JPH078566U - Timer type engine starter - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a timer-type engine starter capable of eliminating the waiting time for warm-up operation and also eliminating excess warm-up operation. [Configuration] timed engine starting device, timer means 10b, the temperature detection circuit 20, the engine stop time t _S is settable stop time setting means 10a, but to perform the temperature detection 20 minutes before the engine stop time t _S The temperature detection time calculation means 10c, the detected temperature T to the warm-up time t _D
Temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means 10h for calculating the engine start time calculation means 10 for calculating the engine start time t _S -t _D
i, has a start / stop control signal generating means 10j for generating the engine start / stop control signal C _SS . The start / stop of the engine is controlled so that the warm-up operation according to the environmental temperature T is completed at the stop time t _S set by the timer.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a timer engine starting device for starting an engine of an automobile or the like by setting a time, and more particularly to a timer engine starting device capable of warming up in accordance with an environmental temperature at the time of starting.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, timer-type engine starters for starting the engine of unmanned vehicles such as private cars have a timer that can set the start time, and when the start time arrives, the start control signal from the timer is constant. After a certain period of time, the start control signal activates the relay circuit to drive the engine start motor and start the engine. As a result, warm-up operation in cold regions etc. can be performed before boarding, so the waiting time for warm-up operation after boarding can be eliminated and the vehicle can be started immediately.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the conventional timer-type engine starter, since the timer can be set at the engine start time, the vehicle user can warm up according to the environmental temperature from the start time in order to start without waiting time. It is necessary to board at a time when the driving time is foreseen. Between the engine start time and the warm-up operation completion time (warm-up operation time) depends on the environmental temperature, but if the judgment of the length is left to the experience of the vehicle user, a waiting time or warm-up operation is inevitable. This caused excesses, and was a problem of inconvenience and wasteful consumption of fuel.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the waiting time for warm-up operation by controlling the start / stop of the engine so that the warm-up operation according to the environmental temperature is completed at the time when the timer is set. The objective is to provide a timer-type engine starter that can eliminate excess warm-up operation.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a timer-type engine starting device according to the present invention includes a timer means for outputting an elapsed time signal and a temperature before a predetermined period of time before the engine stop time based on settable engine stop time information. The temperature measuring means for performing the measurement, the temperature / warm air running time conversion means for determining the warm-up operating time based on the temperature information obtained from the temperature measuring means, and the warm-up operating time substantially before the engine stop time. And a control signal generating means for generating an engine start / stop control signal on the basis of the engine stop time and the engine start time. . As the temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means, it is desirable that the reference memory has the characteristic that the warm-up operation time is zero at the upper limit temperature or higher. Further, it is preferable that all the temperature / warm air operation time conversion means have a constant time warm air operation time at a predetermined temperature or lower, and the constant time warm air operation time is equal to the predetermined time.

[0006]

[Action]

 The environmental temperature is measured at a time that is a predetermined time before the set engine stop time. Based on this temperature, the temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means determines the warm-up operation time. Then, the start time calculation means calculates an engine start time that belongs to a time point substantially before the engine stop time by the warm-up operation time. When the engine start time arrives, the engine is started and warm-up operation is started. The engine will stop when the engine stop time arrives. Therefore, the vehicle user only needs to set the warm-up operation end time, and the warm-up operation for the warm-up time according to the environmental temperature is automatically completed by the start time. Therefore, the user can eliminate the waiting time without considering the warm-up operation time. Further, since unnecessary excess of warm-up operation can be eliminated, wasteful consumption of fuel can be reduced.

Here, when the temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means is a reference memory having a characteristic that the warm-up operation time is zero above the upper limit temperature, if the environmental temperature is too high, the warm-up operation is not executed, resulting in unnecessary fuel consumption. Can be eliminated. Further, the temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means has a warm-up operation time of a constant time at all temperatures below a predetermined temperature, and when the constant-time warm-up operation time is equal to the above-mentioned predetermined time, the minimum necessary warm-up operation is performed. While exhibiting the warming effect, it can eliminate the long-term warming-up operation that reduces the effect, reduce fuel consumption, and uniformly set the temperature measurement point before the engine is stopped. The consumption of current can also be suppressed.

[0008]

【Example】

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a timer type engine starting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The timer-type engine starting device of this example is a control device using a microcomputer (one-chip microcomputer) 10, and additionally has a temperature detection circuit 20 and a relay circuit 30 as a hardware configuration. Reference numeral 40 is an on-vehicle battery power source, and 50 is a voltage stabilizing circuit. The temperature detection circuit 20 is composed of a negative thermistor NT C and a voltage dividing resistor R ₁ or R ₂ connected in series, and a voltage based on the resistance value change of the negative thermistor NTC according to the environmental temperature from the voltage dividing point p. The value is detected as temperature information. In addition, R ₁ is a voltage dividing resistor for a low temperature region, R ₂ is a voltage dividing resistor for a high temperature region, and the negative thermistor NTC has a negative characteristic that its resistance value decreases as the temperature rises. Therefore, as will be described later, the resistance R ₁ having a large resistance value in the low temperature measurement area and the resistance R ₂ having a small resistance value in the high temperature measurement area are switched and used to enhance the resolution of the partial voltage value. ing.

As the functional blocks of the microcomputer 10, stop time setting means 10a, timer means 10b, temperature measurement time calculating means 10c, analog / digital conversion means 10d, switching determination means 10e, switching control means 10f, switching means. 10 g, a temperature / warm air operation time conversion means 10 h, a start time calculation means 10 i, and a start / stop control signal generation means 10 j.

The stop time setting means 10a is a storage means capable of setting an engine stop time (warm air operation stop time) t _s set by the user. The timer means 10b always outputs an elapsed time signal (time information) t. Temperature measurement time calculating means 10c holds calculates the stop time setting means 10a at a set engine stop time t _s than 20 minutes before the time (t _s -20), the time information t of the timer means 10b the time outputting a temperature measurement start signal when it is (t _s -20). The switching control means 10f switches the switch contact SW of the switching means 10g according to the temperature measurement start signal and the switching instruction signal from the switching determination means 10e. The switching control means 10f first connects the switch contact SW of the switching means 10g to the resistor R ₁ by a temperature measurement start signal. Thereby, the measurement of the environmental temperature T in the low temperature range is executed. The voltage (temperature voltage) V _{T from} the voltage dividing point P is digitized by the analog / digital conversion means 10d, and its value is compared with a predetermined switching threshold V _{th by the} switching determination means 10e. When the switching threshold value V _th is set to a voltage value corresponding to a temperature of 0 ° C., for example, when the detected temperature is 0 ° C. or lower, it is in an appropriate range, but when it is 0 ° C. or higher, the switching determination means 10e. Outputs a switching instruction signal to the switching control means 10f, and the switching control means 10f connects the switch contact SW of the switching means 10g to the resistor R ₂ . As a result, highly accurate temperature measurement is performed in the high temperature range.

On the other hand, the temperature voltage V _T is input to the temperature / warm air operation time conversion means 10h. The temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means 10h is a reference memory that stores a characteristic table of the warm-up operation time t _D with respect to the temperature T, as shown in FIG. This table is designed so that the warm-up time t _D becomes longer when the environmental temperature (in-vehicle temperature) T is lower. When the temperature T is equal to or higher than the upper limit temperature (18 ° C), the warm-up operation time is uniformly set to about 5 minutes, and unnecessary warm-up operation is excluded. When the temperature is below -16 ° C, the warm-up time is 20 minutes. This corresponds to the period from the temperature measurement start time (t _s -20) until the engine stop time t _s.

When the temperature / warm air operation time conversion means 10h determines the warm air operation time t _D , the start time calculation means 10i determines the engine start time (t _S based on the stop time t _S and the warm air operation time t _D). -T _D ) is calculated. The start / stop control signal generating means 10j holds the stop time t _S from the stop time setting means 10a and the start time (t _S −t _D ) from the start time calculating means 10i, and stores the time information t from the timer means 10b. In comparison, a start / stop control signal C _SS that rises when the start time (t _S −t _D ) arrives and falls when the stop time t _S arrives is sent to the relay circuit 30.

It is assumed that the vehicle user sets the stop time t _S at 6 o'clock when leaving the vehicle the day before in order to start the vehicle at 6 o'clock in the morning. For thereby stop time setting means 10a is set at six, temperature measurement time calculating means 10c is the temperature measurement start time t _s - holding this by calculating the 40 pm 20 = 5. At 5:40 am on the morning of the day, a temperature measurement start signal is generated from the temperature measurement time calculation means 10c, whereby the temperature measurement using the voltage dividing resistor R ₁ side is performed as described above. Here, when the measured temperature is 0 ° C. or higher, the temperature measurement by the voltage dividing resistor R ₁ is rough, so that the temperature measurement by the resistor R ₂ is performed again in order to perform high-precision temperature measurement. It Assuming that the measured temperature is 8 ° C., as is apparent from the temperature / warm air operation conversion characteristic of FIG. 2, the warm air operation time t _D = 10 minutes is obtained from the temperature / warm air operation time conversion means 10h. Then, the engine start time of 5:50 is calculated from the engine start time calculation means 10i. Therefore, the start / stop control signal generation means 10j is set to start time 5:50 and stop time 6:00, and according to the time information t of the timer means 10b, the start / stop control signal C is reached at time 5:50. _SS rises, the relay circuit 30 operates, and power is supplied to the start motor on the engine side to start the engine. As a result, warm-up operation is started. Further, since the start / stop control signal C _SS falls at 6:00, the engine stops and the warm-up operation ends.

As described above, the vehicle user only needs to set the start time (the warm-up operation end time t _S ) to automatically complete the warm-up operation for the warm-up time according to the environmental temperature by the start time. Can be made. Therefore, the user can eliminate the waiting time without considering the warm-up operation time. Further, since unnecessary excess of warm-up operation can be eliminated, wasteful consumption of fuel can be reduced. This is because it is sufficient to activate the temperature detecting means or the like at the arrival of the temperature measurement time, and the standby state can be kept until then.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to the limer engine starting device, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a wireless engine starting device as well.

[0017]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, in addition to the configuration of the conventional timer-type engine starter, the present invention is based on the settable engine stop time information and performs temperature measurement before the engine stop time for a predetermined period. Means, a temperature / warm air operating time conversion means for determining the warm air operating time based on the temperature information obtained from the temperature measuring means, and a time point substantially before the engine stop time by the warm air operating time. It is characterized by further comprising start time calculation means for calculating an associated engine start time and control signal generation means for generating an engine start / stop control signal based on the engine stop time and the engine start time. Therefore, the following effects are obtained.

Only by setting the warm-up operation end time by the vehicle user, the warm-up operation of the warm-up time according to the environmental temperature can be automatically completed by the start time.

The user can eliminate the waiting time without considering the warm-up time. Further, since unnecessary excess of warm-up operation can be eliminated, wasteful consumption of fuel can be reduced.

When the temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means is a reference memory having a characteristic that the warm-up operation time is zero above the upper limit temperature, the warm-up operation is not executed when the environmental temperature is too high, and unnecessary fuel consumption can be eliminated. .

Further, when the temperature / warm-up operating time conversion means has a constant warm-up operating time at a predetermined temperature or less, and the constant warm-up operating time is equal to the predetermined time, the minimum required While warming up the warming-up effect, the long-term warming-up, which is less effective, can be eliminated, fuel consumption can be suppressed, and the temperature measurement point before the engine is stopped can be set uniformly, so temperature detection can be performed. The consumption of the current flowing through the means can be suppressed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a timer-type engine starting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing conversion characteristics of a temperature / warm-up operation time conversion means in the same example.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Microcomputer (one-chip microcomputer) 10a ... Stop time setting means 10b ... Timer means 10c ... Temperature measurement time calculating means 10d ... Analog / digital converting means 10e ... Switching determination means 10f ... Switching control means 10g ... Switching means 10h ... Temperature / warm air operation time converting means 10i ... Starting time calculating means 10j ... Starting / stopping control signal generating means 20 ... Temperature detection circuit 30 ... Relay circuit 40 ... Vehicle battery power supply 50 ... Voltage stabilizing circuit R ₁ , R ₂ ... resistors NTC ... negative thermistor t _S ... engine stop time t _S -20 ... temperature measurement time t _D ... warm-up time t _S -t _D ... engine starting time t ... time time T ... environmental temperature (inside temperature) V _T … Temperature voltage C _SS … Start / stop control signal.

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A timer means for outputting a time-lapse signal, a temperature measuring means for executing temperature measurement based on settable engine stop time information before a predetermined period of time before the engine stop time, and the temperature measuring means. Temperature / warm air operation time conversion means for determining warm air operation time based on the temperature information, and start time calculation means for calculating engine start time that belongs to a point substantially before the engine stop time by the warm air operation time. A timer-type engine starting device comprising: a control signal generating unit that generates an engine start / stop control signal based on the engine stop time and the engine start time. 2. The timer-type engine starter according to claim 1, wherein the temperature / warm-up operating time conversion means is a reference memory having a characteristic that the warm-up operating time is zero at an upper limit temperature or higher. 3. The temperature / warm-up operating time converting means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature / warm-up operating time converting means has a constant warm-up operating time at a predetermined temperature or less. A timer-type engine starting device characterized in that