FR2741996A1 - STARTER CONTACTOR PROVIDED WITH A MOBILE CONTACT STOPPED BY DEFORMATION AND STARTER PROVIDED WITH SUCH A CONTACTOR - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a starter switch for a motor vehicle, of the type in which a movable contact (34) is mounted to slide axially on a control rod (38), of the type in which a bearing surface (35) of the movable contact (34) cooperates with a stop surface of the rod (38) to determine a rest position of the movable contact (34) on the rod (38), the stop surface being produced by deformation of the movable contact (34), respectively of the rod (38), when mounting the movable contact (34) on the rod (38).

Description

The invention relates to a starter switch for a

  internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle.

  The invention relates more particularly to a starter switch for a motor vehicle, of the type in which a movable contact is mounted to slide axially on a control rod between a rest position and an active position, of the type in which the movable contact is axially stressed towards its rest position by elastic return means, and of the type in which a bearing surface of the movable contact cooperates with an abutment surface of the rod to determine the rest position of the contactor relative to

the stem.

  According to a known design, the abutment surface of the rod consists of a steel abutment washer which is made axially integral with the control rod by means of

additional fixing.

  These complementary fixing means consist of a claw fixing washer which is force fitted on a free end of the control rod and which immobilizes the thrust washer against a radial shoulder of the control rod. This embodiment of the abutment surface of the rod therefore has the disadvantage of requiring two specific parts which do not

not perform other functions.

  In addition, during the force fitting of the claw washer on the end section of the rod, chips may form which may then come off and disturb the

contactor operation.

  The object of the invention is to propose a new design of a contactor which enables reliable and

  economic of the moving contact on the control rod.

  For this purpose, the invention proposes a contactor of the type described above, characterized in that the bearing surface, or the abutment surface, is produced by deformation of the movable contact, respectively of the rod, during assembly of the movable contact on the stem. According to other characteristics of the invention - the control rod comprises at least one radial groove which extends axially over a length at least equal to the length of the stroke of the movable contact between its active and rest positions, and the movable contact is deformed radially when it is mounted on the rod so as to form a radial support lug which is received in sliding in the groove of the rod and which cooperates with an axial end face of abutment of the groove to determine the rest position of the movable contact; the movable contact is a substantially rectangular plate pierced at its center with a circular orifice for the passage of the control rod which is cylindrical, the movable contact comprises at least a portion of reduced transverse width which extends in the vicinity of the central opening, the recess of the control rod is arranged opposite the reduced transverse portion, and the reduced transverse portion is deformed radially by acting on its outer edge so as to form in the opening a radial lug which is received in the recess of the rod; the groove has a cross-sectional profile in cross section and the lug formed by deformation of the movable contact is of complementary shape; - The control rod has two opposite grooves distributed symmetrically on either side of the axis of the control rod and the movable contact has two opposite reduced transverse portions, which are arranged on either side of the orifice central in the width direction of the rectangular movable contact, and which are intended to be deformed transversely to simultaneously form two support pins; - The control rod is made by molding and the grooves are made integrally with the rod; - The invention also relates to a motor vehicle starter provided with a contactor according to the preceding characteristics. Other features and advantages of the invention

  will appear on reading the following detailed description for the

  understanding of which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a starter switch made according to the prior art; - Figure 2 is a perspective view of a control rod and a movable contact assembled in accordance with the teachings of the invention; - Figure 3 is an axial sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure 4 of a control rod and a movable contact assembled in accordance with the teachings of the invention; - Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of Figure 3 which illustrates the movable contact after mounting on the rod but before its deformation; - Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of Figure 3 which illustrates the movable contact after its deformation. l0 There is shown in Figure 1 a contactor 10 which comprises a housing 12 inside which an inductor winding 14 is intended to cause, using a polar mass 16, an axial magnetic field capable of moving axially a movable core 18 between a rear rest position shown in FIG. 1 and a front position, axially offset to the right considering

Figure 1.

  The front axial end 20 of the housing 12 is closed by a cover 22, a transverse wall 24 of which carries an input terminal 26 connected to a battery (not shown) of the motor vehicle and a power supply terminal 28 connected to the electric motor ( not shown)

of the starter.

  The terminals 26, 28 each have a terminal head, 32 arranged inside the contactor and the heads 30, 32 are intended to be electrically connected by a movable contact 34 in the form of a rectangular plate made of electrically conductive material . The movable contact 34 is arranged transversely in the

  contactor 10, between the pole ground 16 and the terminal heads 30, 32.

  It is capable of being displaced in the contactor 10 axially between a first open circuit position shown in FIG. 1 and in which it is in abutment against a front axial face 36 of the polar mass 16 and a closed circuit position, offset to the right when considering FIG. 1, and in which it bears against the terminal heads 30, 32 so as to

electrically connect.

  Thus, the contactor 10 controls the supply of the motor

  of the electric starter supplied by the vehicle battery.

  The movements of the movable contact 34 in the contactor are controlled by means of a control rod 38 which is capable of being moved axially from back to front in

the contactor 10 through the core 18.

  The rod 38 comprises a rear guide section 40 which passes axially through the pole piece 16 and whose axial end

  rear 42 is controlled by the movable core 18.

  The rear guide section 40 is extended by a central section 44, on which the movable contact slides and which is delimited, at the rear, by an external radial collar 46 of greater diameter, and, at the front, by one end free 48 of smaller diameter. The central section 44 is therefore delimited axially by two

  rear radial 49 and front shoulder surfaces 51.

  The movable contact 34 has a circular central hole or orifice 50 to allow its sliding mounting, between an advanced rest position and an active retracted position, on the

  cylindrical central section 44 of the rod 38.

  A thrust washer 52 is engaged on the free axial end 48 of the rod 38 and it is held in abutment against the front radial shoulder surface 51 by a claw washer 53 which is

  press fit on the free end 48.

  A helical compression spring 54 is arranged around the central section 44 of the rod 38, between the external radial collar 46 and a rear face 35 of the movable contact 34, so as to bias the latter axially towards its advanced position of rest, advanced by relative to the rod 38, in which it bears against the washer of

stop 52.

  When the movable core 18 is controlled towards its front position, it drives with it the control rod 38 against a return spring 55 which is arranged axially in front of the rod 38, in support of a hand against the claw washer 53 and on the other hand

  against the transverse wall 24 of the cover 22.

  The return spring 54 of the contact 34, one end of which bears against the radial collar 46 of the rod 38, causes the axial displacement of the movable contact 34 relative to the contactor 10 towards its closed circuit position in which the movable contact 34

  is pressed against the two terminal heads 30, 32.

  The control rod 38 then continues its axial movement forwards, under the action of the movable core 18, which causes the compression spring 54 of the movable contact 34 to be compressed, because the movable contact 34 is immobilized in abutment axially against the terminals 26, 28. The movable contact 34 then moves relative to the control rod 38 from its advanced rest position to a position

  backward active, against its return spring 54.

  There is shown in Figures 2 to 5 a control rod and a movable contact designed in accordance with the teachings of the invention. The central section 44 of the rod 38 according to the teachings of the invention comprises two lateral grooves 56 which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis XX of the rod 38 and which are delimited axially, at the rear, by the radial collar external

  46 and, at the front, by an axial end face 58.

  The axial end face 58 of the grooves 56 is arranged axially behind the front radial shoulder 51 formed by

  the free end 48 of the rod 38.

  In this way, it is necessary that the central section 44 be of axial length slightly greater than that of the known embodiment of the technique so that the grooves 56 allow

  a similar stroke of the movable contact 34 relative to the rod 38.

  As can be seen more particularly in Figure 4, the grooves 56 have a circular arc profile in cross section and the movable contact 34 is substantially rectangular so that the central orifice 50, whose diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the central section 44 of the rod 38, delimits, in the direction of the width of the movable contact 34, two portions of transverse width

reduced 60.

  The movable contact 34 and its return spring 54 are engaged on the rod 38 so that the reduced width portions of the movable contact 34 are each arranged opposite one of the

  grooves 56 of the control rod 38.

  It is then possible to deform transversely the portions 60 of the movable contact 34 by applying to each of them a transverse force directed towards the axis XX of the control rod 38 so that they each form, in the central hole 50, a radial lug 62 which is received in the corresponding recess 56, this using punches 64 which act radially

  opposite and simultaneously.

  At rest, the return spring 54 of the movable contact 34 then pushes the latter forward relative to the rod 38 until the support pins 62 come into contact with the ends

axial front 58 of grooves 56.

  The arrangement of the two recesses 56 facing each other makes it possible to deform the movable contact 34 by applying on its two opposite lateral edges forces of the same direction, of the same intensity but in the opposite direction, so that the result of their action is zero, which avoids significant clamping of the part during

of the assembly.

  The front radial shoulder surface 51 formed between the central section 44 and the free end 48 of the rod 38 forms a

  bearing surface for the return spring 55 of the rod 38.

  The control rod 38 is preferably produced by

  molding and the grooves 56 are made integrally.

  The axial locking of the movable contact 34 on the rod 36 is thus obtained economically and reliably, without requiring any part

additional fixing.

  It is also possible to provide a second embodiment of the invention in which the central cylindrical part of the control rod is devoid of grooves but in which the abutment surfaces of the rod are produced by deformation of the front end of the central part of the rod, after assembly of the movable contact of the rod. This is especially possible when the rod is made of

  plastic material by hot deformation.

Claims (7)

  1. Starter switch for a motor vehicle, of the type in which a movable contact (34) is slidably mounted axially on a control rod (38) between an advanced rest position and a retracted active position, of the type in which the movable contact (34) is biased axially towards its rest position by means (54) of elastic return, of the type in which a bearing surface (35) of the movable contact (34) cooperates with an abutment surface (58) of the rod (38) to determine the rest position of the movable contact (34) on the rod (38), characterized in that the bearing surface (62), or the abutment surface (58), is produced by deformation of the movable contact (34), respectively of the rod (38), during   mounting the movable contact (34) on the rod (38).   2. Contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the control rod (38) has at least one radial groove (56) which extends axially over a length at least equal to the length of the stroke of the movable contact (34 ) between its active and rest positions, and in that the movable contact (34) is deformed radially when it is mounted on the rod (38) so as to form a radial support lug (62) which is received in sliding in the groove (56) of the rod (38) and which cooperates with an axial abutment end face (58) of the groove (56) to determine the position of rest of the movable contact (34).   3. Contactor according to claim 2, characterized in that the movable contact (34) is a substantially rectangular plate pierced in its center with a circular orifice (50) for the passage of the control rod (38) which is cylindrical, in that the movable contact (34) comprises at least a portion of reduced transverse width (60) which extends in the vicinity of the central orifice (50), in that the recess (56) of the control rod (58) is arranged opposite the reduced transverse portion (60), and in that the reduced transverse portion (60) is deformed radially by acting on its outer edge so as to form in the orifice (50) a lug   radial (62) which is received in the recess (56) of the rod (38).   4. Contactor according to claim 3, characterized in that the groove (56) has in cross section a profile in an arc of a circle and in that the lug (62) formed by deformation of the contact   mobile (64) is of complementary shape.   5. Contactor according to one of claims 3 or 4,   characterized in that the control rod (38) has two opposite grooves (56) distributed symmetrically on either side of the axis (XX) of the control rod (38) and in that the movable contact (34 ) comprises two opposite reduced transverse portions (60), which are arranged on either side of the central orifice (50) in the width direction of the rectangular movable contact (34), and which are intended to be deformed transversely to train   simultaneously two support pins (62).   6. Contactor according to any one of the claims   previous, characterized in that the control rod (38) is produced by molding and in that the grooves (56) are produced   material coming with the rod (38).   7. Motor vehicle starter, characterized in that it   is provided with a contactor according to any one of the claims previous.