A method actuates a starter of an internal combustion engine by way of a starter relay. The starter relay is configured to supply the starter optionally with current via an on-board electrical system. The method has the following steps: determining an error status of the internal combustion engine; commencing repeated actuations of the starter relay; determining a current status of the internal combustion engine, wherein the current status of the internal combustion engine displays at least one error status or at least one operating status; and, if the current status displays at least one operating status, ending the repeated actuation of the starter relay, otherwise once again determining the current status. A system for actuating a starter of an internal combustion engine includes a control device, a power source, a starter relay, connected to the control device and configured to supply the starter of the internal combustion engine optionally with current from the power source via an on-board electrical system, wherein the control device is configured to carry out the method.

There is provided an engine starting device, including: a motor generator coupled to a crankshaft of an engine; and a starter including a pinion provided in a detachable manner from a ring gear provided on the crankshaft, and configured to mesh with the ring gear when the engine is started, wherein the engine is cranked through simultaneous cranking by both of the motor generator and the starter when a condition set in advance is satisfied, and wherein, in the simultaneous cranking, the starter starts rotating after the motor generator starts rotating.

A method for operating a vehicle that may be automatically stopped and started is described. In one example, the method includes supply electrical current to a starter motor independently from supplying electrical current to a starter solenoid. In addition, the method includes adjusting and amount of electrical current that is delivered to the starter motor in response to a level of urgency of an automatic engine start.

A starter assembly which includes a switch for energizing a solenoid. Energizing the solenoid biases a starter gear into engagement and energizes the starter motor. A thermally responsive switch is positioned to absorb heat generated by operation of the electric motor and is disposed in an electrical line controlling operation of the switch controlling the solenoid wherein opening of the thermally responsive switch results in the opening of the solenoid switch. The use of such a thermally responsive switch de-energizes the electric motor when the electric motor is subjected to elevated operating temperatures that might otherwise cause damage to the electric motor. The starter assembly may also include control circuitry that includes a microprocessor wherein the control circuitry is operably coupled with the switch controlling the solenoid. The control circuitry is programmed to de-energize the solenoid upon the satisfaction of predetermined conditions to thereby prevent damage to the electrical motor.

A starter assembly includes a multi-phase brushless electric motor including a stator, a rotor disposed on a rotatable shaft, and a motor endcap disposed at a first end of the stator. An electronic commutator assembly includes a sensing circuit, a control electronics subassembly, a power electronics subassembly and a heat sink. The sensing circuit is disposed adjacent to the second end of the rotatable shaft. The control electronics subassembly, the power electronics subassembly and the heat sink are disposed on disk-shaped devices arranged in a stacked configuration orthogonal to the axis defined by the rotatable shaft. The control electronics subassembly is disposed adjacent to the sensing circuit, and the power electronics subassembly is disposed adjacent to the control electronics subassembly. The control electronics subassembly is interposed between the power electronics subassembly and the sensing circuit. The heat sink is disposed adjacent to the power electronics subassembly.

The invention relates to a switching device (10) of a starting device for an engine, comprising: —two terminals (11, 12) of a supply electrical circuit of a motor; a solenoid device (13) having an axis (14) and comprising: —a solenoid coil (16) wound around said axis (14); —a plunger (17) which is partially housed in the solenoid coil (16) and which includes a core (18) and a contact plate (21); wherein, when electric current passes through the solenoid coil (16), the plunger (17) is caused to move axially from an inactive position to an active position, thereby moving a pinion gear of the motor into engagement with a ring gear of the engine, in which active position the contact plate (21) is in contact with the terminals (11,12) for closing the motor supply circuit; —a relay (30) having an axis and comprising: —a relay coil (36); —a movable member (31) which, when electric current passes through the relay coil (36), is caused to move from an open position in which electric current cannot pass through the solenoid coil (16), to a closed position in which electric current is made to pass through the solenoid coil (16); the solenoid device (13) and the relay (30) having one and the same axis (14).

An electromagnetic switch for a starting device of an internal combustion engine may include a coil carrier having a carrier wall enclosing a cavity, a coil winding, a piston, and a ferromagnetic bypass body. During operation, the coil winding may provide a magnetic field within the cavity. The piston may be disposed in a passive position and may be adjusted axially in a direction of a core. The coil winding may have a coil wire which may be wound around the carrier wall in a first winding direction and an opposing second winding direction. The ferromagnetic bypass body may surround the cavity and may be arranged radially between the cavity and the coil winding. In the passive position of the piston, the bypass body may axially overlap the axial gap. At least one winding of the second winding section may axially overlap the bypass body.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the state of charge of a vehicle battery (150) of a vehicle, a starter relay of a starting device (100) for an internal combustion engine of the vehicle for engaging a starter pinion in a ring gear of the internal combustion engine having a first winding (121) and a second winding (122) which can be controlled independently of one another, the first winding (121) being controlled in predetermined control states and voltage values that are established in the course of these control states being determined and the state of charge of the vehicle battery (150) being determined depending on the determined voltage values.

A solenoid drive may include a ferromagnetic housing having a coil receiving chamber axially limited by opposing face side walls, a cylindrical coil arrangement having at least one electric coil, the coil arrangement being arranged in the chamber and coaxially surrounding a cylindrical coil interior space, a ferromagnetic plunger stop having a central region projecting axially in the interior space, a ferromagnetic plunger arranged at the housing opposing the plunger stop, and a ferromagnetic bypass device extending in a circumferential direction and arranged coaxially with respect to the coil arrangement and radially within the coil. The plunger may project axially into the coil interior space and may be adjustable axially bi-directionally relative to the housing between active and distal positions, which are proximal and distal, respectively, with respect to the central region. The bypass device may be spaced apart axially from the face side walls. In the passive position, the plunger may project axially into the bypass device such that an axial overlap between the plunger and the bypass device may be defined.

A movable iron core, a primary attracting and holding coil, a resistor electrically connected to an upstream start-up electric contact, and an auxiliary attracting and holding coil electrically connected to the upstream start-up electric contact are included. The movable iron core displaces a pinion from a separated position to a contact position. After the pinion is displaced from the separated position to the contact position, the upstream start-up electric contact is electrically disconnected from another start-up electric contact to cut off a current to the motor, and the movable iron core displaces the pinion from the contact position to an engaged position with the magnetomotive force of the primary attracting and holding coil and a magnetomotive force of the auxiliary attracting and holding coil. After the pinion is displaced from the contact position to the engaged position, main electric contacts are electrically connected to resume electric connection to the motor.