JP2012077695A - Engine starter and short-circuiting switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an engine starter which alleviates influence of heat generated by a resistor on the contact terminal of a short-circuiting switch which prevents instantaneous interruption.SOLUTION: The engine starter comprises an electromagnetic switch 5 for the starter which is connected in series between a power source 3 and a starter motor 2, and the short-circuiting switch 7 which short-circuits the resistor 6 connected in series to the electromagnetic switch for the starter. The resistor is set up outside the outer case 7a of the short-circuiting switch, and its heat generating part is enwrapped in one or more resistor covers 61 and 62 made of an insulating material. The resistor covers are arranged in a case different from the outer case of the short-circuiting switch and outside the outer case of the short-circuiting switch.

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine starting device and a short-circuit switch for starting an engine with a starter motor.

When starting the engine, the starter switch coil is energized and the fixed contact of the starter switch is closed to supply power from the vehicle power supply to the starter motor, generating rotational torque in the starter motor, and the meshed pinion gear And the torque of the starter motor is transmitted to the engine crankshaft via the ring gear and the engine is started. At this time, when the starter switch is closed, the starter motor is still in a stationary state and no back electromotive force is generated. Therefore, an inrush current of several hundred to several hundreds of amps flows due to an extremely small starter internal resistance.
At that time, the vehicular power source generates a voltage drop in which the terminal voltage decreases due to the internal specific resistance.

For this reason, when starting the engine, a voltage drop of the vehicle power supply due to the current at the start of the starter motor causes a problem of causing a momentary interruption when using other electric devices of the vehicle such as a stereo, a navigation system, and an air conditioner. It was. This momentary disconnection is not particularly a problem when starting an ordinary engine, but in vehicles equipped with an idling stop function, an instantaneous disconnection occurs when restarting after idling stop, and the driver and passenger There is concern that it may cause discomfort.
On the other hand, a starter having an electromagnetic switch with a built-in resistor for suppressing an inrush current that flows when the starter motor starts is known (see Patent Document 1).

In the electromagnetic switch disclosed in Patent Document 1, a resistor is disposed in a space formed between a magnetic plate and an auxiliary contact inside a contact cover, and both ends of the resistor are joined to terminal bolts. In addition, the resistor is disposed with a gap from the inner peripheral surface of the contact cover by a predetermined distance, and is set so that the resin contact cover is melted before reaching the heat softening temperature.
That is, Patent Document 1 discloses a starter electromagnetic switch that can reduce the direct influence of heat generated by a resistor on an electromagnetic coil without increasing the outer diameter of the electromagnetic switch. .

JP 2009-224315 A (drawing and description thereof)

However, in the above known technique (Patent Document 1), the contact cover itself is less susceptible to thermal damage due to the heat generated by the resistor, but the fixed contact and the movable contact portion of the terminal bolt disposed inside the contact cover are not provided. On the other hand, it does not have a gap of a predetermined distance, and there is a concern that the portion is easily damaged by heat.
In order to reduce the temperature rise, it is necessary to increase the heat capacity of the contact or to increase the space inside the contact cover, both of which increase the size and weight of the electromagnetic switch.

  The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide heat generated by a resistor in a short-circuit switch having a resistor for suppressing an inrush current when starting a starter motor. An object of the present invention is to provide an engine starter having a short-circuit switch that can reduce the influence on the contact terminals of the short-circuit switch and does not increase in size more than necessary.

  An engine starter according to the present invention includes a starter motor that starts power supply from a power supply, starts the engine, an electromagnetic switch for starter connected in series between the starter motor and the power supply, and is connected in series to the electromagnetic switch for starter An engine starter having a short-circuit switch having a switch portion for short-circuiting the resistor, wherein the resistor is disposed outside an outer casing of the short-circuit switch, and a heat generating portion of the resistor is made of an insulating material The resistor cover is covered with one or more formed resistor covers, and the resistor cover is provided separately from the outer casing of the short-circuit switch and disposed outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch. .

According to the engine starting device of the present invention, in the short-circuit switch having a resistor for suppressing a current to be supplied when starting the starter motor, the resistor is disposed outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch. The effect of the heat generated by the resistor directly on the contacts of the short-circuit switch can be reduced, and the generated heat is cooled by being exposed to the outside air, and then is conducted to the contacts via the contact terminals of the short-circuit switch. Therefore, the heat effect can be reduced indirectly.
Furthermore, since the heat generating portion of the resistor is covered with one or more resistor covers formed of an insulating material, the influence on other components outside the short-circuit switch can be reduced.
Further, since the resistor cover is provided separately from the outer casing of the short-circuit switch and is disposed outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch, sufficient insulation is provided depending on the surrounding environment of the resistor and the usage environment of the vehicle. If necessary, the outer casing of the short-circuit switch can be shared and can be dealt with by changing only the resistor cover.

It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is the figure which looked at an example of the short circuit switch from the terminal cover side. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a side view of an example of a short circuit switch. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a main part longitudinal sectional view of an example of a resistor assembly taken along line AA of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a main part longitudinal sectional view of an example of a resistor assembly taken along line BB in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an example of the resistor assembly along the line CC in FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a connection diagram which shows an example of the circuit diagram of an engine starting apparatus.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
1 is a view of a short-circuit switch according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention as viewed from the terminal cover side, FIG. 2 is a side view of the short-circuit switch according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the resistor assembly along the line A, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the resistor assembly along the line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of the engine starting device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
In FIG. 6, an engine starter 1 is connected to a starter motor 2 that starts an engine (not shown), a battery 3 that is a power source that supplies power to the starter motor 2, and a battery 3 that starts the starter motor 2. The start switch 4, the starter electromagnetic switch 5, the fixed contacts 5e and 5f connected to the starter motor 2 via the contact terminals 5g and 5h of the starter electromagnetic switch 5, and the fixed contacts 5e and 5f In order to energize the current suppressing resistor assembly 60 connected in series, the short-circuit switch 7 provided so that the resistor assembly 60 can be short-circuited when an engine start request is generated, and the drive coil 7b of the short-circuit switch 7 The control circuit 8 is configured to send a start command to the controller.

  The starter electromagnetic switch 5 includes a fixed contact 5e, 5f connected in series between the starter motor 2 and the battery 3, a drive coil 5b for driving the movable contact 5i, a fixed contact 5e, The holding coil 5c is held at a position in contact with 5f, and the plunger 5d is fixed to the movable contact 5i. The plunger 5d has a function of connecting the output shaft of the starter motor 2 to the engine (not shown) side via a connecting mechanism (not shown) by a moving operation accompanying the operation of the movable contact 5i in the closing direction. The holding coil 5C is connected between the start switch 4 and the ground terminal GND.

As shown in FIG. 6, the short-circuit switch 7 is an inter-switch electromechanical switch such as a current lead wire that electrically and mechanically connects the switch portion 5 a of the starter electromagnetic switch 5 and the starter motor 2. Electromagnetic switch 7a connected by connecting conductor 11, drive coil 7b for driving movable contact 7i of electromagnetic switch 7a, plunger 7d fixed to movable contact 7i of electromagnetic switch 7a, and terminal of electromagnetic switch 7a Fixed contacts 7e and 7f connected to the starter motor 2 through 7g and 7h, and a resistor assembly 60 as voltage drop suppression means connected between the contact terminals 7g and 7h and connected in parallel with the electromagnetic switch 7a; Is provided. The short-circuit switch drive coil 7b is connected between the control circuit 8 and GND (ground potential part).
The outer casing A of the short-circuit switch 7 includes a first outer casing 7B and a second outer casing 7C that are detachably joined to each other by a coupling bolt 7D.
A movable contact 7i, fixed contacts 7e and 7f, and inner ends of contact terminals 7g and 7h are built in the first outer casing 7B. Each of the contact terminals 7g and 7h has an outer end which is an end opposite to the inner end, and is exposed to the opposite side of the first outer casing 7B from the second outer casing 7C. Each of the exposed end portions is formed with male screws 7gms and 7hms, and nuts 7gfms and 7hfms are screwed to the male screws 7gms and 7hms. The contact terminals 7g and 7h are also separated from the coupling bolt 7D.
A drive coil 7b and a plunger 7d are built in the second outer casing 7C.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the resistor assembly 60 as voltage drop suppression means is disposed outside the first outer casing 7B on the side opposite to the second outer casing 7C. The resistor 6 is fastened at one end to the outer end of the contact terminal 7g and the other end to the outer end of the contact terminal 7h by a fastening member (nuts 7gfms, 7hfms in the first embodiment). The body 6 is provided in a space surrounded by the resistor covers 61 and 62 by providing clearance between the contact terminals 7g and 7h at the outer ends of the contact terminals 7g and 7h so that a jig used for fastening does not interfere with the non-fastened portion. It is installed.

The resistor 6 is a portion 604 farthest from both of the contact terminals 7g and 7h in the longitudinal energization region 6c that connects one end 6a fastened to the contact terminal 7g and the other end 6b fastened to the contact terminal 7h. The narrow portion 6d is configured so that the cross-sectional area of the resistor 6 is minimized at (the central portion of the energization region 6c). In the present embodiment, the cross-section of the dotted line region cross-section 601 of the resistor 6 is maximized, the cross-sectional area is gradually reduced from that of the dotted line regions 602 and 603, and the cross-section is cut at the location 604 (the center of the energization region 6c). The cross-sectional area is changed in a total of four steps so that the area is minimized. In other words, the cross-sectional area of the resistor 6 is gradually reduced from the one end 6a to the location 604 (the central portion of the energization region 6c) (the narrow portion 6d). Similarly, the cross-sectional area of the resistor 6 is gradually reduced from the other end 6b to the location 604 (the central portion of the energization region 6c) (the narrow portion 6d).
Further, the resistor 6 is set so as to melt at the location 604 before the covers 61 and 62 reach the heat softening temperature.
The terminal insertion hole 6a1 drilled in one end 6a of the resistor 6 is fitted in the contact terminal 7g, and the terminal insertion hole 6b1 drilled in the other end 6b of the resistor 6 is fitted in the contact terminal 7h, respectively. The resistor 6 is connected between the contact terminals 7g and 7h outside the outer casing A of the short-circuit switch 7 by being fastened by 7gfms and 7hfms (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, the pair of resistor covers 61 and 62 sandwich the resistor 6 and are fastened by a fastening member 63 (for example, a rivet material). The fastening portion of the resistor 6 by the fastening member 63 is configured as a portion 611 branched from the longitudinal direction in the longitudinal direction connecting one end fastened to the contact terminal 7g and the other end fastened to the contact terminal 7h. The portion 611 is configured to be a non-energization path when the resistor 6 is energized.
Furthermore, the resistance covers 61 and 62 constitute a labyrinth structure by being arranged so as to mesh with each other (in this embodiment, the cover 61 is arranged on the outside).
The resistor covers 61 and 62 are made of an insulating material such as resin.

  Next, the operation of the engine starter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, as a first step of engine start, when the start switch 4 is closed due to an engine start request, the battery 3 passes through the start switch 4 via the drive coil 5b of the starter electromagnetic switch 5 and further through the resistor 6. The current starts to be supplied to the starter motor 2.

Subsequently, as a second step, when the drive coil 5b is energized, the plunger 5d of the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is driven, and the movable contact 5i moves and contacts the fixed contacts 5e and 5f to come into contact therewith. Is closed. Here, the holding coil 5 c is connected to the battery 3 through the start switch 4, and the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is kept closed by being energized by the close of the start switch 4.
Thereby, rotational torque is generated in the starter motor 2, and the pinion gear meshed with the drive of the plunger 5d starts to move toward the ring gear provided on the crankshaft of the engine (not shown). When the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is closed, the current flowing through the drive coil 5 b almost disappears, and becomes a current flowing between the fixed contacts 5 e and 5 f of the starter electromagnetic switch 5 closed from the battery 3 and through the resistor 6. . Thereby, the current value supplied to the motor 2 is suppressed from the current value of the battery 3 at all voltages.

  Subsequently, as a third step, the delay circuit in the control circuit 8 starts operating when the start switch 4 is closed and energization of the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is started, and the contact 8a is connected after a predetermined delay time has elapsed. close. As a result, the drive coil 7b of the short-circuit switch 7 is energized, and the electromagnetic switch 7a connected in parallel to the resistor 6 is closed. The resistor 6 is short-circuited by the closing of the electromagnetic switch 7a. As a result, the entire voltage of the battery 3 is applied to the starter motor 2 and a normal starter current is supplied, and the rotational force of the starter motor 4 is transmitted to the engine crankshaft to start the engine.

  In the engine starter 1 of this embodiment, since the current suppressed by the resistor 6 is supplied to the starter motor 2 after the contact of the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is closed, the inrush current at the start of the starter motor 2 is generated. Since it can suppress, it can prevent that electrical equipment etc. cause a momentary interruption.

Since the resistor 6 is arranged outside the outer casing 7 </ b> A of the short-circuit switch 7, the heat generated when the resistor 6 is energized is arranged inside the outer casing 7 </ b> A of the short-circuit switch 7. The fixed contacts 7e and 7f and the movable contact 7i are not directly affected. Furthermore, since the heat is once exposed to the outside air to be cooled and then conducted to the contact terminals, the heat influence can be reduced indirectly.
Furthermore, since the heat generating portion of the resistor is covered with one or more resistor covers formed of an insulating material, the thermal influence on other components outside the short-circuit switch can be reduced.
Further, since the resistor cover is provided separately from the outer casing of the short-circuit switch and is disposed outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch, sufficient insulation is provided depending on the surrounding environment of the resistor and the usage environment of the vehicle. If necessary, the outer casing of the short-circuit switch can be shared and can be dealt with by changing only the resistor cover.

  A portion 611 where the resistor covers 61 and 62 are held by the resistor 6 is a non-energized portion that does not become an energizing path, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the said part can suppress the heat_generation | fever by electricity supply, and can reduce the thermal influence to the fastening member 63 and the resistor covers 61 and 62. FIG.

  Since the resistor covers 61 and 62 are clamped by the fastening member 63 with the resistor 6 sandwiched therebetween, the resistor covers 61 and 62 do not have to be welded or brazed to obtain a required fastening force. The heat effect on can be prevented.

The resistor 6 is disposed in a space 621 (heat insulating layer) surrounded by the resistor covers 61 and 62. Since the space 621 is filled with an air layer, it is possible to prevent the covers 61 and 62 from being affected by heat when heat is generated when the resistor 6 is energized.
Furthermore, the resistor 6 is configured such that the cross-sectional area of the portion 604 farthest from the contact terminals 7g and 7h of the short-circuit switch 7 in the energization path is minimized. Thereby, the influence which the heat_generation | fever at the time of electricity supply to the resistor 6 exerts on the contact terminals 7g and 7h can be suppressed.

  Since the resistor 6 is set so that the cross-sectional area is melted before the cover 61, 62 reaches the heat softening temperature, the resistor 6 has a resistance before the cover 61, 62 is thermally damaged. The body 6 is melted. For this reason, the size of the cover can be made compact by keeping the thickness of the covers 61 and 62 to the minimum necessary.

  The resistance covers 61 and 62 are engaged with each other and fixed to form a labyrinth structure. Thereby, it is possible to prevent moisture and the like from entering the gap 61 from entering the inside of the covers 61 and 62, and even when it enters, the resistor 6 can be prevented from corroding and durability can be improved.

The short-circuit switch 7 of the present invention is described as operating in the normally open type (normally open contact) in the above, but the same effect can be obtained in the normally closed type (normally closed contact).
In this case, before the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is closed due to the engine start request, the electromagnetic switch 7a of the short-circuit switch 7 that has received an energization command from the control circuit 8 is first opened, so that The inrush current is suppressed by the resistor 6. Subsequent operations are the same as in the case of the normal open type (normally open contact) described above, the short-circuit switch 7 after a lapse of a predetermined delay time from when the start switch 4 is closed and the starter electromagnetic switch 5 is energized. The resistor 6 is short-circuited by the closing of the electromagnetic switch section 7a. When the engine is restarted after idling is stopped, the starter electromagnetic switch 5 and the short-circuit switch 7 that have received a start command from the control circuit 8 perform the above-described operation.

  In the first embodiment, the short-circuit switch 7 is connected between the starter electromagnetic switch 5 and the starter motor 2. However, the short-circuit switch 7 is connected between the battery 3 and the starter electromagnetic switch 5. Even if connected, the same effect can be obtained.

  Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the control circuit 8 that controls the opening and closing of the short-circuit switch 7 is configured outside the short-circuit switch 7. However, the same effect can be obtained by a control circuit that can be incorporated in the short-circuit switch 7. can get.

As described above, according to the engine starter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, the resistor 6 installed between the battery 3 as the power source and the starter motor 2 is energized to start the starter with a low current. By starting the motor 2 and short-circuiting the current suppression resistor 6 with the short-circuit switch 7 after a predetermined delay time has elapsed, the voltage drop of the power supply at the start of the engine start is suppressed, resulting in a drop in battery terminal voltage. The occurrence of “instantaneous interruption” can be prevented.
Further, it is possible to provide an engine starter including a short-circuit switch that can reduce the influence of heat generated by the resistor on the contact terminals of the short-circuit switch 7 and does not increase in size more than necessary.

  1 to 6, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

1 engine starter,
2 Starter motor,
3 battery,
4 Start switch,
5 Electromagnetic switch for starter,
6 resistors,
61 resistor cover,
62 resistor cover,
63 fastening members,
611 non-energized part,
621 heat insulation layer,
7 Short-circuit switch,
7A Outer casing of short-circuit switch,
8 Control circuit.

Claims (16)

A starter motor that receives power from a power supply to start the engine, a starter electromagnetic switch connected in series between the starter motor and the power supply, and a switch section that short-circuits a resistor connected in series to the starter electromagnetic switch An engine starter comprising a short-circuit switch having
The resistor is disposed outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch,
The heating portion of the resistor is covered with one or more resistor covers formed of an insulating material;
The engine starter according to claim 1, wherein the resistor cover is provided separately from the outer casing of the short-circuit switch and outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch.   2. The resistor cover and the resistor are held in a non-energized portion of the resistor disposed inside the resistor cover when the resistor is energized. The engine starter described in 1.   The engine starting device according to claim 2, wherein the resistor and the resistor cover are held by a fastening member.   4. The device according to claim 1, wherein when the resistor is energized, the resistor is blown before the resistor cover reaches a heat softening temperature. 5. The engine starter described in 1.   The resistor is set so that the cross-sectional area is minimized at a position farthest from one end connected to the contact terminal of the short-circuit switch and the other end connected to the other contact terminal. The engine starting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engine starting device is any one of the above.   The engine starting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the resistor is disposed on the resistor cover via a heat insulating layer.   The engine starter according to claim 6, wherein the heat insulating layer is an air layer.   The engine starting device according to claim 7, wherein the two or more resistor covers are arranged so as to have a labyrinth structure. A short-circuit switch for an engine starter having a switch unit that short-circuits a resistor connected in series to a starter electromagnetic switch connected in series between a starter motor that receives power supply from a power source and starts the engine ,
The resistor is disposed outside the outer casing of the short-circuit switch,
The heating portion of the resistor is covered with one or more resistor covers formed of an insulating material;
The short circuit switch for an engine starting device, wherein the resistor cover is provided separately from the outer casing of the short circuit switch and is disposed outside the outer casing of the short circuit switch.   10. The resistor cover and the resistor are held in a non-energized portion of the resistor disposed inside the resistor cover when the resistor is energized. A short-circuit switch of the engine starting device according to 1.   The short circuit switch of the engine starting device according to claim 10, wherein the resistor and the resistor cover are held by a fastening member.   12. The device according to claim 9, wherein when the resistor is energized, the resistor is blown before the resistor cover reaches a thermal softening temperature. A short-circuit switch of the engine starting device according to 1.   The resistor is set so that the cross-sectional area is minimized at a position farthest from one end connected to the contact terminal of the short-circuit switch and the other end connected to the other contact terminal. The short-circuit switch of the engine starting device according to any one of claims 9 to 12.   The short circuit switch of the engine starting device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the resistor is disposed on the resistor cover via a heat insulating layer.   The short circuit switch of the engine starter according to claim 14, wherein the heat insulating layer is an air layer.   The short-circuit switch for an engine starter according to claim 15, wherein the two or more resistor covers are disposed so as to have a labyrinth structure.

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