US 6,681,736 B2Granted

Starter protective device

AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsKatsuyuki Sumimoto, Keiichi Komurasaki

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A starter protective device is provided which is capable of accurately determining the commencement of overrunning (i.e., timing of the commencement of starting of an engine) even in the presence of variations in the cycle of fluctuations in a battery voltage, noise and so on, thereby to prevent a starter from being overrun after starting of an engine in a reliable manner. The starter protective device includes an overrunning determination section 15 for determining when the starter motor 4 commences overrunning; and a starter motor cut-off section for interrupting the main contactor 3 when it is determined that the starter motor 4 commences overrunning. The overrunning determination section 15 detects a change over time of the battery voltage BV after the starter switch 2 has been turned on, and determines that the starter motor 4 commences overrunning when the battery voltage VB remains unchanged without any increase or decrease over a predetermined time T.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A starter protective device comprising:

an electronic control unit supplied with a battery voltage from a battery mounted on a vehicle;
a starter switch connected with an output terminal of said battery;
a main contactor adapted to be driven under the control of said electronic control unit in response to said starter switch being turned on;
and
a starter motor adapted to be driven to operate by said battery voltage supplied thereto from said battery through said main contactor when said main contactor is turned on;
said electronic control unit including:
an overrunning determination section for determining when said starter motor commences overrunning;
and
a starter motor cut-off section for interrupting said main contactor when it is determined that said starter motor commences overrunning;
wherein said overrunning determination section detects a change over time of said battery voltage after said starter switch has been turned on, and determines that said starter motor commences overrunning when said battery voltage remains unchanged without any increase or decrease over a predetermined time.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/963,413Filed 27 Sep 2001
Priority: JP 2000-3019222 Oct 2000
Published: US 2002/0038643 A14 Apr 2002
Granted: 27 Jan 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

F02N 11/0848
Circuits specially adapted for starting of engines: with means for detecting successful engine start, e.g. to stop starter actuation
F02N 2200/063
Said parameters being related to the power supply or driving circuits for the starter: battery voltage
F02N
Starting of combustion engines