Apparatus and method for controlling an electrical starter of an internal combustion engine
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling an electrical starter motor for cranking a cranking mechanism of an internal combustion engine in order to start the internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprisingcircuit means for making an electrical connection between a voltage source and the electrical starter motor, by which the electrical starter motor is coupled with a cranking gear of the internal combustion engine by means of a shiftable transmission when the circuit means is energized;
- andan electronic control means for controlling at least one of a voltage, a current and an on-time of the electrical starter motor in a stepwise manner in a two-stage control process, said two-stage control process including a first stage in which said starter motor is operated at a rotation speed that is reduced in comparison to full rotation speed of said starter motor, so that wear is reduced in comparison to that experienced during a single-stage control process in which said starter motor is operated at the full rotation speed prior to being coupled with the cranking gear;
wherein the electronic control means is electrically connected between the voltage source and the electrical starter motor and is an integrated electronic relay (2); and
wherein the electronic relay (2) includes a central processing unit and at least two electronic power switches (56,58) for switching the voltage of the starter motor and wherein said at least two electronic power switches are controllable in succession according to time parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus for controlling an electrical starter motor for cranking a cranking mechanism of an internal combustion engine to start the engine includes a circuit for making an electrical connection between a voltage source and the starter motor by which the starter motor is coupled with a cranking gear of the engine by means of a shiftable transmission when the circuit is energized and an electronic control unit for controlling at least one of a voltage, a current and an on-time of the electrical starter motor in a stepwise manner in a two-stage control process including a first stage in which the starter motor is coupled with the cranking gear and operated at a reduced rotation speed to reduce wear. The electronic control unit is electrically connected between the voltage source and the starter motor and is an electronic relay that includes a central processing unit and at least two electronic power switches for switching the voltage of the starter motor.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an electrical starter motor for cranking a cranking mechanism of an internal combustion engine in order to start the internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising
circuit means for making an electrical connection between a voltage source and the electrical starter motor, by which the electrical starter motor is coupled with a cranking gear of the internal combustion engine by means of a shiftable transmission when the circuit means is energized; - and
an electronic control means for controlling at least one of a voltage, a current and an on-time of the electrical starter motor in a stepwise manner in a two-stage control process, said two-stage control process including a first stage in which said starter motor is operated at a rotation speed that is reduced in comparison to full rotation speed of said starter motor, so that wear is reduced in comparison to that experienced during a single-stage control process in which said starter motor is operated at the full rotation speed prior to being coupled with the cranking gear; wherein the electronic control means is electrically connected between the voltage source and the electrical starter motor and is an integrated electronic relay (2); and wherein the electronic relay (2) includes a central processing unit and at least two electronic power switches (56,58) for switching the voltage of the starter motor and wherein said at least two electronic power switches are controllable in succession according to time parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling an electrical starter motor for cranking a cranking mechanism of an internal combustion engine in order to start the internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing circuit means for making an electrical connection between a voltage source and the electrical starter motor, with which the electrical starter motor is coupled with a cranking gear of the internal combustion engine by means of a shiftable transmission when the circuit means is energized; and b) controlling at least one of a voltage, a current and an on-time of the electrical starter motor in a stepwise manner in a two-stage control process by means of an electronic control unit connected between the voltage source and the electrical starter motor, said two-stage control process including a first stage in which said starter motor is operated at a rotation speed that is reduced in comparison to full rotation speed of said starter motor, so that wear is reduced in comparison to that experienced during a single-stage control process in which said starter motor is operated at the full rotation speed prior to being coupled with said cranking gear; wherein the electrical starter motor has a starter pinion engaged with the cranking gear in a first stage of the two-stage control process and the starter motor is rotated at full speed in a second stage of the two-stage control process; and wherein the circuit means includes a starter switch (24) and the electronic control unit provides said voltage of the electrical starter motor, when the starter switch is closed, and said voltage is less than a nominal voltage of the electrical starter motor until the starter pinion engages with the cranking gear. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for controlling an electrical starter motor for cranking a cranking mechanism of an internal combustion engine in order to start the internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing circuit means for making an electrical connection between a voltage source and the electrical starter motor, in which the electrical starter motor is coupled with a cranking gear of the internal combustion engine by means of a shiftable transmission when the circuit means is energized; b) controlling at least one of a voltage, a current and an on-time of the electrical starter motor in a stepwise manner in a two-stage control process by means of an electronic control unit connected between the voltage source and the electrical starter motor; and c) reducing a maximum allowed on-time of the electrical starter motor according to a temperature measured at the electrical starter motor.
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Specification