Arrangement of solenoid assembly with an electronic switch for a starter motor

Abstract

A starter for starting an engine in a vehicle, which 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. The solenoid assembly consist of two divisions, one for to pull up the drive in the solenoid and the other to activate the starter motor by energizing the electronic circuit.

Claims

1. A solenoid assembly for a starter motor comprising: a plunger assembly having a return spring which is enabled through a frame, and a bobbin assembly, said solenoid assembly further comprises a single solenoid coil and an electronic circuit, said electronic circuit consisting of a plurality of MOSFETs, the MOSFETSs being arranged in parallel, a first resistor coupled to a source of each of the MOSFETS, a second resistor coupled a drain of each of the MOSFETs, said bobbin assembly is surrounded by said single solenoid coil, a first switch being connected to a battery, the first switch connects the MOSFETs and the first resistor and the second resistor of each of the MOSFETs to the single solenoid coil, a second switch being connected to the battery and the drive assembly, wherein said solenoid assembly separately actuates said electronic circuit by actuating the first switch for energizing the starter motor and said solenoid coil and the second switch for activating a drive assembly.

2. The solenoid assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said single solenoid coil and said electronic circuit are connected through a plunger strip.

3. The solenoid assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solenoid assembly is covered by a cap assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will be better understood fully from the detailed description that is given herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which, however, should not be deemed to be a limitation to the invention to the specific embodiments, but, are for the purpose of explanation and understanding only.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional starter motor in disengaged condition.

(4) FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional starter motor in engaged condition.

(5) FIG. 3 is an exploded view of conventional solenoid assembly.

(6) FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing new arrangement of solenoid assembly with electronic switch for starter motor in disengaged position according to this invention.

(7) FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing new arrangement of solenoid assembly with electronic switch for starter motor in engaged position according to this invention.

(8) FIG. 6 is an exploded view of new solenoid assembly with an electronic switch.

(9) FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram for an electronic switch used in the solenoid assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, the detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the corresponding drawings shown herein below are to be understood that the present disclosure shall be deemed as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar or corresponding parts in the several views of FIG. 4-7.

(11) Referring to FIG. 4, discloses the starter with new arrangement of solenoid assembly, wherein the one end of the output shaft 15 is connected to the armature shaft and the armature shaft is in turn connects to the end plate assembly 5. The output shaft 15 is connected to pinion through drive assembly 1 and the armature assembly 2, the frame assembly 3 is covered on the armature assembly as a protection layer. At the end of the end plate assembly a battery positive terminal B+ve 4. A brush braid 6 which is connected to the solenoid assembly 11, and S+ 7 and battery negative terminal Bve 8 is also connected to the solenoid assembly. There is an electronic switch 9 which is the newly designed setup in this solenoid, the solenoid coil 10 is surrounded on the plunger 12 and the contact space. The plunger 12 end is connected to the lever 13 which also had a direct connect with pinion 14 of the starter motor.

(12) As shown, the starter according to the embodiment includes an electric motor serving as a power source for driving an engine. The starter also includes a speed reducer, an output shaft, a pinion movable body, a pinion-pushing solenoid, a motor current-supply switch, and a shock absorbing device. The pinion movable body includes a pinion and a clutch. In addition, the longer direction of the starter is the axial direction, the directions which are radially-perpendicular to the axial direction are radial direction, and the rotation direction centring on the axis of the longer direction is a circumferential direction.

(13) The motor receives power supplied from a power supply and rotates, thereby generating torque for starting the engine. The speed reducer is connected to a rotating shaft of the motor and reduces the speed of rotation of the rotating shaft. The output shaft is connected on the output side of the speed reducer. Therefore, the speed of the rotation of the motor is reduced by the speed reducer, and the rotation is transmitted to the output shaft. The pinion is provided on the output shaft such as to be allowed to slide along the output shaft. Therefore, as described hereafter, when the pinion pushing solenoid is driven, the pinion moves towards a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, that is, the pinion moves toward left side in axial direction, and the pinion meshes with the ring gear, the torque of the motor is transmitted to the ring gear by the pinion rotating in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, when the pinion-pushing solenoid is not being driven, the pinion separates from the ring gear of the engine. That is, the pinion moves toward light side in axial direction. In this instance, the torque of the motor is not transmitted to the ring gear.

(14) The pinion movable body is configured integrally with the pinion and disposed on the outer circumference of the output shaft. Using its electromagnetic force, the pinion-pushing solenoid pushes the pinion movable body via a shift lever in a direction moving away from the motor in the axial direction, namely in a direction moving towards the ring gear of the engine. The pinion-pushing solenoid and the shift lever configure a pinion-pushing means.

(15) The motor a brushed direct-current motor including a field magnet, an armature, and a brush. The field magnet is configured by a plurality of permanent magnets. The armature includes an armature shaft. A commutator is provided on one end section of the armature shaft. The brush is disposed such as to be in contact with an outer circumferential surface (referred to as a commutator surface) of the commutator. A brush spring presses the brush against the commutator surface. Instead of the permanent magnets, an electrical magnet configured by a field coil may be used as the field magnet.

(16) Referring to FIG. 5 discusses about working of starter motor in the engaged position, the power supply from battery connects to the B+ve terminal this energise the brush assembly in the motor, and through brush braid the solenoid activates and the switch opens the circuit. The gate is activated through the power source from vehicle level architecture changes and the plunger pull back to the contact and the lever engages to the pinion and the motor starts running accordingly.

(17) Referring to FIG. 6, the exploded view new arrangement of solenoid assembly 11, it consist of a plunger assembly 21 with a return spring 22 which is enabled through frame 23. In this arrangement there is single coil 25, not like conventional solenoid which contains two coil as primary and secondary coils. The coil 25 is surrounded on the bobbin assembly 24, there is a plunger strip 26 which connects the electronic circuit assembly 27 and the coil. The whole set of solenoid assembly is covered by a cap assembly 28. This electronic circuit assembly 27 is used to drive a motor alone and the adjacent side of solenoid such as coil 25 and plunger strip 26 which is for drive assembly activation process.

(18) The electronic circuit assembly 27 of the new solenoid arrangement is explained in FIG. 7, consist of battery with two terminal B+ and B, further the Bve is grounded and B+ve connected to the coil 25 through a switch SW2 and the other end of the coil 25 is grounded to close the circuit, this setup used convert the electric movement to linear movement for pulling up the drive of solenoid assembly. And the end of the battery connects to MOSFETs and resistors through and another switch SW1. There are three MOSFETs M1, M2 and M3 which is connected to the resistors R1 to R6 respectively to operate the motor brush M and M+ is connected to the batter source via SW1. This part of the electronic circuit is used to motor specifically. This type of new solenoid is effective in the start in drive arrangements and the solenoid life time will be increased up to a level. Hence, the preferred embodiment disclosed in the foregoing description should not construed as a limitation to the scope of the present invention.

(19) It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed in the foregoing description. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments described in detail herein are illustrative only and are not limiting to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full extent of the appended claims.