Electric generator for vehicles

An electric generator apparatus for a vehicle having an engine including a crankshaft comprising:

• a stator having starting coils, generating coils and a current supply path for supplying electric current from a battery to said starting coils during startup of said engine;
• a rotor having field magnets operatively positioned with respect to said starting and generating coils on said stator;
• a rectifier mechanism including a brush holder containing a brush for electric coupling with said current supply path;
• centrifugal means for operating said brush holder for uncoupling said starting coils from said battery when the velocity of said crankshaft exceeds a predetermined value;
• and
• switch means electrically connected between said battery and said rectifier mechanism operative to transmit electric current between said battery and said rectifier mechanism during startup of said engine, said switch means including means for terminating the transmission of electric current from said battery to said rectifier mechanism before the uncoupling of said starting coils from said battery by said centrifugal means.

An electric generator apparatus for a vehicle having an engine comprising:

• a stator having starting coils, generating coils and a current supply path for supplying electric current from a battery to said starting coils during startup of said engine;
• a rotor having field magnets operatively positioned with respect to said starting and generating coils on said stator;
• and
• a rectifier mechanism having a brush holder containing a brush for electric coupling with said current supply path, said rectifier mechanism, including said brush, being disposed substantially laterally adjacent and radially inwardly of at least one of said starting coils and said generating coils.

An electric generator apparatus for a vehicle having an engine including a crankshaft comprising:

• a stator having starting coils, generating coils and a current supply path for supplying electric current from a battery to said starting coils during startup of said engine;
• a rotor having field magnets operatively positioned with respect to said starting and generating coils on said stator;
• a rectifier mechanism including a brush holder containing a brush for electric coupling with said current supply path;
• switch means electrically connected between said battery and said rectifier mechanism operative to transmit electric current between said battery and said rectifier mechanism during startup of said engine, said switch means including means for sensing the output voltage of said generating coils for detecting the rotational velocity of the crankshaft of said engine;
• means for comparing the detected rotational velocity with a predetermined value thereof;
• and means for terminating the transmission of electric current from said battery to said rectifier mechanism when said crankshaft velocity exceeds said predetermined value.