JP2003003938A - Engine automatic stop/start system and starting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To implement an engine automatic stop/start system and a starting method, in which a pinion or a ring gear is prevented from wearing or getting chipped, which can quickly restart an engine, is excellent in durability, and of which noise is low, resulting in implementing high reliability. SOLUTION: When a vehicle stops and a controller 30 makes the engine 1 automatically stop, and the stop of the engine 1 is detected, a pinion control part 314 makes a pinion 17 be gently meshed with a ring gear 3 to cut off current passage to a pinion drive solenoid 13. A plunger stopper 19 prevents movement of a plunger. When a predetermined starting condition is satisfied and depression of an accelerator pedal 6 is detected, the controller 30 makes current carry to a motor 11, and when a speed of the engine 1 becomes a predetermined speed Ns or more, the controller cuts off the current for the motor 11 and makes current carry thorough the plunger stopper 19 to allow the plunger to move. Then, the controller cuts off the current for the plunger stopper 19.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an engine automatic stop / start device, and more particularly to an engine automatic stop / start device and start for automatically stopping and automatically starting an engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Regarding the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a vehicle may stop at an intersection or a railroad crossing when traveling in an urban area.
In such a case, if the engine is left idle, wasteful fuel is consumed and the fuel consumption increases.

For this reason, when a certain condition such as the stop of the vehicle is satisfied, the engine of the vehicle is automatically stopped to cut off the fuel consumption during the temporary stop of the vehicle, and thereafter, a predetermined amount is maintained while the vehicle is stopped. There is an automatic engine stop / start device that automatically restarts the engine when conditions are met.

In the automatic engine stop / start device described above, the automatic start of the engine depends on the driver's intention, for example, the accelerator is depressed or the foot is released from the brake as a condition for automatically restarting the engine. There are conditions.

As an example of the automatic engine stop / start device described above, there is a technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-60539.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the engine is restarted by an operation based on the driver's intention to start the vehicle as a condition for restarting the engine. However, after the driver performs a start operation such as stepping on the accelerator pedal,
The pinion of the engine starter meshed with the ring gear, and the engine was restarted to start running.

Therefore, in the prior art, when the vehicle is automatically stopped and then restarted, the same restart operation as in the case where the vehicle is started after a long stop in the garage is performed.
It was not considered to restart the engine smoothly and promptly after the automatic stop.

Further, in the above-mentioned prior art, since the pinion has to move to the ring gear side when the engine is restarted, the pinion and the ring gear collide with each other, a loud noise is generated when the pinion and the ring gear are engaged, and the wear of the pinion and the ring gear progresses. It was also quick, and no consideration was given to improving the quietness and durability of the automatic engine stop / start device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to gently mesh the pinion and the ring gear at the time of restart after the automatic stop to prevent wear and chipping of the pinion and the ring gear. In addition, by performing the optimum engine start control and restarting the engine quickly, it has excellent durability, low noise, and highly reliable engine automatic stop / auto start device and start method. is there.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. (1) A ring gear for transmitting a rotational drive force to an engine, a motor for generating a rotational drive force for starting the engine, and an output rotary shaft of the motor slidably supported by the output rotary shaft of the motor. A pinion that rotates according to the rotation and can engage with the ring gear and release the engagement, a pinion drive means that slides the pinion on the output rotation shaft, and automatically stops the engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied. In addition, in the engine automatic stop / start device having a controller for automatically starting the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied, when the pinion is meshed with the ring gear, the pinion and the ring gear are Holding means for holding the meshed state of.

(2) Preferably, in the above (1),
The controller is in a state where the engine is stopped,
A motor for rotating the ring gear by rotating the pinion by the motor while the pinion control unit controls the pinion and the ring gear to mesh with each other, and the pinion and the ring gear in mesh with each other. A control unit and a holding unit control unit for releasing the meshing of the pinion with the ring gear by the holding unit when the engine has a predetermined rotational speed or more.

(3) Further, preferably, in the above (1) or (2), the pinion drive means supplies and stops a pinion drive solenoid for driving the pinion and operating power of the pinion drive solenoid. A pinion control relay for, and a resistor connected between the pinion control relay and the motor, the holding means is driven by the electromagnetic solenoid, the electromagnetic solenoid, the pinion drive means to a predetermined position. And a holding member fixed to the.

(4) Preferably, the above (1),
In (2) or (3), the controller determines an engine operating state based on output signals from the engine rotation sensor, vehicle speed sensor, accelerator sensor, key switch, etc., and outputs the engine operating state determination unit. Equipped with.

(5) Preferably, in the above (1) to (4), the pinion drive means is an electromagnetic solenoid, and a drive member for sliding the pinion on the output rotary shaft by the electromagnetic solenoid. The controller energizes the electromagnetic solenoid of the pinion drive means, and stops energizing the electromagnetic solenoid of the pinion drive means when a predetermined time elapses after starting the energization.

(6) Preferably, in the above (4), when the controller detects that the engine speed becomes higher than a predetermined speed, the controller stops the rotation of the motor and holds the motor. The holding of the meshed state between the pinion of the means and the ring gear is released.

(7) Preferably, the above (1),
In (2), (4) or (6), the output rotation shaft and the pinion are fitted to each other, and the pinion is provided with a disk means for sliding on the output rotation shaft.

(8) A ring gear for transmitting the rotational driving force to the engine, a motor for generating the rotational driving force for starting the engine, and an output rotary shaft of the motor slidably supported on the output rotation. A pinion that rotates according to the rotation of the shaft and is capable of meshing with the ring gear and releasing the mesh, a pinion drive unit that slides the pinion on the output rotary shaft, and an engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied. In a method of starting an engine in an engine automatic stop / starting device that includes a controller that automatically stops the engine and automatically starts the engine when a predetermined starting condition is satisfied, in the state where the engine is automatically stopped, the pinion drive is performed. The pinion and the ring gear are meshed with each other by a means, and this meshed state is used as a holding means. When the predetermined starting condition is satisfied with the pinion and the ring gear engaged with each other, the pinion and the ring gear are rotated by the motor, and after the engine is started, the holding means is used. The engagement between the pinion and the ring gear is released.

(9) Further, in the above (2), preferably, the controller further comprises speed reducing means for decreasing a sliding speed of the pinion on the output rotary shaft by the pinion driving means, and the controller is the predetermined one. After the stop condition is satisfied and the engine is automatically stopped, it is determined whether or not the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is stepped on.If the accelerator pedal is not stepped on, by the speed reducing means,
The sliding speed of the pinion drive means is reduced to mesh the pinion with the ring gear, and the holding means holds the meshed state of the pinion with the ring gear.

(10) Further, preferably, in the above (9), the controller determines whether or not the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is stepped on after the predetermined stop condition is satisfied and the engine is automatically stopped. Judgment, when the accelerator pedal is stepped on, without decreasing the sliding speed of the pinion drive means by the speed reducing means,
The pinion and the ring gear are engaged with each other to automatically start the engine.

(11) Further, preferably, in the above (1) or (8), the holding means holds the meshed state without requiring energy supply from the outside.

According to the present invention, there is provided optimum automatic start control of a vehicle for automatically stopping and automatically starting the engine,
It is possible to improve the durability of the starter and the engine, reduce noise at the time of automatic start, and improve comfort.

The pinion and the ring gear are gently meshed with each other to prevent abrasion and chipping of the pinion and the like, and optimal engine start control can be performed to restart the engine quickly, resulting in excellent durability, low noise, and reliability. It is possible to realize an automatic engine stopping / starting device and a starting method with high performance.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an engine automatic stop / start device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a ring gear 3 is attached to a crankshaft 2 of a power transmission section of an engine 1. The rotation speed of the ring gear 3 is detected by a rotation sensor 4, and from the detected rotation speed N, the engine is The operating state of No. 1 is detected by the controller 30. Further, the controller 30 detects the vehicle speed V by the vehicle speed sensor 5 of the vehicle and determines whether or not the vehicle has stopped.

The accelerator pedal 6 is provided with an accelerator sensor 7 as a means for detecting the amount of depression (accelerator opening) of the accelerator pedal 6.

The starter 10 is mounted and fixed to the engine 1 with bolts. The starter 10 includes a motor 11 that generates a rotational drive force and a pinion 1 that transmits the rotational drive force of the motor 11 to a ring gear 3 of the engine 1.
7, a pinion drive solenoid 13 for controlling the meshing between the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3, and a plunger stopper (holding means) 19 for holding the pinion drive solenoid 13 in an operating state. The plunger stopper 19 includes a pinion 17 and a ring gear 3.
When and mesh with each other, it has a function of maintaining this meshed state.

The controller 30 also has an input port 301 for receiving output signals from the rotation sensor 4, the accelerator sensor 7, and the key switch 8, and the input port 301.
A central processing unit (C) which receives a signal from the memory (ROM) 302 and is interconnected with the memory (RAM) 303 to perform data processing according to a control program stored in the memory (ROM) 302.
PU) 304 and an output port 305 for transmitting the output signal of the CPU 304 to the outside.

An output signal from the output port 305 is used as a pinion control relay 41 for controlling the pinion drive solenoid 13, a motor control relay 42 for controlling the motor 11, and a plunger stopper for controlling the plunger stopper 19. It is supplied to the control relay 43.

FIG. 2 shows the function of the controller 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, the automatic engine stop / start device comprises a starter 10, a controller 30, a battery 50, and a pinion control relay 41 for selecting whether or not to supply current to the pinion drive solenoid 13. ing.

Further, the automatic engine stop / start device further selects a motor control relay 42 for selecting whether or not to supply a current to the motor 11, and a selection for whether or not to supply a current to the plunger stopper 19. And a plunger stopper control relay 43 for performing.

Further, the engine automatic stop / start device is
A resistor 60 is provided, and one end of the resistor 60 is connected to a connection point between the pinion control relay 41 and the pinion drive solenoid 13, and the other end is connected to a connection point between the motor control relay 42 and the motor 11. .

The functions executed by the CPU 304 of the controller 30, the memories 302 and 303, the control program, and the like can be broadly divided into the engine operating state determining section 310.
A motor control unit 312, a pinion control unit 314,
There is a holding means control unit 316.

Based on the output signals from the rotation sensor 4 and the accelerator sensor 7 of the engine 1, the engine operating state determination unit 310 determines whether the engine 1 is stopped, whether the accelerator pedal 6 is depressed, or not. In the case of, the operating state such as whether or not the rotation speed of the engine 1 is a predetermined value or more is determined.

Further, the motor control section 312 controls the motor 11
When the engine 1 is instructed to start, the pinion 17 is rotated by the rotational driving force of the motor 11 when the engine 1 is instructed to start, and the ring gear 3 is rotated. To rotate.

The pinion control section 314 controls the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 by the pinion control relay 41 and the pinion drive solenoid 13 while the engine 1 is stopped.
Control to mesh with.

Further, the holding means control section 316 releases the meshing between the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 by the meshing holding means, which will be described later, when the engine 1 has a predetermined rotational speed or more.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the starter 10 in the above-described automatic engine stop / start device.

In FIG. 3, a starter 10 is a motor 11 for generating a rotational driving force, and an output shaft 12 of this motor 11.
The roller clutch 16 spline-fitted to the roller clutch 16, the pinion 17 slidably provided on the output shaft 12 integrally with the roller clutch 16, and the pinion 17 integrated with the roller clutch 16 via the shift lever 18. The ring gear 3 and the pinion drive solenoid 13, which is a power source for transferring to the ring gear 3 side of the engine 1.
It is provided with a plunger stopper 19 and the like that keep the meshed state when meshed with.

Output shaft 12 of motor 11 of starter 10
Is supported by a bearing portion 14b provided on the nose portion 14a of the front bracket 14 and a bearing portion 15a of the rear bracket 15.

The output shaft 12 has a roller clutch 1
6 and the pinion 17 are slidably supported, and the roller clutch 16 and the pinion 17 slide in the axial direction of the output shaft 12 via the shift lever 18 by the power of the pinion drive solenoid (electromagnetic solenoid) 13. To be done.

The output shaft 12 and the roller clutch 16 are fitted to each other by helical splines 12a and 16a for transmitting the rotational driving force.

The plunger 13a of the pinion drive solenoid 13 is provided with a plunger stopper 19 provided with an electromagnetic solenoid having an exciting coil 19c. The plunger holding member 19 of the plunger stopper 19
A is pushed toward the plunger 13a by a push spring 19b.

Incidentally, the pinion drive solenoid valve 13 is provided with a spring member (plunger return spring) 13b for pressing the plunger 13a toward the front bracket 14 side.

Further, the spigot portion 14c of the front bracket 14 is inserted into the starter mounting portion 21 of the engine 1, and the bolt 20 is inserted into the mounting hole of the flange portion 14d of the front bracket 14 to be screwed to the engine 1 to fix the starter 10. Is mounted on the engine 1.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, in FIG.
It is a figure which shows the state in which the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 meshed.

When the vehicle stops traveling at an intersection or the like and the conditions for stopping the engine are satisfied, the controller 30 automatically stops the engine 1. Engine operating state determination unit 3
When 10 detects that the engine 1 has changed from the operating state to the stopped state based on the signal from the rotation sensor 4, the pinion control unit 314 turns on the pinion control relay 41.
As a result, the pinion drive solenoid 1 of the starter 10 is
The battery 3 is energized by the battery 50.

When the pinion drive solenoid 13 is energized from the battery 50, the plunger 13a is attracted to the pinion drive solenoid 13 side, and the roller clutch 16 and the pinion 17 are transferred to the ring gear 3 side via the shift lever 18. .

Here, the attraction force of the pinion drive solenoid 13 is set small, and the plunger holding member 19a is pushed toward the plunger 13a by the spring force of the pushing spring 19b. Due to the braking effect of the holding member 19a, the plunger 13
The moving speed of “a” is configured to be smaller than that when the plunger holding member 19a is not provided (the sliding speed of the pinion 17 by the pinion drive solenoid 13 on the output rotation shaft of the engine is reduced. The plunger holding member 19a also serves as a speed reducing means of the pinion 17).

Therefore, the moving speed of the pinion 17 also decreases. At this time, if the end face of the pinion 17 and the end face of the ring gear 3 do not contact, the pinion 17 is
It moves as it is and meshes with the ring gear 3.

Further, since a small current is supplied from the battery 50 to the motor 11 via the resistor 60, the rotation torque of the motor 11 is small and the angular acceleration at the start of rotation is small, so that the pinion 17 rotates gently. ing.

Therefore, when the end surface of the pinion 17 and the end surface of the ring gear 3 contact each other, the rotation of the pinion 17 releases the contact between the end surface of the pinion 17 and the end surface of the ring gear 3.

When the contact between the end surface of the pinion 17 and the end surface of the ring gear 3 is released, the pinion 17 gently meshes with the ring gear 3 as shown in FIG.

In this case, the vehicle is in a stopped state due to waiting for a signal or the like, and it is not a state in which the engine 1 has to be started immediately. Therefore, the moving speed when the pinion 17 is transferred to the ring gear 3 side can be kept sufficiently low. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the impact force when the end surface of the pinion 17 and the end surface of the ring gear 3 come into contact with each other.

As described above, the engine 1 is immediately
Since it is not a condition that the motor must be started, the motor 1
The rotation torque of No. 1 can be reduced, the contact between the end surface of the pinion 17 and the end surface of the ring gear 3 is released, and the rotational impact force due to the contact between the tooth surfaces when the pinion 17 meshes with the ring gear 3 can be reduced. .

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, when the pinion 17 meshes with the ring gear 3 and the plunger 13a is sucked to the maximum suction position, the plunger holding member 19a
The spring force of the pushing spring 19b causes the plunger 13a to move to the plunger 13a side, and the plunger 13a returns to its original position.
It is prevented that the engagement between 7 and the ring gear 3 is released.

That is, a notch is formed at the end of the plunger holding member 19a on the side of the plunger 13a, and this notch and the end surface of the plunger 13a are engaged with each other. Are prevented from moving to the front bracket 14 side.

When a predetermined time, for example, 1 to 2 seconds has elapsed since the energization of the pinion drive solenoid 13 was started,
The power supply to the pinion drive solenoid 13 is automatically cut off. After the power supply is cut off, the plunger holding member 19a
As a result, the pinion 17 is held in a state of meshing with the ring gear 3.

After that, when the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are meshed with each other and a predetermined starting condition is satisfied and the accelerator sensor 7 detects the depression of the accelerator pedal 6, the motor control relay 42 is turned on and the motor 11 is operated. Is energized, and the rotational driving force is generated in the motor 11.

The rotational driving force of the motor 11 is transmitted to the ring gear 3 via the roller clutch 16 and the pinion 17, and the engine 1 is started.

When the engine 1 is started and the rotational speed of the engine 1 exceeds the rotational speed of the pinion 17, the ring gear 3 drives the pinion 17 on the contrary, so that the output shaft 12 and the roller clutch are engaged. In the 16 helical splines 12a, 16a, the pinion 17 is disengaged from the ring gear 3 due to the effect of the twist of the spline,
An axial thrust that is proportional to the drive torque of the ring gear 3 is generated.

However, the plunger holding member 19a is
Since the plunger 13a is prevented from returning to its original position, the pinion 17 is held in mesh with the ring gear 3 via the shift lever 18.

After the engine is started, when the engine speed of the engine 1 is detected by the rotation sensor 4 to determine that the engine 1 has been started, for example, when the engine speed is 600 r / min or more, the controller determines that the engine 1 has started. Thirty
The engine operating state determination unit 310 makes the determination and turns off the motor control relay 42. This motor control relay 42
Is turned off, and at the same time, the holding means control section 316 turns on the plunger stopper control relay 43.

When the motor control relay 42 is turned off,
The energization from the battery 50 to the motor 11 is cut off, the motor 11 is stopped, and at the same time, the exciting coil 19c of the plunger stopper 19 is energized. With this exciting coil 19c, the plunger holding member 19a compresses the pushing spring 19b. It is sucked, and the engagement between the plunger holding member 19a and the plunger 13a is released.

Therefore, the plunger 13a, the roller clutch 16 and the pinion 17 are moved to their original positions by the spring force of the plunger return spring 13b via the shift lever 18, that is, as shown in FIG. However, it returns to the separated state.

After that, the plunger stopper control relay 4
The controller 3 is turned off by the controller 30 so that the excitation coil 19c of the plunger stopper 19 is de-energized, and the plunger holding member 19a presses the original position, that is, the side surface of the plunger 13a, by the spring force of the pressing spring 19b. Return to the state of doing.

Then, again, as described above, when the vehicle is stopped at the intersection or the like and the condition for stopping the engine is satisfied, the controller 30 automatically stops the engine 1, and the engine operating state determination unit 310 causes the rotation sensor to rotate. 4 detects that the engine 1 has changed from the operating state to the stopped state, the pinion control unit 314 energizes the pinion drive solenoid 13 to connect the roller clutch 16 and the pinion 17 to the ring gear 3 via the shift lever 18. The pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are engaged with each other.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of starting the engine in the above-described automatic engine stop / start device.
FIG. 6 schematically shows a time chart of the operation of each element of the automatic engine stop / start device.

In FIG. 5, the vehicle stops running (step S1) and the controller 30 automatically stops the engine 1 (step S2). Next, the engine operating state determination unit 310, based on the output signal from the rotation sensor 4,
When it is detected that the engine 1 has stopped (rotation speed = 0) (step S3 in FIG. 5, time T4 in FIG. 6), the pinion drive solenoid 13 is energized via the pinion control relay 41 (step S4), The pinion 17 is gently meshed with the ring gear 3 (step S5). Then, the plunger stopper 19 holds the meshed state of the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 (step S6).

Therefore, the engine is stopped (T4 in FIG. 6).
-T5 or T0-T1), the pinion 17
And the ring gear 3 are kept in mesh with each other.

Next, after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of energization of the pinion drive solenoid 13 (step S7), the energization of the pinion drive solenoid 13 is cut off (step S8).

Thereafter, when a predetermined starting condition is satisfied and the depression of the accelerator pedal 6 is detected by the accelerator sensor 7 (step S9, T5 or T1 in FIG. 6), the motor 1
1 is energized (step S10).

Then, it is determined whether the rotation speed of the engine 1 is a rotation speed Ns at which the rotation sensor 4 can determine that the start of the engine 1 is completed, for example, a rotation speed of 600 r / min or more. Then, when it is detected that the rotation speed of the engine 1 is equal to or higher than the rotation speed Ns (step S
11, T2 in FIG. 6), it is determined that the engine 1 has started, and the motor 11 is de-energized and the plunger stopper 19 is energized (step S12). Then, the rotation of the motor 11 is stopped and the pinion 17 moves to the ring gear 3
(Step S13).

After that, the power supply to the plunger stopper 19 is cut off (step S14, T3 in FIG. 6), and the start of the engine 1 is completed (step S15). Then, the process returns to step S1, and after the vehicle is stopped, when the conditions for stopping the engine are satisfied, steps S2 to S15 are executed.

As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the pinion 17 is moved toward the ring gear 3 when the engine is changed from the operating state to the automatic stop state after the traveling of the vehicle is stopped. , Are in a state of meshing with each other, and this state is maintained.

In this case, since the vehicle is stopped and the engine does not have to be started immediately, the moving speed when the pinion 17 is transferred to the ring gear 3 side can be sufficiently suppressed, and the motor 11 can be stopped. The rotating torque can be made sufficiently small. As a result, not only can the impact force when the end face of the pinion 17 and the end face of the ring gear 3 contact each other be reduced, but also the rotational impact force due to the contact of the tooth surfaces when the pinion 17 meshes with the ring gear 3 can be reduced. You can

In contrast to the first embodiment of the present invention, in the prior art, the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 (in the case of the present invention, indicated by the solid line).
The engagement period of is limited to a short period from the start of the motor 11 to a predetermined time after the stop.

For this reason, the engine must be started in a state where the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are not meshed with each other, and the impact force when the end face of the pinion 17 and the end face of the ring gear 3 contact each other is large.

Further, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when a predetermined starting condition is satisfied and the accelerator sensor 7 detects the depression of the accelerator pedal 6, the engine 1 is restarted. The pinion 17 rotates from the state of meshing with the gear 3, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the ring gear 3 to start the engine 1.

In this case, since the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are already in mesh with each other at the start of rotation of the pinion 17, the impact due to the collision between the teeth of the pionine 17 and the teeth of the ring gear 3 is suppressed to the minimum. be able to.

Before starting the engine, the pinion 1
Since 7 and the ring gear 3 are already engaged with each other, the engine can be started in a shorter time compared to the case where the engine is started from the state where the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are separated from each other as in the conventional technique. It can be performed, and prompt re-travel can be started.

After the engine is started, the controller 30 determines that the engine 1 has started when the rotation number of the engine 1 is detected by the rotation sensor 4 to determine that the engine 1 has been started. , Pinion 17
To release the meshing with the ring gear 3. As a result, after the engine 1 is reliably started, the meshing between the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 can be released.

As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the pinion and the ring gear are gently meshed with each other to suppress the generation of noise and the progress of wear, thereby suppressing the engine automatic stop / start device. In addition to improving the durability and durability, the engine can be quickly restarted when the driver depresses the accelerator to start the vehicle.

Therefore, the pinion and the ring gear are gently meshed with each other to prevent abrasion and chipping of the pinion and the ring gear, and optimal engine start control can be performed to quickly restart the engine, which is excellent in durability. It is possible to realize a highly reliable engine automatic stop / start device and a method for starting the engine, which has less noise.

Next, regarding the second embodiment of the present invention,
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the starter 10 in the embodiment of FIG.
Since the circuit configuration and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed description will be omitted.

Since the basic structure of the starter 10 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

In FIG. 7, the structure of the starter 10 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the roller clutch 16 is omitted.

A pinion 17 is slidably supported on the output shaft 12, and the output shaft 12 and the pinion 17 are helical splines 12a, 17a for transmitting a rotational driving force.
Are fitted together.

A disc-shaped disk 17b is fitted in the pinion 17, and the pinion 17 is driven by the power of a pinion drive solenoid (electromagnetic solenoid) 13 to shift lever 18
Also, it is slid in the axial direction of the output shaft 12 via the dish-shaped disc 17b.

Here, the outer diameter of the dish-shaped disc 17b is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the inner diameter portion 14e of the front bracket 14, and the gap between the dish-shaped disc 17b and the inner diameter portion 14e of the front bracket 14 is small. Is configured to be.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, even when the pinion 17 is engaged with the ring gear 3, the gap between the dish-shaped disc 17b and the inner diameter portion 14e of the front bracket 14 is made small.

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the effects obtained by the first embodiment, the roller clutch 16 of the starter 10 is omitted and the starter 1
The shaft length can be reduced to 0, the weight can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, the dish-shaped disc 17b can prevent water and dust from entering the inside of the starter 10.

FIG. 9 is an operation flowchart of engine starting in the automatic engine stop / start device of the third embodiment of the present invention. The circuit configuration of the starter etc.
Since it is similar to the first embodiment, detailed description is omitted.

In FIG. 9, the operation flowchart of the third embodiment is such that the step S16 between the steps S8 and S9 of the operation flowchart shown in FIG.
However, the other steps are the same as the steps shown in FIG.

That is, after the processing from step S1 to step S8 is performed, in step S16, the controller 30 determines whether or not the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 mesh with each other, and if they mesh with each other, step S
Proceed to 9.

If it is determined in step S16 that the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 are not in mesh with each other, the process returns to step S4, and steps S4 to S16 are executed thereafter.

Whether or not the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 mesh with each other is determined by means for detecting the position of the pinion 17, or whether the plunger holding member 19a has moved from the initial state to the plunger holding state and is stopped. This can be done by providing a detecting means.

As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the effects obtained by the first embodiment, even if the meshing between the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 fails, Can be detected, and the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 can be reliably meshed with each other.

10 and 11 are operation flowcharts for starting the engine in the engine automatic stop / start system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The circuit configuration and the like of the starter and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, so detailed description will be omitted.

In FIG. 10, the operation flowchart of the fourth embodiment is such that the step S17 between the steps S3 and S4 of the operation flowchart shown in FIG.
To S20 are added, and other steps are similar to the steps shown in FIG.

In the fourth embodiment, immediately after the running of the vehicle is stopped and the engine is stopped, it is necessary to immediately restart the engine with the pinion not meshing with the ring gear. Is an example in which the pinion and the ring gear can be quickly meshed with each other by an operation different from the normal meshing operation.

That is, after performing the same operations as those in the first embodiment from step S1 to step S3, the controller 30 determines in step S17 whether or not the accelerator pedal is depressed.

In step S17, if the accelerator pedal is not depressed, the process proceeds to step S4, and thereafter, the first
The same operation as that of the above embodiment is performed.

If the accelerator pedal is depressed in step S17, the operation proceeds to step S18 (FIG. 11), and the pinion drive solenoid 13 and the plunger stopper 19 are energized. As a result, the plunger 13a
Moves to the pinion drive solenoid 13 side, but at this time, since the plunger stopper 19 is also energized,
The plunger holding member 19a is the plunger stopper 19
Is sucked to the side.

Therefore, the plunger holding member 19a does not press the plunger 13a, and the plunger 13a
a moves to the pinion drive solenoid 13 side without receiving the contact resistance of the plunger holding member 19a.

Then, in step S19, the pinion 17 and the ring gear 3 mesh with each other. Next, step S
At 20, the power supply to the plunger stopper 19 is cut off, and the plunger holding member 19a blocks the movement of the plunger 13a. Then, the process proceeds to step S10, and thereafter, the same operation as that of the first embodiment is performed.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the first embodiment, and in addition, for example, the traveling of the vehicle is stopped by waiting for the signal at the intersection. Thus, when it is necessary to restart the engine immediately after the engine is stopped, it is possible to quickly restart the engine.

Although the plunger holding member 19a is configured to stop the movement of the plunger 13a in the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the movement of the plunger 13a may be stopped by another member. It can also be configured to.

For example, the movement of the plunger 13a can be stopped by a member that stops the movement of the shift lever 18.

[0111]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

The moving speed when the pinion is transferred to the ring gear side can be kept sufficiently low, the rotational torque of the motor can be made sufficiently small, and the impact when the end face of the pinion and the end face of the ring gear contact each other. Not only can the force be reduced, but also the rotational impact force due to the contact between the tooth surfaces when the pinion meshes with the ring gear can be reduced.

When a predetermined starting condition is satisfied and the engine is to be restarted, the pinion is rotated from the state in which the pinion and the ring gear mesh with each other.
The impact of the collision between the pinion teeth and the ring gear teeth is
It can be suppressed to the minimum.

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise when the pinion and the ring gear mesh with each other and the progress of wear of the pinion and the ring gear to improve the quietness and durability of the automatic engine stop / start device.

When the engine is restarted, the pinion and the ring gear are already in mesh with each other, so that the engine can be started quickly and in a short time.

That is, the pinion and the ring gear are gently meshed with each other to prevent abrasion and chipping of the pinion and the ring gear, and optimal engine start control can be performed to quickly restart the engine, which is excellent in durability. It is possible to realize a highly reliable engine automatic stop / start device and a method for starting the engine, which has less noise.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an engine automatic stop / start device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit of an engine automatic stop / start device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a structure of a starter in the engine automatic stop / start device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the engine automatic stop / start device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of engine stop / restart in the engine automatic stop / start device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation time chart of engine stop and restart in the engine automatic stop / start device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a structure of a starter in an engine automatic stop / start device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory diagram of the engine automatic stop / start device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an operation flowchart of engine stop / restart in the engine automatic stop / start device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an operation flowchart of engine stop / restart in the engine automatic stop / start device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an operation flowchart of engine stop / restart in the engine automatic stop / start device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 engine 2 crankshaft 3 ring gear 4 Rotation sensor 5 vehicle speed sensor 6 accelerator pedal 7 Accelerator sensor 8 key switch 10 Starter 11 motor 12 Output shaft 13 Pinion drive solenoid 13a Plunger 13b Spring member (plunger return spring) 17 pinion 19 Plunger stopper 19a Plunger holding member 19b Push spring 19c Excitation coil 30 controller 41 Pinion control relay 42 Motor control relay 43 Plunger stopper control relay 50 battery 60 resistance 310 Engine operating state determination unit 312 Motor control unit 314 Pinion control unit 316 Holding means control unit

Front page continuation (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) F02N 11/08 F02N 11/08 LV 15/00 15/00 E 15/02 15/02 C F term (reference) 3G084 BA03 BA28 CA03 DA05 DA19 DA20 FA10 FA33 3G092 AC03 DG08 EA26 EA27 FA06 FA30 GA01 GA04 GB01 GB10 HE01Z HF05X HF08Z HF21Z 3G093 AA01 BA15 BA21 BA22 CA02 CA04 CB05 DA01 DA06 EA03 EC02

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A ring gear for transmitting a rotational drive force to an engine, a motor for generating a rotational drive force for starting the engine, and an output rotary shaft of the motor slidably supported by the output rotary shaft. A pinion that rotates according to the rotation of the shaft and is capable of meshing with the ring gear and releasing the mesh, a pinion drive unit that slides the pinion on the output rotation shaft, and an engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied In an engine automatic stop / start device having a controller for automatically stopping and automatically starting the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied, when the pinion is meshed with the ring gear, the pinion and the Automatic stop of engine characterized by having holding means for holding the meshed state with the ring gear Operated device. 2. The automatic engine stop / start device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the pinion drive means to engage the pinion with the ring gear when the engine is stopped. A control unit, a motor control unit for rotating the ring gear by rotating the pinion by the motor in a state where the pinion and the ring gear are meshed with each other, and the holding unit when the engine has a predetermined rotation speed or more. An automatic engine stop / start device, comprising: a holding means control unit that releases the engagement between the pinion and the ring gear. 3. The engine automatic stop according to claim 1 or 2.
In the starting device, the pinion drive means includes a pinion drive solenoid for driving the pinion, a pinion control relay for supplying and stopping operating power of the pinion drive solenoid, and a pinion control relay between the motor and the motor. And a holding member that is driven by the electromagnetic solenoid and that fixes the pinion driving means at a predetermined position. Starter. 4. The engine automatic stop / start device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is a rotation sensor of the engine, a vehicle speed sensor,
An automatic engine stop / start device comprising an engine operating state determination unit that determines and outputs an operating state of an engine based on output signals from an accelerator sensor, a key switch, and the like. 5. The engine automatic stop / start device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pinion drive means is an electromagnetic solenoid, and the pinion is provided on the output rotary shaft by the electromagnetic solenoid. And a drive member for sliding, wherein the controller energizes the electromagnetic solenoid of the pinion drive means, and after starting the energization,
An automatic engine stop / start device, characterized in that, when a predetermined time elapses, the energization of the electromagnetic soilenoid of the pinion drive means is stopped. 6. The automatic engine stop / start device according to claim 4, wherein when the controller detects that the engine speed becomes higher than a predetermined speed, the controller stops the rotation of the motor. An automatic engine stop / start device, characterized in that holding of a meshed state of a pinion of a holding means and a ring gear is released. 7. The automatic engine stop / start device according to claim 1, 2, 4, or 6, wherein the output rotation shaft and the pinion are fitted to each other, and the output rotation is made to the pinion. An automatic engine stopping / starting device comprising a disk means for sliding on a shaft. 8. A ring gear for transmitting a rotational drive force to an engine, a motor for generating a rotational drive force for starting the engine, and an output rotary shaft slidably supported by an output rotary shaft of the motor. The pinion that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the ring gear and is capable of engaging with the ring gear and releasing the engagement, the pinion drive means for sliding the pinion on the output rotary shaft, and the engine when the predetermined stop condition is satisfied. A method of starting an engine in an engine automatic stop / starting device comprising a controller for automatically stopping and automatically starting the engine when a predetermined starting condition is satisfied, wherein the pinion drive means is in the state where the engine is automatically stopped. The pinion and the ring gear are engaged with each other by the holding means. When the pinion and the ring gear are meshed with each other and a predetermined starting condition is satisfied, the pinion and the ring gear are rotated by the motor, and the pinion is held by the holding means after the engine is started. A method for starting an engine, characterized in that the engagement between the ring gear and the ring gear is released. 9. The automatic engine stop / start device according to claim 2, further comprising speed reducing means for decreasing a sliding speed of the pinion on the output rotary shaft by the pinion driving means,
Further provided, the controller determines whether or not the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed after the engine is automatically stopped after the predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and if the accelerator pedal is not depressed, The speed reducing means reduces the sliding speed of the pinion driving means to mesh the pinion with the ring gear, and the holding means holds the meshed state of the pinion with the ring gear. Automatic engine stop / start device. 10. The automatic engine stop / start device according to claim 9, wherein the controller satisfies the predetermined stop condition, and after the engine is automatically stopped, whether or not the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed. When the accelerator pedal is depressed, the pinion and the ring gear are meshed with each other without reducing the sliding speed of the pinion drive means by the speed reducing means,
An automatic engine stop / start device that automatically starts the engine. 11. The automatic engine stop / starting device according to claim 1, wherein the holding means holds the meshed state without requiring external energy supply. Starter.