JP2016008555A - Idling stop system control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an idling stop system control unit capable of promptly restarting an engine when a restart request is generated in a period in which a pinion gear is pushed out and engaged with a ring gear during an operation for engaging the pinion gear with the ring gear in advance during the inertial rotation of the engine right after an idling stop request is generated.SOLUTION: If a restart request is generated during a pinion push-out period during which a pinion gear is pushed out and engaged with a ring gear by prior engagement means during engine inertial rotation, then a current is carried to a starter motor either simultaneously with the generation timing of the restart request or during the pinion gear push-out period to engage the pinion gear with the ring gear, and an engine is restarted.

Description

  The present invention relates to an idle stop system control device that controls an idle stop system that automatically stops and restarts an engine.

  In recent years, automobile technologies aimed at saving energy resources and protecting the environment have been developed. For example, there is a vehicle equipped with an idle stop system that stops fuel supplied to an engine and loses torque generated by the engine when a predetermined condition (automatic stop condition) is satisfied during operation. The engine automatic stop condition is satisfied when the driver removes his or her foot from the accelerator or steps on the brake. In this idle stop system, even if the vehicle is not stopped, the engine is automatically stopped when the engine automatic stop condition is satisfied. Then, when a request to restart the engine (restart request) occurs during the engine inertia rotation period until the crankshaft of the engine stops rotating, the engine is restarted as soon as possible to ensure vehicle start performance. It is required to do. The restart request is, for example, that the driver removes his foot from the brake pedal.

  As a technique that satisfies this requirement, there is a technique in which a pinion gear is engaged in a ring gear in advance in preparation for the next restart request during engine inertia rotation. By performing the biting in advance, the operation of biting at the time of restart is omitted, and the restart can be performed quickly. If a restart request occurs during the period from when the pinion gear that is being pre-engaged is pushed out until it is bitten into the ring gear, if the pinion gear starts to rotate during this period, the pinion gear And the ring gear rotation difference may occur, which may cause inconvenience that the biting cannot be performed quickly or that the biting noise will increase.Therefore, the pinion gear during the period from when the pinion gear is pushed out until it is bitten into the ring gear A technique for prohibiting rotational driving has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 4835774

  Due to the above background, in an idle stop system, when a restart request is generated during an engine inertia rotation period immediately after the occurrence of an idle stop request, it is required to restart the engine as soon as possible.

  However, in the conventional idle stop system described above, the pinion from when the pinion gear is pushed out to when it is engaged with the ring gear in the operation of engaging the pinion gear with the ring gear in advance during engine inertia rotation immediately after the occurrence of the idle stop request. If a restart request occurs during the gear push-out period, the rotation drive of the pinion gear during this inertial rotation period (energization of the starter motor) is prohibited, and the starter motor is energized after waiting for the bite to be completed. It is what is started.

  For this reason, by prohibiting energization of the starter motor during this engine inertia rotation period, a time delay from when the restart request is generated until the starter motor is energized occurs. There is a problem that time becomes long.

  In the present invention, a restart request is issued during the period from when the pinion gear is pushed to when it is engaged with the ring gear during the operation of engaging the pinion gear with the ring gear in advance during engine inertia rotation immediately after the occurrence of the idle stop request. It is an object of the present invention to provide an idle stop system control device capable of promptly restarting when it occurs.

  The idle stop system control device according to the present invention stops the supply of fuel to the engine when a predetermined idle stop condition is satisfied during operation of the engine, and during inertial rotation until the engine stops, In an idle stop system control device for controlling an idle stop system having a pre-engagement means for pushing out a pinion gear of a starter motor and engaging with a ring gear connected to the crankshaft of the engine, When a restart request is generated during the pinion gear push-out period from the time when the pinion gear is pushed out by the pre-article biting means to the time when the pinion gear is bitten into the ring gear, at the same time as the restart request is generated or the pinion gear push-out period Energize the starter motor during The serial pinion gear was caught on the ring gear, characterized in that restarting the engine.

  According to the present invention, during an operation in which the pinion gear is engaged with the ring gear in advance during engine inertia rotation immediately after the occurrence of the idle stop request, the restart is performed during the period from the push of the pinion gear to the engagement with the ring gear. Restarting when a request occurs can be done quickly.

It is a simple schematic diagram which shows the structure and circuit connection of an idle system to which the idle stop system control apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention is applied. It is a time chart which shows the output of the idle stop system control apparatus which concerns on Example 1, and the time change of an engine speed. 3 is a flowchart of control by the idle stop system control device according to the first embodiment. It is a time chart which shows the output of the idle stop system control apparatus which concerns on Example 2, and the time change of an engine speed. 7 is a flowchart of control by an idle stop system control device according to a second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The idle stop system control device according to the present embodiment stops the supply of fuel when performing an idle stop, and is in the operation of engaging the pinion gear in the ring gear in advance during engine inertia rotation immediately after the occurrence of the idle stop request. When a restart request is generated during the period from when the pinion gear is pushed out until it is engaged with the ring gear, the starter motor is energized at the same time as the restart request is generated or during the pinion gear pushing period. The gear is driven to rotate and is engaged with the ring gear to restart the engine.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a simple structure and circuit connection of a starter 201 and a control device 208 in this embodiment. The starter 201 is a so-called pinion gear push-out type starter, and includes a starter motor 205, a pinion gear 203 that is rotationally driven by the starter motor 205, and a magnet switch 202 for pushing out the pinion gear 203.

  The rotation of the starter motor 205 is transmitted to the pinion gear 203 by increasing the torque by decelerating with a reduction mechanism inside the starter motor 205. When the magnet switch 202 is energized, the pinion gear 203 is pushed out (right direction in FIG. 1) and is engaged with the ring gear 204. Any magnet switch may be used as long as it has a function of pushing out the pinion gear 203. The pinion gear 203 is integrated with the one-way clutch 207. The pinion gear 203 is movable in the axial direction of the starter motor 205. The pinion gear 203 can transmit power to the engine by being engaged with the ring gear 204 connected to the crankshaft of the engine and rotating. The one-way clutch 207 is configured such that power is transmitted only in the direction in which the starter motor 205 rotates the engine forward. Thereby, when the pinion gear 203 is meshed with the ring gear 204, the rotation speed of the ring gear 204 becomes the synchronous rotation speed corresponding to the reduction ratio with respect to the rotation speed of the starter motor 205, or It will be faster than. That is, when the ring gear 204 attempts to decrease below the rotational speed of the pinion gear 203, the one-way clutch 207 transmits power, so that the rotational speed of the ring gear 204 does not fall below the synchronous rotational speed for the starter motor 205. On the other hand, when the rotational speed of the ring gear 204 is higher than the synchronous rotational speed, the power is not transmitted from the ring gear 204 to the starter motor 205 side because the one-way clutch does not transmit power.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a signal from a crank angle sensor 209 (engine speed detection means, crank angle detection means), a pinion gear rotation sensor 210 (pinion gear rotation speed detection means), a brake switch 211, and a signal from a vehicle speed sensor 212. Is input to the controller 208. Since the ring gear 204 and the engine crankshaft are connected, the ring gear rotation speed and the crankshaft rotation speed (engine rotation speed) are synonymous. In addition to normal fuel injection, ignition, and air control (electronic control throttle), the control device 208 permits idle stop and stops fuel supply from various information such as brake pedal status and vehicle speed, and a restart request is generated. Then, engine restart control including resumption of fuel supply and ignition is executed. Further, a pinion gear push command signal and a motor rotation command signal are independently output from the control device. As shown in FIG. 1, a magnet switch energizing switch 206a for transmitting a pinion gear pushing command signal and a starter motor energizing switch 206b for transmitting a motor rotation command signal control the pinion gear pushing and the rotation of the starter motor 205. As a part that plays the role of a switch, a switch using a semiconductor, a relay switch having a mechanical contact, or the like can be used.

  FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of the idle stop system control device according to the present embodiment, and is executed inside the control device 208. FIG. 2 shows an example of the temporal change in the output of the control device 208 and the engine speed when the control flow is executed. As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step 301, in response to the establishment of the idle stop condition, the fuel supply is stopped in step 302. As a result, the engine rotation starts inertial rotation. Next, when a restart request is generated in step 303, restart control during inertial rotation is performed in step 313. Here, the restart control during engine inertia rotation means that the magnet switch 202 is energized to push out the pinion gear 203 in a state where the difference between the engine rotation speed Ne and the rotation speed Np of the pinion gear 203 is small. This is control that causes the ring gear 204 to be engaged, energizes the starter motor 205, cranks the engine, restarts fuel supply, and restarts.

  If no restart request is generated in step 303, then in step 304, whether or not the difference in engine speed Ne and the rotation speed Np of the pinion gear 203 is equal to or less than the pinion gear extrusion permission rotation speed difference PIJDG1. Determine. If the condition is met, the magnet switch 202 for pushing out the pinion gear 203 is energized at step 305. After pushing out the pinion gear, it is determined in step 306 whether or not the pinion gear 203 is engaged with the ring gear 204. The biting determination may be determined as biting completed after a predetermined time (period from t2 to t4 in FIG. 2) has elapsed since the start of pinion gear pushing energization in step 305. That is, the period from t2 to t4 is the time from when the pinion gear push-out energization starts until the pinion gear 203 moves to reach the ring gear 204 and engage with the ring gear 204. Alternatively, a sensor capable of detecting that the pinion gear 203 and the ring gear 204 have been engaged may be provided, and it may be determined that the engagement has been completed based on the output value of the sensor.

  If a restart request is generated during the period from when the pinion gear 203 that is in the pre-engagement operation is pushed out until it is engaged with the ring gear 204 (t3 in FIG. 2), the process proceeds to step 308 simultaneously with the generation timing of the restart request. Then, the starter motor 205 is energized, the pinion gear 203 is driven to rotate, and is engaged with the ring gear 204 to restart the engine. In the case where the starter motor energization switch 206b is a switch using a semiconductor capable of PWM control by changing the duty ratio of ON / OFF of energization to the starter motor 205, the energization to the starter motor 205 is PWM controlled in step 308, For example, the duty ratio may be given small during the pinion push-out period (period from t2 to t4 in FIG. 2), and the duty ratio may be given large after completion of biting.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 306 that the bite has been completed, the process proceeds to step 309. If there is no restart request, in step 310, pinion gear push-off energization is determined. The determination may be made that the energization is OFF after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the pinion gear push energization in step 305. Thereafter, when a restart request is generated, the magnet switch 202 is energized to hold the pinion gear 203 that has been bitten in step 312, the starter motor 205 is energized in step 308, and the pinion gear 203 is turned on. Rotating drive, cranking the engine and restarting the engine.

  In the conventional method, when a restart request is generated during the pinion gear push-out period from when the pinion gear 203 is pushed out to when it is engaged with the ring gear 204, the pinion during this period (the period from t2 to t4 in FIG. 2). The rotation drive of the gear 203 (energization of the starter motor 205) is prohibited, and the starter motor 205 is energized after waiting until the bite is completed (t4 in FIG. 2). Compared to this, in the method of the present embodiment, when a restart request is generated at the timing t3 in FIG. 2 during this period, the starter motor 205 is energized simultaneously with the generation timing of the restart request. The restart time is shortened from the conventional method by the time from t3 to t4 in FIG.

  As described above, according to the idle stop system control device according to the present embodiment, during the engine inertia rotation, during the pinion gear push-out period from the push-out of the pinion gear by the prior biting means until the ring gear is bitten. When a restart request is generated, the starter motor is energized at the same time as the restart request is generated or during the pinion gear push-out period, and the pinion gear is engaged with the ring gear to restart the engine. By energizing the starter motor at the timing when the restart request is generated in this way, the rotation of the pinion gear is started without a time delay compared to the above problem, and the engine can be restarted quickly.

  It should be noted that there is a time lag due to the control cycle, circuit, relay, and the like until the starter motor is energized from the control device and the pinion gear actually rotates. The time lag and the pinion gear push-out period are almost the same time. For example, if a restart request is generated at the same timing as the start of pinion extrusion, the pinion gear is not started or started due to the time lag just before the pinion gear is pushed out and is in contact with the ring gear. Even if it is low rotation. That is, the rotational difference between the pinion gear and the ring gear remains small immediately before the biting when the pinion gear and the ring gear come into contact with each other, and there is almost no possibility of a biting delay.

  Next, an idle stop system control apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. In addition, about the matter which is common in Example 1, description is omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the idle stop system control device according to the second embodiment, which is implemented in the control device 208. FIG. 4 shows an example of temporal changes in the output of the control device 208, the engine speed, and the pinion gear speed when the control flow is executed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, first, in step 501, in response to the establishment of the idle stop condition, the fuel supply is stopped in step 502. As a result, the engine rotation starts inertial rotation. Thereafter, when the pinion gear pre-rotation start condition is satisfied in step 503, pinion gear pre-rotation control is executed in step 504. As the determination of the pinion gear pre-rotation start condition, for example, the condition is that the engine speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. In the pinion gear pre-rotation control, the starter motor 205 is energized (ts1 in FIG. 4). As a result, the pinion gear 203 starts rotating, and the rotational speed of the pinion gear 203 increases. This rotation of the starter motor 205 by energization is referred to as “pre-rotation”. Next, when the energization of the starter motor 205 is terminated at a timing when the pinion gear rotation speed reaches a predetermined rotation speed or higher (ts2 in FIG. 4), the pinion gear 203 continues to rotate freely. Next, when a restart request is generated in step 505, restart control during inertial rotation is performed in step 515. Here, the restart control during engine inertia rotation means that the magnet switch 202 is energized to push out the pinion gear 203 in a state where the difference between the engine rotation speed Ne and the rotation speed Np of the pinion gear 203 is small. This is control that causes the ring gear 204 to be engaged, energizes the starter motor 205, cranks the engine, restarts fuel supply, and restarts.

  If no restart request is generated in step 505, then in step 506, whether or not the difference in rotation speed between the engine speed Ne and the rotation speed Np of the pinion gear 203 is equal to or less than the pinion gear extrusion permission rotation speed difference PIJDG2. Determine. If the condition is satisfied, in step 507, the magnet switch 202 for pushing out the pinion gear 203 is energized. After pushing out the pinion gear, it is determined in step 508 whether or not the pinion gear 203 is engaged with the ring gear 204. The biting determination may be determined as biting completion after a predetermined time (period from t2 to t4 in FIG. 4) has elapsed since the start of pinion gear pushing energization in step 507. That is, the period from t2 to t4 is the time from when the pinion gear push-out energization starts until the pinion gear 203 moves to reach the ring gear 204 and engage with the ring gear 204. Alternatively, a sensor capable of detecting that the pinion gear 203 and the ring gear 204 have been engaged may be provided, and it may be determined that the engagement has been completed based on the output value of the sensor.

  When a restart request is generated during the period from when the pinion gear 203 that is in the pre-engagement operation is pushed out until it is engaged with the ring gear 204 (t3 in FIG. 4), the process proceeds to step 510 simultaneously with the generation timing of the restart request. Then, the starter motor 205 is energized, the pinion gear 203 is driven to rotate, and is engaged with the ring gear 204 to restart the engine.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 508 that the bite is completed, the process proceeds to step 511. If there is no restart request, in step 512, pinion gear push-off energization determination is performed. The determination may be made that the energization is OFF after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the pinion gear push energization in step 507. Thereafter, when a restart request is generated, the magnet switch 202 is energized to hold the pinion gear 203 that has been bitten in step 514, the starter motor 205 is energized in step 510, and the pinion gear 203 is turned on. Rotating drive, cranking the engine and restarting the engine.

t1 ... Fuel supply stop timing, t2 ... Pinion gear push-out timing, t3 ... Restart request generation timing, t4 ... Biting completion timing, Ne ... Engine speed, Np ... Pinion gear speed, PIJDG1 ... Pinion gear push-out permission Rotational speed difference, PIJDG2 ... Pinion gear extrusion permission rotational speed difference, 201 ... Starter, 202 ... Magnet switch, 203 ... Pinion gear, 204 ... Ring gear, 205 ... Starter motor, 206a ... Magnet switch energizing switch, 206b ... Starter motor Switch for energization, 207 ... One-way clutch, 208 ... Control device, 209 ... Crank angle sensor, 210 ... Pinion gear rotation sensor, 211 ... Brake switch, 212 ... Vehicle speed sensor

Claims (3)

The fuel supply to the engine is stopped when a predetermined idle stop condition is satisfied during operation of the engine, and the starter motor pinion gear is pushed out during engine inertia rotation until the engine stops. In an idle stop system control device for controlling an idle stop system having a pre-engagement means for engaging with a ring gear connected to a crankshaft,
When a restart request is generated during the pinion gear push-out period from the time the pinion gear is pushed out by the pre-engagement means until the ring gear is engaged during the engine inertia rotation, the restart request generation timing At the same time or during the pinion gear push-out period, the starter motor is energized so that the pinion gear is engaged with the ring gear and the engine is restarted.   2. The idle stop system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-engagement means pushes the pinion gear into the ring gear without pre-rotating the pinion gear during the engine inertia rotation. Control device.   The pre-engagement means pre-rotates the pinion gear during the engine inertia rotation and energizes the starter motor when pushing out the pinion gear to cause the pinion gear to engage the ring gear. 2. The idle stop system control device according to claim 1, wherein the idle stop system control device is stopped.