JP6385544B1 - Electromagnetic switch device for starter and starter - Google Patents

Abstract

An electromagnetic switch device for a starter capable of suppressing damage to an end face of a ring gear is provided. A main electric contact provided in a main electric circuit, a starting electric contact provided in a starting electric circuit, A movable contact that opens and closes the main electric circuit or the starting electric circuit by contacting and separating from the main electric contact or the starting electric contact, a suction holding coil branched from the starting electric circuit, a fixed iron core and a plunger that are opposed to each other at a distance A pinion that protrudes from the end face of the fixed iron core in the direction of the plunger and has a rod attached to the movable contact at the other end, and is connected to the plunger via a lever at the end face of a ring gear provided in the engine. A displacement regulating mechanism for regulating the displacement of the plunger was provided at a position where the movable contact opened the main electrical contact and the starting electrical contact when contacted.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a starter electromagnetic switch device for starting an engine, and a starter provided with the starter electromagnetic switch device.

In a conventional starter electromagnetic switch device, it is known that the engine is started after the following operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
(1) When a current flows from the battery to the starting electrical circuit, the plunger is displaced by using the magnetomotive force generated in the suction holding coil.
(2) The pinion approaches the ring gear in conjunction with the displacement of the plunger via the lever connected to the plunger.
(3) At the same time, current is supplied to the motor via the starting electrical circuit, and the pinion rotates.
(4) The pinion teeth and the ring gear teeth are meshed by gently rotating the pinion until the pinion teeth enter a position between the teeth of the ring gear.
(5) When the teeth of the pinion and the teeth of the ring gear are completely meshed, the electrical contact is switched from the starting electrical circuit to the main electrical circuit in conjunction with the displacement of the plunger.
(6) Current is supplied to the motor from the battery via the main electrical circuit. When the electric circuit is switched to the main electric circuit, the motor is fully rotated, and the engine is started as the ring gear rotates.

Special table 2001-508855 gazette

However, when the end face of the ring gear is damaged, the pinion cannot be engaged with the ring gear even if the pinion and the ring gear are brought close to each other and brought into contact with each other while gently rotating the pinion. In that case, the movable iron core is displaced by bending a lever spring built in the plunger, and the main electric circuit is switched without the teeth of the pinion and the teeth of the ring gear being engaged with each other. By switching to the main electric circuit, the motor is fully rotated. The teeth of the pinion and ring gear are forcibly engaged by full rotation of the motor. This switching is called an electromagnetic push-in mode.
In the electromagnetic push-in mode, the motor rotates fully without meshing the pinion teeth and the ring gear teeth, so that the pinion may rotate while sliding on the end face of the ring gear, resulting in poor meshing. At this time, the end face of the ring gear may be greatly damaged. By seriously scratching the end face of the ring gear, the frequency of occurrence of the electromagnetic push-in mode can be further increased, and the frequency of meshing failure can be increased at an accelerated rate. Due to the increase in the meshing failure, the damage to the end face of the ring gear is further increased, resulting in a problem that the life of the ring gear is shortened.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and is an electromagnetic switch for a starter that can suppress damage to the end face of the ring gear without using an electromagnetic push-in mode that can increase meshing failure. The object is to obtain a device.

  An electromagnetic switch device for a starter according to the present invention is provided in a main electric contact provided in a main electric circuit to which a battery and a motor are connected, and a starting electric circuit in which the battery and the motor are connected via a starting resistor. Of the starting electrical contact, the main electrical contact or the starting electrical contact, the movable contact that opens and closes the main electrical circuit or the starting electrical circuit, the suction holding coil branched from the starting electrical circuit, and the suction holding coil A fixed iron core and a plunger that are spaced apart from each other inside, and a rod that penetrates the fixed iron core and protrudes from the end face of the fixed iron core in the direction of the plunger, and is attached to the movable contact at the other end. The position where the movable contact opens the main electrical contact and the start electrical contact when the pinion connected via the contact with the end face of the ring gear provided in the engine , Those having a displacement restriction mechanism for restricting the displacement of the plunger.

  According to the starter electromagnetic switch device of the present invention, the pinion rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear, and the end face of the ring gear can be prevented from being damaged.

It is a block diagram which shows schematically the circuit of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the plunger which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view when the pinion of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention exists in a separation position. It is a fragmentary sectional view when the pinion of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention exists in a contact position. It is a fragmentary sectional view when the pinion of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention exists in a biting position. It is a fragmentary sectional view when the pinion of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention exists in a contact position at the time of abnormality. It is an expanded partial sectional view before the pinion of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention exists in a contact position, and a movable iron core displaces. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of another plunger which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view when the pinion of the starter which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention exists in a contact position. It is a fragmentary sectional view when the pinion of the starter concerning Embodiment 3 of the present invention exists in a contact position.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a block diagram schematically showing a circuit of a starter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes a battery 2, an auxiliary relay 3, a starter electromagnetic switch device 4, a motor 5, a pinion 6, and a lever 7. The starter 1 is a device for starting the engine 8. The battery 2 supplies current to the motor 5. When electric current is supplied, the motor 5 rotates and the pinion 6 connected to the motor 5 also rotates. The pinion 6 moves due to the displacement of the lever 7, meshes with the ring gear 9 connected to the engine 8, and starts the engine 8.

  The battery 2 is a DC power source. The battery 2 is electrically connected to the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 via the auxiliary relay 3, and supplies a current to the starter electromagnetic switch device 4. Further, the battery 2 supplies a current to the motor 5 via the auxiliary relay 3 or not via the auxiliary relay 3.

  The auxiliary relay 3 surrounded by the two-dot chain line switches the ON / OFF operation of the starter electromagnetic switch device 4. The auxiliary relay 3 is closed by obtaining a start signal accompanying a key operation or button operation from a driver from a control unit (not shown). When the auxiliary relay 3 is closed, a current is supplied from the battery 2 to the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 via the auxiliary relay 3. On the other hand, when the auxiliary relay 3 is opened, the current supply to the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 is stopped.

The starter electromagnetic switch device 4 mainly has two functions. The first function is a function of displacing the lever 7 and displacing the pinion 6 connected to the lever 7. The second function is a function of switching an electric circuit for supplying a current to the motor 5 between the main electric circuit 10 surrounded by a dotted line and the starting electric circuit 11 surrounded by a one-dot chain line. The two functions are performed in conjunction with each other.
In FIG. 1, the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 surrounded by a broken line includes a main electrical contact 12, a starting electrical contact 13, a plunger 14, a suction holding coil 15, a starting resistor 16, a movable contact 17, a rod 18, and a fixed iron core 23. It is configured. The plunger 14 for displacing the lever 7, the movable contact 17 for switching the main electrical contact 12 and the starting electrical contact 13, and the rod 18 for displacing the movable contact 17 are parts that are displaced in the starter electromagnetic switch device 4.
The main electrical contact 12 and the start electrical contact 13 are electrical contacts that can be switched between ON and OFF operations by the movable contact 17. A main electric circuit 10 to which the battery 2 and the motor 5 are connected is opened and closed by a main electric contact 12. During normal operation of the motor 5, current flows from the battery 2 to the motor 5 through the main electric circuit 10. The starting electrical circuit 11 to which the battery 2 and the motor 5 are connected via the starting resistor 16 is opened and closed by the starting electrical contact 13. During the starting operation of the motor 5, a current flows from the battery 2 to the motor 5 through the starting electric circuit 11. The starting electrical contact 13 is closed when the starter 1 is not operating and during the starting operation of the motor 5. The starting electrical circuit 11 of the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 is configured from a portion excluding the battery 2, the auxiliary relay 3, and the motor 5, but the auxiliary relay 3 may be included.
The suction holding coil 15 is a coil provided by branching from the starting electrical circuit 11. When current flows, a magnetomotive force is generated in the suction holding coil 15.
The plunger 14 and the fixed iron core 23 are provided to face each other. The plunger 14 is attracted toward the fixed iron core 23 by the magnetomotive force generated in the attraction / holding coil 15. The fixed iron core 23 is made of iron, which is a ferromagnetic material, and is fixed in the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 so that the rod 18 passes therethrough. The casing constituting the plunger 14 including the surface facing the fixed iron core 23 is also made of iron which is a ferromagnetic material. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the magnetomotive force is generated only by the suction holding coil 15, but this is not restrictive. The starting resistor 16 may be wound in a coil shape coaxially with the suction holding coil 15, and the plunger 14 may be attracted by the magnetomotive force generated by the starting resistor 16.
The rod 18 is a rod-like rigid body having one end facing the end surface of the plunger 14 and the movable contact 17 attached to the other end, for example, a metal rod. One end of the rod 18 passes through the fixed iron core 23 and protrudes from the end surface of the fixed iron core 23 toward the plunger 14. One end of the rod 18 protruding comes into contact with the end face of the attracted plunger 14. After the contact, the rod 18 and the movable contact 17 are displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the plunger 14.

  The motor 5 is rotated by the current supplied from the battery 2 and generates a rotational force for starting the engine. The rotational force is transmitted to the ring gear 9 of the engine 8 via the pinion 6 connected to the motor 5. When current is supplied via the starting electrical circuit 11, the motor 5 rotates gently. When current is supplied through the main electric circuit 10, the motor 5 rotates fully.

  The pinion 6 rotates according to the rotation of the motor 5 and meshes with the ring gear 9 to transmit the rotational force to the ring gear 9. The pinion 6 is installed on the pinion shaft 6a. The pinion 6 and the ring gear 9 are in the form of gears having teeth that mesh with each other. The pinion 6 is displaced between a separation position where the pinion 6 is separated from the ring gear 9, a contact position where the pinion 6 contacts the end surface of the ring gear 9, and a biting position where the pinion 6 bites into the ring gear 9.

  The lever 7 is a mechanism portion that is rotatably supported at a substantially central portion. This supported part becomes a fulcrum and moves around the fulcrum. One end of the lever 7 is connected to the plunger 14. The other end is connected to a pinion shaft 6a on which the pinion 6 is installed. With such a configuration, the pinion 6 is displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the plunger 14.

The configuration of the plunger 14 having the displacement regulating mechanism portion related to the operation when the starter 1 is abnormal will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the plunger 14 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
The plunger 14 includes a movable iron core 19, a lever spring 20, a hook 21, and a sleeve 22. The movable iron core 19 is a cylindrical movable body that is made of iron, which is a ferromagnetic body, and whose inside is pulled out. The hook 21 includes a hook body 21a and a hook tip 21b. The hook body 21a includes a step portion 21c and a connection portion 21d. A connecting portion 21d of the hook main body portion 21a protrudes outside the movable iron core 19. The cylindrical hook main body 21a has different outer diameters and becomes a stepped portion 21c. A tip end portion of the hook main body portion 21a is a connection portion 21d, and the hook tip end portion 21b is coupled to the connection portion 21d. The lever 7 is connected to the hook tip 21b. The lever spring 20 is a coil-shaped spring and houses the hook main body 21a inside the coil. The lever spring 20 is in contact with the hook body 21a at one end and the sleeve 22 at the other end. The sleeve 22 is a lid that houses the lever spring 20 and the hook 21 inside the movable iron core 19. The sleeve 22 is pressed into the end of the movable iron core 19 and fixed. A contact surface 22a on the inner side of the movable iron core 19 of the sleeve 22 faces and contacts the step portion 21c of the hook main body portion 21a. The hook 21 is displaced with the deflection of the lever spring 20, and this displacement is restricted by the contact between the step portion 21c and the contact surface 22a. The mechanism related to this regulation is the displacement regulation mechanism in the first embodiment.
The plunger 14 is assembled in the following procedure. The hook body 21 a and the lever spring 20 are housed in the movable iron core 19, and the sleeve 22 is press-fitted into the end of the movable iron core 19 and fixed. The hook tip 21b is attached to the connecting portion 21d protruding to the outside of the movable iron core 19 by screwing or the like, and the plunger 14 is completed.
Since the hook 21 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention has the step portion 21c, the outer diameter of the hook main body portion 21a protruding from the movable iron core 19 is smaller than the outer diameter of the conventional hook. Therefore, the conventional lever 7 cannot be connected with the shape of the hook body 21a as it is. The hook 21 is divided into two parts, a hook body 21a and a hook tip 21b, and the hook tip 21b is connected to the connecting part 21d so that the lever 7 can be connected as usual.

  Next, the operation of the starter 1 will be described. The starter 1 has two operations: a normal operation when the engine 8 is started, and an abnormal operation when the engine 8 is not started. First, the normal operation will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view when the pinion 6 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is present at the separated position. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view when the pinion 6 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is present at the contact position. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view when the pinion 6 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is in the biting position.

The normal operation is divided into a first operation stage and a second operation stage. The first operation stage is until the pinion 6 is displaced from the separated position to the contact position, and the teeth of the pinion 6 are rotated to a position where the teeth of the ring gear 9 enter between the teeth. That is, FIGS. 3 to 4 are the first operation stage.
The second operation stage is after the pinion 6 is displaced from the contact position to the biting position until the main electric circuit 10 is closed and the rotational force for starting the engine 8 is transmitted to the ring gear 9. That is, FIGS. 4 to 5 are the second operation stage.

First, the first operation stage will be described.
When the auxiliary relay 3 is closed upon obtaining the start signal, a current is supplied from the battery 2 to the suction holding coil 15. A magnetomotive force is generated in the suction holding coil 15 by the current flowing through the suction holding coil 15, and the plunger 14 is sucked in the direction of the fixed iron core 23. A plunger 14 and a fixed iron core 23 are provided inside the suction holding coil 15 so as to face each other. With the displacement of the plunger 14, the pinion 6 is displaced from the separated position to the contact position toward the end face of the ring gear 9 through the lever 7.
When the pinion 6 and the end face of the ring gear 9 are in contact with each other and the teeth of the pinion 6 and the ring gear 9 are not engaged, the pinion 6 cannot be displaced from the contact position to the engagement position. Since the starting electrical contact 13 is closed by the movable contact 17, current is supplied from the battery 2 to the motor 5 via the starting electrical circuit 11, and the motor 5 rotates. In the starting electrical circuit 11, the pinion 6 rotates slowly because it passes through the starting resistor 16. As the motor 5 rotates, the teeth of the pinion 6 rotate to the position where the teeth of the ring gear 9 enter between the teeth. This is the first operation stage.

The second operation stage will be described.
In the first operation stage, since the pinion 6 is rotated to a position where the teeth of the pinion 6 enter between the teeth of the ring gear 9, the pinion 6 is displaced from the contact position to the biting position. Since the magnetomotive force continues to be generated, the plunger 14 continues to be displaced toward the fixed iron core 23. Therefore, the pinion 6 is displaced to the biting position.
When the plunger 14 is displaced in the direction of the fixed iron core 23, the end face of the plunger 14 and one end of the rod 18 come into contact with each other. After contact, the rod 18 also begins to move with the plunger 14. The movable contact 17 attached to the other end of the rod 18 is also displaced simultaneously. The movable contact 17 is separated from the starting electrical contact 13 and opens the starting electrical circuit 11. Thereafter, the movable contact 17 contacts the main electrical contact 12 to close the main electrical circuit 10. With this closed circuit, a current is supplied from the battery 2 to the motor 5 via the main electric circuit 10, and the motor 5 rotates fully. The motor 5 generates a rotational force that starts the engine 8.
When the engine 8 is started, the operation of the starter 1 becomes unnecessary, the auxiliary relay 3 is opened, and the starter 1 stops operating. The above is the normal operation of the starter 1.

  Next, the operation at the time of abnormality in which the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8 will be described. Here, the reason why the engine 8 cannot be started is that the pinion 6 is not engaged with the ring gear 9 but is brought into contact with the end face of the ring gear 9. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view when the pinion 6 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is present at the contact position when there is an abnormality. The difference between FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 showing the normal operation is the position of the movable iron core 19 constituting the plunger 14.

In the normal operation, in the first operation stage, the pinion 6 rotates to a position where the teeth of the pinion 6 enter between the teeth of the ring gear 9. However, in the case where there is a large scratch at the contact portion of the ring gear 9 with the pinion 6, the rotation of the pinion 6 is hindered. 6 cannot rotate.
Since the teeth of the pinion 6 do not enter between the teeth of the ring gear 9, the pinion 6 cannot be displaced from the contact position to the biting position. Since the position of the pinion 6 is brought into contact with the contact position and cannot be displaced, the position of the hook 21 of the plunger 14 cannot be displaced via the lever 7.
However, the magnetomotive force of the suction holding coil 15 continues to be generated, and the suction of the plunger 14 toward the fixed iron core 23 is continued. Since the hook 21 of the plunger 14 cannot be displaced, only the movable iron core 19 of the plunger 14 is displaced by deflecting the lever spring 20 in the direction of the fixed iron core 23.
Due to the displacement of the movable core 19, the end surface of the movable core 19 and one end of the rod 18 come into contact with each other. After the contact, the rod 18 starts to be displaced together with the movable iron core 19. The movable contact 17 attached to the other end of the rod 18 is also displaced simultaneously. The movable contact 17 is separated from the starting electrical contact 13 and opens the starting electrical circuit 11. As the circuit is opened, the rotation of the motor 5 is stopped, and the current supply to the starting resistor 16 is also stopped. Since the current supply to the starting resistor 16 having a large calorific value is stopped, the circuit of the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 is not damaged.
Thereafter, the displacement of the movable iron core 19 is restricted by the operation of the displacement restricting mechanism portion where the contact surface 22a of the sleeve 22 and the stepped portion 21c of the hook 21 come into contact, and the movable iron core 19 stops. As the movable iron core 19 stops, the rod 18 and the movable contact 17 also stop.
Since the movable contact 17 stops at a position where it does not come into contact with the main electrical contact 12, the main electrical circuit 10 is opened, and no current is supplied from the battery 2 to the motor 5. Since the motor 5 does not rotate, the pinion 6 does not rotate on the end face of the ring gear 9 and the end face of the ring gear 9 is not damaged. That is, there is no meshing failure in which the pinion 6 rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear 9.
Since the displacement of the movable contact 17 stops and the motor does not rotate, the driver notices an abnormality and cancels the starting operation, whereby the auxiliary relay 3 is opened. The magnetomotive force generated in the suction holding coil 15 is stopped, and the plunger 14 returns to the initial position. In conjunction with the displacement of the plunger 14, the pinion 6 returns from the contact position to the separated position. Here, the operation at the time of abnormality ends.

  At the end of the abnormal operation, the positional relationship between the teeth changes between the pinion 6 and the ring gear 9. The starter 1 is operated again and the auxiliary relay 3 is closed, whereby the teeth of the pinion 6 can be rotated to a position where the teeth of the ring gear 9 enter between the teeth. The starter 1 can start the engine 8 by proceeding with the first operation stage and the second operation stage.

  The relationship of the dimensions of each part for stopping the movable contact 17 at a predetermined position so that no electric current is supplied to the motor 5 when the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8 will be described. FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention before the pinion 6 is in the contact position and the movable iron core 19 is displaced. A dimension A is defined between the stepped portion 21 c of the hook body 21 a and the contact surface 22 a of the sleeve 22. The dimension A is a distance that the movable iron core 19 can be displaced in the direction of the fixed iron core. A dimension B is defined between the end surface of the movable iron core 19 facing the fixed iron core 23 and one end of the rod 18. A dimension C is defined between the main electrical contact 12 and the movable contact 17. When the relationship between these dimensions satisfies dimension B <dimension A <(dimension B + dimension C), movable contact 17 stops at a predetermined position.

Another configuration example of the plunger 14 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of another plunger 14 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the previous example shown in FIG. 6 , the displacement of the plunger 14 is restricted by the contact between the step portion 21 c of the hook main body portion 21 a and the contact surface 22 a of the sleeve 22. In another example shown in FIG. 8, the stepped portion 21c is not provided, and the displacement of the plunger 14 is restricted by the contact surface 22b of the extended sleeve 22 and the lever spring installation surface 21e of the hook main body portion 21a contacting each other. The lever spring installation surface 21e is an installation surface of the lever spring 20 provided at the end of the hook main body 21a where the lever spring 20 and the hook main body 21a are in contact. Since it is not necessary to process the stepped portion 21c, the hook main body portion 21a can be easily processed.

  As described above, according to the starter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8, the pinion 6 does not cause a meshing failure that rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear 9. Further, damage to the end face of the ring gear 9 can be suppressed. Further, by stopping the supply of current to the motor 5 of the starter 1, circuit damage of the starter electromagnetic switch device 4 can be prevented.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view when the pinion 6 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention exists at the contact position. In the first embodiment, the displacement regulating mechanism portion that regulates the displacement of the plunger 14 in which the lever spring 20 is built in the plunger 14 is shown. The displacement restricting mechanism that restricts the displacement of the plunger 14 is not limited to this, and may be provided in another part of the force transmission path from the plunger 14 to the pinion 6 via the lever 7. In the starter 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, an example is shown in which a displacement restricting mechanism for restricting the displacement of the plunger 14 is provided adjacent to the fulcrum of the lever 7. Since other configurations are the same as the configurations of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  The starter 1 according to the second embodiment includes a lever spring 31, a lever fulcrum contact portion 32, and a lever spring holder 33 as a displacement restricting mechanism portion. The lever spring 31 is a coiled spring, and is in contact with the lever fulcrum contact portion 32 at one end and the lever spring holder 33 at the other end. The fulcrum contact portion 32 of the lever is provided in contact with the fulcrum 34 of the lever 7 and is a portion that is displaced. The lever spring holder 33 is fixed to the housing 35 of the starter 1 surrounding the pinion shaft 6a. The lever fulcrum contact surface 32 a of the lever fulcrum contact portion 32 and the lever spring holder contact surface 33 a of the lever spring holder 33 are provided to face each other with the lever spring 31 interposed therebetween.

The operation at the time of abnormality in which the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8 will be described.
As in the first embodiment of the invention, the teeth of the pinion 6 do not enter between the teeth of the ring gear 9 when abnormal, so that the pinion 6 cannot be displaced from the contact position to the biting position.
However, the magnetomotive force of the suction holding coil 15 continues to be generated, and the suction of the plunger 14 in the direction of the fixed iron core 23 is continued. The plunger 14 is displaced by bending the lever spring 31 in the direction of the fixed iron core 23. The lever fulcrum contact portion 32 is displaced in the direction of the lever spring holder 33.
Due to the displacement of the plunger 14, the end surface of the plunger 14 comes into contact with one end of the rod 18. After contact, the rod 18 also begins to move with the plunger 14. The movable contact 17 attached to the other end of the rod 18 is also displaced simultaneously. The movable contact 17 is separated from the starting electrical contact 13 and opens the starting electrical circuit 11. As the circuit is opened, the rotation of the motor 5 is stopped, and the current supply to the starting resistor 16 is also stopped.
After that, the displacement of the plunger 14 is restricted by the operation of the displacement restricting mechanism portion where the fulcrum contact surface 32a of the lever contacts the lever spring holder contact surface 33a, and the plunger 14 stops. As the plunger 14 stops, the rod 18 and the movable contact 17 also stop.
Since the movable contact 17 stops at a position where it does not come into contact with the main electrical contact 12, the main electrical circuit 10 is opened, and no current is supplied from the battery 2 to the motor 5. Since the motor 5 does not rotate, the pinion 6 does not rotate on the end face of the ring gear 9 and the end face of the ring gear 9 is not damaged. That is, there is no meshing failure in which the pinion 6 rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear 9.
Since the displacement of the movable contact 17 stops and the motor does not rotate, the driver notices an abnormality and cancels the starting operation, whereby the auxiliary relay 3 is opened. The magnetomotive force generated in the suction holding coil 15 is stopped, and the plunger 14 returns to the initial position. In conjunction with the displacement of the plunger 14, the pinion 6 returns from the contact position to the separated position. Here, the operation at the time of abnormality ends.

  The relationship of the dimensions of each part for stopping the movable contact 17 at a predetermined position so that no electric current is supplied to the motor 5 when the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8 will be described. In FIG. 9, the distance between the fulcrum contact surface 32a of the lever and the lever spring holder contact surface 33a is defined as a dimension A '. A dimension B is defined between the end face of the plunger 14 facing the fixed iron core 23 and one end of the rod 18. A dimension C is defined between the main electrical contact 12 and the movable contact 17. In the lever 7, if the distance from the connecting portion with the plunger 14 to the fulcrum 34 is L1, and the distance from the connecting portion with the pinion shaft 6a to the fulcrum 34 is L2, the lever ratio is (L1 + L2) / L2. When the displacement dimension of the plunger 14 after the pinion 6 is brought into contact with the end face of the ring gear 9 is D, D is a value obtained by multiplying A ′ by the lever ratio. The dimension D is a distance by which the plunger 14 can be displaced in the direction of the fixed iron core, and has a relationship equivalent to the dimension A in the first embodiment. When the relationship between these dimensions satisfies dimension B <dimension D <(dimension B + dimension C), movable contact 17 stops at a predetermined position.

  As described above, according to the starter 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8, the pinion 6 does not cause a meshing failure that rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear 9. Further, damage to the end face of the ring gear 9 can be suppressed. Moreover, it is easily realized without changing the configuration of the plunger 14.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view when the pinion 6 of the starter 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention exists at the contact position. In the starter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, an example is shown in which a displacement restricting mechanism for restricting the displacement of the plunger 14 is provided on the pinion shaft 6a. Since other configurations are the same as the configurations of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  The starter 1 according to the third embodiment includes a lever spring 41, a front holder 42, and a rear holder 43 as a displacement regulating mechanism. The lever spring 41 is a coiled spring, and is in contact with the front holder 42 at one end and the rear holder 43 at the other end. The front holder 42 is a portion that is provided on the pinion shaft 6a and is displaced. The rear holder 43 is fixed to the pinion shaft 6a. The front holder contact surface 42 a of the front holder 42 and the rear holder contact surface 43 a of the rear holder 43 are provided to face each other via the lever spring 41.

The operation at the time of abnormality in which the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8 will be described.
Similar to the first embodiment, the pinion 6 cannot be displaced from the contact position to the biting position because the teeth of the pinion 6 do not enter between the teeth of the ring gear 9 at the time of abnormality.
However, the magnetomotive force of the suction holding coil 15 continues to be generated, and the suction of the plunger 14 in the direction of the fixed iron core 23 is continued. The plunger 14 is displaced by bending the lever spring 41 in the direction of the fixed iron core 23. The front holder 42 is displaced in the direction of the rear holder 43.
Due to the displacement of the plunger 14, the end surface of the plunger 14 comes into contact with one end of the rod 18. After contact, the rod 18 also begins to move with the plunger 14. The movable contact 17 attached to the other end of the rod 18 is also displaced simultaneously. The movable contact 17 is separated from the starting electrical contact 13 and opens the starting electrical circuit 11. As the circuit is opened, the rotation of the motor 5 is stopped, and the current supply to the starting resistor 16 is also stopped.
Thereafter, the displacement of the plunger 14 is restricted by the operation of the displacement restricting mechanism portion where the front holder contact surface 42a and the rear holder contact surface 43a come into contact, and the plunger 14 stops. As the plunger 14 stops, the rod 18 and the movable contact 17 also stop.
Since the movable contact 17 stops at a position where it does not come into contact with the main electrical contact 12, the main electrical circuit 10 is opened, and no current is supplied from the battery 2 to the motor 5. Since the motor 5 does not rotate, the pinion 6 does not rotate on the end face of the ring gear 9 and the end face of the ring gear 9 is not damaged. That is, there is no meshing failure in which the pinion 6 rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear 9.
Since the displacement of the movable contact 17 stops and the motor does not rotate, the driver notices an abnormality and cancels the starting operation, whereby the auxiliary relay 3 is opened. The magnetomotive force generated in the suction holding coil 15 is stopped, and the plunger 14 returns to the initial position. In conjunction with the displacement of the plunger 14, the pinion 6 returns from the contact position to the separated position. Here, the operation at the time of abnormality ends.

  The relationship of the dimensions of each part for stopping the movable contact 17 at a predetermined position so that no electric current is supplied to the motor 5 when the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8 will be described. In FIG. 10, a dimension A ″ is defined between the front holder contact surface 42 a and the rear holder contact surface 43 a. A dimension B is defined between the end surface of the plunger 14 facing the fixed iron core 23 and one end of the rod 18. The distance between the electrical contact 12 and the movable contact 17 is C. In the lever 7, the distance from the connection portion with the plunger 14 to the fulcrum 34 is L1, and the distance from the connection portion with the pinion shaft 6a to the fulcrum 34 is L2. The lever ratio is L1 / L2.If the displacement dimension of the plunger after the pinion 6 is brought into contact with the end surface of the ring gear 9 is E, E is a value obtained by multiplying A ″ by the lever ratio. The dimension E is a distance by which the plunger 14 can be displaced in the direction of the fixed iron core, and has a relationship equivalent to the dimension A in the first embodiment or the dimension D in the second embodiment. When the relationship between these dimensions satisfies the dimension B <dimension E <(dimension B + dimension C), the movable contact 17 stops at a predetermined position.

  As described above, according to the starter 1 according to the third embodiment, when the starter 1 cannot start the engine 8, the pinion 6 does not cause a meshing failure that rotates while sliding on the end face of the ring gear 9. 9 can be prevented from being damaged. Moreover, it is easily realized without changing the configuration of the plunger 14.

  The configuration shown in the above first to third embodiments is an example of the configuration of the present invention, and may be modified and configured, for example, partly omitted without departing from the gist of the present invention. Needless to say.

1 starter, 2 battery, 3 auxiliary relay, 4 starter electromagnetic switch device, 5 motor, 6 pinion, 6a pinion shaft, 7 lever, 8 engine, 9 ring gear, 10 main electric circuit, 11 start-up electric circuit, 12 main electric contact , 13 Start electric contact, 14 Plunger, 15 Suction holding coil, 16 Start resistance, 17 Movable contact, 18 Rod, 19 Movable core, 20 Lever spring, 21 Hook, 21a Hook main body, 21b Hook tip, 21c Stepped portion, 21d Connection portion, 21e Lever spring installation surface, 22 Sleeve, 22a Contact surface, 22b Contact surface, 23 Fixed iron core, 31 Lever spring, 32 Lever fulcrum contact portion, 32a Lever fulcrum contact surface, 33 Lever spring holder, 33a Lever spring holder contact surface, 34 fulcrum, 35 housing, 4 1 Lever spring, 42 Front holder, 42a Front holder contact surface, 43 Rear holder, 43a Rear holder contact surface

Claims (8)

A main electrical contact provided in a main electrical circuit to which the battery and the motor are connected;
A starting electrical contact provided in a starting electrical circuit to which the battery and the motor are connected via a starting resistor;
A movable contact that opens and closes the main electrical circuit or the starting electrical circuit in contact with and apart from the main electrical contact or the starting electrical contact;
A suction holding coil branched from the starting electrical circuit;
A fixed iron core and a plunger facing and spaced apart from each other inside the suction holding coil;
One end protrudes in the direction of the plunger from the end surface of the fixed core through the fixed core, and a rod attached to the movable contact at the other end,
When a pinion connected to the plunger via a lever comes into contact with an end face of a ring gear provided in the engine,
At a position where the movable contact opens the main electrical contact and the start electrical contact,
An electromagnetic switch device for a starter comprising a displacement regulating mechanism for regulating the displacement of the plunger. The displacement regulating mechanism is
A lever spring, a hook and a sleeve are provided inside the movable iron core of the plunger,
The lever spring is in contact with the hook at one end and the sleeve at the other end, and the sleeve is fixed at the end of the movable iron core,
By contacting the sleeve and the hook moving in the direction of the sleeve,
2. The starter electromagnetic switch device according to claim 1, wherein displacement of the plunger is restricted.   The starter electromagnetic switch device according to claim 2, wherein the hook has a stepped portion having a different outer diameter, and a contact surface of the sleeve facing the stepped portion contacts. When the pinion comes into contact with the end face of the ring gear,
A dimension A between the step portion of the hook and the contact surface;
A dimension B between an end face of the plunger facing the fixed iron core and an end face of one end of the rod;
The relationship between dimension C between the main electrical contact and the movable contact is:
4. The starter electromagnetic switch device according to claim 3, wherein dimension B <dimension A <(dimension B + dimension C). The hook is composed of a hook body and a hook tip,
5. The starter electromagnetic switch device according to claim 2, wherein the hook tip portion is connected to a connection portion of the hook body portion protruding from an end surface of the sleeve. 6. The displacement regulating mechanism portion includes a lever spring, a fulcrum contact portion of the lever, and a lever spring holder.
The lever spring is in contact with the fulcrum contact portion of the lever at one end and the lever spring holder at the other end,
The lever spring holder comes into contact with the fulcrum contact portion of the lever that moves in the direction of the lever spring holder,
2. The starter electromagnetic switch device according to claim 1, wherein displacement of the plunger is restricted. The displacement regulating mechanism includes a lever spring, a front holder, and a rear holder,
The lever spring is in contact with the front holder at one end and the rear holder at the other end, and the rear holder is provided on a pinion shaft that contacts the lever and installs the pinion;
By contacting the front holder and the rear holder moving in the direction of the front holder,
2. The starter electromagnetic switch device according to claim 1, wherein displacement of the plunger is restricted.   The starter electromagnetic switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the motor connected to the starter electromagnetic switch device, the pinion connected to the motor, and the starter electromagnetic switch device. A starter comprising: the plunger provided on the lever; and the lever for connecting the pinion.

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