JP3657137B2 - Engine starter - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an engine starting device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As an engine starting device with improved operational reliability and a simple structure, a device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-112999 is known. In this conventional example, the engine starter includes a locking / unlocking mechanism for the steering shaft, and includes a key cylinder and a rotor connected to the key cylinder. The rear end of the rotor passes through the hanger and is connected to an ignition switch (not shown). The hanger is held on the cam surface of the rotor, and is moved up and down by the rotation of the rotor, whereby the locking rod connected to the hanger is advanced and retracted into the lock hole of the steering shaft. In addition, the hanger is fitted with a lock pin that is urged by a pin spring and the tip of the hanger protrudes toward the flange end face of the rotor, and the rotor in the retracted position when the locking rod 5 is pulled upward to shift to the unlocked state. Ride on the outer peripheral surface of the flange and maintain the unlocked state.
[0003]
In addition, this conventional example includes an interlock mechanism 7 for preventing a key from being removed when a shift lever in an automatic vehicle is at a position other than the parking position. As shown in FIG. 7, the interlock mechanism 7 includes a cable 14 connected to the shift lever, and a lock piece 15 that is driven forward and backward by the cable 14. When the key cylinder 2 is rotated to the unlock position, the lock piece 15 protrudes toward the rotor 3 and engages with the rotor 3 so that the key cylinder 2 connected to the rotor 3 rotates again toward the key insertion / removal position. To regulate. The lock piece 15 is configured to be retracted from the protruding position only when the shift lever is returned to the parking position. By keeping the shift lever in the protruding state other than the parking position, inadvertent key removal is prevented. Is done.
[0004]
However, in the above-described conventional example, since the operation of the lock piece 15 is performed via the cable 14, the cable 14 is troublesome to be routed, and a wiring space is required on the side of the engine starting device. There is a drawback that the apparatus becomes larger.
[0005]
In order to solve such a problem, a device using a solenoid for driving the interlock mechanism is also disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-2208. In this conventional example, the blocking force of the rotor 3 by the lock piece 15 is disclosed. Is relatively weak, for example, when excessive backlash or the like occurs in the key cylinder 2 or the rotor 3, an irregular force in the rotational axis direction, tilt direction, rotational direction, or twisting direction of the rotor 3 is applied. In such a case, the lock piece 15 moves to a position allowing the passage of the rotor 3 due to the collection of these irregular force components, and the key plate 1 may come off. Dimensional accuracy is required, and the manufacturing efficiency is poor.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide an engine starter having high operational reliability and high manufacturing efficiency.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, the object is
A rotor 3 coupled to a key cylinder 2 that can be rotated in a predetermined rotation range including the insertion / extraction position of the key plate 1;
An ignition switch 22 for controlling start and stop of the engine by rotation of the key cylinder 2;
An engine starter having an interlock mechanism 7 that blocks the movement of the stopper protrusion 6 protruding from the rotor 3 and prohibits the key cylinder 2 from returning to the key insertion / removal position when the shift lever is at a position other than the parking position. There,
The interlock mechanism 7 is
A lever 8 that moves between a block position where the stopper protrusion 6 can be blocked and a block release position;
A solenoid 10 that moves the lever 8 to the block position side when the key cylinder 2 leaves the key insertion / removal position, and moves the lever 8 to the block release position side by moving the shift lever to the parking position;
In addition, the lever 8 and the stopper projection 6 move relative to the block release position side independently of the rotor 3 by the irregular motion given to the rotor 3 via the key cylinder 2 in the block state. This is achieved by providing an engine starting device that abuts on an inclined surface having an inclination that regulates this.
[0008]
The engine starter has a key cylinder 2 that can be rotated only with a genuine key, and the rotor 3 is rotated by the rotation of the key cylinder 2 and the ignition switch 22 is operated to control the start and stop of the engine. On the other hand, the interlock mechanism 7 is intended to prevent the key plate 1 from being removed from the key cylinder 2 when the shift lever is in a position other than the parking position in an automatic vehicle or the like. The solenoid 10 is provided.
[0009]
When the key plate 1 is inserted and the key cylinder 2 is rotated and the key cylinder 2 is removed from the key insertion / removal position, the solenoid 10 is driven to move the lever 8 to the block position side. The lever 8 enters the rotation area of the stopper projection 6 formed on the rotor 3 at the block position, more precisely, the rotation area in the direction of the key insertion / removal position, and thereafter the key cylinder 2 is returned to the key insertion / removal position. Blocking the movement of the stopper protrusion 6 of the rotor 3 prevents the rotation. In order to return the key cylinder 2 to the key insertion / removal position again, it is necessary to retract the lever 8 from the rotation region, and the driving operation is performed after detecting that the shift lever is moved to the parking position by appropriate detection means. This is done by driving the solenoid 10 again in the reverse direction.
[0010]
Further, in a state where the lever 8 blocks the stopper protrusion 6 of the rotor 3 and prohibits rotation of the rotor 3, the stopper protrusion 6 and the lever 8 abut each other on an inclined surface. The inclined surface has an inclination for restricting the relative movement of the lever 8 toward the block releasing position, and the block surface 13 of the lever 8 and the contact surface 6a of the stopper projection 6 are, for example, a lever when the lever 8 swings. As it approaches the movable base end, such as the swing center of 8, it gradually approaches the opposite side.
[0011]
Therefore, in the present invention, when the lever 8 blocks the stopper projection 6, the block surface 13 of the lever 8 and the contact surface 6a of the stopper projection 6 are inclined surfaces that prevent the lever 8 from moving relative to the block release position side. Even if an irregular force in the direction of the rotation axis 3c, the tilting direction, the rotating direction, or the twisting direction is applied by using a clearance set between the rotor 3 and the corresponding sliding contact surface in order to make contact, the lever 8 Does not move relative to the rotor 3 independently to the block release position side. As a result, the lever 8 is not inadvertently moved to the block release position side due to the above-described irregular force load, and the rotation to the key insertion / removal position of the key cylinder 2 is not allowed, thereby improving the reliability. .
[0012]
Further, by using the solenoid 10, since the wiring space can be eliminated, Ru can be miniaturized.
[0013]
By arranging the solenoid 10 so that the plunger 9 is driven in a plane parallel to the rotation axis 3 c of the rotor 3, the driving direction of the plunger 9 that requires a relatively long length is made to coincide with the longitudinal direction of the steering frame 16. The amount of protrusion from the steering frame 16 can be reduced, and the size can be reduced.
[0014]
The moving direction of the lever 8 can be configured to advance and retreat from a direction perpendicular to the stopper projection 6 of the rotor 3, for example, but is perpendicular to the advancing and retreating direction of the plunger 9 parallel to the rotation axis 3 c of the rotor 3. It is possible to further reduce the size of the support shaft 11 by rotatably mounting it around the support shaft 11 and swinging the support shaft 11 substantially along the rotor 3. In this case, it is possible to reduce the cost by forming the lever 8 by bending the plate material, and the end surface of the lock portion 12 formed by bending the tip of the lever 8 in the plate thickness direction. Is preferably used as the block surface 13 of the stopper projection 6 of the rotor 3. By using the end face of the material as the block surface 13, the rigidity is higher than that in the case of contact with the surface as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, so that a desired block strength can be easily obtained. Can do. Further, by forming the lock portion 12 in a bent manner, the contact surface is expanded and the strength is improved as compared with the case where the lever 8 is brought into contact with the stopper projection 6 as shown in FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (d). In addition, the reliability of the block operation is improved.
[0015]
Further, by adding a locking rod 5 that moves in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor 3 by the cam surface 4 formed on the rotor 3 and advances and retracts to the engaging portion of the steering shaft, the engine starting device is A locking / unlocking mechanism can be provided, and the locking rod 5 moves back and forth in an engagement hole formed in the steering shaft by a vertical reciprocating motion, thereby restricting or allowing a rotation operation to the steering.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 show an embodiment of the present invention configured as an engine starter for an automobile equipped with a mechanism for locking and unlocking a steering shaft. The engine starter has a housing 17 that is housed in a steering frame 16 having a position cap 16a fixed to the front opening portion and is prohibited from relative rotation. In the housing 17, a tumbler spring (not shown) is used to project out. A key cylinder 2 holding a plurality of tumblers 2a, 2a,. As shown in FIG. 4, the tumbler 2 a is inserted into the key cylinder 2 until the outer periphery coincides with the outer periphery of the key cylinder 2 when the key plate 1 engraved with a genuine code is inserted, and is allowed to rotate. When the tumbler 2a is rotated to an arbitrary position, the tumbler 2a interferes with the sliding wall surface of the housing 17 with the key cylinder 2 and is prevented from jumping out. Prevent removal. In this way, the key plate 1 can be inserted / removed only at a position where the tumbler 2a mounting portion of the key cylinder 2 faces the tumbler fitting groove 17a of the housing 17, and insertion / removal at other than the key insertion / removal position is prohibited.
[0017]
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a cylinder drive lever 18 is rotatably supported on the head of the key cylinder 2 with the key interference portion 18a protruding from the key insertion path 2b of the key cylinder 2. . The cylinder drive lever 18 has a pressing portion 18b opposite to the key interference portion 18a, and a tip of the pressing portion 18b is attached to a guard plate 19 interposed between the position cap 16a and the head of the key cylinder 2. Abut.
[0018]
The position cap 16a displays operation display marks such as LOCK, ACC, ON, and START, and the LOCK display position corresponds to the key insertion / removal position. Further, the guard plate 19 is locked in the rotation direction with respect to the head of the key cylinder 2 and is rotatable together with the key cylinder 2, and movement of the key cylinder 2 in the rotation axis direction is prohibited.
[0019]
On the other hand, the housing 17 is movable forward and backward with respect to the steering frame 16, and is urged forward by a housing spring 20 interposed between the housing 17 and the steering frame 16, as shown in FIG. The housing 17 and the key cylinder 2 are arranged in the rotational axis direction of the key cylinder 2 by sandwiching the inner flange 17b of the housing 17 between the rotor 3 connected to the rear end of the key cylinder 2 and the rear end surface of the key cylinder 2. Since the housing 17 is urged forward, the key cylinder 2 is also urged forward, and the head of the key cylinder 2 is in pressure contact with the guard plate 19.
[0020]
When the key plate 1 is inserted into the key cylinder 2 from this state, the cylinder driving lever 18 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 because the key interference portion 18a is pushed backward, and the pressing portion 18b is restricted from moving by the guard plate 19. Therefore, the key cylinder 2 and the housing 17 move backward against the reaction force of the housing 17 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
[0021]
The shaft portion of the rotor 3 passes through the hanger 21 to reach the rear end of the steering frame 16 and is connected to an ignition switch 22 fixed to the rear end of the steering frame 16. When the key cylinder 2 is rotated by a predetermined angle by the key plate 1, the switch of the ignition switch 22 is rotated by the rotor 3, and a signal corresponding to the rotation angle is transmitted to a controller (not shown).
[0022]
Further, the rotor 3 is formed with an intermediate flange 3a, and the cam receiving portion 21a of the hanger 21 is placed on the cam surface 4 of the cam block 4a bulged rearward from the intermediate flange 3a. The contact state between the cam receiving portion 21a and the cam surface 4 is maintained by the downward biasing force of the hanger spring 23. When the key cylinder 2 is in the LOCK position, the locking rod 5 connected to the hanger 21 is The steering operation is prohibited by fitting into an engagement hole of a steering shaft (not shown). When the key cylinder 2 is rotated to the ACC side, the hanger 21 is moved upward by the cam surface 4, that is, in the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 2 and 4, and the locking rod 5 is pulled up to release the engagement with the engagement hole. The steering shaft can be operated.
[0023]
Further, a lock pin 21c that is biased forward by a pin spring 21b is attached to the cam receiving portion 21a of the hanger 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the lock pin 21 c comes into contact with the rear end surface of the intermediate flange 3 a of the rotor 3 when the rotor 3 is retracted, and in the unlocked position pulled up by the cam surface 4, After riding on the outer periphery, the locking rod 5 is prohibited from inadvertently moving to the locked position.
[0024]
Therefore, in this embodiment, when the key plate 1 is inserted from the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the key cylinder 2 and the housing 17 are moved backward as shown in FIGS. The switch 24 transitions to the ON state. Thereafter, when the key cylinder 2 is rotated to the ACC side, the hanger 21 is pulled upward, the steering shaft is unlocked, and the unlocked state is maintained thereafter. As described above, the operation of removing the key plate 1 at a position other than the key insertion / removal position is prohibited. When the key plate 1 is removed at the LOCK position, the rotor 3 follows the forward movement of the housing 17 and the key cylinder 2. The lock pin 21c, which has moved forward, rides on the outer periphery of the intermediate flange 3a of the rotor 3, loses its support and descends to lock the steering shaft.
[0025]
An interlock mechanism 7 is incorporated in the engine starting device. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the interlock mechanism 7 includes a solenoid 10 constituting a driving means 27 held in a lock case 25, and a lever driven by the solenoid 10 (hereinafter “swing lever 8”). The lock case 25 is fixedly attached to the outer wall of the steering frame 16. The plunger 9 of the solenoid 10 can select two positions having different protruding distances from the solenoid case 10a (in this specification, the longer protruding distance is called the protruding position and the shorter one is called the retracted position). The solenoid 10 is arranged so that the driving direction of the plunger 9 is parallel to the rotation axis 3 c of the rotor 3. A permanent magnet 10b is disposed in the solenoid case 10a to hold the plunger 9 in the retracted position. An operation plate 9a is fixed to the tip of the plunger 9, and the plunger 9 is urged toward the protruding position by a solenoid spring 9b. The operation plate 9 a has a manual operation piece 9 c that protrudes outward from the lock case 25, and enables manual operation of the plunger 9. When a coil (not shown) in the solenoid case 10a is excited, the plunger 9 is applied with a suction force toward the retracted position side or a draining force toward the protruding position side depending on the energization direction. The position can be transitioned to the opposite position. After that, even if energization is stopped, the protruding position is maintained by the biasing force of the solenoid spring 9b, and the retracted position is maintained by the attractive force of the permanent magnet 10b.
[0026]
The swing lever 8 is formed by bending a plate material, and is pivotally supported on the lock case 25 by a support shaft 11 that is disposed perpendicular to the forward / backward direction of the plunger 9. As shown in FIG. 5, the swing lever 8 includes a bearing piece 8a of the support shaft 11 formed by bending both ends in the plate width direction, and a contact piece 8b to the operation plate 9a extending from the bearing piece 8a. And a lock leg 8c which is disposed opposite to the support shaft 11 and enters the steering frame 16 from an operation opening 16b opened in the steering frame 16, and the tip of the lock leg 8c is located inside the steering frame 16. , The lock portion 12 is formed along the rotation axis 3 c of the rotor 3. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the swing lever 8 is urged by a lever spring 26 made of a torsion spring so that the contact piece 8b is pressed against the operation plate 9a. Following this change, the lock portion 12 swings around the support shaft 11 along the rotation axis 3c of the shaft portion of the rotor 3, and the block position (state of FIG. 3) corresponding to the protruding position of the plunger 9 Then, it stops at one of the block release positions (state shown in FIG. 1) corresponding to the reverse position.
[0027]
On the other hand, the stopper protrusion 6 is bulged on the intermediate flange 3 a of the rotor 3. The stopper projection 6 is disposed at a position where the rotation path interferes with the lock portion 12 when the lock portion 12 of the swing lever 8 is at the block position and does not interfere with the lock portion 12 at the block release position. . As will be described later, in the interference state between the stopper projection 6 and the lock portion 12, the contact surface 6 a of the stopper projection 6 abuts against the block surface 13 formed at the material end of the lock portion 12, so Rotation to K is prohibited. The stopper projection 6 and the lock portion 12 are arranged so that the contact surface between the block surface 13 and the contact surface 6a becomes an inclined surface having a predetermined inclination with respect to the rocking surface of the lock portion 12 as the block surface approaches the tip. 13 formation side and contact surface 6a formation side are made into the shape which spreads in the width direction.
[0028]
In this embodiment, the solenoid 10 is connected to a controller (not shown) via a harness 10c and operates as follows. That is, at least the shift lever position information and the key rotation position information, more precisely, the status signal of the ignition switch 22 are input to the controller, and the controller detects the displacement of the parking position of the shift lever whenever the second position is detected. It operates as a detection means, generates a lock release signal, and supplies current to the solenoid 10 in a direction in which the plunger 9 moves to the retracted position. As the plunger 9 moves to the retracted position, the swing lever 8 moves to the stopper release position, and stops at the block release position by the action of the permanent magnet 10b and the lever spring 26 even after the power supply is stopped. On the other hand, when the controller detects the displacement from the ignition switch 22 as the first detecting means to the ACC position, the controller generates a lock signal and excites the coil so that the plunger 9 moves to the protruding position. The lever 8 is moved to the block position.
[0029]
Therefore, when the key plate 1 is inserted into the key cylinder 2 and rotated to the ACC position, the lock portion 12 of the swing lever 8 moves to the block position, but the stopper protrusion 6 of the rotor 3 is in the process of rotating to the ACC position. It passes through the interference area with the lock portion 12, and is not prohibited from being turned on or rotated to the START position by the state transition of the swing lever 8. On the other hand, when the key plate 1 is rotated to the LOCK position side without returning the shift lever to the parking position after the operation is finished, the contact surface 6a of the stopper projection 6 is locked as shown in FIG. The key cylinder 2 is prohibited from rotating by contacting the end surface of the portion 12.
[0030]
In the state where the stopper projection 6 is blocked by the lock portion 12, the contact surface between the contact surface 6a of the stopper projection 6 and the block surface 13 of the lock portion 12 is as shown in FIG. Since the inclined surface 6a comes into contact with the moving region B and gradually enters as it goes to the tip, the lock portion 12 is not prepared even if the rotor 3 is given an irregular motion through the key cylinder 2. It will not move to the block release position side. That is, clearance for movement in the direction of the rotation axis 3c and the radial direction is set in the rotor 3. Within the clearance range, the rotor 3 is given an irregular and rapid movement in the direction of the rotation axis 3c, the tilting direction, and the twisting direction, and these combined movements, and the resultant force of the irregular movement causes the swing lever 8 to move. When the component force F is moved in the block release direction, the swing lever 8 may move in the lock release direction. The movement distance of the oscillating lever 8 by such an action is generally very small and is not moved until the block of the rotor 3 is released. However, if the clearance of the rotor 3 is large, it is very small. There is no possibility of the swing lever 8 moving until the stopper protrusion 6 is allowed to pass through the accumulation of displacement. The inclined surface in the present embodiment is for eradicating such a possibility, and even if the rotor 3 is given the irregular motion, the contact surface 6a of the stopper projection 6 of the rotor 3 remains in the swing region B of the lock portion 12. Therefore, the block surface 13 of the swing lever 8 that is in contact with the inclined surface cannot move relative to the block releasing direction. As a result, the swing angle of the swing lever 8 is restricted by the movement distance of the rotor 3 in the direction of the rotation axis 3c, and the clearance of the rotor 3 in the direction of the rotation axis 3c is set to the incorrect swing angle of the swing lever 8, that is, If the angle of the block of the stopper projection 6 by the block surface 13 is kept below the angle at which the block is released, the above-mentioned problem does not occur.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the key plate can be reliably removed at positions other than the parking position, the operation reliability can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view when a key plate is not inserted and a shift lever is at a parking position.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2A-2A in FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view in the same plane as FIG. 1 when the key plate is inserted and the shift lever is not in the parking position. FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4A-4A in FIG. 3;
5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5A-5A in FIG. 3 in a state where the rotor is blocked, FIG. 5B is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 5B in FIG. ) Is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5C-5C in FIG.
6A and 6B are views showing a modification of the swing lever, in which FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5A of the first modification, and FIG. 6B is a view in the direction of arrow 6B in FIG. FIG. 6C is an arrow view corresponding to FIG. 5B of the second modified example, and FIG. 6D is a sectional view taken along line 6D-6D of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key plate 2 Key cylinder 3 Rotor 4 Cam surface 5 Locking rod 6 Stopper protrusion 7 Interlock mechanism 8 Lever 9 Plunger 10 Solenoid 11 Support shaft 12 Locking part 13 Block surface 22 Ignition switch 27 Driving means

Claims (4)

A rotor coupled to a key cylinder that can be rotated within a predetermined rotation range including a key plate insertion / removal position;
An ignition switch for controlling start and stop of the engine by rotation of the key cylinder;
An engine starter having an interlock mechanism that blocks the movement of a stopper projection protruding from the rotor and prohibits the return of the key cylinder to the key insertion / removal position when the shift lever is at a position other than the parking position;
The interlock mechanism is
A lever that moves between a block position where the stopper protrusion can be blocked and a block release position;
A solenoid that moves the lever to the block position side when the key cylinder is removed from the key insertion / removal position, and moves the lever to the block release position side by moving the shift lever to the parking position;
In addition, the lever and the stopper protrusion have an inclination that restricts the lever from moving relative to the rotor to the block release position side independently of the rotor by an irregular motion given to the rotor via the key cylinder in the block state. An engine starter that abuts on an inclined surface. The solenoid is arranged such that the plunger is driven in a plane parallel to the rotational axis of the rotor;
The engine according to claim 1 , wherein the lever is rotatably mounted around a support shaft perpendicular to the advance / retreat direction of the plunger, swings substantially along the rotor, and advances / retreats from a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the stopper projection. Starter. The lever is formed by bending a plate material,
Block face to block the stopper projection is formed on the wood end surface of the lock portion formed by bending the distal end of the previous SL lever in the thickness direction,
The engine according to claim 2 , wherein the inclined surface, which is a contact surface between the block surface and the contact surface of the stopper projection, is formed such that the contact surface gradually enters the rocking region of the block surface as it approaches the tip. Starter. The engine starting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a locking rod that moves in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the rotor by a cam surface formed on the rotor and advances and retreats to an engagement portion of the steering shaft.

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