Starter

• US 5,789,821 A
• Filed: 01/24/1997
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Masao, Murakami, Yoshio, Yamaguchi, Kazuhiro, Niimi, Masami, Hayashi, Nobuyuki, Araki, Takeshi, Shiga, Tsutomu, Ohmi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US08/788,236
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 290/38 R, 290/48
• US Class Current: 290/38.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/00 Starting of engines by means of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/066 the starter being of the coaxial type
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/067 the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever

Abstract

A starter which reduces the number of parts for a pinion rotation regulation and provides an accurate magnet switch operation. A concave portion is formed on the bottom side of a plunger to store a spherical body set on the rear end of a cord-shaped member, e.g., wire. A male screw and a fixing are used so that the length of the cord-shaped member is adjusted thereby. The length of the string-shaped member is adjusted so that the claw of the pinion rotation regulating member fits into the notch on the outer circumference of a pinion gear. Furthermore, the claw is fit into the notch via the wire when the plunger moves. The cord-shaped member may be replaced by a rod member disposed radially inside or outside the yoke.

Claims

1. A starter comprising:

a starter motor including field magnetic poles and an armature disposed inside the field magnetic poles;

an output shaft driven by the starter motor;

a pinion provided on the output shaft and engageable with a ring gear of an engine;

a magnet switch disposed at an axial side of the starter motor oppositely to the pinion, the magnet switch having a fixed contact and a plunger which has a movable contact that energizes the starter motor when the movable contact contacts the fixed contact by the movement of the plunger;

pinion moving means to move the pinion toward the ring gear; and

a connecting member to drive the pinion moving means by the plunger of the magnet switch,

wherein the connecting member extends axially through a space existing radially outside the armature.

2. A starter comprising:

a pinion moving member having a pinion engageable with a ring gear of an engine;

a motor having an armature for rotating the pinion and field magnetic poles provided radially outside the armature;

a magnet switch having a plunger and disposed oppositely to the pinion with respect to the motor for supplying an electric power from a battery to the motor;

a lever disposed turnably to move the pinion moving member toward the ring gear; and

a connecting member disposed radially outside the armature and connecting the plunger of the magnet switch and the lever to turn the lever in response to an axial movement of the plunger so that the pinion moving member toward the ring gear.

3. The starter according to claim 2, wherein:

the magnet switch is deviated radially from a shaft of the armature thereby to provide a space within an axial extension of a radially outermost confine of the motor; and

a battery terminal is fixed within the space to connect the magnet switch to the battery.

4. The starter according to claim 3, wherein:

the plunger is disposed axially movably; and

the battery terminal is fixed to extend radially.

5. A starter comprising:

a starter motor including a generally cylindrical yoke, an armature and having an armature shaft;

an output shaft adapted to be driven by the starter motor;

a pinion mounted on the output shaft for meshing with a ring gear of an engine;

a magnet switch including a fixed contact, a movable contact to be brought into abutment against the fixed contact, a coil for generating an attraction force when energized, and a plunger to be moved by the attraction force, so that it may energize the starter motor when the movable contact is moved to abut against the fixed contact by moving the plunger;

pinion regulating means for regulating the rotation of the pinion to move the pinion toward the ring gear; and

a connecting member including a moving portion to be moved by the movement of the plunger, an actuating portion for actuating the pinion regulating means, and a rotatable rod-shaped portion for connecting the moving portion and the actuating portion, the connecting member being arranged radially outside of the armature and extended generally in parallel with the armature shaft,

whereby the moving portion is moved by the movement of the plunger to rotate the rod-shaped portion thereby to move the actuating portion, while abutting against the pinion regulating means, by a predetermined extent so that the pinion regulating means is actuated to regulate the rotation of the pinion thereby to move the pinion toward the ring gear.

6. The starter according to claim 5, wherein:

the magnet switch is arranged in the vicinity of the starter motor at an axially opposite side to the pinion and generally at a right angle with respect to the rotary shaft of the armature; and

the rod-shaped portion of the lever is bent individually at its two axial ends so that the two bent portions provide the moving portion and the actuating portion.

7. The starter according to claim 5, further comprising:

bearings supporting rotatably the rod-shaped portion of the connecting member.

8. The starter according to claim 5, wherein:

the connecting member is resilient.

9. A starter comprising:

a starter motor including a yoke having a plurality of field magnetic poles on an inner circumference, for generating a rotating force when energized;

an output shaft arranged at one axial side of the starter motor and adapted to be rotated by the starter motor;

a movable cylindrical member including a pinion gear movable axially on the output shaft;

a magnet switch arranged at the other axial side of the starter motor; and

connecting means for transmitting the drive force of the magnet switch to the pinion gear of the movable cylindrical member thereby to move the pinion gear of the movable cylindrical member toward a ring gear of an engine,

wherein the connecting means is arranged through a radial outside of the yoke of the starter motor.

10. The starter according to claim 9, wherein:

the yoke has a longitudinal recess formed toward the radially inner circumference thereof and extending in the axial direction between the field magnetic poles; and

the connecting means is arranged in the recess.

11. A starter comprising:

a motor including a yoke having a plurality of field magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction on an inner circumference thereof, and an armature rotatable and surrounded by the field magnetic poles;

an output shaft adapted to be rotated by the motor;

a pinion moving member engaging with the output shaft axially slidably and including a pinion gear capable of meshing with a ring gear of an engine;

a magnet switch including an exciting coil and a plunger adapted to be attracted by the exciting coil when the exciting coil is energized; and

a rod-type connecting member including an actuated portion for engaging with the plunger, an actuating portion for moving the pinion moving member toward the ring gear, and a rod-shaped intermediate portion connecting the actuated portion and the actuating portion,

wherein at least one portion of the intermediate portion of the connecting member is fitted in a groove formed axially in the inner circumference of the yoke.

12. The starter according to claim 11, further comprising:

a housing supporting the output shaft rotatably at one end portion thereof; and

an end frame covering the magnet switch,

wherein the housing and the end frame of the motor have respective grooves formed axially continuously with the groove formed in the yoke, and

a portion of the actuating portion is fitted in the groove of the housing and a portion of the actuated portion is fitted in the groove of the rear cover.

13. The starter according to claim 11, wherein:

the magnet switch is arranged in such a direction that the plunger move generally at a right angle relative to an armature shaft of the armature;

the connecting member is supported rotatably on the axis of the intermediate portion;

the actuated portion of the interlocking rod is in engagement with the plunger at a portion radially spaced at a predetermined distance from the axis of the intermediate portion thereby to convert the movement of the plunger into a rotational motion on the axis of the intermediate portion; and

the actuating portion of the connecting member has a helical front end portion having a lead in the axial direction on the axis of the intermediate portion so that the front end portion rotates on the axis of the intermediate portion to push and move the pinion moving member against which the front end portion is in abutment.

14. The starter according to claim 13, wherein:

the intermediate portion of the connecting member has at least two diametrically reduced portions having a smaller diameter than a remaining part of the intermediate portion;

the connecting member is supported by bearings fitted on the diametrically reduced portions; and

each of the bearings is fixed to the inner circumference of each of the housing and the rear cover.

15. The starter according to claim 13, wherein:

the intermediate portion of the connecting member is supported on at least two portions thereof by bearings;

each of the bearings is fixed to the inner circumference of at least one of the yoke, the housing and the end frame; and

a stopper ring is fixed on the intermediate portion in longitudinally adjacent to each of the bearings.

16. The starter according to claim 11, wherein:

the magnet switch is arranged in such a direction that the plunger extends generally in parallel with an armature shaft of the armature;

the connecting member so held as to move in parallel with the armature shaft; and

the actuated portion is in engagement with the plunger and the actuating portion is in abutment against the pinion moving member.

17. The starter according to claim 16, wherein:

the intermediate portion is so held by holding members on at least two portions thereof as to slide in the axial direction; and

each of the holding members is fixed to the inner circumference of at least one of the yoke, the housing and the rear cover.

18. The starter according to claim 11, wherein:

the connecting member is made of non-magnetic stainless steel.

19. The starter according to claim 11, further comprising:

a pinion rotation regulating member connecting to the actuating portion of the connecting member and engaging with a portion of the pinion moving member, when the actuating portion is displaced, for regulating the rotation of the pinion moving member,

wherein the pinion moving member is in meshing engagement with a spline formed on the output shaft.