JP2008111343A - Engine starting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect unexpected failure of a starter 2, in an economy running type engine starting device 1 having only one meshing type starter 2. <P>SOLUTION: This engine starting device 1 has a first detecting means 15 detecting contact resistance of a sliding contact part of a commutator and a brush, a second detecting means 16 detecting contact resistance of an abutting part of a movable contact point 9 and a fixed contact point 11, and a third detecting means 17 detecting resistance of a relay 14. When the resistance increases in these three places, risk of causing the unexpected failure in the starter 2 increases. Then, the engine starting device 1 can detect the unexpected failure of the starter 2 by detecting the resistance of the three places. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine starter capable of eco-run mode operation.

  2. Description of the Related Art An engine starter that can perform an eco-run mode operation that restarts the engine when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is stopped during idling (hereinafter referred to as “eco-run engine starter”) is known. Some eco-run engine starting devices include only one meshing starter.

  The eco-run type engine starter having only one meshing starter performs engine start and restart with only one meshing starter, and thus is low in cost and easy to operate. However, since the reliability of the eco-run type engine starter depends only on this one meshing starter, if an accidental failure occurs in this one meshing starter, the engine start and restart will be hindered. There is a risk of doing.

Some eco-run engine starting devices include only one belt-type starter that transmits rotational force to the engine by a belt. An eco-run type engine starter equipped with this one belt type starter is provided with means for detecting a belt tension abnormality and detects an unexpected starter failure by detecting the tension abnormality (Patent Document 1). . However, this technique cannot be applied to a meshing starter, and a means for detecting an unexpected starter failure in the meshing starter is not disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-319443

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is possible to detect an unexpected starter failure in an eco-run engine starter having only one meshing starter.

[Means of Claim 1]
The engine starter according to claim 1 is an engine starter provided with an eco-run mode operation means for restarting the engine when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is stopped at idling. One engagement type starter that meshes a predetermined gear with a ring gear and starts the engine, and a detection unit that detects a resistance of a portion where the contact state changes with time in the energization circuit of the starter.
If the resistance increases at the portion where the contact state changes with time, the risk of unexpected failure of the starter increases. Therefore, the engine starter can detect an unexpected starter failure by adopting the above-described configuration and detecting the resistance of the portion where the contact state changes with time.

[Means of claim 2]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the starter has a motor that generates a driving force for rotating the gear, and the detecting means detects a contact resistance between the commutator of the motor and the brush.
This engine starting device detects the contact resistance of the sliding contact portion between the commutator of the motor and the brush as the resistance of the portion where the contact state changes with time.

[Means of claim 3]
In the engine starting device according to claim 3, the starter includes a motor that generates a driving force for rotating the gear, and an electromagnetic switch that turns on and off power supply to the motor, and the detection means includes a movable contact of the electromagnetic switch. Detects the contact resistance with the fixed contact.
This engine starting device detects the contact resistance of the contact portion between the movable contact and the fixed contact of the electromagnetic switch as the resistance of the portion where the contact state changes with time.

[Means of claim 4]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the starter includes a motor that generates a driving force for rotating the gear, and an electromagnetic switch that turns on and off the power supply to the motor, and the detection means is connected to the solenoid coil of the electromagnetic switch. It detects the resistance of the relay that turns on / off the power supply.
This engine starting device detects the resistance of a relay that turns on and off the power supply to the solenoid coil of the electromagnetic switch as the resistance of the portion where the contact state changes with time.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention is to provide an engine starter with an “starter” for the purpose of enabling an unexpected starter failure to be detected in an eco-run engine starter having only one meshing starter. This is realized by providing a detecting means for detecting the resistance of the portion of the energization circuit where the contact state changes with time.

[Configuration of Example 1]
FIG. 1 shows the first embodiment.
The engine starter 1 according to the present embodiment includes one meshing starter 2 that starts an engine (not shown), an electronic control unit (hereinafter abbreviated as ECU) that controls the operation of the starter 2, and the like. .

  The starter 2 engages its own pinion gear (not shown) with an engine ring gear (not shown) to start the engine. The starter 2 generates a driving force for rotating the pinion gear and the motor 3. And an electromagnetic switch 4 for turning on / off the power supply.

  The motor 3 energizes the armature coil and the field coil by sliding contact between the commutator and the brush to generate a driving force.

The electromagnetic switch 4 includes a solenoid coil 7 that generates a magnetic force when energized, a plunger 8 that is displaced by the magnetic force of the solenoid coil 7, a movable contact 9 that is held by the plunger 8 and is displaced together with the plunger 8, a circuit of the motor 3, and a power source 10 and a fixed contact 11 connected to 10. The electromagnetic switch 4 turns the power supply to the motor 3 on and off when the movable contact 9 is separated from the fixed contact 11.
The energization circuit of the starter 2 is provided with a relay 14 that turns on and off the power supply to the solenoid coil 7.

  The ECU is a well-known microcomputer that includes functions of a CPU that performs control processing and arithmetic processing, a storage device that stores various programs and data, and the like. The ECU functions as an eco-run mode operation unit that restarts the engine when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is stopped during idling. For example, the ECU stops the engine after the engine speed becomes idle speed, the accelerator opening becomes zero, and a predetermined time elapses, and the engine is restarted when the accelerator opening starts increasing after the engine stops. Start.

  Further, the engine starter 1 of the present embodiment includes three detection means (hereinafter referred to as a first detection means 15 and a second detection means) that detect resistances of three portions whose contact state changes with time in the energization circuit of the starter 2. 16 and third detection means 17). The first to third detection means 15 to 17 are, for example, circuits that are connected in parallel to the detection portion and output a voltage drop in the detection portion to the ECU as a detection signal. That is, the first to third detection means 15 to 17 detect the resistance of the detection portion by outputting a voltage drop that changes according to the resistance of the detection portion as a detection signal.

  Specifically, the first detection means 15 detects the contact resistance of the sliding contact portion between the commutator and the brush, and the second detection means 16 detects the contact resistance of the contact portion between the movable contact 9 and the fixed contact 11. The third detection means 17 detects the resistance of the relay 14. If the ECU determines whether there is an abnormality in the starter 2 based on the detected resistance and determines that there is an abnormality, for example, the ECU stops the function as the eco-run mode operation means and turns on a predetermined lamp. To inform the user of the abnormality.

[Effect of Example 1]
The engine starting device 1 according to the present embodiment detects the contact resistance of the first contact means 15 that detects the contact resistance of the sliding contact portion between the commutator and the brush, and the contact portion of the movable contact 9 and the fixed contact 11. Second detection means 16 and third detection means 17 for detecting the resistance of relay 14 are provided.
If the resistance increases at the three portions of the commutator and the brush, the contact portion between the movable contact 9 and the fixed contact 11, and the relay 14, there is a high possibility that the starter 2 will be accidentally broken. Therefore, the engine starter 1 of the present embodiment can detect an unexpected failure of the starter 2 by detecting the resistances at the three locations.

1 is a circuit diagram of an engine starting device (Example 1). FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine starter 2 Starter 3 Motor 4 Electromagnetic switch 7 Solenoid coil 9 Movable contact 11 Fixed contact 14 Relay 15 1st detection means 16 2nd detection means 17 3rd detection means

Claims (4)

An engine starter comprising eco-run mode operation means for restarting the engine when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is stopped at idling,
One meshing starter that meshes a predetermined gear with the ring gear of the engine and starts the engine;
An engine starter comprising: detecting means for detecting a resistance of a portion where the contact state changes with time in the energization circuit of the starter. The engine starter according to claim 1,
The starter has a motor that generates a driving force for rotating the gear;
The engine starter characterized in that the detection means detects a contact resistance between a commutator of the motor and a brush. The engine starter according to claim 1,
The starter includes a motor for generating a driving force for rotating the gear;
An electromagnetic switch for turning on and off the power supply to the motor,
The engine starter characterized in that the detection means detects a contact resistance between a movable contact and a fixed contact of the electromagnetic switch. The engine starter according to claim 1,
The starter includes a motor for generating a driving force for rotating the gear;
An electromagnetic switch for turning on and off the power supply to the motor,
The engine starter characterized in that the detection means detects a resistance of a relay that turns on and off power supply to a solenoid coil of the electromagnetic switch.

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