| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100033066 | Starting device for engines - An electromagnetic switch unit comprises a solenoid device that pushes out a pinion gear to a ring gear side of an engine, and an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a main point of contact of a motor circuit. The solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch are arranged in series in an axial direction, while a magnetic plate that forms a part of magnetic circuit between a first coil used for the solenoid device and a second coil used for the electromagnetic switch is shared by the solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100050970 | System for restarting internal combustion engine when engine restart request occurs - In a system, a starter includes a motor for rotatably driving an output shaft with a pinion and an actuator that shifts the pinion toward a ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. A monitor unit monitors a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine. The rotational speed of the internal combustion engine drops after an automatic control for stop of the engine. When an engine restart request occurs with the rotational speed being within a preset range during the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine dropping by the automatic control for stop of the engine, a drive unit drives the actuator to shift the pinion toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. The drive unit rotatably drives the motor with the pinion being engaged with the ring gear to thereby crank the crankshaft. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100059007 | Engine start system for use in idle stop system for automotive vehicle - An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. The engine start system includes a pinion gear to be pushed to a ring gear coupled to an engine for achieving meshing engagement with the ring gear. After the pinion gear engages the ring gear, the engine start system starts to rotate the pinion gear using a starter motor to crank the engine. Specifically, when an engine restart request is made following an engine stop request, the engine start system waits until after the speed of the engine drops below a preselected gear engageble speed and then moves the pinion gear toward the ring gear without rotating the pinion gear. This minimizes the consumption of fuel in the vehicle in supplying electric power to the starter motor and a maximum level of mechanical noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100083926 | System for restarting internal combustion engine when engine restart request occurs - In a system for cranking a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a starter is provided with a motor working to, when energized, rotatably drive an output shaft with a pinion and an actuator working to, when energized, shift the pinion toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. A power supply is electrically connected to the motor and operative to output electrical power. A first mechanical relay is electrically connected between the power supply and the motor, and works to turn on and off a supply of a current based on the electrical power to the motor for rotating the pinion. A switching element is electrically connected across the first mechanical relay, and works to turn on and off the supply of the current to the motor for rotating the pinion. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100180849 | SYSTEM FOR RESTARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WHEN ENGINE RESTART CONDITION IS MET - In a system, an angle sensor outputs a pulse each time an output shaft of an internal combustion engine rotates by a preset angle, and a calculator calculates speed-change information indicative of a change in a speed of rotation of the output shaft based on the pulses outputted from the angle sensor. A determiner determines, based on the speed-change information, whether at least one of the pulses outputted from the angle sensor represents a proper timing for a preset of a pinion of a starter with a ring gear mounted on the output shaft. A pinion engaging unit shifts the pinion toward the ring gear so that the pinion is engaged with the ring gear when it is determined that the at least one of the pulses outputted from the angle sensor represents the proper timing for the preset of the pinion with the ring gear. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100251851 | STARTER ADAPTED TO ABSORB ENGINE-OSCILLATION - A starter to start an engine mounted on a vehicle provides an electromagnetic solenoid to push a pinion gear towards a ring gear side, an electromagnetic switch to open and close a motor contact point. The electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are individually controlled by an Electronic Control Unit i.e., ECU. When an idle-stop is triggered, the ECU controls a starter relay to be closed during the ring gear is rotating whereby the pinion gear together with a clutch are pushed out to counter-motor direction by the electromagnetic solenoid. As a result, the pinion gear meshes with the ring gear that is rotating at lower rotational speed. Therefore, the inertial mass of the starter is added to the ring gear so that swinging of the engine can be suppressed. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100251852 | ENGINE START SYSTEM MINIMIZING MECHANICAL IMPACT OR NOISE - 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. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100251853 | STARTER MOUNTED ON VEHICLE HAVING IDLE-STOP APPARATUS - A starter includes an electromagnetic solenoid that generates force for pushing a pinion gear | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100257975 | STARTER HAVING NOISE REDUCTION STRUCTURE - The present invention provides a starter, including a motor generating torque; a shaft rotating by the torque; a clutch fitting an outer periphery of the shaft; a pinion gear receiving the torque; a pinion control means configured to allow the pinion gear integrally with the clutch to be pushed out; a motor control means for controlling current supplied to the motor; and an inner tube that is arranged to be extended from the inner and in the direction opposite to the motor, supports the pinion gear so as to inhibit rotation thereof with respect to the periphery of the inner tube, and supports the pinion gear to be slidable; wherein a gear-side face and a tube-side face are formed in the pinion gear and the inner tube, respectively, in which the faces are facing each other, and a cushioning member is disposed between the gear-side face and the tube-side face. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100264670 | STARTER FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - In a starter for starting an internal combustion engine with a first output shaft to which a ring gear is coupled, a motor has a second output shaft to which a movable pinion member is coupled and is operative to, when energized, rotate the second output shaft. A solenoid device includes a solenoid actuator linked to the movable pinion member. The solenoid actuator is configured to, when activated, shift the movable pinion member toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. The solenoid device includes a solenoid switch configure to, when activated, energize the motor. The solenoid actuator and the solenoid switch are integrated with each other to provide the solenoid device. A controller module is configured to individually control an activation of the solenoid actuator and an activation of the solenoid switch. The controller module is mounted on the solenoid device. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100264764 | STARTER FOR VEHICLES - A solenoid for pushing out a pinion pushes out a pinion gear to a ring gear side and a switch for motor energization that opens and closes a motor point of contact have a solenoid coil and a switch coil that form an electromagnet by energization, respectively. A fixed iron core used commonly by both coils is arranged between the solenoid coil and the switch coil. A solenoid yoke that covers a perimeter of the solenoid and a switch yoke that covers a perimeter of the switch are formed integrally as a whole yoke in an axial direction. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100264765 | APPARATUS FOR STARTING ENGINE MOUNTED ON-VEHICLE - In a starter for starting an on-vehicle engine, a solenoid is provided to push a pinion gear. The solenoid has an electromagnetic coil composed of a single coil and electrically separated from a motor circuit, a fixed core, and a plunger. Supply of excitation current to the electromagnetic coil allows the fixed core to be magnetized to attract the plunger. Hence, a movement of the plunger results in a push of the movable member toward the ring gear. A switch is provided in the circuit and has a contact, a movable core, and a switch coil functioning as an electromagnet attracting the movable core in response to supply of current to the switch coil. A movement of the movable core results in on/off switching operations of the switch. The switch is allowed to operate independently of the solenoid when both the switch and solenoid are controlled. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100269630 | ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS - In an engine starting apparatus, together with a one-way clutch, a pinion is pushed toward a ring gear of an engine mounted in a vehicle, The one-way clutch has an idling torque smaller than a torque of the ring gear that tries to turn the pinion when the pinion is pushed to the ring gear. By a control device, a pinion pushing device is enabled to operate when i) the revolution speed of the ring gear is larger than a revolution speed of the pinion and ii) a relative revolution speed between the revolution speed of the ring gear and the revolution speed of the pinion is a desired value. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100269631 | STARTER FOR VEHICLES - A starter for starting an engine in a vehicle is disclosed. The starter includes a motor and an output shaft that rotates by receiving torque from the motor. The starter also includes a pinion movable body that includes a pinion for transmitting the torque of the motor to a ring gear of the engine. The pinion movable body is provided on an outer circumference of the output shaft integrally with the pinion in a manner allowing movement along an axial direction thereof. The pinion is pushed towards the ring gear by a pinion-pushing means. A motor current-supply means turns ON and OFF energizing current flowing to the motor. A shock absorbing device is disposed on a torque transmitting path transmitting the torque of the motor to the pinion. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100326389 | SYSTEM FOR RESTARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WHEN ENGINE RESTART REQUEST OCCURS - In a system, a starter includes a motor for rotatably driving an output shaft with a pinion and an actuator that shifts the pinion toward a ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. A monitor unit monitors a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine. The rotational speed of the internal combustion engine drops after an automatic control for stop of the engine. When an engine restart request occurs with the rotational speed being within a preset range during the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine dropping by the automatic control for stop of the engine, a drive unit drives the actuator to shift the pinion toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. The drive unit rotatably drives the motor with the pinion being engaged with the ring gear to thereby crank the crankshaft. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110001589 | ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY FOR STARTERS - Terminal-bolts and a fixed contact are formed with different kinds of metals, and fixed to a fixing hole formed in the fixed contact by press fitting one end of the terminal-bolts. A plurality of concavo-convex parts is provided on a surface of the fixed contact that faces the movable contact. A plurality of concavo-convex portions is provided on another surface of the fixed contact that faces an anti movable-contact side. The concavo-convex portions are arranged so that positions of concave parts of the concavo-convex portions match positions of convex parts of the concavo-convex portions provided in the opposite surface of the fixed contact. The concavo-convex parts are at least partly curved, and have the same height and project in a height direction from the fixed contact. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110140813 | ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCH WITH ENHANCED STABILITY IN OPERATION - A normally-closed electromagnetic relay which may be used in controlling a supply of electric current to an automotive engine starter. The electromagnetic relay is equipped with a resistor and a shirt circuit. The short circuit is created by closing of relay contacts when a relay coil is energized to establish an electric connection between ends of the resistor to supply the current from a battery to an electric motor without flowing through the resistor and opened by opening of the relay contacts when the relay coil is deenergized to supply the electric current from the battery to the electric motor through the resistor. If a motor drive signal line leading to the electromagnetic relay is disconnected when the relay coil is kept energized, it will cause the short circuit to be established to ensure the supply of current to the motor, which also avoids the melting down of the resistor. | 06-16-2011 |
