ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY, MORE PARTICULARLY STARTER RELAY, AND METHOD FOR ACTUATING A STARTER DEVICE HAVING A STARTER RELAY

Abstract

The invention relates to an electromagnetic starter relay having an armature that is axially adjustably arranged, and having a pull-in winding, a hold-in winding and a switching winding. The hold-in winding is connected in series to the pull-in winding, wherein, in a phase stage of the meshing phase only the pull-in winding can be energised and in a different phase stage both the pull-in winding and the hold-in winding can be energised.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay, specifically a starter relay for a starter device of a combustion engine, having an axially displaceable armature with a pull-in winding, a hold-in winding and a switching winding, characterized in that the hold-in winding is connected in series with the pull-in winding wherein, in a phase stage of a meshing phase, only the pull-in winding can be energized and, in a further phase stage of the meshing phase, the pull-in winding and the hold-in winding can be energized in combination.

2. The relay as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pull-in winding and the hold-in winding are arranged in a same magnetic circuit.

3. The relay as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pull-in winding and the switching winding are arranged in different magnetic circuits.

4. The relay as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the hold-in winding is dimensioned so as to be smaller than the pull-in winding.

5. The relay as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pull-in winding and the hold-in winding are energizable in a mutually independent manner.

6. A starter device for a combustion engine having a relay as claimed in claim 1 by way of a starter relay, and having an electric starter motor for the start-up of the combustion engine.

7. A method for actuating the starter device as claimed in claim 6 wherein, for meshing of a starter pinion with a toothed wheel of the combustion engine, in a first phase stage of the meshing phase, only the pull-in winding in the starter relay is energized and, as the meshing phase (14) progresses further, the hold-in winding is additionally energized, wherein the hold-in winding is connected in series with the pull-in winding.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, subsequent to the first phase stage of the meshing phase, only the hold-in winding is energized.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, in a final phase stage of the meshing phase, only the pull-in winding in the starter relay is energized.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized by the execution thereof on a switched-off combustion engine.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, subsequent to expiry of a waiting phase for start-up of the combustion engine, the switching winding is additionally energized.

Description

[0020] Further advantages and appropriate embodiments proceed from the further claims, the description of the figures and the drawings. In the drawings:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a starter device for a combustion engine, having a starter relay for the displacement of a starter pinion,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the starter device, with a detailed representation of the starter relay,

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the circuit layout of the starter relay,

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the circuit layout of the starter relay, in one embodiment variant.

[0025] In the figures, identical components are identified by the same reference numbers.

[0026] The starter device 1 for a combustion engine represented in FIG. 1 comprises a starter pinion 2 which, for the start-up of the combustion engine 4, is brought into engagement with a toothed wheel 3 of the combustion engine. The starter pinion 2 is axially displaceably mounted on a shaft 5, as indicated by the double-headed arrow, wherein the starter pinion 2 is coupled to the shaft 5 in a rotationally fixed manner. The starter pinion 2 is displaced between a withdrawn outer operating position and a forward engaged position with the toothed wheel 3 of the combustion engine 4 by means of a starter relay 6, which is electromagnetically configured and comprises energizable relay windings 7 and a lifting armature 8 which is loaded by spring force in a starting position and which, upon the energization of a pull-in winding, which is a constituent of the relay windings 7, is displaced into a meshing position. The lifting armature 8 is kinematically coupled to the starter pinion 2 by means of an engagement lever 9, such that the axial displacement motion of the lifting armature 8 between the starting position and the meshing position is translated into a corresponding axial travel motion of the starter pinion 2 between the outer operating position and the engaged position.

[0027] The rotary drive motion of the shaft 5 or the starter pinion 2 is generated by means of an electric starter motor 11, which is coupled to the shaft 5 via a planetary gear train 12. Upon the actuation of the electric starter motor 11, the shaft 5, and thus additionally the starter pinion 2, are set in rotation.

[0028] A control unit 10 is assigned to the starter device 1, by means of which the functions of the starter relay 6 and of the starter motor 11 are controlled.

[0029] Once the lifting armature 8 has achieved the meshing position, the electric current for the starter motor 11 can be switched-on wherein, in the starter relay 6, a switching winding is energized and a switching armature 13 is displaced. The switching winding is also a constituent of the relay windings 7. In the switched-on state, the starter motor 11 drives the shaft 5 and the starter pinion 2 in a rotary motion.

[0030] FIG. 2 represents the starter relay 6 in greater detail. The starter relay 6 comprises, in a housing, the lifting armature 8, to which two series-connected windings 14, 15 are assigned, of which the winding 14 constitutes a pull-in winding and the winding 15 constitutes a hold-in winding. The starter relay 6 moreover comprises the switching armature 13, which is configured separately from the lifting armature 8 and to which the switching winding 16 is assigned. The pull-in winding 14 and the series-connected hold-in winding 15 are arranged in a first magnetic circuit, which also incorporates the lifting armature 8 whereas, conversely, the switching winding 16 and the switching armature 13 are arranged in a second magnetic circuit. The energization of the pull-in winding 14, the hold-in winding 15 and the switching winding 16 is executed in a mutually independent manner by means of a circuit logic which is arranged in the control unit 10. The switching winding 16 is axially offset in relation to the pull-in winding 14 and the hold-in winding 15.

[0031] In a start-up process of the combustion engine, the pull-in winding 14 is energized, whereafter the lifting armature 8 is drawn into the pull-in winding 14 and the hold-in winding 15 and the engagement lever 9 is displaced, such that the starter pinion 2 meshes and engages with the toothed wheel 3 of the combustion engine. After meshing, the switching winding 16 is energized; the switching armature 13 is displaced, and an electrical contact is established, whereafter the starter motor 11, which is connected to the vehicle battery 17, is started up.

[0032] FIG. 3 represents a circuit logic, having a switching arrangement 18 for the actuation and energization of the pull-in winding 14, the hold-in winding 15 and the switching winding 16. The switching arrangement 18 can be a constituent of the control unit 10, or communicates with the control unit 10.

[0033] The control arrangement 18 comprises three switches 19, 20 and 21, of which the switches 19 and 20 are assigned to the pull-in winding 14 and the series-connected hold-in winding 15, and the switch 21 is assigned to the switching winding 16. By the assignment of two switches 19, 20 to the pull-in and hold-in windings 14, 15, various switching states and energizations of the windings 14, 15 can be achieved.

[0034] For the premeshing of the starter pinion into the meshed position with the toothed wheel of the combustion engine, the switch 19 is actuated and only the pull-in winding 14 is energized. Conversely, the hold-in winding 15 and the switching winding 16 initially remain in a de-energized state. Upon the achievement of the meshed position, if start-up is desired, the switch 21 is additionally actuated and the switching winding 16 is energized, whereafter the electric starter motor is actuated and the starter pinion is set in rotation. Once the combustion engine has been started, the windings 14 and 16 are disconnected.

[0035] By means of the switching arrangement 18 represented in FIG. 3, a waiting situation can also be achieved, for example when the vehicle is waiting at traffic lights, during which the combustion engine is switched off, but will require restarting within a short time. To this end, firstly, as described above, the switch 19 is actuated and the pull-in winding 14 is energized, until the pinion meshes with the toothed wheel of the combustion engine. Once the meshing position has been achieved, the switch 19 is switched off and the switch 20 is switched on in its place, whereafter both the pull-in winding 14 and the series-connected hold-in winding 15 are energized, but with a lower current. The starter pinion is meshed with the toothed wheel of the combustion engine, and remains in the meshed position as long as the switch 20 is switched on and the two windings 14 and 15 are energized in combination. As soon as a start-up is desired, the switching winding 16 is additionally energized by the switch-on of the switch 21, and the starter motor is set in rotation.

[0036] FIG. 4 represents an embodiment variant of the circuit logic having the switching arrangement 18 in which a further switch 22 is present, which is assigned to the combination of the pull-in winding 14 and hold-in winding 15. The function of the remaining switches 19 to 21 corresponds to that of the switches represented in FIG. 3.

[0037] The circuit logic represented in FIG. 4 permits a soft meshing of the starter pinion with the toothed wheel, at a reduced speed. To this end, in a first phase stage of the meshing phase, by the actuation of the switch 19, firstly only the pull-in winding 14 is energized, and the lifting armature accelerates at a relatively high speed. However, this first phase stage only lasts for a limited time, for example not exceeding 10 ms. This is succeeded by a second phase stage of the meshing phase, in which both the switch 20 and the switch 22 are switched on, but the switch 19 is switched off. With the switches 20 and 22 switched on, only the hold-in winding 15 is energized, whereas the pull-in winding 14 remains de-energized. The hold-in winding 15 dimensioned so as to be smaller than the pull-in winding 14 and, for example, is equipped with a smaller number of turns, such that the remainder of the meshing process is executed at a reduced speed.

[0038] Once the meshed position has been achieved, in which the starter pinion engages with the toothed wheel of the combustion machine, only the switch 20 is activated whereas, conversely, the further switches 19 and 22 are switched off. With the switch 20 activated, both the pull-in winding 14 and the hold-in winding 15 are energized, wherein the current magnitude is lower than in the event of the exclusive energization of the pull-in winding 14. This state for the maintenance of the meshed position, with the starter pinion engaged in the toothed wheel of the combustion engine, is maintained until a start-up is desired, whereafter the switching winding 16 is additionally energized by the switch-on of the switch 21.

[0039] For a normal starting process, with no waiting phase, in which the starter pinion is to be maintained in the meshed position with the toothed wheel, as represented in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, the pull-in winding 14 is energized by the activation of the switch 19 whereas, conversely, the hold-in winding 15 remains de-energized. Once the starter pinion has engaged with the toothed wheel, the switching winding 16 is additionally energized by the activation of the switch 21.