FR2623568A1 - ELECTRIC STARTER WITH SOLENOIDAL ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF MOTOR VEHICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

Electric starter for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising an electric motor and a solenodal contactor, characterized in that the solenodal contactor comprises an auxiliary switch 44, controlled by the movement of the plunger core 21 which via the support rod power contact 28 ensures the switching off of the inrush winding 25 during the starting phase corresponding to the axial displacement of the starter pinion 14 until the moment when it arrives near the ring gear 19 for starting the engine at internal combustion.

Description

i 2623568 The present invention relates to a starter with contactor

  electromagnetic for internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the plunger core is connected to a pivoting fork box of the starter, ensuring the positioning of the starter pinion of said starter with the toothed ring of the internal combustion engine. In this type of starter, because the connection between the starter battery and the electric circuit of the starter does not take place as soon as the electromagnetic contactor is energized, the starter not supplied

  does not rotate the starter pinion.

  A spring working on compression or extension depending on its location, allows by its action, in the case where a tooth of the pinion abuts in a tooth of the ring gear of the internal combustion engine, to connect the starter battery to electric circuit of the starter motor in order to cause its rotation and consequently the penetration of the pinion in the crown by the relaxation of the meshing spring, which is essential for penetration

  correct of said pinion in said crown.

  These powerful springs condition the dimensioning of the electromagnetic contacts and

starters.

  In addition, in order to reduce their consumption, these contactors comprise, in a known manner, two windings, one, called "call", with high current, which is short-circuited when the direct connection of the starter battery with the electric circuit supplying the starter motor, the other of low current, and called "holding", de-energized by

  the start control switch.

  The fork lever which actuates the starter pinion is linked to the plunger core of the electromagnetic contactor

  through the meshing spring.

  As soon as the starting circuit is energized by

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  the control switch, the inertia reaction of the launcher opposes the brutal force of magnetic attraction produced by the two windings "call" and "holding", which add up, on the plunger core which thus undergoes a sudden acceleration as soon as the plunger core moves to catch up with the functional clearances

  inherent in the proper functioning of the starter.

  In the case where the meshing spring is disposed in the electromagnetic contactor, said spring compresses and this results in desynchronization between the movement of the plunger core and the movement of the starter pinion. It therefore happens that, under certain conditions, the power supply contacts of the starter motor close before the pinion has entered the starting ring gear of the internal combustion engine. The premature rotation of the pinion generally results in the teeth of the pinion abutting against the teeth of the starting toothed crown and causes, if the defect is repeated, the deterioration of the teeth of these two organs and, subsequently, the destruction

of the starting system.

  However, the combined efforts to attract the call and hold windings are not necessary. Indeed, the only holding winding is capable of advancing the pinion of the launcher near the toothed ring for starting the internal combustion engine. It is only when the starter pinion arrives in the tooth-to-tooth position with the crown that it is essential to supply the two call and holding windings to request the meshing spring. The object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects by reducing the force of attraction of the plunger core as long as the starter pinion does not reach the vicinity of the ring gear.

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  into which it must penetrate, so that the inertia force remains less than the pre-stress of the meshing spring. This results in perfect synchronization between the plunger core and the starter pinion. To this end, the present invention relates to an electric starter for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising an electric motor and an electromagnetic contactor constituted by a plunger core which is connected to one end of a pivoting fork lever disposed at the interior of the starter to ensure the engagement of the starter pinion with the toothed ring for starting the internal combustion engine, requests a power contact rod to close the electric circuit supplying the starter motor, and two windings including l magnetic attraction causes the displacement of the plunger core, windings one of which is called "call", with high current, is short-circuited as soon as the direct connection of the starter battery with the electrical supply circuit is established of the starter motor, the other, of low current, and called "holding" being de-energized only by the start control switch, characterized in that includes an auxiliary switch, controlled by the displacement of the plunger core which, by means of the power contact carrier rod, ensures that the winding is switched off during the start-up phase corresponding to an axial displacement of the starter pinion until it comes close to the starting ring gear of the internal combustion engine. The auxiliary switch is connected to the supply circuit of the inrush winding and consists, on the one hand, of two conductive tabs carried by an insulating support housed inside the solenoidal contactor, which tongues are able to take support and slide on an insulating part of the rod

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  power contact carrier during displacement thereof during which the call winding is switched off and, on the other hand, of a conductive ring carried by the rod and on which said tongues bear and slide during a new displacement of the rod from which the call winding is switched on until the end

stroke of said rod.

  The following description next to the drawings

  appended, given as a non-limiting example, will

  better understand how the invention can be realized.

  - Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an electric starter comprising a solenoidal electromagnetic contactor according to a mode

for carrying out the invention.

  - Figure 2 shows the electrical diagram of a

conventional starter.

  - Figure 3 shows in perspective and on a larger scale the contact carrier of the switch

auxiliary according to the invention.

  - Figure 4 shows in partial longitudinal section and on a larger scale the slip ring of the auxiliary switch fixed on the sliding axis which carries the power supply contact of the starter motor. Figures 5 to 7 schematically represent the different stages of operation of a contactor provided with the auxiliary switch according to the invention, during the starting operation of an internal combustion engine. Referring to FIG. 1, the electromagnetic contactor 1 of the solenoid type, according to the invention is fixed to the starter by means of an open appendage 2 provided on the support flange 3 mounted on the carcass 4 by the intermediate of a reduction unit 5 supported by an intermediate flange 6 in the bearings 7 and 8 o respectively journal the shaft 9 of the launcher 10 and the shaft 11 on which is disposed

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  rigidly the armature 12 of the starter.

  The launcher 10 consists of a pinion displacement sleeve 13, mounted on the shaft 9 so as to be able to perform an axial sliding movement and a pinion 14 mounted idly on the shaft 9 and coupled to the end. of the sleeve 13 via a

freewheel clutch 15.

  To limit the axial movement of the pinion 14, a

  stop 16 is rigidly fixed on shaft 9.

  The electromagnetic contactor 1 comprises a housing

  attached to appendix 2 of the front support flange 3.

  Inside the housing 20 is disposed a plunger core 21 which is pierced with an axial bore, in which is housed a special spring 22 around an axis 23 which elastically connects the plunger core 21 at the end of a fork lever 17 via the spring

gear 22.

  The fork lever 17 which pivots about an axis 18 is connected by its other end to the sleeve 13 of the launcher 10 which it urges in the axial movement of said launcher towards the ring gear 19 of the internal combustion engine with starter. A return spring 24 maintains and recalls the plunger core 21 in its rest position against the end of the fork lever 17, position corresponding to a clearance J remaining between the pinion 14 and the ring gear 19 by determining a clearance J1 between the means hooking the axis 23 at the end of the fork lever 17. Two windings, one called "call" 25 and the other said "holding" 26 are arranged coaxially one on the other inside the housing 20 of the contactor so as to urge the plunger core 21 towards the core

fixed 27 of said contactor.

  A rod 28, electrically insulated from the fixed core 27 which it passes freely through one of its ends 28a carries near its end 28b a contact of

power 29.

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  The rod 28 is held in a position such that, at rest, a clearance J2 exists between the plunger core 21

and the end 28a of the rod 28.

  This position is determined by the power contact 29 which, in abutment against an anchoring washer 34 by means of a spring 30, is also supported on a guide flange 31 in which the rod 28 passes through, and in a recess 35 of which the spring 30 is housed. The power contact 29 is maintained, in its support position, at rest under the pressure of a spring 32 itself bearing in the bottom of a closure cover 33

  in which the guide flange 31 is housed.

  A terminal 36 disposed at the bottom of the closing cover 33 electrically isolated from the housing 20 of the contactor 1, provides the direct connection between the vehicle battery 37 and the starter motor supply circuit via the power contact 29 and of terminal 38, when, in operation, said contact comes to an end

  stroke of the rod 28 resting on said terminals.

  In accordance with the invention, the contactor 1 comprises an auxiliary switch 44 capable of ensuring the deactivation

  or in circuit the call winding 25.

  To do this, the auxiliary switch 44 is constituted by two elastic contact tabs 39 and 40 capable of rubbing on the power contact carrier rod 28 and supported by an insulating support 41 disposed coaxially with the rod 28 in the cover.

closure 33 (FIGS. 1 and 3).

  the tongues 39 and 40 are electrically connected in series in the supply circuit of the call winding 25 by means of a conductive ring 42 attached to the rod 28 by known means, such as

  claws 42a obtained by repelling metal (Figure 4).

  Advantageously, the rod 28 is obtained by molding of -

  plastic material with conductive ring 42.

  The friction points of the tongues 39 and 40 on the rod 28 are determined at a distance J3 from the ring

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  conductor 42 slightly lower than D = J + Jl + J2.

  Figures 5 to 7 show schematically the different stages of operation of an electromagnetic contactor provided with the auxiliary switch according to the invention during the starting operation of an internal combustion engine to be compared to the electrical diagram of a starter

  conventional shown in Figure 2.

  In a conventional starter, as soon as the electromagnetic contactor is energized, via the starter switch 43, the call 25 and holding 26 windings are supplied and their forces of attraction add up to attract the plunger core 21 which thus undergoes a sudden acceleration by first catching up with the games J, J1 and J2, which acceleration by the inertia reaction of the launcher tends to compress the meshing spring 22 and creating

  thus the defect exposed beforehand.

  The operation of the starter shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 differs essentially in that, when the start switch 43 is closed (FIG. 5), only the holding winding 26 is supplied because the tongues 39 and 40 rub directly on the rod 28

made of insulating material.

  The plunger core 21 is then attracted to the fixed core 27 by the force of attraction produced by said

  winding 26 and allows to catch the clearances J and J1.

  During this first start-up phase, there is no compression of the spring 22 by inertia effect due to the moderate attraction force produced by

the holding winding 26.

  When the pinion 14 arrives in the tooth-pinion position 14 against the ring gear 19 (FIG. 6),

  the plunger core 21 has traveled the distance D- J + Jl + J2.

  As J3 is slightly less than D, the tongues 39 and 40 are in contact with the conductive ring and allow the supply circuit to be closed.

call winding 25.

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  Therefore, the attraction force of the plunger core 21 becomes very large and allows the compression of the

engagement spring 22.

  If we have J4 = Jl + J2 + J3 + J5, we obtain the closing of the starter motor motor supply circuit M by pressing the power contact 29 on terminals 36 and 38

(figure 7).

  The electric motor M begins to rotate and makes it possible for the pinion 14 to penetrate the crown

  tooth 19 of the internal combustion engine.

  The rest of the starter operation remains analogous to a conventional starter, in particular with regard to the holding coil 26 which remains supplied alone, the call coil 25 being short-circuited by

the power contact 29.

  It is clearly visible that the present invention advantageously allows the meshing of the pinion in the ring gear without it being necessary to use the force of attraction of the two windings for calling and holding in the first start-up phase corresponding to the movement of the ring gear, time from which the call winding is switched on in a second start-up phase corresponding to a new movement

of the plunger core.

  I1 is understood that many modifications can be made to the embodiment which has just been described without departing from the scope of the invention.

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Claims (4)

  1- Electric starter of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising an electric motor and a solenoidal contactor constituted by a plunger core (21) which, connected to one of the ends of a pivoting fork lever (17) disposed at the inside the starter to ensure the engagement of the starter pinion (14) with the toothed ring (19) for starting the internal combustion engine, requests a contact-carrying rod (28) of power to close the electrical supply circuit of the starter motor, and two windings (26,27) whose magnetic attraction causes the displacement of the plunger core (21), windings of which one known as "call" (25), at high current, is short-circuited from the establishment of the direct connection of the starter battery (37), with the starter motor supply circuit, the other, of low current, and called "holding" (26), being de-energized only by the start control switch (43), characterized in that it comprises carries an auxiliary switch (44), controlled by the displacement of the plunger core (21) which by means of the power contact carrying rod (28) ensures that the call winding (25) is switched off during the start-up phase corresponding to the axial displacement of the starter pinion (14) until the moment when it arrives near the toothed ring (19) for starting the internal combustion engine.   2- Electric starters of combustion engine according to claim 1 characterized in that the auxiliary switch (44) is connected in   the supply winding supply circuit (25).   3- Electric starter of internal combustion engine   according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that   the auxiliary switch (44) consists, on the one hand, of two conductive tabs (39) and (40) - 10 2623568   carried by an insulating support (33) housed inside the contactor (1), which tongues (39) and (40) are capable of bearing and sliding on an insulating part of the power contact-carrying rod (28 ) during movement thereof during which the inrush winding (25) is de-energized, and, on the other hand, a conductive ring (42) carried by the rod (28) and on which said tabs (39) and (40) take support and slide during a new movement of the rod (28) from which the call winding (25) is switched on until the end stroke of said rod (28).   4- Electric starters of combustion engine   internal according to any one of claims 1 and 3   characterized in that the power contact carrier rod (28) is overmolded with plastic on the ring conductive (42).