JP2016211376A - Engine start control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an engine start control device capable of stabilizing power supply with an inexpensive and compact configuration.SOLUTION: An engine start control device 1 includes a changeover switch 10 for connecting one of a high voltage line 11a for leading a high-voltage current from a battery 20 and a low voltage line 11b for leading a current lower than the high voltage from the battery 20 with a starter 120 of an engine, and control means 12 for controlling the changeover switch 10 so that a connection destination of the starter 120 is changed over to the high voltage line 11a from the low voltage line 11b during start of the starter 120.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine start control device for an automobile or the like.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional engine start control device.

  As shown in the figure, an engine start control device 100, which is an example of a gasoline engine automobile, operates when a starter 120 connected to an engine (not shown) receives supply of electric power from a battery 110. The battery 110 also functions as a power source for the electrical system 130 that is configured by electrical components such as an ECU, a car audio, and an air conditioner mounted on the vehicle, and the connection with the battery 110 is controlled by the switch 140.

  In recent years, permanent magnet field type motors have been used for starter 120 instead of electromagnet field type motors for reasons such as cost reduction and power consumption reduction. However, since the inrush current immediately after the start of the permanent magnet field type starter 120 is large, the voltage of the battery 110 fluctuates during the drive period of the starter 120, as shown in FIG. The voltage drops greatly. This voltage drop causes a malfunction or reset of the electrical system 130 operated by the battery 110.

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 provides a technology in which a dedicated battery is provided for each of the starter 120 and the electrical system 130 so that the operation of the electrical system 130 is not affected by the starter 120 when it is started. Is disclosed.

JP 2011-208599 A

  However, the above conventional techniques have the following problems. In other words, providing a plurality of batteries in the start control device increases the cost and size of the device, and is not particularly suitable for in-vehicle use.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an engine start control device capable of stabilizing power supply with a low-cost and compact configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, an aspect of the present invention provides a starter for an engine and either a high voltage circuit for guiding a high voltage current from a battery or a low voltage circuit for guiding a current lower than the high voltage from the battery. And a control means for controlling the switching means so that a connection destination of the starter is switched from the high voltage line to the low voltage line when the starter is started. This is a start control device.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unit may perform control to delay the timing at which the switching unit switches from the high voltage line to the low voltage line according to the degree of deterioration of the battery. Good.

  Furthermore, as another aspect of the present invention, the deterioration degree of the battery may be a voltage drop amount of the battery when the starter is started.

  The present invention as described above has an effect that it is possible to stabilize power supply with a low-cost and compact configuration.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the engine starting control apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the starting control apparatus of the engine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the starting control apparatus of the engine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the starting control apparatus of the engine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the starting control apparatus of the engine which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. Block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional engine start control device The figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the starting control apparatus of the conventional engine

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of an engine start control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, the same or corresponding components as those in the conventional example shown in FIG.

  Further, in the engine start control device 1, the changeover switch 10 is provided between two lines of a high voltage line 11a and a low voltage line 11b of the battery 20 to be described later and the starter 120, and the high voltage line 11a or the low voltage line This is a switch for selectively connecting either one of the lines 11b and the starter 120. The voltmeter 13 is a means for measuring the voltage applied to the starter 120.

  The control unit 12 includes a memory, a CPU, and the like, and performs independent control, and is a unit that controls the connection operation of the changeover switch 10 based on the voltage value acquired from the voltmeter 13.

  The control means 12 is preferably operated by supplying power from the battery 20 as a part of the electrical system 130. The control means 12 may be realized as an independent ECU, but may be operated by being incorporated as software in another ECU for engine control.

  Next, the battery 20 includes a positive voltage side low voltage terminal 20x in addition to the positive electrode terminal 20a and the negative electrode terminal 20b similar to the conventional battery 110. The low voltage terminal 20x is a terminal drawn from a part of a plurality of cells connected in series in the battery case of the battery 20, and guides a low voltage current from the output from the positive terminal 20a. The battery 20 is connected to the changeover switch 10 from the positive terminal 20a via the high voltage line 11a and from the low voltage terminal 20x via the low voltage line 11b. As an example, the battery 20 operates as a 12V battery when connected to the positive terminal 20a and as a 6V battery when connected to the low voltage terminal 20x.

  In the above configuration, the engine start control device 1 corresponds to the engine start control device of the present invention, the changeover switch 10 corresponds to the switching means of the present invention, and the control means 12 corresponds to the control means of the present invention. The battery 20 corresponds to the battery of the present invention, and the starter 120 corresponds to the starter of the present invention.

  In the engine start control device 1 of this embodiment, the changeover switch 10 switches the high voltage line 11a and the low voltage line 11b from the battery 20 and connects to the starter 120 based on the control of the control means 12. It is characterized by. That is, the control means 12 controls the changeover switch 10 to be connected to the low voltage line 11b as the initial state when the engine start control device 1 is started, and to switch to the high voltage line 11a at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed. I do.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive time of the starter 120 is divided into the connection time tB with the low voltage line 11b and the connection time tA with the high voltage line 11a, and the start time included in the connection time tB. The voltage drop V1 of the battery 20 immediately after is smaller than the voltage drop V0 when connected to the same high voltage line 11a as in the conventional example shown in FIG. Therefore, the voltage of the electrical system 130 is stabilized, and the risk of malfunction or reset can be reduced. Moreover, as the battery 20, a battery case having the same size and shape as the conventional battery 110 can be used, and downsizing and cost reduction of the apparatus can be realized without providing an additional battery.

  Next, the connection time tB until the changeover switch 10 switches the connection destination from the low voltage line 11 b in the initial state to the high voltage line 11 a shown in FIG. 2 is controlled as a fixed value based on the specific drive time of the starter 120. It can be preset in the means 12. As an example, an arbitrary value between several ms and several tens of ms, which is the moment when the contacts are connected in the starter 120, may be determined.

  On the other hand, the connection time tB may be variable. That is, when the battery 20 is deteriorated due to repeated charge / discharge, the voltage drop immediately after the starter 120 is started becomes larger than normal. Therefore, the degree of deterioration of the battery is determined by measuring this drop, and when the degree of deterioration increases, the connection time tB is increased to suppress the influence of the battery voltage drop.

  The operation of setting the connection time tB for switching from the low voltage line 11b to the high voltage line 11a in the engine start control device 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the apparatus is started, as step S10, the control means 12 acquires the voltage measured by the voltmeter 13 with the changeover switch 10 connected to the low voltage line 11b when the starter 120 is started, and stores it in its own memory. Remember. The voltage value acquired in step S10 is used for the next operation.

  Next, proceeding to step S11, the control means 12 reads the value acquired in the previous setting operation and stored in the memory, and determines whether the value is equal to or less than a first predetermined value stored in advance. Here, as the first predetermined value, it is preferable to use a voltage value during normal operation of the battery 20 by the low voltage terminal 20x, but a rated value may be used. If the value stored in the memory is equal to or less than the first predetermined value, it is assumed that the battery 20 has deteriorated, and the connection time tB is increased by a fixed length (for example, 0.1 ms to 1 ms) in step S12. After that, the operation is finished.

  Note that the connection time tB may be further variable according to the deterioration state of the battery 20. That is, as shown as step S13 executed after the end of step S12 in the flowchart of FIG. 4, the value of the first predetermined value used in step S11 may be decreased in fixed value units. Thereby, in the next setting operation, when the deterioration of the battery 20 is more advanced, the connection time tB can be further extended.

  Note that a series of operations for setting the connection time tB is preferably performed every time the engine is started because the battery state can be monitored constantly. It should be noted that when the apparatus is in a shipped state or in an initialized state, no measured value is stored in the memory. Therefore, in step S10, each subsequent step may be executed using a predetermined dummy value. Each step may not be executed until the voltage value of the starter 120 can be acquired in step S10.

  According to the above operation, the timing of switching from the low voltage line 11b to the high voltage line 11a is delayed according to the progress of the deterioration degree of the battery 20, and while the influence of the battery voltage drop is exerted, the electrical system 130 The voltage can be stabilized.

  As described above, according to the engine start control device of the embodiment of the present invention, the changeover switch 10 switches the high voltage line 11a and the low voltage line 11b from the battery 20 based on the control of the control means 12, and starts the starter. By connecting to 120, it is possible to stabilize power supply to the electrical system 130 with a low-cost and compact configuration.

  However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  In the above description, the high voltage line 11a and the low voltage line 11b are implemented by being connected to the battery 20 including the positive terminal 20a that outputs a high voltage and the low voltage terminal 20x that outputs a low voltage. However, as shown as the engine start control device 2 in FIG. 5, from the battery 110 having only the positive terminal 20a and the negative terminal 20b, the high voltage line 11a and the voltage dividing resistor 30 are provided as in the conventional example. It is good also as a structure to which the low voltage line 11c which has is connected.

  In short, the high voltage line and the low voltage line of the present invention need only be able to take out a high voltage and a low voltage lower than the high voltage from a single battery, and the battery, the changeover switch 10 as the switching means of the present invention, And it is not limited by the specific configuration of the circuit including these parts.

  Further, in the above description, the switching timing from the low voltage line 11b to the high voltage line 11a can be delayed according to the degree of deterioration of the battery, but may be delayed according to the capacity of the battery. Good. In this case, the timing of switching from the low voltage line 11b to the high voltage line 11a can be optimized in accordance with the capacity of the battery mounted on the vehicle, and the versatility of the device corresponding to the battery and the vehicle can be improved. It becomes possible.

  Further, the present invention may be implemented in, for example, a gasoline engine vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, a ship, and any other transportation device that operates by an engine.

  As described above, the present invention is an engine start control device, and includes either one of a high voltage circuit that guides a high voltage current from a battery and a low voltage circuit that guides a current lower than the high voltage from the battery. A switching means for connecting an engine starter; and a control means for controlling the switching means so that a connection destination of the starter is switched from the high voltage line to the low voltage line when the starter is started. It may be anything, and is not limited by any other specific purpose, application, or configuration.

  Therefore, the present invention may be implemented by adding various modifications to the above embodiment, including those described above, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

  The present invention as described above has an effect that power supply can be stabilized with a low-cost and compact configuration, and is useful for application to, for example, a gasoline automobile.

1, 2, engine start control device 10 changeover switch 11a high voltage line 11b, 11c low voltage line 12 control means 13 voltmeter 20 battery 20a positive terminal 20b negative terminal 20x low voltage terminal 30 resistor 120 starter 130 electrical system 140 switch

Claims (1)

A switching means for connecting an engine starter with either one of a high voltage line for guiding a high voltage current from the battery and a low voltage line for guiding a current lower than the high voltage from the battery;
A control unit for controlling the switching unit so that the connection destination of the starter is switched from the low voltage line to the high voltage line at the start of the starter;
Engine start control device.

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