JP2003193947A - Starter control device for engine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively reduce a tooth strike noise of a pinion gear of a starter and a ring gear without deteriorating the startability of an engine. <P>SOLUTION: In the starter control device 18, the ring gear 36 coupled to a crankshaft 16 of the engine 10 is rotated by a motor 22 of the starter 14 via the pinion gear 26, thereby starting the engine. This starter control device 18 comprises: an engine control device 46 for controlling a voltage Vs of a drive current supplied from a battery 42 to the motor 22 of the starter 14 via a voltage control device 44; and a crank angle sensor 48 for detecting a crank angle θ of the engine 10. In a range from an angle in which the crank angle θis before the top dead center in a compression stroke of a piston stroke of each cylinder to an angle in which the crank angle θ does not exceed the bottom dead center of a work stroke of the piston stroke, the voltage Vs of the drive current is reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an engine starter, and more particularly to an engine starter control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A starter for an engine mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile generally has a pinion gear connected to a crankshaft of the engine along a rotation axis of the starter motor while rotating the pinion gear by a starter motor. The engine is started by sliding the pinion gear toward the ring gear and then rotating the ring gear via the pinion gear by the starter motor.

Since an operating noise (cranking noise) is generated when the engine is started by the starter, one of the starter control devices for reducing the cranking noise is, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-2 filed by the applicant of the present application.
As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 91517, a starter control device has been conventionally known in which a pinion gear and a ring gear are meshed with each other while the engine is stopped.

According to the starter control device according to the above proposal, the pinion gear and the ring gear are engaged with each other prior to starting the engine. Therefore, when the pinion gear is slid toward the ring gear when the engine is started, the end surface of the pinion gear is slid. It is possible to effectively reduce the generation of impact and impact sound due to the collision of the ring with the end surface of the ring gear.

[0005]

However, the cranking noise at the time of starting the engine by the starter is not only the impact noise due to the end faces of the pinion gear and the ring gear hitting each other as described above, but also the pinion gear and the ring gear. The friction noise and gear rattle noise are also included, and the gear rattle noise is caused by the backlash of the pinion gear and the ring gear. Therefore, it is not possible to reduce these noises by the starter control device according to the above-mentioned proposal. Can not.

Further, in the case of a vehicle equipped with a so-called eco-run system in which the engine is automatically stopped when the vehicle is stopped such as when waiting for a signal of the vehicle, and the engine is restarted when the vehicle starts traveling, the eco-run system is used. The problem of cranking noise is particularly important because the frequency of engine stop and start is higher than in the case of a normal vehicle not equipped with.

According to the result of the experimental research conducted by the inventor of the present application, the rattling noise of the pinion gear and the ring gear is a reaction that the ring gear receives from the crankshaft when the stroke of each cylinder of the engine shifts from the compression stroke to the work stroke. The direction of the force torque reverses, and the rotation of the ring gear is rapidly accelerated, which causes the teeth of the ring gear to collide with the teeth of the pinion gear.The level of rattling noise is lower than that of frictional noise. It was found that the level of rattling noise was much higher, and the higher the driving current voltage supplied to the starter motor, the higher the level, and conversely, the lower the driving current voltage, the lower the level.

Incidentally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-48961 discloses that
A starter control device that reduces the rotation speed of the engine near the compression top dead center by limiting the current supply to the starter motor at a predetermined crank angle position before the compression top dead center of the engine when the engine is started. Is listed.

According to the starter control device described in this publication, it is possible to promote the rise of the air temperature in the engine combustion chamber in the compression stroke immediately before the compression top dead center and improve the startability of the engine. However, the current supply to the starter motor is limited in order to reduce the engine speed near the top dead center of the compression stroke, so the timing of current supply limitation matches the timing at which pinion gear and ring gear rattle noise is generated. Therefore, the rattling noise cannot be reduced by the technique described in the above publication.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the conventional starter control device, and the main problem of the present invention was obtained as a result of the experimental research conducted by the inventor of the present application. Based on the findings, the engine start can be started by periodically lowering the voltage of the drive current that is supplied to the starter motor in response to the stroke range where the reaction torque for cranking when the starter starts the engine has a negative value. It is to effectively reduce the rattling noise of the pinion gear and the ring gear without deteriorating the property.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned main problem is to rotate the ring gear connected to the crankshaft of the engine by the motor of the starter through the pinion gear. A starter control device for starting the engine by means of which the piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine is supplied to the motor when the piston stroke is in a predetermined stroke range between the top dead center of the compression stroke and the bottom dead center of the work stroke. It is achieved by a starter control device characterized by having drive voltage control means for reducing the voltage of the drive current.

Further, according to the present invention, in order to effectively achieve the above-mentioned main problem, in the structure of the above-mentioned claim 1, the drive voltage control means detects the crank angle of the crankshaft. The detecting device is configured to decrease the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor when the rotation angle of the crankshaft is within a predetermined rotation angle range set in advance (configuration of claim 2).

Further, according to the present invention, in order to effectively achieve the above-mentioned main problem, in the structure of the above-mentioned claim 1, the drive voltage control means is provided when the starter rotates the crankshaft. It is configured to reduce the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor in the stroke region including the main part of the section where the reaction torque has a negative value (configuration of claim 3).

In the present application, "the main part of the section in which the reaction torque has a negative value" means the peak of the reaction torque having a negative value from the stroke position where the reaction torque has a more negative value than a positive value. It means a range including at least a section up to a stroke position that becomes a value.

[0015]

In general, the reaction torque of cranking at the time of starting the engine by the starter, that is, the reaction torque when the starter rotates the crankshaft, is the compression of the piston stroke when viewed for one cylinder. Immediately after the top dead center of the stroke, the direction of the reaction torque reverses, resulting in a negative value, that is, a value in the direction that promotes rotation of the crankshaft, and rotation before the bottom dead center of the piston stroke work stroke. It has a positive value at the angular position.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine is in a predetermined stroke region between the top dead center of the compression stroke and the bottom dead center of the work stroke, the starter motor is driven. Since the voltage of the drive current supplied is reduced, which reduces the drive torque of the pinion for the ring gear, the piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine shifts to the work stroke and the reaction torque becomes a negative value. In this case, it is possible to reduce the degree to which the teeth of the ring gear hit the teeth of the pinion gear, and it is possible to effectively reduce the rattling noise of the pinion gear and the ring gear.

Further, in general, whether or not the piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine is in a predetermined stroke region between the top dead center of the compression stroke and the bottom dead center of the work stroke can be determined by the rotation angle of the crankshaft. is there. According to the structure of the second aspect, the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor of the starter is reduced when the rotation angle of the crankshaft is within a predetermined rotation angle range set in advance, whereby the pinion for the ring gear is reduced. Since the drive torque is reduced, the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor of the starter can be reliably reduced when the piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine is in the predetermined stroke range.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor of the starter decreases in the stroke region including the main part of the section where the reaction torque of the cranking has a negative value. As a result, the drive torque of the pinion for the ring gear is reduced, so the voltage of the drive current supplied to the starter motor must be reliably reduced in the predetermined stroke range where the drive torque of the pinion for the ring gear should be reduced. You can

[0019]

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, in the structure of claim 1, the reaction torque when the starter rotates the crankshaft is obtained in advance, and the predetermined stroke range is obtained. Is configured to be preset based on the stroke region where the reaction torque has a negative value (preferred aspect 1).

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the configuration of the preferred embodiment 1, the predetermined stroke range is set to include a stroke range where the reaction torque has a negative value. Aspect 2).

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the preferred aspect 2, the stroke in which the reaction torque has a negative value and the magnitude is equal to or larger than the reference value in the predetermined stroke range. It is set so as to include the area (preferred aspect 3). In this case, the reference value is experimentally obtained, for example, so that the rattling noises of the pinion gear and the ring gear can be effectively reduced without deteriorating the startability of the engine.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the configuration of the preferred embodiment 1, the predetermined stroke range is set to end before the reaction torque becomes a positive value rather than a negative value. (Preferred embodiment 4).

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the structure of claim 1, the predetermined stroke range is configured to include a range before the top dead center of the compression stroke (preferred). Aspect 5).

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the structure of the above-mentioned claim 2, the drive voltage control means preliminarily sets when the rotation angle of the crankshaft reaches a preset predetermined angle. It is configured to reduce the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor over the set predetermined time (preferred aspect 6).

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the structure of claim 3, the drive voltage control means detects the reaction torque when the starter rotates the crankshaft. And a means for reducing the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor in the stroke region where the reaction torque has a negative value (preferred aspect 7).

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the configuration of the preferred embodiment 7, the drive voltage control means has a stroke range in which the reaction torque has a negative value and the magnitude is equal to or larger than a reference value. In the preferred embodiment, the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor is reduced (preferred mode 8).

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the configuration of the preferred embodiment 7 or 8, the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor has a negative reaction torque magnitude. It is configured to be reduced accordingly (preferred aspect 9).

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the structure of claim 3, the drive voltage control means detects the reaction torque when the starter rotates the crankshaft. And a means for decreasing the voltage of the drive current supplied to the starter motor for a preset time period from the time when the reaction torque reaches a preset reference value after the reaction torque exceeds the peak value. (Preferred embodiment 10).

[0029]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some preferred embodiments are described.

First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an engine starter control device according to the present invention applied to a vehicle equipped with an eco-run system, and FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the starter.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a 4-cylinder 4-cycle gasoline engine, 12 is a transmission, and 14 is a starter for starting the engine 10. The engine 10 has a crankshaft 16, and the starter 14 is controlled by a starter controller 18 to rotate the crankshaft 16 to start the engine 10 as described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 2, starter 14 includes a starter motor 22 having an output shaft 20 at one end of output shaft 20 along axis 24 thereof.
A pinion gear 26 is carried so as to be capable of reciprocating relative to the two. Further, one end of a drive lever 30 pivotally supported by a pivot 28 is engaged with the output shaft 20, and the other end of the drive lever 30 is driven by a plunger 34 of an electromagnetic plunger device 32 in a direction along the axis 24. It has become.

Although not shown in the drawing, a flywheel is fixed to the crankshaft 16 and a ring gear 36 is connected to the flywheel, and the pinion gear 26
Meshes with the ring gear 36 when the engine 10 is started.
The drive lever 30 is biased by the spring 38 in the counterclockwise direction around the pivot 28 as viewed in FIG. 2, and normally the plunger 34 is maintained in the position shown in FIG. By being positioned at the position shown in FIG. 2, it is maintained in a state where it does not mesh with the ring gear 36.

On the other hand, when the engine 10 is started, the plunger 34 of the plunger device 32 is driven to the right in FIG. 2, and the drive lever 30 pivots in the clockwise direction against the spring force of the spring 38. As a result, the pinion gear 26 is moved in the direction A, and meshes with the ring gear 36 while rotating at a relatively low rotation speed due to the rotation of the output shaft 20 by the starter motor 22. Pinion gear 2
When the meshing of 6 and the ring gear 36 is completed, the output shaft 20
Is rotationally driven at a relatively high rotational speed by the starter motor 22, and the crankshaft 16 is rotationally driven by this, whereby the engine 10 is started.

When the start of the engine 10 is completed, the drive lever 30 is pivoted counterclockwise by the spring force of the spring 38, and the plunger 3 of the plunger device 32 is rotated.
By returning 4 to the left side to the position shown in FIG. 2, the pinion gear 26 is moved in the B direction, and is disengaged from the meshed state with the ring gear 36. In this case, the output shaft 20 is prevented from rotating so that the pinion gear 26 is not rotated at a high rotation speed by the ring gear 36 and the output shaft 20 is rotated at a high rotation speed due to the rotation of the crankshaft 16 due to the operation of the engine 10. Pinion gear 26
A clutch device 40 is provided that restricts the rotation of the rotation of the vehicle from being transmitted to the output shaft 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, a drive current is supplied to the starter motor 22 and the plunger device 32 of the starter 14 from a battery 42 via a voltage controller 44. The voltage control device 44 has a built-in switch (not shown), and supply of drive current to the starter motor 22 and the plunger device 32 is operated by a driver. The voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is controlled by the engine controller 46.

The engine control unit 46 receives a signal indicating the rotation angle of the crankshaft 16, that is, the crank angle θ (0 to 360 °) from the crank angle sensor 48 and other information necessary for controlling the engine such as the engine speed. Entered,
Based on the information, various engine controls known in the art are performed. The engine control device 46 may actually be, for example, a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output device, and the like.

Thus, the engine control unit 46, the voltage control unit 44, and the crank angle sensor 48 cooperate with each other to form the starter control unit 18, and the engine control unit 46 and the voltage control unit 44 cooperate with each other to form the starter motor 22.
Drive voltage control means for controlling the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the drive voltage control means.

When the starter switch is in the ON state and the engine is stopped, the engine control unit 46 determines whether or not the engine restart condition is satisfied in a manner known in the art, When it is determined that the engine restart condition is satisfied, the internal switch is turned on to supply the drive current to the starter motor 22 and the plunger device 32 until the engine restart is completed, and When the piston stroke of each cylinder is in a predetermined stroke range between the top dead center of the compression stroke and the bottom dead center of the work stroke, the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is made lower than in other stroke areas. Let

In particular, the engine control device 4 of the first embodiment
Reference numeral 8 denotes the crank angles corresponding to the top dead center of the compression stroke of the engine 10, θ1, θ2 (= θ1 + 90 °), θ3 (= θ1 + 1).
80 °), θ4 (= θ1 + 270 °), Δθm as a positive constant, and Δθp as a positive constant larger than Δθm and smaller than 90 °, according to the voltage drop pattern shown in FIG. Based on the crank angle θ is θ1−Δ
θm to θ1 + Δθp, θ2 − Δθm to θ2 + Δθp, θ3 − Δθ
The voltage V of the drive current to the starter motor 22 when the angle range is m to θ3 + Δθp, θ4−Δθm to θ4 + Δθp
s is lowered below its standard voltage Vso.

In this case, the angles Δθm and Δθp, which determine the range of the crank angle θ in which the voltage Vs of the drive current is lowered, are the number of cylinders of the engine 10, the pitch angle of the pinion gear 26,
Depending on the relationship between the pitch circles of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36, etc., the rattling noise of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be effectively reduced without substantially impairing the startability of the engine 10. In addition, the period during which the voltage Vs of the drive current for one cylinder is lowered does not exceed the bottom dead center of the work stroke of the cylinder.
For example, it is set experimentally.

In particular, FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the crank angle θ and the cranking reaction force torque Tc previously obtained for the engine 10 and each stroke for one cylinder.
As shown in FIG. 3, the angle Δθp is set to a value such that the period during which the voltage Vs of the drive current is decreased does not greatly extend to the positive section of the reaction torque Tc due to the compression stroke of the subsequent cylinder.

Thus, according to the illustrated first embodiment,
The voltage Vs of the drive current to the starter motor 22 is reduced in a predetermined stroke region before and after the crank angle corresponding to the top dead center of the compression stroke of each cylinder of the engine 10, whereby the reaction torque Tc becomes negative. Since the drive torque of the pinion gear 26 with respect to the ring gear 36 is reduced in the stroke region including the main part of the value range, the crankshaft 16 passes through the connecting rod from the piston immediately after the top dead center of the compression stroke of each cylinder. To reduce the degree to which the teeth of the ring gear 36 are struck by the teeth of the pinion gear 26 due to the reversal of the direction of the reaction torque received by the pinion gear 26, thereby effectively reducing the rattle noise of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36. You can

According to the illustrated first embodiment, the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 has a predetermined value before and after the crank angle corresponding to the top dead center of the compression stroke of each cylinder of the engine 10. Since the pressure is lowered only in the stroke range, it is possible to prevent the starter of the engine 10 from being significantly impaired by the starter 14.

According to the illustrated first embodiment, in particular, the angle Δθm is a positive value as described above, and the piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine 10 is in the stroke region before the top dead center of the compression stroke. Since the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is reduced from the time point, compared to the case where the voltage Vs of the drive current is reduced only when the piston stroke of each cylinder is in the stroke range of the work stroke. Therefore, the rattling noise at the time of starting the engine can be effectively reduced. This also applies to the second and fourth embodiments described below.

Further, according to the illustrated first embodiment, the angle Δθm is smaller than the angle Δθp as described above, so that the engine 1 is compared with the case where the magnitude relationship of these angles is reversed.
It is possible to reduce the risk of deterioration of startability of 0, and
It is possible to effectively reduce the rattling noise when starting the engine.

Second Embodiment As in the case of the above-described first embodiment, the engine control device 46 of the second embodiment is designed so that when the starter switch is in the ON state and the engine is stopped, If it is determined that the engine restart condition is satisfied,
Until the engine restart is completed, the built-in switch is turned on to supply the drive current to the starter motor 22 and the plunger device 32, thereby starting the engine 10. This also applies to other embodiments described later.

In this case, the engine control unit 46, as shown in FIG. 4, has crank angles θ of θ1−Δθm and θ2−.
The voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 for a preset time ΔTa (positive constant) from the time when Δθm, θ3−Δθm, and θ4−Δθm are reached decreases by a preset voltage. Reduce by pattern.

The predetermined time ΔTa depends on the relationship between the pitch circles of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36, the starter motor 2
According to the rotation speed of 2, the angle Δθm, etc., the engine 10
So that the gear rattling noise of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be effectively reduced without substantially impairing the startability of the cylinder. So as not to exceed the bottom dead center of the work stroke of the cylinder and not to greatly extend to the positive section of the reaction torque Tc due to the compression stroke of the following cylinder.
For example, it is set experimentally.

Thus, according to the illustrated second embodiment,
The voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 for a predetermined time ΔTa from the time of the piston stroke before the top dead center of the compression stroke of each cylinder of the engine 10 has a predetermined voltage decrease pattern set in advance. As a result, the driving torque of the pinion gear 26 with respect to the ring gear 36 is reduced in the stroke region including the main part of the section where the reaction torque Tc has a negative value, so that the top dead center of the compression stroke of each cylinder is reduced. Immediately after that, the degree to which the teeth of the ring gear 36 are struck by the teeth of the pinion gear 26 due to the reverse direction of the reaction torque that the crankshaft 16 receives from the piston via the connecting rod is reduced,
Thereby, the rattling noises of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be effectively reduced.

In particular, according to the second embodiment shown in the figure, the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is reduced over a predetermined time ΔTa in a predetermined voltage decrease pattern, which is preset. The reduction control of the voltage Vs of the drive current can be easily executed as compared with the case of the first embodiment described above.

Third Embodiment FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of an engine starter controller according to the present invention applied to a vehicle equipped with an eco-run system. In FIG. 5, the same members as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the crank angle sensor 48 is not provided, but the cranking reaction force torque, that is, the actual reaction force torque Tca when the crankshaft 16 is rotationally driven by the starter 14 is detected. A torque sensor 50 is provided, and a signal indicating the reaction torque Tca for cranking and other information necessary for engine control such as engine speed are input to the engine control device 46.

In the third embodiment, the standard voltage of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is Vso and K is a positive constant coefficient, and the engine control unit 46 is used.
As shown in FIG. 6, the starter motor 22 is maintained for a time period during which the cranking reaction torque Tca takes a negative value.
The voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to is reduced by, for example, calculating according to the following equation 1. The voltage Vs is set to 0 when the calculated voltage Vs has a negative value. Vs = Vso (1 + KTc) (1)

Thus, according to the illustrated third embodiment,
Since the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is reduced according to the magnitude of the cranking reaction force torque Tca over the time when the actual cranking reaction force torque Tca becomes a negative value, The drive torque of the pinion gear 26 with respect to the ring gear 36 can be reduced according to the magnitude of the actual reaction torque Tca of the cranking, so that the drive torque can be more reliably compared to the cases of the first and second embodiments described above. Moreover, the rattling noise of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be effectively reduced.

Fourth Embodiment This fourth embodiment is a modification of the above-mentioned third embodiment, and the engine control unit 46 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Actual reaction torque T
Reference value Tce (a positive constant) after ca reaches a positive peak value
After that, the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is decreased in a predetermined voltage decrease pattern set in advance for a predetermined time ΔTb (a positive constant).

The predetermined time ΔTb also depends on the relationship between the pitch circles of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36, the starter motor 2
According to the rotation speed of 2, the reference value Tce, etc., the engine 10
So that the gear rattling noise of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be effectively reduced without substantially impairing the startability of the engine. In order not to exceed the bottom dead center of the work stroke and not to greatly extend to the positive section of the reaction torque Tca due to the compression stroke of the subsequent cylinder,
For example, it is set experimentally.

Thus, according to the illustrated fourth embodiment,
A predetermined time ΔT from the time when the actual reaction torque Tca for cranking reaches the reference value Tce after the positive peak value.
The voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is reduced in a predetermined voltage drop pattern that is set in advance over b, and as a result, the actual reaction force torque Tca includes a main part of a section in which the value has a negative value. Since the drive torque of the pinion gear 26 with respect to the ring gear 36 is reduced in the stroke region, the direction of the reaction torque received by the crankshaft 16 from the piston via the connecting rod is reversed immediately after the top dead center of the compression stroke of each cylinder. Due to this, the degree to which the teeth of the ring gear 36 are struck by the teeth of the pinion gear 26 is reduced, and thus the rattling noise of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be effectively reduced.

In particular, according to the fourth embodiment shown in the drawings, the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 is reduced over a predetermined time ΔTb according to a predetermined voltage decrease pattern set in advance. Similar to the case of the second embodiment described above, the reduction control of the drive current voltage Vs can be easily executed.

Fifth Embodiment This fifth embodiment is constructed as a modification of the above-mentioned first embodiment. In the fifth embodiment,
For the engine 10, the relationship between the crank angle θ and the cranking reaction force torque Tc is obtained in advance, and the engine control unit 46 determines the crank angle θ and the cranking reaction force torque Tc as shown in FIG. The voltage increase / decrease pattern corresponding to the relationship is stored, and the voltage V of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 according to the voltage increase / decrease pattern.
Increase / decrease s.

Thus, according to the illustrated fifth embodiment,
Since the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor 22 can be increased or decreased according to the increase / decrease in the reaction torque Tc for cranking, it is possible to surely and effectively compared with the case of each of the above-described embodiments. The rattling noises of the pinion gear 26 and the ring gear 36 can be reduced, and the cranking torque in the section where the reaction force torque Tc is high can be increased according to the reaction force torque Tc. Compared with the case, the startability of the engine 10 can be improved.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above with respect to a specific embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that

For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the angle Δθm is a positive value, in the fourth embodiment described above, the reference value Tce is a positive value, and the drive current is The decrease of the voltage Vs of the cylinder is started at the time when the piston stroke of each cylinder is in the stroke region before the top dead center of the compression stroke, but the reaction torque Tc or Tca
The voltage V of the drive current in most of the section where is a negative value
Since the desired result is obtained if s is reduced, the piston stroke of each cylinder is also compressed in these embodiments by setting the angle Δθm and the reference value Tce to 0 or a negative value, for example. It may be modified so that the decrease of the drive current voltage Vs is started at a time point in the stroke region after or at the top dead center of the stroke.

Further, in the above-mentioned first, second and fourth embodiments, the reduction of the drive current voltage Vs is terminated immediately before the reaction torque Tc or Tca becomes a positive value rather than a negative value. However, it may be modified so as to end immediately after the reaction torque Tc or Tca becomes a positive value rather than a negative value.

Further, in the above-mentioned first and fourth embodiments, the predetermined times Ta and Tb are set constant, respectively, and the drive current voltage Vs is lowered for a predetermined time. , The predetermined times Ta and Tb are set to be smaller as the cranking speed by the starter 14 is higher based on, for example, the engine speed or the rotation speed of the starter motor 22, so that the decrease time of the voltage Vs of the drive current is reduced. It may be modified so as to be variably set according to the cranking speed so that the higher the ranking speed is, the shorter the ranking speed is.

In the fifth embodiment described above, the increase / decrease of the drive current voltage Vs with respect to the reaction torque Tc is irrespective of whether the reaction torque Tc is a negative value or a positive value. Although the ratio is constant, this ratio may be variably set to be larger when the reaction force torque Tca has a negative value than when it has a positive value.

Further, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the voltage Vs of the drive current is lowered in a predetermined stroke region so as to draw a curvilinear change pattern.
For example, as shown in FIG. 9 as a modified example of the first embodiment, the drive current voltage Vs may be reduced so as to draw a linear change pattern, and the drive current voltage Vs may be reduced to 0. Good.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the engine is a 4-cylinder 4-cycle gasoline engine, but the engine to which the starter control device of the present invention is applied is an engine having a number of cylinders other than 4 cylinders. It may be a two-cycle engine or a diesel engine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an engine starter control device according to the present invention applied to a vehicle equipped with an eco-run system.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the starter shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a relationship between a crank angle θ and a cranking reaction force torque Tc and a crank angle θ in the first embodiment.
3 is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor.

FIG. 4 is a relationship between a crank angle θ and a cranking reaction force torque Tc in the second embodiment, and a crank angle θ.
3 is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of an engine starter control device according to the present invention applied to a vehicle equipped with an eco-run system.

FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the crank angle θ and the actual reaction torque Tca for cranking in the third embodiment, and the crank angle θ and the voltage V of the drive current supplied to the starter motor.
7 is a graph showing the relationship between s and s.

FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the crank angle θ and the actual reaction torque Tca for cranking in the fourth embodiment, and the crank angle θ and the voltage V of the drive current supplied to the starter motor.
7 is a graph showing the relationship between s and s.

FIG. 8 is a relationship between a crank angle θ and a cranking reaction force torque Tc and a crank angle θ in the fifth embodiment.
3 is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor.

FIG. 9 is a crank angle θ in a modification of the first embodiment.
6 is a graph showing another example of the relationship between the cranking reaction force torque Tc and the cranking angle θ and the relationship between the crank angle θ and the voltage Vs of the drive current supplied to the starter motor.

[Explanation of symbols] 10 ... Engine 14 ... Starter 16 ... Crank shaft 18 ... Starter control device 22 ... Starter motor 26 ... Pinion gear 32 ... Plunger device 36 ... Ring gear 44 ... Voltage control device 46 ... Engine control device 48 ... crank angle sensor 50 ... Torque sensor

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 3G084 BA28 CA01 DA39 EC02 FA38                 3G092 AA01 AB02 AC03 DG08 EA02                       EB09 FA13 FA14 GA01 HE03Z                       HF19Z                 3G093 BA21 BA22 BA32 CA01 CA02                       DA01 DA12 EC02 FA12 FB02

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A starter control device for starting an engine by rotating a ring gear connected to a crankshaft of an engine via a pinion gear by a starter motor, wherein a piston stroke of each cylinder of the engine is above a compression stroke. A starter control device comprising drive voltage control means for reducing the voltage of a drive current supplied to the motor when in a predetermined stroke region between the dead center and the bottom dead center of the work stroke. 2. The drive voltage control means includes crank angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the crankshaft,
The starter control device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of the drive current supplied to the motor is reduced when the rotation angle of the crankshaft is within a preset predetermined rotation angle range. 3. The drive voltage control means supplies a drive current to the motor in a stroke range including a main part of a section where a reaction torque when the starter rotates the crankshaft has a negative value. The starter control device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of the starter control device is reduced.