# US 9,752,546 B2 · Engine starting apparatus

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- Number: US 9,752,546 B2
- Document ID: US9752546B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/725,612
- Filed: 2015-05-29
- Published: 2015-12-10
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-06-04
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Takashi Hirabayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752546B2

## CPC

- F02N 11/0851: {characterised by means for controlling the engagement or disengagement between engine and starter, e.g. meshing of pinion and engine gear}
- F02N 11/0859: {specially adapted to the type of the starter motor or integrated into it}
- F02N 15/04: the gearing including disengaging toothed gears
- F02N 15/046: {of the planetary type}
- F02N 11/0814: {comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop}
- F02N 11/087: {Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches}
- F02N 15/023: {of the overrunning type}
- F02N 15/067: {the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever}
- F02N 2015/061: {said axial displacement being limited, e.g. by using a stopper}
- F02N 2300/102: Control of the starter motor speed; Control of the engine speed during cranking
- F02N 2300/104: Control of the starter motor torque
- F02N 2300/2002: using different starting modes, methods, or actuators depending on circumstances, e.g. engine temperature or component wear
- F02N 2300/2011: Control involving a delay; Control involving a waiting period before engine stop or engine start
- F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An apparatus for starting an engine, including an inertia-engagement-type starter. In the apparatus, a starter-characteristic switching mechanism is configured to switch an output characteristic of the starter between a plurality of output characteristics including at least a low-torque high-speed characteristic and a high-torque low-speed characteristic, where the output characteristic of the starter is hereinafter referred to a starter characteristic. A timing controller is configured to control when the starter-characteristic switching mechanism switches the starter characteristic such that the starter characteristic is set to the high-torque low-speed characteristic from initiation of actuation of the starter at least until a pinion successfully meshes with a ring gear, and after the pinion has successfully meshed with the ring gear, the starter characteristic is switched from the high-torque low-speed characteristic to the low-torque high-speed characteristic at which the engine is cranked by the starter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for starting an engine, comprising:
an inertia-engagement-type starter configured to utilize an attractive force of a solenoid to push a pinion into an engaged position with a ring gear of the engine and then transfer a rotational force of the motor from the pinion to the ring gear to start the engine; a starter-characteristic switching mechanism configured to switch an output characteristic of the starter between a plurality of output characteristics including at least a low-torque high-speed characteristic and a high-torque low-speed characteristic, the output characteristic of the starter being referred to a starter characteristic; and
a timing controller configured to control when the starter-characteristic switching mechanism switches the starter characteristic such that the starter characteristic is set to the high-torque low-speed characteristic from initiation of actuation of the starter at least until the pinion successfully meshes with the ring gear, and after the pinion has successfully meshed with the ring gear, the starter characteristic is switched from the high-torque low-speed characteristic to the low-torque high-speed characteristic at which the engine is cranked by the starter,
wherein the high-torque low-speed characteristic to which the starter characteristic is set from the initiation of actuation of the starter at least until the pinion successfully meshes with the ring gear is a starter characteristic that is lowest in rotational speed of the pinion among the plurality of starter characteristics.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the starter-characteristic switching mechanism is configured to switch the starter characteristic between the plurality of starter characteristics in three or more stages or in a continuously variable manner, and the high-torque low-speed characteristic to which the starter characteristic is set from the initiation of actuation of the starter at least until the pinion successfully meshes with the ring gear is a starter characteristic that is lower in torque than a starter characteristic of highest torque among the plurality of starter characteristics.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the low-torque high-speed characteristic at which the engine is cranked by the starter is lower in torque than the high-torque low-speed characteristic to which the starter characteristic is set from the initiation of actuation of the starter at least until the pinion successfully meshes with the ring gear.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the timing controller comprises a timer function for counting an elapsed time from the initiation of actuation of the starter, and
the timing controller is configured to control when the starter-characteristic switching mechanism switches the starter characteristic such that the starter characteristic is switched from the high-torque low-speed characteristic to the low-torque high-speed characteristic after the pinion has successfully meshed with the ring gear based on an elapsed time from the initiation of actuation of the starter counted by the timer function.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein
an elapsed time from the initiation of actuation of the starter to when the pinion successfully meshes with the ring gear counted by the timer function beforehand is pre-set in the timing controller, and
the timing controller is configured to, when determining that an elapsed time from the initiation of actuation of the starter counted by the timer function has reached the pre-set elapsed time, trigger the starter-characteristic switching mechanism to switch the starter characteristic from the high-torque low-speed characteristic to the low-torque high-speed characteristic.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is a brushed direct-current (DC) motor.