FR3022593A1 - STARTER LAUNCHER AND STARTER STARTER - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a launcher (20) for a starter (1) for a heat engine comprising: - a bushing (11) movably mounted in translation on a drive shaft (5) comprising a first portion (11a) and a second portion ( 11b), - a stop element (17) mounted on the first portion (11a) and being integral in translation with the sleeve (11), - a pinion (15) mounted on the first portion (11a) between the element stop (17) and the second portion (11b) and is movable in translation relative to the sleeve (11) between an initial position abutting against the stop member (17) and an offset position, - an element resilient member (19) for biasing the pinion (15) to the initial position; - a protective sleeve (23) mounted around the elastic member (19) forming a chamber between the pinion (15) and the second portion (11b) and in which the protective sleeve (23) is able to slide on the outer periphery of the pinion (15) or on the second portion (11b) when the pinion (15) moves between the initial position and the offset position.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of thermal engine starters, in particular for motor vehicles and in particular starter launcher. Starters generally comprise an electric motor coupled to a drive shaft on which is mounted, slidably, a launcher. The launcher comprises a bushing and a pinion is mounted on the bushing so as to be rotated by the drive shaft via the bushing. The displacement in translation of the sleeve is controlled by a fork and allows the translational movement of the pinion to engage a ring gear of the engine. In addition, the pinion is slidably mounted on the bushing and a spring is placed between the bushing and the pinion so as to facilitate the gearing of the pinion on the ring particularly during the reflex start phases, that is to say during hot restart phases while the engine is still running, which is very common with the "stop and go" functions increasingly common on vehicles. However, in order to maintain the ability of the pinion to slide on the sleeve by compressing the spring when the pinion is tooth against tooth with the crown, it is necessary to protect the portion of the sleeve on which slides the pinion and the spring against the presence impurities and pollution that could hinder or disrupt the sliding of the pinion and the compression of the spring. A solution to this problem would be to use a flexible seal, such as a bellows that would be positioned around the sliding area of the pinion. However, with such a solution, the rapid movements of the pinion could create air calls inside the bellows ("dashpot effect" in English) which would have the effect of deforming the bellows and cause rapid wear of the latter . Moreover, with a coil spring, there is also a risk, because of the high rotation speeds, of centrifugation of the spring which could also damage the bellows. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a solution for protecting the portion of the sleeve on which the pinion slides and at least partially to overcome the disadvantages of the solutions of the state of the art. The present invention therefore relates to a starter starter for a heat engine, the launcher comprising: a bushing mounted to move in translation on a drive shaft, the bushing comprising a first portion and a second portion of diameter greater than the first portion, - a pinion mounted on the first portion of the sleeve between one end of the first portion of the sleeve and the second portion, the pinion being movable in translation relative to the sleeve between an initial position and an offset position in which the pinion is further away from the end of the first portion of the sleeve than in the initial position, - an elastic element mounted on the first portion and disposed between the pinion and the second portion of the sleeve configured to constrain the pinion in position initial, characterized in that the launcher further comprises: - a protective sleeve mounted around the elastic member fo forming a chamber between the pinion and the second portion of the sleeve and wherein the protective sleeve is able to slide on the outer periphery of the pinion or on the second portion of the sleeve when the pinion moves between the initial position and the position 20 shifted. This makes it possible to form a means for protecting the part of the bush on which the pinion slides, in order to avoid blocking, for example.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve is rigid. This prevents the sleeve from deforming by centrifugation. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the chamber is impervious against impurities of more than 2 mm. This makes it possible to prevent too much impurity from disturbing the operation of the launcher. According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve slides on the pinion or the second portion of the sleeve. This allows the sleeve to rotate and thereby prevent wear due to friction between the pinion or bushing and the sleeve due to rotation. According to another aspect of the present invention, the launcher further comprises a protective element integral in translation with the pinion, the protective sleeve covering said protective element. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the protection element is a washer. This saves material and therefore weight.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the protection element is made of material with the pinion. This allows to have a single piece and thus to avoid a bad assembly. According to another aspect of the present invention, a first end of the protective sleeve opposite to the pinion and the peripheral portion of the second portion of the socket comprise complementary fastening elements comprising on the one hand at least one projection and the other at least one annular notch, the, at least one projection being intended to come into the, at least one annular notch.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the launcher comprises a stop element mounted on the first portion of the socket, the stop element being integral in translation with the socket. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the launcher also comprises a coupling device between the drive shaft and the bushing a part of which is fixed to the bushing, said part of the coupling device attached to the bushing being located at the bushing. level of the second portion of the socket. According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the second end of the protective sleeve 30 touches the periphery of the protection element. According to another aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve extends axially beyond the protective element and comprises, at its second end, an internal annular shoulder on which the protective element bears. when the gear is in the initial position. This allows the sleeve to serve as a stop for the initial position or a redundancy of protection with another stop element.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the elastic member has a variable section and the protective sleeve has a variable section so as to surround the elastic member, the space between the protective sleeve and the elastic member being less than 2 mm. This allows the elastic element to control the deformation of the elastic element due to compression or centrifugation.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve has a conical shape. This allows to gain volume of the starter. According to another aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve has a stepped shape.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve comprises internal longitudinal ribs which surround the elastic element (19), the space between the elastic element and the ribs being less than 1 mm.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the protective sleeve comprises at least one condensate discharge channel formed in the inner portion of the protective sleeve. This allows to evacuate the water produced by condensation.

The present invention also relates to a starter comprising a launcher as described above. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description which will now be made, with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of indication but not limitation, possible embodiments. In these drawings: FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the front portion of a starter comprising the launcher according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 represents a diagram of the front portion of a starter comprising the launcher according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a diagram of the front portion of a starter comprising the launcher according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 4a and 4b show a diagram of a protective sleeve according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a schematic of a protective sleeve according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 6a and 6b show a diagram of a protective sleeve according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 7a and 7b show a diagram of a protection element according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 8a to 8f show diagrams of the various stages of assembly of a launcher according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 represents a diagram of the front portion of a starter comprising the launcher according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a rest position; FIG. 10 is a diagram of the front portion of a starter comprising the launcher according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a rest position; In these figures, the same reference numbers designate identical elements. FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the front part of a starter 1, the front side being indicated by the arrow 2. The starter 1 comprises a housing or protective cover 3 inside which is arranged a drive shaft 5 mounted on at least one front bearing 7 and driven at the rear by an electric motor (not shown). A driver 9 is movably mounted in translation on the drive shaft 5 and is rotated by the latter. A sleeve 11, also known as a pinion carrier, is mounted to move in translation on the front part of the drive shaft 5 and is coupled in rotation to the driver 9 via a coupling device 13 such that a clutch system in the case of Figure 1 or a freewheel system. The clutch system 13 comprises a first plurality (two in this case) of coach-linked rings 13a and 13b intermingled with a second plurality (in this case three) of rings 13c, 13d and 13e connected to the bushing 11. so that compression of the rings against each other creates a coupling between the driver 9 and the sleeve 11. The sleeve 11 comprises a first portion 11a and a second portion 1bb of diameter greater than the first portion 11a and located rearward (which is the opposite side to the front side) relative to the first portion 11a, the coupling device 13 being at the second portion 11b.

A pinion 15 is slidably mounted, between an initial position and an offset position, on the first portion 11a of the sleeve 11 and held on the sleeve 11 by a stop member 17 integral in translation with the sleeve 11 such that a circlip 17 mounted in an annular groove 18 of the first portion 11a of the sleeve 11. The pinion 15 is forced against the stop member 17 by an elastic member 19 such as a coil spring, for example frustoconical, as on the 1, mounted on the first portion 11a of the sleeve 11 and compressed between the second portion 1 lb of the sleeve 11 and the pinion 15 which is then abutted against the stop member 17 in its initial position. The assembly comprising the bushing 11, the pinion 15, the coupling device 13, the driver 9 and the associated elements such as the coil spring 19 form a mobile launcher 20 in translation relative to the drive shaft 5 between a rest position where the launcher comes against a rear stop (not shown) and an active position as shown in Figure 1 in which the launcher 20 comes into contact with a stop member 21 mounted on the front portion of the 5. Thus, in operation, the launcher 20 is moved from its rest position to its active position by a fork (not shown) of the starter 1 connected to a contactor (not shown). When the pinion 15 comes into contact with a ring gear 16 of the heat engine to be started, it is in a tooth against tooth position with the ring gear 16 so that the helical spring 19 is then compressed, especially when there is a differential speed between the 16 and the pinion 15, which prevents the pinion 15 to mesh directly with the ring 30 16. The pinion 15 then moves into a staggered position and is no longer in contact with the stop element 17. The compression of the coil spring 19 makes it possible to facilitate the gearing of the pinion 15 on the ring gear 16. In addition, the compression of the coil spring 19 also leads to the compression of the rings of the clutch system 13, which makes it possible to drive the pinion 15 is rotated. In FIG. 1, the pinion 15 is meshing with the ring gear 16 so that the two elements overlap partially. The sliding action of the pinion 15 relative to the sleeve 11 and the action of the coil spring 19 to force the pinion 15 towards the ring 16 in the active position of the launcher 20 therefore appear to be essential for the proper operation of the starter 1. It is necessary to therefore to prevent any foreign body or impurity to impede the sliding of the pinion 15 on the sleeve 11 and the compression of the coil spring 19. For this, a protective sleeve 23 is mounted around the coil spring 19 so as to form a chamber between the pinion 15 and the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11. The protective sleeve 23 can be fixed to the second portion 11b, as shown in Figure 1, and be able to slide on the outer periphery of the pinion 15 when The pinion 15 moves between the initial position and the offset position. Alternatively, the protective sleeve 23 may be fixed on the outer periphery of the pinion 15 and be able to slide on the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11 when the pinion moves between the initial position and the offset position. Fixing the protective sleeve 23 on the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11 or 20 on the outer periphery of the pinion 15 can be done by complementary means such as for example an annular groove or groove and a complementary bead or projection to be positioned in the notch or annular groove. The notch and projection can be made in a part of 360 ° or in several parts distributed around the periphery of the sleeve 11 or the pinion 15 and the sleeve 23.

In addition, the protective sleeve 23 is rigid so that it is not deformed under the effect of the centrifugal force during the rotation of the sleeve 11. The sleeve is for example made of ... [thank you to give examples of materials for the sleeve] Thus, the protective sleeve 23 remains rotationally secured to the part on which it is fixed, respectively the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11 or the outer periphery of the pinion 15 and slides by 30 relative to the other part, respectively the outer periphery of the pinion 15 or the second 3022593 -8- portion 1 lb of the sleeve 11. The space allowing the sliding is less than 1 mm so as to prevent the introduction of impurities of greater size to penetrate into the chamber formed under the protective sleeve 23. Furthermore, the protective sleeve 23 may have a variable section with a continuous profile, for example of conical shape, or of stepped or stepped form , in particular with a spring 19 of frustoconical shape, so as to surround the spring 19 and prevent the centrifugation of the spring 19. In fact, the protective sleeve 23 is rigid, in the event of centrifugation of the spring 19, the latter is held in position by the rigid protective sleeve 23 which surrounds the spring 19. In addition, unlike a flexible bellows, the spring 19 can not damage the protective sleeve 23. According to a second embodiment shown in FIG. protective sleeve 23 is fixed on the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11 and a protective element 25 is mounted integral in translation with the pinion 15. The protective element 25 is for example a washer fixed to the rear of the pinion 15 which extends radially to a diameter greater than the outside diameter of the pinion 15. The protection element 23 can also come in a manner with the pinion 15. The front end of the protective sleeve 23 comes to cover and touch the periphery of the protective element 25 in the initial position of the pinion 15. Moreover, even in the offset position of the pinion 15, the protective sleeve 23 it remains very close to the protection element 25 so that the possibility for impurities to get in under the protective sleeve 23 remains reduced. FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment similar to the second embodiment except for the shape of the protective sleeve 23 in which the protective sleeve 23 comprises an internal shoulder 26 at its front end which touches the pinion 15, the front part of the periphery of the protection element 25 coming into contact with the inner longitudinal edge of said shoulder 26 when the pinion 15 is in the initial position as shown in FIG. 3, which makes it possible to obtain maximum sealing when the pinion 15 is in the initial position which represents the majority of the time of the starter 1. FIGS. 4a and 4b show an example of a protective sleeve 23 which can be used alone or in combination with a protection element 25 and comprising a stepped variable section, a plurality of internal beads 27 each extending over a portion of about 45 ° and distributed in a regular manner on the periphery of the inner face of the protective sleeve 23 at its end intended to be fixed on the second portion 1 lb of the sleeve 11. The protective sleeve 23 also comprises an internal shoulder 26 at the level of the end intended to come to touch the pinion 15.

According to an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the protective sleeve 23 also comprises internal longitudinal ribs 29 distributed around the perimeter of the protective sleeve 23 so as to surround the spring 19 and prevent its centrifugation. The ribs 29 may be provided on a tubular sleeve, conical or having a stepped profile and their height may vary depending on the profile of the sleeve 23 and / or 15 depending on the profile of the spring 19. Moreover, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b, the protective sleeve 23 may also have at least one condensation water discharge channel 31 formed in the inner part of the protective sleeve 23 so as to evacuate moisture which may be formed inside. of the chamber formed by the sleeve 23. The channels 31, four in the case of Figure 6a, are formed by a groove formed inside the sleeve and passing through the circle described by the or projections 27 of the complementary fixing means in order to allow the transfer of moisture from the inside to the outside of the protective sleeve 23. The size of the channels 31 remains small, for example less than 1 mm so as to avoid the introduction of In FIGS. 7a and 7b there is shown an example of a washer-like protective member 25 which is also rigid so as not to be deformed by the forces experienced by it. 15. The protective element 25 is for example made of aluminum or plastic. FIGS. 8a to 8f show the different stages of assembly of the launcher elements 20. FIG. 8a shows a diagram of the bushing 11 and the driver 9.

FIG. 8b shows a diagram of the positioning of the spring 19 around the first portion 11a of the bushing 11 and bearing against the second portion 11b of the bushing 11. FIG. 8c shows the mounting of the protection element 25 around the first portion 11a of the sleeve 11. The protective member 25 contacting the end of the spring 19 opposite the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11. Figure 8d shows the mounting of the pinion 15 around the first part of the sleeve 11. The pinion 15 coming against the protection element 25.

FIG. 8e shows the mounting of the stop member 17 of the pinion 15 in an annular groove 18 near the end of the first portion 11a of the bushing 11. The stop member 17 preventing the separation between the bushing 11 and the various elements mounted on the bushing 11.

FIG. 8f shows the mounting of the protective sleeve 23 which is fixed on the periphery of the second portion 11b of the sleeve 11 on the one hand and in contact with the periphery of the protective element 25 on the other hand, the sleeve surrounding the spring 19. The operation of the launcher 20 will now be described from Figures 3, 9 and 10 which show the third embodiment respectively in different configurations of the launcher 20. Figure 9 shows the configuration of the launcher 20 when the starter is inactive. The launcher 20 is in the rest position so that the pinion 15 is located at a distance from the ring 30 16. No external stress is applied to the pinion 15 so that it is in abutment 3022593 against the element of stop 17 and that the protective element 25 bears on the protective sleeve 23, thus protecting the chamber formed by the inside of the protective sleeve 23 from the introduction of impurities. When activating the starter, the contactor moves the fork which then drives the launcher 20 forward and thus the pinion 15 towards the ring gear 16 as indicated by the arrow 33 of FIG. 9. The pinion 15 then comes position tooth against tooth with the ring 16 as shown in Figure 10. Because the fork moves the launcher 20 forward, the spring 19 is compressed under the combined effect of the force applied by the fork and the reaction of the crown 16 on the pinion 15. The pinion 15 is then displaced axially rearwardly relative to the sleeve 11 so that the protective element 25 is also displaced axially relative to the protective sleeve 23 which creates a space between the protection element 25 and the protective sleeve 23. However, the space between the protective sleeve 23 and the pinion 15 remains small, ie a few millimeters, for example 2 mm, so that a number very l imitated 15 impurities can be introduced under the protective sleeve 23. Moreover, the compression of the spring 19 also drives the clutch clutch rings 13 so that the pinion 15, via the sleeve 11, is rotated. This rotation allows the pinion 15 to mesh with the ring gear 16. FIG. 3 shows the starter) when the launcher 20 is in abutment with the stop element 21 and the pinion 15 is fully engaged on the ring gear 16. gear of the pinion 15 on the ring gear 16 causes the pinion 15 to move axially forwards with respect to the bushing 11 as far as the stop element 17 on which the pinion 15 abuts and consequently the displacement of the protection element 25 against the shoulder of the protective sleeve 23. The time during which the protective element 25 is not in contact with the protective sleeve 23 corresponds to the time that the pinion 15 has to engage with the crown 16 during a start. This time is therefore very small compared to the time during which the protection element 25 is in contact with the protective sleeve 23 so that the third embodiment has a very good protection of the chamber formed by the sleeve 23 against the introduction of pollution or impurities. Thus, the use of a protective sleeve 23 located around the spring 19 of the launcher 20 and sufficiently rigid to slide and brush the pinion 15 or a protective element 25 fixed to the pinion 15 makes it possible to effectively protect the 11 and the spring 19 of the presence of impurities and thus ensure the sliding of the pinion 15 on the sleeve 11 and thus the proper operation of the starter 1. Moreover, the protective sleeve 23 also allows its positioning closest to the spring 19 and its rigidity to prevent centrifugation of the spring 19, which also contributes to the proper operation of the starter 1.

Claims (15)

REVENDICATIONS1. Launcher (20) for a starter (1) for a heat engine, the launcher (20) comprising: - a bushing (11) mounted to move in translation on a drive shaft (5), the bushing comprising a first portion (11a) and a second portion (11b) of greater diameter than the first portion (11a), - a pinion (15) mounted on the first portion (11a) of the sleeve (11) between the end of the first portion of the sleeve and the second portion (11b), the pinion (15) being movable in translation relative to the sleeve (11) between an initial position and an offset position in which the pinion further from the end of the first portion of the sleeve in position initial,), - an elastic member (19) mounted on the first portion (11a) and disposed between the pinion (15) and the second portion (11b) of the sleeve (11) configured to constrain the pinion (15) in position initial, characterized in that the launcher (20) also comprises: - a sleeve of p rotection (23) mounted around the elastic element (19) forming a chamber between the pinion (15) and the second portion (11b) of the sleeve (11) and wherein the protective sleeve (23) is able to slide on the outer periphery of the pinion (15) or on the second portion (11b) of the sleeve (11) when the pinion (15) moves between the initial position and the offset position. 2. Launcher (20) according to claim 1 wherein the protective sleeve (23) is rigid. 3. Launcher (20) according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the chamber is sealed against impurities of more than 2 mm. 4. Launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective sleeve (23) slides on the pinion (15) or the second portion (11b) of the sleeve (11). 5. Launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims further comprising a protective element (25) integral in translation with the pinion (15), the protective sleeve (23) covering said protective element (25) . 6. Launcher (20) according to claim 5 wherein the protective element (25) is a washer. 5 7. Launcher (20) according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the protective element (20) is made of material with the pinion (15). 8. Launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims wherein a first end of the protective sleeve (23) opposite the pinion (15) and the peripheral portion of the second portion (11b) of the sleeve (11) comprise complementary fastening elements comprising on the one hand at least one projection and on the other hand at least one annular notch, the, at least one projection being intended to come into the, at least one annular notch. 15 9. Launcher (20) according to one of claims 5 to 8 wherein, in the initial position of the pinion, the second end of the protective sleeve (23) comes touching the periphery of the protective element (25). 20 10. Launcher (20) according to one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the protective sleeve (23) extends axially beyond the protective element (25) and comprises at its second end a internal annular shoulder (26) on which the protective element (25) bears when the pinion (15) is in the initial position. 11. Launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims wherein the elastic element (19) has a variable section and the protective sleeve (23) has a variable section so as to surround the elastic element (19), the space between the protective sleeve (23) and the elastic element (19) being less than 2 mm. 12. Launcher (20) according to claim 11 wherein the protective sleeve (23) has a conical shape. 35 13. Launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims wherein the protective sleeve (23) comprises internal longitudinal ribs (29) which surround the elastic element (19), the space between the elastic element ( 19) and 3022593 the ribs (29) being less than 1 mm. 14. Launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims wherein the protective sleeve (23) comprises at least one channel (31) for discharging condensation water formed in the inner portion of the protective sleeve (23). ). 15. Starter (1) comprising a launcher (20) according to one of the preceding claims. 10