JP2000314364A - Starting device for starting an internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a smooth coupling in a timely manner in order to avoid occurrence of an overload on each tooth at the time of meshing coupling of a pinion and a ring gear under a starting device using a starter motor. thing. The open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device first shuts off the starter motor after the start of the main meshing, and drives the starter motor at a partial load first after a sufficient depth of meshing. It is configured to drive at full load.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a starting apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine having a ring gear, comprising a starter motor and a pinion driven by an armature shaft, wherein the pinion is used for the internal combustion engine. Having a premeshing mechanism for the pinion and an open-loop and / or closed-loop controller, wherein the open-loop and / or closed-loop controllers are reduced. The starter motor has a control function by a clock control of a pre-meshing mechanism for causing a pre-meshing of the pinion at a predetermined speed, and a control function of a starter motor. Start of the internal combustion engine when the pinion is rotated to the tip-to-gap position by the pulsed current mode of operation It concerns a starting device for.

[0002]

[Prior Art] German Patent Application DE 19702932
From the A1 specification, a starting device is disclosed in which the pre-engagement speed of the pinion caused by the meshing relay (solenoid switch) is reduced, and the magnetic force between the pull-in coil and the meshing armature is reduced during the period of pulling of the meshing armature. It is known. From this reduced pre-meshing speed of the pinion, a reduced abutment speed is formed between the pinion and the ring gear under the tip-to-tip position, thereby reducing the impact of a collision. During the pre-engagement of the pinion, at the same time the starter motor and the pinion are driven at a greatly reduced speed. The period in which the pre-meshing speed and the pinion rotation speed are reduced is followed by a further period in which the pre-meshing speed or the suction force of the meshing relay is increased again. Depending on the position of the armature core of the meshing relay or shortly before reaching the maximum withdrawal position of the meshing armature in the relay, the main current switch of the starter motor is closed by the meshing relay.
A disadvantage in this case is that a sufficiently deep engagement between the pinion and the ring gear when the complete starting current of the starter motor is applied is not guaranteed. This leads to the following: In other words, the maximum rotational torque of the starter motor acts on the pinion or the ring gear, and at the same time sufficient durability of the respective tooth side is not guaranteed, which can lead to the risk of overloading individual teeth.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional apparatus.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an open-loop controller and / or a closed-loop controller first shuts off a starter motor after the start of a main engagement and after a sufficient depth of engagement. A solution is provided in which the starter motor is driven first with a partial load and subsequently with a full load.

[0005]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a starter motor according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
A sufficient penetration depth of the pinion into the ring gear is guaranteed. With the aid of the open-loop and / or closed-loop control, a load-free switching connection is first made after the start of the engagement of the starter motor. This has the following advantages.
That is, there is an advantage that only a greatly reduced frictional action occurs between the pinion and the tooth side surface of the ring gear. Furthermore, the frictional force that reacts to the meshing stress is reduced, thereby accelerating the meshing. In addition, a reduction in wear is achieved accordingly. When the pinion meshes into the ring gear at a sufficient depth, the starter motor is first driven at a partial load. The advantage of this is that the support of the drive train between the starter motor and the pinion receives only a small load due to the reduced rotational torque. The meshing geometry between the pinion and the ring gear leads to stresses under torque loads, so that the spacing between the pinion shaft and the ring gear shaft is increased due to elasticity. A corresponding change in the tooth meshing geometry appears, which leads to an increased load on the tooth flank. It is therefore advantageous to limit the starting torque, i.e. to drive the starter motor only at a partial load at the start of the start and then only at a full load thereafter.

[0006] Further advantageous embodiments and refinements of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0007] It is particularly advantageous if the pre-engaging mechanism and the starter motor are controlled by an open-loop control and / or a closed-loop control via current circuits which are separated from one another and respectively independent switching elements. This is a significant advantage over the prior art described above. This is because the switching process for the starter motor is thereby not dependent on a movable mass such as a meshing mechanism, for example a meshing armature or a meshing spring. Thereby, the switching of the starter motor is adjusted well to the original penetration depth of the pinion and the ring gear. Yet another advantage is the use of sensors,
The mutual position information of the ring gear and the pinion may be detected from this sensor. According to one advantageous embodiment in this connection, a distance sensor is used, which derives, for example, the depth of penetration of the pinion into the ring gear and the tip-to-tip position (butt-to-tip). It is possible.
For example, from the corresponding signals, the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller identifies the tip-to-tip position, whereby the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller causes the rotation of the pinion to pulse to the start motor. It is controlled by the flow of electric current, and based on this, penetration of sufficient depth can be easily realized through guidance to the tip-to-gap position (a state where the tip and the gap are abutted). By relying on this penetration depth, the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device controls a state without a load, a cut-off state, or a starting state with a partial load. If a starting device is provided with means for identifying the tip-to-tip position of the pinion and the ring gear, the starter motor is controlled by a short current pulse in the desired manner, whereby the tip-to-gap Can be easily brought into position. Even if the pinion is engaged only at a minimum penetration depth, for example, the start motor can advantageously be driven by a clock-controlled partial load. This can be achieved relatively simply using a clock control stage, for example an electronic switching element such as a field effect transistor. If the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device is configured so that the pre-meshing mechanism is shut off after exceeding the rotation speed threshold value, the pre-meshing mechanism is used after the self-running rotation speed is reached. Can be shut off as desired to disengage the pinion. Regarding the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device of the starting device, the following configuration is also possible. That is, the individual progress of the starting process is divided into pre-meshing, main meshing, starting rotation, self-propelled rotation, and disengagement, respectively, and this is time-controlled and processed, or partly controlled by time control. You may comprise so that it may process by distance control and / or stress control. The start-up process may be further optimized over time using one or more sensors. This temporal optimization can be performed, for example, as follows. That is, the rotation of the pinion for guiding to the tip-to-gap position can be stopped at the same time that the tip-to-gap position is identified. The identification of the tooth tip-to-gap position state can be performed, for example, as follows. That is, the distance sensor detects the distance traveled by the pinion and sends the distance signal to the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device. The open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller then transmit a distance signal corresponding to the predetermined distance to a preset value (corresponding to the distance the pinion has advanced to the tip-to-gap position).
If the open loop controller and / or the closed loop controller is compared with the pinion position,
Two different time points can be distinguished between the tip-to-tip position and the tip-to-gap position. The same applies to the connection with the minimum penetration depth. Here, too, the distance signal corresponding to the distance traveled by the pinion is compared with a known predetermined pinion distance, from which the minimum penetration depth can be inferred.

[0008] The detection of the pinion position using a sensor is possible in various different ways. For example, a field plate sensor can be used as the distance sensor. In this case, the magnetic film fixed to the component to be pre-meshed in the starting device is sensed, thereby forming a signal proportional to the distance. In another approach, for example, a stress sensor is used for the pre-engaging stress transmitting member,
In this case, the stress sensor is used in particular for detecting the tip-to-tip position. The rotation speed of the internal combustion engine can be detected, for example, by indirectly estimating the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine from the pinion rotation speed.

[0009]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a starting device 10 according to the invention with a starter motor 11. The starter motor has an armature shaft 12 and a drive shaft 1 via a directly toothed shaft-pane connection 13.
The drive shaft 14 can be shifted linearly on the armature shaft 12. The drive shaft 14 is connected to a pinion 16 via an overrunning clutch 15. The drive shaft 14, the overrunning clutch 15, and the pinion 16 can be linearly shifted on the armature shaft 12. Further starting device 1
Numeral 0 is provided with an electromagnetic pull-in magnet (also referred to as a connecting magnet) 19, and a retractable moving amount thereof is linearly shifted by a rod 20 which connects a lever 21 and a transmission unit 22 pivotally attached to the rod 20. The power is transmitted to the drive shaft 14 via the drive shaft 14. The pull-in magnet 19, the rod 20, the lever 21, and the transmission unit 22 constitute a pre-meshing mechanism 23. The pull-in magnet 19 and the starter motor 11 are controlled by an open loop control device and / or a closed loop control device 24. This open loop controller and / or closed loop controller 24
Includes a microprocessor 25, a switching unit 26 and a switching unit 27. Microprocessor 2
5 evaluates the signal of the rotation speed sensor 28 and the signal of the distance sensor 29. These sensors are fixedly arranged in the pinion area. The microprocessor 25 may evaluate the signal of the stress sensor 30 provided for the distance sensor 29 instead of the signal of the distance sensor 29 as an alternative.

The diagram of FIG. 2a shows the temporal voltage course U10 of the voltage applied to the input of the open-loop and / or closed-loop control 24 or to the input of the starting device 10. 2b shows the voltage course U19 of the electromagnetic pull-in magnet 19, and FIG. 2c shows the time course of the voltage U11 with respect to the starter motor 11, and FIG. the in d), the time course of the shift distance s ₁₆ of the pinion 16 is shown, the ideal time of the current I ₃₂ which is energized through the starting switch 32 is shown in e) of FIG. 2 ing.

A start switch 3 connected in front of the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device 24
2 is closed at time t ₀ (see FIG. 2). Thereby, the starting process 10 is activated. As a result, the voltage U ₁₀ is applied to the starting device 10. This voltage corresponds to the voltage from the battery 33. Similarly, the switching unit 26 that is turned on supplies the pull-in magnet 19 with the clock-controlled current I ₁₉ during the period between the times t _{0 and} t ₁ . Accordingly, the pull-in coil of the pull-in magnet 19 that operates under the clock control generates a reduced attractive force in the core of the pull-in magnet. This means that rod 20 and lever 2
Thus, a reduced pre-engaging force is applied to the transmission unit 22, the drive shaft 14, and the pinion 16 via 1. This reduced pre-engaging force results in the pinion 16 being in the ring gear 34
This leads to contact with only the reduced pre-engaging force. This reduced pre-meshing speed results in a so-called "soft" pre-meshing. In the example shown in FIG.
The pinion 16 has reached the ring gear at time t ₁ , which is indicated in FIG. 2d by the premeshing distance s ₁₆ . The distance sensor 29 indicates the distance s ₁₆ that the pinion has advanced.
And sends this to the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24 as a distance signal. The distance sensor detects the distance of the pinion 16, for example time t2, followed detected at t ₃ to thereby open loop control device and / or closed-loop control unit 24 as shown in d of FIG. 2 Identify the tip-to-tip position. This is because the same distance signal continues and there is no distance change. The microprocessor 25, which is part of the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24, further controls the switching unit 27. When the pinion 16 and the ring gear 34 are in the tip-to-tip position, the starter motor 11 rotates the pinion 16 with respect to the ring gear 34. It is then the current pulses to the starter motor 11 at the time point t4 by energization correspondingly, whereby a most favorable case, as shown in c and d 2, the addendum only one pulse up to the time t ₄₁ A gap position occurs. If only one pulse is not enough, this process may be repeated. When the pull-in magnet 19 is further operated with the clock-controlled current I ₁₉ , the pinion 16 is finally engaged by the pre-engagement force, and the time t ₅
At the maximum engagement depth. During this engagement, the starter motor 11 is shut off by the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24. The starter motor 11
Open loop controller and / or closed loop controller 24
Is controlled again by the clock only when a sufficient depth of engagement and a minimum engagement depth are identified using the distance sensor 29 or the stress sensor 30. This is identified by the open loop controller and / or the closed loop controller 24 as follows. That identified by comparing the distance signal of the distance sensor 29 corresponding to the distance traveled by the pinion 16 to a predetermined value s _v of the pinion distance s _16.

Since the stress sensor 30 generates a signal proportional to the stress, not a signal proportional to the distance, even with the use of the stress sensor 30, a complete meshing state from the tip to the tip position or the stopper is ensured. Can be identified. In these two cases, a rising signal is generated due to mechanical tension, from which one of the two positions is inferred. In response, the stress sensor sends a respective signal to the open-loop and / or closed-loop controller 24, which compares this signal with a predetermined reference value. ,
As a result, a tip-to-tip position or a complete meshing state is identified. If the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24 has identified a sufficiently deep engagement depth at time t ₅ , as shown for example in FIG. 2 e, the microprocessor 25 switches the switching unit 27. In addition, starting at time t ₆ , the starter motor 11 is driven by means of several pulses, for example three pulses as shown in FIG. Thus, only a part of the maximum output of the starter motor 11 is transmitted. Then the starter motor 11 for starting the internal combustion engine is driven to completion time of start of the internal combustion engine at the time t ₇ with clock controlled and partial load. If the clock stage of the switching unit 27 has a transition resistance (as in the case of a field-effect transistor, for example), an additional reduced voltage is produced on the starter motor 11, whereby the output of the starter motor 11 is reduced. Reduce again by temporal means. When the internal combustion engine reaches a predetermined rotational speed, that is, after the self-propelled rotation is ensured, this is indirectly detected by, for example, the rotational speed sensor 28, and the rotating members (for example, the ring gear 16, It is determined through measurement of the number of revolutions in the overrunning clutch 15, the driver shaft 14, the armature shaft 12, and the like. Starter motor 1
1 or, for example, when the pinion 16 exceeds a predetermined rotational speed threshold, the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device 24 are activated in a favorable manner by the pre-meshing mechanism 2.
3 and the starter motor 11 is cut off at time t _8. The return spring 35 reliably releases the pinion 16 from meshing with the terminal position.

When the pinion 16 is completely engaged,
The pre-engaging force effectively acting on the pinion 16 is reduced. This is because inertia and friction are no longer dominant. In that case, only the stress of the return spring 35 becomes dominant. The reduction of the pre-engagement force, such that there is no longer only a holding force under a completely meshed pinion 16, is possible by operating the retracting coil of the pull-in magnet 19 with a reduced duty ratio (FIG. 1). 2b). The point at which the duty ratio of the retracting coil is changed can also be determined by the distance sensor 29. Only after the pinion 16 is completely engaged is this identified by the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24 does this change in the duty ratio take place.

In another variant, the following is also possible. That is, the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device 24 includes the pinion 16 and the ring gear 3.
It is also possible to process the pre-engagement and main engagement of No. 4 as well as the start rotation and self-running rotation of the internal combustion engine purely by time control only. This means that the starting device does not require any sensors. Accordingly, after the start switch 32 is switched on, the open-loop controller and / or
Alternatively, the closed-loop control device 24 is turned on, and the pull-in magnet 19 is first set into the pre-engagement only for a predetermined period. Pinion must have reached at least the ring gear end face in the first period (e.g., time t ₀ ~t _2). In a subsequent second period (where the pinion 16 is possibly in a tip-to-tip position), the starter motor 11 is rotated for a short time by at least one current pulse (for example at time t ₄ ). With this at least one current pulse, the following must be guaranteed: That is, it must be ensured that the pinion 16 can reach the minimum penetration depth into the ring gear 34 under the current pre-engaging force. This minimum penetration depth represents the depth from which it is effective for the ring gear to at least partially mesh into the pinion and to enable transmission of stress between the pinion and the tooth surface of the ring gear. The third in the period (e.g. time t ₆ ~t ₇₎ of the starter motor is actuated is briefly clocked by switching unit 27, partial load thereby temporally averaging reliable and and long enough Action is given.
A fourth period after this third period (for example, from time t7 to time t7)
In 8), the starter motor 11 is finally operated at full load. As a result, the internal combustion engine is started and rotates by itself. After the end of the fourth period, the pull-in magnet 19 and the starter motor 11 are automatically shut off by the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24, and the pinion 16 is brought to its initial position by the return spring 35.

In addition to such pure time control of the starter 10, the following control is also possible. That is, the open loop controller and / or the closed loop controller 24 handles pre-meshing, main meshing, starting rotation, and self-propelled rotation, partly with time control and partly with distance and / or stress control. It may be. This means that at least the distance sensor 29 and / or the stress sensor 30 transmit the signal to the open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller 24.
Means that it must be sent to The partial time control and distance control may be performed, for example, as follows. That is, the pre-engagement and the main engagement may be performed by, for example, distance control, while the starting rotation under partial load and full load may be performed by time control. The partial time control and the partial stress control mean that the pre-meshing and the main meshing are performed with the stress controlled, and the starting rotation under the partial load and the full load is time-controlled. The use of one or more sensors, such as a distance sensor 29, a stress sensor 30, a speed sensor 28 or one of their possible combinations, makes it possible to optimize and control the course of the starting process in time. It becomes possible. The pure time control of the course of the starting process, which consists of the pre-meshing, the main meshing, the starting rotation, the free-running rotation and the shut-off of the starting device, can be optimized together therewith in the time course. Distance sensor 29
If the main engagement is identified immediately after the pre-engagement by using this, the rotation of the pinion for reaching the tip-to-gap position of the pinion 16 and the ring gear can be omitted.
Similar objectives and advantages are obtained with the application of the stress sensor 30. If the rotation speed sensor 28 is applied, it is possible to optimize the disconnection time or the disengagement time. This means that the speed sensor 28 indirectly transmits, for example, the pinion speed, the speed of the internal combustion engine to the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device 24, where they are compared with preset values. Means that.
As a result, the time t ₈ after the internal combustion engine has reached the self-propelled rotational speed.
Then, the starting process ends.

One possible embodiment of the distance sensor 29 is, for example, a field plate sensor, in which a magnetized film 36 fixed to a pre-meshed component of the starting device is sensed, in which case A signal proportional to the pinion distance is formed in the magnetically opposed region provided on the film. The stress sensor 30 is fixed to a member that transmits the pre-meshing force of the pre-meshing mechanism 23. One possible arrangement is the fixing of the stress sensor to the lever 21. The rotation speed sensor 28 is fixed to the starting device 10 so that the rotation speed of the driving element is detected. Such a possible position may be, for example, near the peripheral surface of the transmission part 15 so that its rotational speed can be detected. As a structural modification example of the applicable rotation speed sensor 28, for example, a hall sensor or a field plate sensor may be used.

The starting device 10 shown in FIG.
In the following points. That is, the switching unit 27 for the starter motor 11 comprises two different switching elements 3 which can be switched in parallel here.
8 and 39, which are used here as field effect transistors. Pinion 16
Is performed in the manner described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. When the tip-to-tip position is identified by the microprocessor 25, the switching unit 27 is controlled as follows. That is, the switching element 38
Is controlled so that the starter motor 11 is driven by a partial load via the series resistor (prefix resistor) 40. This allows for a transition to smooth meshing under the tip-to-tip position. Similar to the first embodiment of the starter 10, if the starter motor 11 is to be driven first with a partial load in order to protect the transmission consisting of the ring gear 34 and the pinion 16, the starter motor 11 Is supplied with electricity. If the pinion 16 has reached the unloaded connection with a sufficient minimum penetration depth into the ring gear 34, as already explained in the first embodiment, the starter motor 11 is first operated at partial load and then at full load. Then it is energized. In the variant shown in FIG. 3, on the other hand, the switching element 39 is switched on by the switching unit 27, so that the starter motor is directly energized without the series resistor 40.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a starting device as a first embodiment including an open-loop control device and / or a closed-loop control device, in which a starter motor is driven under clock control.

FIG. 2 is a signal diagram which ideally reproduces various voltage courses, current courses, and pinion distances in a time-dependent manner.

FIG. 3 comprises an open-loop controller and / or a closed-loop controller, wherein two mutually independent transistor stages control the start motor, so that flow through a series resistor or direct flow is achieved. It is a figure showing a starting device as a 2nd example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Starting device 11 Starter motor 12 Armature shaft 14 Drive shaft 16 Pinion 24 Open loop control device and / or closed loop control device 25 Microprocessor 26, 27 Switching unit 28 Speed sensor 29 Distance sensor 32 Start switch 33 Battery 34 Ring gear

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification FI FI Theme Court II (Reference) H02P 7/29 H02P 7/29 Z (72) Inventor Uwe Dowler Germany Ludwigsburg Alt-Württemberg-Alley 21

Claims (22)

[Claims] An internal combustion engine having a ring gear (34).
A starting device for starting, comprising: a starter motor (11); an armature shaft (1).
2) and a pinion (16) driven by
The pinion (16) is a ring gear (3) of an internal combustion engine.
4) a pre-meshing mechanism (23) for the pinion (16)
And an open loop control device and / or a closed loop control device
(24), and the open-loop controller and / or
Or the closed loop controller (24) operates at reduced speed
Pre-meshing for causing pre-meshing of the pinion (16)
A control function by clock control of the combining mechanism (23);
Data motor (11) control function.
Therefore, the starter motor (11) is connected to the pinion (16)
When the ring gear (34) is in the tip-to-
Pinion (16) is added to the tip
A type of rotating to a gap position, wherein said open-loop control device and / or closed-loop control device
(24) is (time t ₄₁After the start of the main meshing
First, shut off the starter motor (11), and
Match (time t₆After) starter motor (11)
First, drive with a partial load, and then (at time t₇From)
It is configured to be driven by full load.
Starting device. 2. The pre-engagement mechanism (23) and the starter motor (11) are separated by an open-loop control device and / or a closed-loop control device (24) from a current circuit separated from each other and a switching operation independent of each other. Unit (2
2. The starting device according to claim 1, which is controlled via (6, 27). 3. The starting device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor is driven by at least one current pulse to reach the tip-to-gap position in the case of the tip-to-tip position. 4. The starting device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor is driven by a clock under a partial load. 5. The starter motor (11) in a partial load operation mode is provided with a clock stage (2) with a transition resistance.
5. The starting device according to claim 4, controlled by 7). 6. The starter motor (11) is connected in front of a series resistor (40) for a partial load operation mode, and the starter motor (11) is connected downstream of its switching unit (27). 2. The starting device according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is switched on by a switching element. 7. The series resistor (40) is bridged via a further switching element (39) for full load driving of the starter motor (11).
The starting device as described. 8. The open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device (24) communicates with the pre-meshing mechanism (23) and the starter after exceeding a rotational speed threshold identified using a rotational speed sensor (28). 8. The starting device according to claim 1, wherein the starting device is configured to shut off the motor (11). 9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the open-loop control device and / or the closed-loop control device processes the pre-engagement and main engagement of the pinion and the starting rotation and the free-running rotation of the internal combustion engine by time control. 8 any one
The starting device according to the item. 10. The open-loop and / or closed-loop controller (24) is partially time-controlled, partially distance- and / or stress-controlled to pre-engage and main-engage the pinion (16), And processing a start rotation and a free-running rotation of the internal combustion engine.
A starting device according to any one of the preceding claims. 11. The pre-engagement and main meshing of the pinion and the starting rotation and free-running rotation of the internal combustion engine are optimized over time using one or more sensors (28, 29, 30). Item 11. The starting device according to Item 10. 12. The distance sensor (29) according to claim 11, wherein the distance traveled by the pinion (16) is detected and sent as a distance signal to an open-loop controller and / or a closed-loop controller (24). Starting device. 13. The open-loop controller and / or the closed-loop controller (24) provide a first time point (t ₂ ) and a second time point (t ₃ ) under a constant signal of a distance sensor (29). ), The pinion (16) and the ring gear (3)
13. The starting device according to claim 12, wherein a tip-to-tip position is identified during 4). 14. The open-loop and / or closed-loop controller (24) outputs a distance signal corresponding to the distance traveled by the pinion (16) to a pinion distance (s).
₁₆ ) is compared with a predetermined value (s _v ) of the pinion (1
2. The minimum depth of penetration of said pinion (16) and ring gear (34) from the distance traveled according to (6).
2. The starting device according to 2. 15. The distance sensor (29) is a field plate sensor, the sensor being a starting device (10).
Sensing a magnetic film (36) secured to a pre-engaged component of the device and generating a signal proportional to the pinion distance (s ₁₆ ) for a magnetically opposed region provided on the film. 13. The starting device according to claim 12. 16. A tip-to-tip position or a complete meshing of the pinion (16) is identified by means of a stress sensor (30), for which the stress sensor outputs a corresponding signal to an open-loop controller and / or. 12. The starting device according to claim 11, wherein the starting device is delivered to a closed loop control device (24). 17. The starting device according to claim 16, wherein the stress sensor (30) is fixed to a pre-meshing force transmitting member of the pre-meshing mechanism (23). 18. The starting device according to claim 17, wherein the stress sensor (30) is fixed to a lever (21). 19. A speed sensor (28) directly or indirectly detects the speed of the internal combustion engine and sends it as a speed signal to said open-loop and / or closed-loop control device (24). Item 12. The starting device according to Item 11. 20. The starting device according to claim 19, wherein the rotation speed sensor (28) detects the rotation speed of a driven element, for example, a pinion (16). 21. The starting device according to claim 20, wherein the rotation speed sensor (28) is a Hall sensor or a field plate sensor. 22. The starting device according to claim 1, wherein the pinion (16) is disengaged using a return spring (35).