JP2012021494A - Starting device of engine and vehicle mounted therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restart an engine without waiting for reduction of engine rotation speed while suppressing deterioration of an engagement state between a pinion gear and a ring gear, in a starting device of the engine having a starter capable of individually controlling engagement operation of the pinion gear and rotation operation of the pinion gear.SOLUTION: The starting device includes the starter 200 for staring the engine 100 and an ECU 300. The starter 200 includes the pinion gear 260, an actuator 232, and a motor 220 that can be controlled individually from the actuator 232 and rotates the pinion gear 260. The ECU 300 has a first mode for driving the motor 220 ahead of the actuator 232, and a second mode for driving the actuator 232 ahead of the motor 220, and when the first mode is selected, decides driving timing of the actuator 232 based on the rotation speed of the engine 100 and the voltage of a battery 120 for supplying power supply voltage to the actuator 232 and the motor 220.

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine starting device and a vehicle on which the engine is mounted, and more specifically, an actuator that engages a pinion gear with an engine ring gear and a motor that rotates the pinion gear can be individually controlled. Related to control.

  In recent years, in an automobile having an internal combustion engine such as an engine, for the purpose of improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emission, the vehicle is stopped and the engine is automatically stopped when the brake pedal is operated by the driver. Some have a so-called idling stop function that automatically restarts when the driver restarts, such as when the amount of brake pedal operation is reduced to zero.

  In this idling stop, the engine may be restarted while the engine speed is relatively high. In such a case, in the conventional starter in which the engagement of the pinion gear for rotating the engine and the rotation of the pinion gear are performed by one drive command, the engagement between the pinion gear and the ring gear of the engine is facilitated. The starter is driven after waiting for the engine speed to sufficiently decrease. If it does so, time delay will generate | occur | produce from the restart request | requirement of an engine to the cranking of an actual engine, and there existed a possibility of giving a driver uncomfortable feeling.

  In order to solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-330913 (Patent Document 1) uses a starter having a configuration in which the engagement operation of the pinion gear and the rotation operation of the pinion gear can be individually controlled. If a restart request occurs during the engine rotation descent period immediately after the request is generated, the pinion gear rotates before the pinion gear engaging operation, and the pinion gear rotates when the rotation speed of the pinion gear synchronizes with the engine rotation speed. A technique for restarting the engine by performing the engaging operation is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-330813 JP 2009-529114 A JP 2010-31851 A JP 2000-97139 A JP 2009-191843 A

  According to the technique described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-330813 (Patent Document 1), even when a restart request is generated during an engine rotation descent period immediately after a stop request is generated, it is not necessary to wait for a decrease in engine rotation speed. The engine can be cranked.

  However, the engagement operation of the second gear is performed by a voltage drop accompanying a decrease in the amount of charge of the battery for supplying a power supply voltage for driving the starter or by driving a motor for rotating the second gear. The power supply voltage supplied to the actuator may decrease. Then, since the time from the start of driving the actuator until the second gear is actually engaged with the first gear of the engine changes, the engagement state between the first gear and the second gear becomes worse, As a result, the startability may be deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an engine having a starter capable of individually controlling the engaging operation of the second gear and the rotating operation of the second gear. In this starting device, the engine is restarted without waiting for the engine speed to decrease while suppressing the deterioration of the engagement state between the first gear and the second gear.

  The engine starting device of the present invention includes a starter for starting the engine and a control device for controlling the starter. The starter is driven by a battery and a second gear engaged with the first gear connected to the crankshaft of the engine, and in the drive state, the second gear is moved to a position where it is engaged with the first gear. And an actuator for rotating the second gear. The control device can individually control each of the actuator and the motor. The control device determines the drive timing of the actuator based on the rotational speed of the engine and the voltage of the battery for supplying the power supply voltage to both the actuator and the motor.

  According to such an engine starting device, each of the actuator and the motor driven by the battery can be individually controlled, and the rotation speed of the engine and the battery for supplying the power supply voltage to both the actuator and the motor are controlled. The drive timing of the actuator is determined based on the voltage. Since the operating time of the actuator varies depending on the battery voltage, even if the battery state changes, the first gear and the second gear can be smoothly moved by determining the actuator driving timing in consideration of the battery voltage. Can be engaged.

  Preferably, the control device drives the actuator to move the second gear to the first gear when it is determined that the engine rotation speed and the motor rotation speed are synchronized when the engagement operation by the actuator is scheduled to be completed. Engage with gear. Then, the control device determines the drive timing of the actuator based on the rate of change of the rotation speed of the engine and the voltage of the battery.

  With this configuration, when the engagement speed of the actuator is scheduled to be completed based on the rate of change of the engine speed and the battery voltage, the engine speed and the motor speed are synchronized. Since the second gear can be engaged with the first gear, the first gear and the second gear can be smoothly engaged.

  Preferably, the control device has a first mode in which the motor is driven prior to driving of the actuator. Then, when the first mode is selected, the control device determines when the engagement operation of the actuator is to be completed based on the rate of change of the rotation speed of the engine and the operation time of the actuator according to the battery voltage. When the difference between the predicted engine speed and the motor speed when the engagement operation is scheduled to be completed is within a predetermined range, it is determined that synchronization is established.

  With this configuration, in the first mode in which the motor is driven prior to driving the actuator, based on the rate of change of the rotational speed of the engine and the operating time of the actuator according to the battery voltage. When the difference between the predicted rotational speed of the engine when the engagement operation of the actuator is scheduled to be completed and the rotational speed of the motor when the engagement operation is scheduled to be completed is within a predetermined range, the second gear is Can be engaged with one gear. As a result, the difference in rotational speed between the first gear and the second gear is reduced during engagement, so that the first gear and the second gear can be smoothly engaged.

  Preferably, when the first mode is selected, the control device starts driving the actuator at the time when the operation time of the actuator is subtracted from the time when the synchronization is established.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to determine the start of driving of the actuator in consideration of the operation time of the actuator. Therefore, the difference in rotational speed between the first gear and the second gear can be made as small as possible.

  Preferably, the control device further has a second mode in which the first gear and the second gear are engaged by the actuator prior to driving of the motor. When the engine start request is received, the control device selects the second mode when the engine speed is lower than the first reference value, and the engine speed is equal to the first reference value and the first reference value. The first mode is selected when the second reference value is greater than the second reference value.

  With this configuration, when the rotational speed of the engine is lower than the first reference value, that is, when the engine speed is low, the second gear is stopped and engaged with the first gear (the second gear). Mode), when the rotational speed of the engine is between the first reference value and the second reference value larger than the first reference value, that is, when the rotational speed is relatively high, the second gear is It can be engaged with the first gear while being rotated (first mode). Thus, when the rotational speed is relatively high, the difference in rotational speed between the first gear and the second gear can be reduced, and even when the rotational speed is relatively high, the first gear and the first gear smoothly The two gears can be engaged.

  Preferably, when the second mode is selected, the control device starts driving the motor based on the completion of the engagement between the first gear and the second gear.

  With such a configuration, in the second mode, the engine can be started with the first gear and the second gear engaged.

  Preferably, when the first mode is selected, the control device stops the motor when the drive timing of the actuator is after the reference time has elapsed from the start of driving of the motor.

  By adopting such a configuration, even if the first mode is selected, when synchronization is no longer established when the operation of the actuator is completed, the motor is stopped and the second gear is stopped. The engine can be started.

  Preferably, the control device stops driving the motor and the actuator when the start of the engine is completed.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to stop the driving of the motor and the actuator after the completion of the engine start and to prevent power consumption by the starter.

  Preferably, the actuator further includes a solenoid for driving the plunger in response to a power supply voltage from the battery. The actuator moves the second gear from the standby position to the engagement position with the first gear when the solenoid is excited, and returns the second gear to the standby position when the solenoid is de-energized.

  With such a configuration, the first gear and the second gear can be engaged by exciting the solenoid, and the engaged state can be released by de-energizing the solenoid.

  The vehicle according to the present invention includes a battery, an engine that generates a driving force for running the vehicle, a starter that starts the engine, and a control device that controls the starter. The starter is driven by a battery and a second gear that can be engaged with the first gear connected to the crankshaft of the engine, and the second gear is moved to a position where the second gear is engaged with the first gear in a driving state. And an actuator for rotating the second gear. The battery supplies a power supply voltage to both the actuator and the motor. The control device can individually control each of the actuator and the motor. Then, the control device determines the drive timing of the actuator based on the rotation speed of the engine and the voltage of the battery.

  According to such a vehicle, in the starter capable of individually controlling each of the actuator and the motor driven by the battery, the rotational speed of the engine and the voltage of the battery for supplying the power supply voltage to both the actuator and the motor Based on the above, the drive timing of the actuator is determined. Since the operating time of the actuator varies depending on the battery voltage, even if the battery state changes, the first gear and the second gear can be smoothly moved by determining the actuator driving timing in consideration of the battery voltage. Can be engaged.

  According to the present invention, in an engine starter having a starter that can individually control the engagement operation of the pinion gear and the rotation operation of the pinion gear, the deterioration of the engagement state between the pinion gear and the ring gear is suppressed, and the engine rotation speed is reduced. It becomes possible to restart the engine without waiting for the decrease.

1 is an overall block diagram of a vehicle equipped with an engine starter according to an embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the transition of the operation mode of the starter in this Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the drive mode at the time of engine starting operation | movement in this Embodiment. In this Embodiment, it is a flowchart for demonstrating the detail of the basic operation mode setting control process performed by ECU. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of the drive timing setting control of the actuator in rotation mode in this Embodiment. 4 is a flowchart for illustrating details of an actuator drive timing setting control process in a rotation mode executed by an ECU in the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between a battery voltage and pinion gear contact time. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between motor drive time and a motor rotational speed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[Configuration of engine starter]
FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a vehicle 10 equipped with an engine starting device according to the present embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 1, vehicle 10 includes an engine 100, a battery 120, a starter 200, a control device (hereinafter also referred to as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) 300, and relays RY1 and RY2. Starter 200 includes a plunger 210, a motor 220, a solenoid 230, a connecting portion 240, an output member 250, and a pinion gear 260.

  Engine 100 generates a driving force for traveling vehicle 10. The crankshaft 111 of the engine 100 is connected to drive wheels 170 via a power transmission device 160 that includes a clutch, a speed reducer, and the like.

  The engine 100 is provided with a rotation speed sensor 115. The rotational speed sensor 115 detects the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 and outputs the detection result to the ECU 300.

  The battery 120 is a power storage element configured to be chargeable / dischargeable. The battery 120 includes a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a lead battery. Moreover, the battery 120 may be comprised by electrical storage elements, such as an electric double layer capacitor.

  Battery 120 is connected to starter 200 via relays RY1, RY2 controlled by ECU 300. The battery 120 supplies the drive power supply voltage to the starter 200 by closing the relays RY1 and RY2. The negative electrode of battery 120 is connected to the body ground of vehicle 10.

  The battery 120 is provided with a voltage sensor 125. Voltage sensor 125 detects output voltage VB of battery 120 and outputs the detected value to ECU 300.

  One end of relay RY 1 is connected to the positive electrode of battery 120, and the other end of relay RY 1 is connected to one end of solenoid 230 in starter 200. The relay RY1 is controlled by a control signal SE1 from the ECU 300, and switches between supply and interruption of the power supply voltage from the battery 120 to the solenoid 230.

  One end of relay RY2 is connected to the positive electrode of battery 120, and the other end of relay RY2 is connected to motor 220 in starter 200. Relay RY <b> 2 is controlled by a control signal SE <b> 2 from ECU 300, and switches between supply and interruption of power supply voltage from battery 120 to motor 220. Further, a voltage sensor 130 is provided on a power line connecting relay RY2 and motor 220. Voltage sensor 130 detects motor voltage VM and outputs the detected value to ECU 300.

  As described above, supply of power supply voltage to motor 220 and solenoid 230 in starter 200 can be individually controlled by relays RY1 and RY2.

  The output member 250 is coupled to a rotating shaft of a rotor (not shown) inside the motor by, for example, a linear spline. A pinion gear 260 is provided at the end of the output member 250 opposite to the motor 220. When the power supply voltage is supplied from the battery 120 and the motor 220 is rotated by closing the relay RY <b> 2, the output member 250 transmits the rotation operation of the rotor to the pinion gear 260 to rotate the pinion gear 260.

  As described above, one end of the solenoid 230 is connected to the relay RY1, and the other end of the solenoid 230 is connected to the body ground. When relay RY1 is closed and solenoid 230 is excited, solenoid 230 attracts plunger 210 in the direction of the arrow. In other words, the solenoid 230 and the plunger 210 constitute an actuator 232.

  Plunger 210 is coupled to output member 250 through connecting portion 240. The solenoid 230 is excited and the plunger 210 is attracted in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the output member 250 moves away from the standby position shown in FIG. 1 from the standby position shown in FIG. 1, that is, the pinion gear 260 moves away from the main body of the motor 220 by the connecting portion 240 to which the fulcrum 245 is fixed. In the direction to the engagement position with the ring gear 110. The plunger 210 is biased by a spring mechanism (not shown) in the direction opposite to the arrow in FIG. 1, and is returned to the standby position when the solenoid 230 is de-energized.

  Thus, when the output member 250 moves in the axial direction by exciting the solenoid 230, the pinion gear 260 is engaged with the ring gear 110 attached to the crankshaft 111 of the engine 100. Then, with the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 engaged, the pinion gear 260 rotates, whereby the engine 100 is cranked and the engine 100 is started. The ring gear 110 is provided, for example, on the outer periphery of the engine flywheel.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, a one-way clutch may be provided between the output member 250 and the rotor shaft of the motor 220 so that the rotor of the motor 220 is not rotated by the rotation operation of the ring gear 110.

  Further, the actuator 232 in FIG. 1 is a mechanism that can transmit the rotation of the pinion gear 260 to the ring gear 110 and can switch between a state in which the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 are engaged and a state in which both are not engaged. The mechanism is not limited to the above-described mechanism. For example, a mechanism in which the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 are engaged by moving the shaft of the output member 250 in the radial direction of the pinion gear 260 may be used.

  Although not shown, ECU 300 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device, and an input / output buffer, and inputs each sensor and outputs a control command to each device. Note that these controls are not limited to software processing, and a part of them can be constructed and processed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

  ECU 300 receives a signal ACC representing an operation amount of accelerator pedal 140 from a sensor (not shown) provided on accelerator pedal 140. ECU 300 receives signal BRK representing the operation of brake pedal 150 from a sensor (not shown) provided on brake pedal 150. ECU 300 also receives a start operation signal IG-ON due to an ignition operation by the driver. Based on these pieces of information, ECU 300 generates a start request signal and a stop request signal for engine 100, and outputs control signals SE1 and SE2 in accordance therewith to control the operation of starter 200.

  At this time, the ECU 300 controls the drive timing of the actuator 232 based on the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 and the voltage VB of the battery 120, as will be described later.

[Description of starter operation mode]
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the transition of the operation mode of starter 200 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation mode of starter 200 in the present embodiment includes a standby mode 410, an engagement mode 420, a rotation mode 430, and a full drive mode 440.

  The standby mode 410 is a mode in which both the actuator 232 and the motor 220 of the starter 200 are not driven, that is, a mode in which an engine start request to the starter 200 is not output. The standby mode 410 corresponds to the initial state of the starter 200, and driving of the starter 200 becomes unnecessary before the start operation of the engine 100, after the start of the engine 100, or when the start of the engine 100 fails. Selected when.

  Full drive mode 440 is a mode in which both actuator 232 and motor 220 of starter 200 are driven. In the full drive mode 440, the pinion gear 260 is rotated by the motor 220 while the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 are engaged. As a result, the engine 100 is actually cranked and the starting operation is started.

  Starter 200 in the present embodiment can drive each of actuator 232 and motor 220 individually as described above. Therefore, in the process of transition from the standby mode 410 to the full drive mode 440, when the actuator 232 is driven prior to the driving of the motor 220 (ie, equivalent to the engagement mode 420), the motor 220 prior to the driving of the actuator 232 is performed. Is driven (that is, corresponding to the rotation mode 430).

  The engagement mode 420 is a mode in which only the actuator 232 is driven and the motor 220 is not driven. This mode is selected when the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 can be engaged even when the pinion gear 260 is stopped. Specifically, the engagement mode 420 is selected when the engine 100 is stopped or when the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is sufficiently reduced (Ne ≦ first reference value α1). .

  Then, in response to the completion of the engagement between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110, the operation mode changes from the engagement mode 420 to the full drive mode 440.

  Note that whether or not the engagement between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 has been completed can be determined using a detection signal provided with a sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the output member 250. is there. However, since there is a high possibility of engaging during a certain period due to the rotation of the engine 100 or the rotation of the pinion gear 260, a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of driving of the actuator 232 without using a sensor. Based on the above, it is also possible to determine that the engagement between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 has been completed. By doing in this way, arrangement | positioning of the sensor which detects the position of the output member 250 can be abbreviate | omitted, and the complexity and cost of a system can be reduced.

  On the other hand, the rotation mode 430 is a mode in which only the motor 220 is driven and the actuator 232 is not driven. In this mode, for example, when a restart request for the engine 100 is output immediately after the stop request for the engine 100, the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is relatively high (α1 <Ne ≦ second reference). The value α2) is selected.

  Thus, when the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is high, the speed difference between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 is large in a state where the pinion gear 260 is stopped, and the engagement between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 is difficult. There is a possibility. Therefore, in rotation mode 430, only motor 220 is driven prior to driving actuator 232, and the rotation speed of ring gear 110 and the rotation speed of pinion gear 260 are synchronized. Then, when the difference between the rotation speed of ring gear 110 and the rotation speed of pinion gear 260 becomes sufficiently small, actuator 232 is driven, and engagement between ring gear 110 and pinion gear 260 is performed. Then, the operation mode transitions from the rotation mode 430 to the full drive mode 440.

  If the rotation speed of ring gear 110 and the rotation speed of pinion gear 260 cannot be synchronized, the operation mode is returned to standby mode 410 after a predetermined time (T1) has elapsed. Thereafter, the engagement mode 420 or the rotation mode 430 is selected according to the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 at that time, and the starting operation is executed again.

  Further, in the case of the full drive mode 440, the operation mode is returned from the full drive mode 440 to the standby mode 410 in response to the completion of the start of the engine 100 and the start of the engine 100.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining two drive modes (engagement mode and rotation mode) during the engine start operation in the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 and the driving state of the actuator 232 and the motor 220 when using the rotation mode and when using the engagement mode.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, at time t0, for example, when a condition that the vehicle is stopped and the brake pedal 150 is operated by the driver is satisfied, a stop request for engine 100 is generated, and the engine Consider the case where 100 combustion is stopped. In this case, if the engine 100 is not restarted, the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 gradually decreases as indicated by a solid curve W0, and finally the rotation of the engine 100 stops.

  Next, consider a case where a restart request for the engine 100 is generated while the amount of operation of the brake pedal 150 by the driver becomes zero while the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is decreasing. In this case, it is classified into three regions according to the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100.

  The first region (region 1) is a case where the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is higher than the second reference value α2, for example, in a state where a restart request is generated at a point P0 in FIG. is there.

  This region 1 is a region where the engine 100 can be started without using the starter 200 by the fuel injection and ignition operation, that is, a region where the engine 100 can return independently, because the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is sufficiently high. Therefore, in region 1, driving of starter 200 is prohibited. Note that the second reference value α2 may be limited by the maximum rotation speed of the motor 220.

  The second region (region 2) is a case where the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is between the first reference value α1 and the second reference value α2, and a restart request is made at a point P1 in FIG. It is as if it was created.

  This region 2 is a region where the engine 100 cannot return independently but the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is relatively high. In this area, the rotation mode is selected as described with reference to FIG.

  When a restart request for engine 100 is generated at time t2, first, motor 220 is driven. As a result, the pinion gear 260 starts to rotate. Then, at the time t3 when it is determined that the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 and the rotational speed of the pinion gear 260 converted to the crankshaft 111 are synchronized when the engagement is scheduled to be completed, the actuator 232 is driven. When the ring gear 110 and the pinion gear 260 are engaged (time t3 *), the engine 100 is cranked, and the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 increases as indicated by a dashed curve W1. Thereafter, when engine 100 resumes self-sustaining operation, driving of actuator 232 and motor 220 is stopped.

  The third region (region 3) is a case where the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is lower than the first reference value α1, for example, in a state where a restart request is generated at a point P2 in FIG. is there.

  This region 3 is a region where the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 is low, and the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 can be engaged without synchronizing the pinion gear 260. In this region, the engagement mode is selected as described with reference to FIG.

  When a restart request for engine 100 is generated at time t4, actuator 232 is first driven. Thereby, the pinion gear 260 is pushed out to the ring gear 110 side. Thereafter, when the engagement between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 is completed or a predetermined time has elapsed, the motor 220 is driven (time t5 in FIG. 3). As a result, the engine 100 is cranked, and the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 increases as indicated by a dashed curve W2. Thereafter, when engine 100 resumes self-sustaining operation, driving of actuator 232 and motor 220 is stopped.

  Thus, by performing restart control of engine 100 using starter 200 in which actuator 232 and motor 220 can be individually driven, the rotation speed at which self-recovery of engine 100 is impossible with the conventional starter is possible. Compared to the case where the restart operation of the engine 100 is prohibited during the period (Tinh) from (time t1 in FIG. 3) until the engine 100 stops (time t6 in FIG. 3), in a shorter time. The engine 100 can be restarted. Thereby, it is possible to reduce a sense of incongruity caused by a delay in engine restart for the driver.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining details of basic operation mode setting control processing executed by ECU 300 in the present embodiment. The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 described below is realized by executing a program stored in advance in ECU 300 at a predetermined cycle. Alternatively, for some steps, it is also possible to construct dedicated hardware (electronic circuit) and realize processing.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, ECU 300 determines in step (hereinafter abbreviated as “S”) 100 whether or not there is a request for starting engine 100. That is, it is determined whether or not engine 100 is to be started.

  If there is no request for starting engine 100 (NO in S100), the engine 100 does not need to be started, so the process proceeds to S180, and ECU 300 selects the standby mode.

  If there is a request to start engine 100 (YES in S100), the process proceeds to S110, and ECU 300 next determines whether or not rotation speed Ne of engine 100 is equal to or smaller than second reference value α2. .

  If rotational speed Ne of engine 100 is greater than second reference value α2 (NO in S110), ECU 300 proceeds to S180 because it corresponds to region 1 in FIG. Select the standby mode.

  When engine speed Ne of engine 100 is equal to or smaller than second reference value α2 (YES in S110), ECU 300 further determines whether or not engine speed Ne of engine 100 is equal to or smaller than first reference value α1. .

  If rotational speed Ne of engine 100 is equal to or lower than first reference value α1 (YES in S120), this corresponds to region 1 in FIG. 3, so the process proceeds to S135, and ECU 300 selects the engagement mode. . ECU 300 then outputs actuator 232 by outputting control signal SE1 and closing relay RY1. At this time, the motor 220 is not driven.

  In S145, ECU 300 determines whether or not the engagement between pinion gear 260 and ring gear 110 has been completed. This determination may be made by position detection using a sensor as described above, or may be made by elapse of a predetermined time.

  If engagement between pinion gear 260 and ring gear 110 has not been completed (NO in S145), the process returns to S145, and ECU 300 waits for the engagement between pinion gear 260 and ring gear 110 to be completed.

  On the other hand, when engagement between pinion gear 260 and ring gear 110 is completed (YES in S145), the process proceeds to S160, and ECU 300 selects the full drive mode. Then, cranking of the engine 100 is started by the starter 200.

  Next, in S170, ECU 300 determines whether or not engine 100 has been started. The determination of the completion of the start of the engine 100 may be made based on, for example, whether or not the engine speed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of driving of the motor 220 is greater than a threshold value γ indicating self-sustained operation. .

  If engine 100 has not been started (NO in S170), the process returns to S160, and cranking of engine 100 is continued.

  When engine 100 has been started (YES in S170), the process proceeds to S180, and ECU 300 selects the standby mode.

  On the other hand, if rotation speed Ne of engine 100 is greater than first reference value α1 (NO in S120), this corresponds to region 2 in FIG. 3, so the process proceeds to S130, and ECU 300 selects the rotation mode. To do. Then, ECU 300 drives motor 220 by outputting control signal SE2 and closing relay RY2. At this time, the actuator 232 is not driven.

  In step S140, the ECU 300 determines whether or not the drive duration time of the motor 220 has passed the predetermined time T1.

  If the drive duration time of motor 220 has exceeded predetermined time T1 (YES in S140), ECU 300 determines that synchronization between pinion gear 260 and ring gear 110 has not been established and engine 100 has not been started, and the process proceeds to S180. Proceed with the process and temporarily select the standby mode. Thereafter, the processing from S100 is executed again, and the engine start processing is executed.

  If drive duration time of motor 220 has not passed predetermined time T1 (NO in S140), the process proceeds to S150, and ECU 300 determines the rotational speed Ne1 of engine 100 when the operation of actuator 232 is scheduled to be completed. Then, it is determined whether or not synchronization with the rotational speed Nm1 of the crankshaft converted motor 220 is established. Specifically, the determination of the establishment of synchronization is made such that the relative rotational speed Ndiff (Ne1-Nm1) between the rotational speed Ne1 of the engine 100 and the rotational speed Nm1 of the crankshaft-converted motor 220 is within a predetermined threshold value range. (0 ≦ β1 ≦ Ndiff <β2). It is possible to determine whether synchronization is established by determining whether the absolute value of the relative rotational speed Ndiff is smaller than the threshold value β (| Ndiff | <β). It is more preferable to engage with the motor 220 in a state higher than the rotational speed Nm1 of the motor 220.

  If it is determined that synchronization is not established (NO in S150), the process returns to S140, and ECU 300 waits for synchronization to be established.

  If it is determined that synchronization is established (YES in S150), ECU 300 advances the process to S160 and selects the full drive mode. Thus, actuator 232 is driven, pinion gear 260 and ring gear 110 are engaged, and engine 100 is cranked.

  Although not shown in FIG. 4, if the engine is not operated autonomously even after a predetermined period of time due to, for example, a lack of fuel or a malfunction of the ignition device, during engine cranking in S160, Therefore, the operation mode may be returned to the standby mode.

[Actuator drive timing setting control]
In the above-described rotation mode, the motor drive voltage can change with an increase in the rotation speed of the motor during a transient period from the start of the motor drive until the motor reaches the maximum rotation speed. For this reason, when the amount of power stored in the battery has decreased, it is conceivable that the battery voltage fluctuates due to driving of the motor.

  On the other hand, the actuator is driven by a solenoid, but the attractive force of the solenoid is substantially proportional to the voltage applied to the solenoid. For this reason, if the voltage applied to the solenoid decreases due to a decrease in the battery voltage, the attracting force of the solenoid also decreases accordingly, and the operation time of the actuator may be delayed.

  In the motor front drive device mode, it is necessary to consider the operating time of the actuator when synchronizing the increasing motor rotation speed with the decreasing engine rotation speed. However, as described above, if the operation time of the actuator fluctuates due to the battery voltage, the engagement operation of the pinion gear is not properly completed at the time when synchronization is expected to be established, and the engagement between the pinion gear and the ring gear is not achieved. Otherwise, the engine may not be cranked.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the motor-first drive device mode is selected, the actuator drive timing setting control is performed based on the change in the battery voltage after the motor drive is started.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the drive timing setting control of the actuator 232 in the motor front drive apparatus mode in the present embodiment. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100, the motor rotational speed Nm1 converted to the crankshaft, and the voltage VB of the battery 120.

  Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, consider a state where there is a request to start engine 100 at time t11 and the rotation mode is selected based on the rotation speed Ne of engine 100. At this time, when there is no restart, the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 decreases with time as indicated by a curve W11 in FIG. 5, for example.

  In addition, when the rotation mode is selected, the motor 220 of the starter 200 starts to be driven at time t11. The rotational speed of the motor 220 increases with time. In FIG. 5, the rotation speed Nm1 obtained by converting the rotation speed of the output member 250 into the rotation speed of the crankshaft 111 of the engine 100 based on the gear ratio between the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 is represented by a curve W10 in FIG. Indicated.

  At time t13, the rotational speed Ne of the engine 100 and the rotational speed Nm1 of the crank-converted motor are synchronized. For example, the actuator 232 is driven at a time t12 before the time t13 so that the pinion gear 260 reaches the engagement position with the ring gear 110 at a time t13 in consideration of an operation time from the voltage application to the solenoid 230. Be started.

  On the other hand, since the power consumption of the motor 220 fluctuates in the transitional region until the rotational speed is stabilized after the driving of the motor 220 is started, the power of the battery 120 is changed as shown by a curve W12 in FIG. The voltage can change according to the rotational speed of the motor 220. At this time, when the storage amount of the battery 120 is reduced, or when the power consumption due to another electric load (not shown) to which the power supply voltage is supplied from the battery 120 is large, the curves W13 and W14 in FIG. In addition, the voltage may further decrease.

  Here, as described above. The operation time from the start to the completion of the operation of the actuator 232 depends on the voltage applied to the solenoid 230, but when the voltage VB of the battery 120 changes, for example, in the case of the curves W13 and W14, the curve W12 Since the voltage VB at the same time is lower than the case, the operation time of the actuator 232 becomes longer than the operation time T12 in the case of the curve W12 (operation times T13 and T14).

  Then, when driving of the actuator 232 is started at time t12, the operation completion time of the actuator 232 becomes times t13A and t13B later than the time t13 at which synchronization is established. As a result, when the operation of the actuator 232 is completed, the difference between the rotation speed Ne of the engine 100 and the rotation speed Nm1 of the motor converted to the crankshaft becomes large, and there is a possibility that the engagement cannot be properly performed.

  Therefore, when the voltage VB of the battery 120 is reduced in this way, the drive start timing of the actuator 232 is made earlier than the time t12 in accordance with the battery voltage VB (broken line arrow in FIG. 5) to rotate the battery 120. At time t13 when the speeds are synchronized, the pinion gear 260 and the ring gear 110 can be engaged.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for illustrating details of the drive timing setting control process of the actuator 232 in the rotation mode executed by the ECU 300 in the present embodiment. 6 corresponds to a detailed description of steps S150 and S160 surrounded by a broken line in the flowchart of FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, ECU 300 first determines whether or not the rotation mode is selected in S200.

  If the rotation mode has not been selected (NO in S200), there is no need to adjust the drive timing of actuator 232, so this process ends and the process returns to the main routine.

  If the rotation mode is selected (YES in S200), ECU 300 acquires current battery voltage VB (S210) and also acquires current engine rotation speed Ne (S220).

  Then, ECU 300 calculates pinion gear contact time (that is, actuator operating time) Tc from battery voltage VB based on a map previously determined by experiments or the like as shown in FIG.

  Next, in S240, ECU 300 calculates a time change rate ΔNe of the engine rotation speed from the acquired engine rotation speed Ne. This time change rate ΔNe is calculated based on the engine rotational speed Ne acquired in S220 and the engine rotational speed at the previous processing cycle, or based on the engine rotational speeds of the immediately preceding multiple processing cycles including the current engine rotational speed. The

  In S250, ECU 300 predicts engine rotation speed Ne1 at the time of pinion gear contact using equation (1) using calculated pinion gear contact time Tc and engine speed change rate ΔNe.

Ne1 = Ne + ΔNe · Tc (1)
Then, ECU 300, based on the map as shown in FIG. 8, the motor rotational speed in terms of crankshaft after the elapse of the pinion gear contact time Tc (time t22) from the current time (time t21 in FIG. 7). Nm1 is calculated (S260), and the relative rotation speed Ndiff between the engine rotation speed Ne1 when the pinion gear is in contact with the motor rotation speed Nm1 converted to the crankshaft is calculated as shown in Expression (2) (S270).

Ndiff = Ne1-Nm1 (2)
Thereafter, in S280, ECU 300 determines whether or not relative rotational speed Ndiff is within a predetermined threshold range (β1 ≦ Ndiff <β2), that is, after elapse of pinion gear contact time Tc, engine rotational speed. It is determined whether Ne1 and the motor rotation speed Nm1 in terms of crankshaft are synchronized.

  If relative rotational speed Ndiff is outside the range of the threshold value (NO in S280), ECU 300 determines that synchronization is not established, returns the process to the main routine, and performs this process again in the next processing cycle. Execute.

  If relative rotation speed Ndiff is within the threshold value range (YES in S280), the process proceeds to S290, and ECU 300 transitions the operation mode to the full drive mode and closes relay RY1. Actuator 232 is driven.

  By performing the control according to the processing as described above, it is possible to control the drive timing of the actuator in the rotation mode in consideration of the fluctuation of the battery voltage. Thus, even when the battery voltage fluctuates, the pinion gear and the ring gear can be reliably engaged in a state where the speeds of the pinion gear and the ring gear are synchronized. Then, while suppressing deterioration of the engagement state between the pinion gear and the ring gear, compared with the conventional case where the engagement and rotation of the pinion gear are simultaneously performed, a short time from the restart request can be obtained without waiting for a decrease in the engine rotation speed. This makes it possible to restart the engine.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 6, the calculation of the pinion gear contact time Tc (S240) and the calculation of the motor rotation speed Nm1 at the time of pinion gear contact (S260) have been described using the individual maps. However, the relative rotational speed Ndiff may be directly calculated by one map using the acquired battery voltage VB and engine rotational speed Ne as parameters.

  Further, the fluctuation of the battery voltage VB may further affect the rotational speed of the motor 220. Therefore, when calculating the motor rotation speed Nm1 when the pinion gear is in contact, the motor rotation speed Nm1 may be further corrected using the motor voltage VM detected by the voltage sensor 130.

  In addition, “ring gear 110” and “pinion gear 260” in the present embodiment are examples of “first gear” and “second gear” in the present invention, respectively. The “rotation mode” and the “engagement mode” in the present embodiment are examples of the “first mode” and the “second mode” in the present invention, respectively.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  10 vehicle, 100 engine, 110 ring gear, 111 crankshaft, 115 rotation speed sensor, 120 battery, 125, 130 voltage sensor, 140 accelerator pedal, 150 clutch pedal, 160 power transmission device, 170 driving wheel, 200 starter, 210 plunger, 220 motor, 230 solenoid, 232 actuator, 240 connecting part, 245 fulcrum, 250 output member, 260 pinion gear, 300 ECU, 410 standby mode, 420 engagement mode, 430 rotation mode, 440 full drive mode, RY1, RY2 relay.

Claims (10)

An engine starter,
A starter for starting the engine;
A control device for controlling the starter,
The starter is
A second gear engageable with a first gear coupled to the crankshaft of the engine;
An actuator that is driven by a battery and moves the second gear to a position that engages with the first gear in a driving state;
A motor for rotating the second gear,
The controller is capable of individually controlling each of the actuator and the motor, and based on the rotational speed of the engine and the voltage of the battery for supplying a power supply voltage to both the actuator and the motor, An engine starter that determines drive timing of the actuator.   The control device drives the actuator to drive the second gear when it is determined that synchronization between the rotational speed of the engine and the rotational speed of the motor is established when the engagement operation by the actuator is scheduled to be completed. 2. The engine starting device according to claim 1, wherein the engine starting device is engaged with the first gear, and the drive timing of the actuator is determined based on a rate of change of a rotation speed of the engine and a voltage of the battery. The control device has a first mode for driving the motor prior to driving the actuator;
When the first mode is selected, the control device performs the engagement of the actuator based on the rate of change of the rotation speed of the engine and the operation time of the actuator according to the voltage of the battery. When the rotational speed of the engine when the operation is scheduled to be predicted is predicted, and the difference between the predicted rotational speed of the engine and the rotational speed of the motor when the engagement operation is scheduled to be completed is within a predetermined range The engine starting device according to claim 2, wherein it is determined that the synchronization is established.   The said control apparatus, when the said 1st mode is selected, starts the drive of the said actuator at the time of subtracting the said operation time of the said actuator from the time when the said synchronization is materialized. The engine starting device as described. The control device further includes a second mode in which the actuator engages the first gear and the second gear prior to driving the motor.
When receiving the engine start request, the control device selects the second mode when the engine rotation speed falls below a first reference value, and the engine rotation speed is set to the first reference value. 5. The engine starter according to claim 3, wherein the first mode is selected when a value is between a value and a second reference value greater than the first reference value. 6.   The control device starts driving the motor based on the completion of engagement between the first gear and the second gear when the second mode is selected. Item 6. The engine starting device according to Item 5.   The control device, when the first mode is selected, stops the motor when the drive timing of the actuator is after a reference time has elapsed from the start of driving the motor. 5. The engine starting device according to 5.   6. The engine starter according to claim 5, wherein the control device stops driving the motor and the actuator when the engine start is completed. The actuator is
A solenoid for driving the plunger in response to the power supply voltage from the battery;
The actuator moves the second gear from a standby position to an engagement position with the first gear when the solenoid is excited, and moves the second gear to the engagement position with the first gear. The engine starting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the engine starting device is returned to the standby position. A vehicle,
Battery,
An engine for generating a driving force for running the vehicle;
A starter for starting the engine;
A control device for controlling the starter,
The starter is
A second gear engageable with a first gear coupled to the crankshaft of the engine;
An actuator that is driven by the battery and moves the second gear to a position that engages with the first gear in a driving state;
A motor for rotating the second gear,
The battery supplies a power supply voltage to both the actuator and the motor;
The control device is capable of individually controlling each of the actuator and the motor, and determines a drive timing of the actuator based on a rotation speed of the engine and a voltage of the battery.

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