,846
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 74/6, 74/7 R, 74/7 E, 74/6, 74/7 R, 74/DIG. 10, 290/38 R, 290/48, 290/38 C
• US Class Current: 290/48
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/00 Starting of engines by means of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/00 Other power-operated starting apparatus; Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from groups F02N5/00 - F02N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 74/10 Polymer digest - plastic gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/13 Machine starters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/131 Automatic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/137 Reduction gearing

Abstract

A starter for an internal combustion engine including mechanical components subject to an impact load during operation including a shift lever, internal gear, gear cover formed integrally with the internal gear, front case, center bracket, and brush holder disposed in a rear bracket. At least one of the mechanical components is formed of a synthetic resin having a glass transition temperature greater than 90° C. such as an aromatic copolymer and nylon series, whereby a workability and an impact load absorbing capacity of the mechanical components as well as the bending rupture strength are capable of withstanding an impact load caused by an abnormal operation of the starter at a high environmental temperature greater than 150° C.

Claims

1. An electrically driven starter for starting an internal combustion engine, the starter comprising:

an electrically driven motor;

a front case rotatably supporting one end of a pinion shaft through a first bearing;

a center bracket rotatably supporting an opposite end of the pinion shaft through a second bearing;

a rear bracket forming a rear portion of the starter;

a brush holder disposed in said rear bracket;

a shift lever adapted to shift a pinion in an axial direction of the pinion shaft so as to engage the ring gear of the internal combustion engine;

an internal gear disposed in a planetary gear reduction mechanism for transmitting a drive power of the electrically driven motor to the pinion; and

a gear corner formed integrally with said internal gear,

wherein at least one of said front case, center bracket, rear bracket, brush holder, shift lever, internal gear and gear cover is fashioned of a synthetic resin having a glass transition temperature greater than 90°

C.

2. A starter for starting an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin is an aromatic copolymer and nylon series.