WO2006103331A1

WO2006103331A1 - Electromagnetic ignition switch and starter comprising same

Info

Publication number: WO2006103331A1
Application number: PCT/FR2006/000612
Authority: WO
Inventors: Serge Figuiere
Original assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
Priority date: 2005-03-31
Filing date: 2006-03-21
Publication date: 2006-10-05
Also published as: EP1864309B1; DE602006016575D1; ES2347465T3; FR2884037A1; ATE479999T1; RU2007140317A; BRPI0607846A2; EP1864309A1; FR2884037B1; CN101151696B; CN101151696A

Abstract

The invention concerns an electromagnetic ignition switch (2), designed to be mounted in a heat engine starter housing (1), comprising: a bowl (15) including holes for fixing said bowl on the housing by means of fixing members (17), at least two electrical connection terminals (13, 14), integral in rotation with the bowl . The invention is characterized in that the bowl comprises a number of fixing holes larger than the number of fixing members used.

Description

Electromagnetic contactor and starter comprising such a contactor

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic contactor for a thermal engine starter.

The invention finds applications particularly in the field of the automotive industry.

State of the art

An electromagnetic contactor controls in particular the power supply of the electric motor that comprises an electric starter.

This electromagnetic contactor comprises conventionally: - a tank which comprises holes for fixing said tank on a starter housing using fasteners, - at least two electrical connection terminals integral in rotation with the tank.

A first of the electrical connection terminals is intended to be connected to the battery of the vehicle, by a connecting means, for example by means of an electric cable. Knowledge of the positioning angle of the first terminal at the rear of the contactor is therefore essential for the definition of the dimensional characteristics of the connecting means. These characteristics are generally imposed. It is therefore necessary to adapt the positioning angle to the dimensions of the connecting means.

WO2004 / 088126 discloses an electric starter controlled by such an electromagnetic contactor.

The contactor comprises a housing formed in particular of a main part called tank and a cover on which are disposed a first terminal intended to be connected to the battery of the vehicle and a second terminal intended to be connected to the electric motor of the starter. The cover is fixed on the tank, for example, by crimping.

The housing of the contactor serves as housing including a movable contact, a control rod, a fixed core, a coil electromagnetic, to springs, and to a movable core.

Thus the two terminals are electrically contacted by means of a movable contact carried by the control rod. This rod is guided by the fixed core which is of complementary shape to the rear end of the movable core.

The movable contact is adapted to be moved under the action of the movable core acting on the control rod.

This mobile core is set in motion by an electromagnetic coil creating a magnetic field. The magnetic field creates acting forces on the movable core ensuring moving towards the fixed core.

The electromagnetic coil consists, for example, of two windings, one called "call", with high current, which is short-circuited as soon as the electrical connection between the first terminal and the second terminal is established by the mobile contact, the other of weak current, said "of maintenance" of the movable contact with the terminals. These windings are switched on and off by the start control switch controlled, for example, by a ignition key.

A spring ensures the return of the mobile core when the electromagnetic coil is no longer powered.

The movable core is mechanically connected, via a control means such as a lever, to a launcher equipped with a freewheel transmission device and a pinion. This launcher is mounted to move axially on the output shaft that includes the starter. The control lever is pivotally mounted on its axis.

Thus, the displacement of the movable core, allows the pivoting of the lever and thus the movement of the launcher until meshing of the pinion on the ring gear of the engine start.

The pinion is rotated via the output shaft, mechanically connected to the rotor shaft of the starter motor, when it is electrically powered by the second terminal of the contactor, that is to say that is, when an electrical contact is made, by the moving contact, between the first terminal and the second terminal.

The displacement of the movable core thus allows both the power supply of the electric motor and the meshing of the pinion with the starter ring of the heat engine.

In WO2004 / 088126, the electric starter comprises a base plate receiving the ring gear internally of an epicyclic gear, interposed between the rotor shaft of the electric motor and the output shaft of the starter. The epicyclic train ensures a reduction in speed between the two shafts. Furthermore, in this document, the starter housing comprises a support configured to carry a front bearing for the output shaft, a rear bearing for the electric motor shaft and a yoke belonging to the electric motor which is sandwiched between the support and the rear bearing. The switch is mounted on the starter support. The base plate is thus interposed between the starter support, on one side, and the breech of the electric motor and the contactor, on the other side.

In addition, the starter support, the baseplate, and the contactor tank have a number of attachment holes corresponding to the number of contactor attachment members on the starter carrier. The fixing holes are defined by their number, their positioning, their angular distribution. Fixing the contactor tank is essential to ensure the stability of said contactor and thus allow an optimized displacement of the movable core inside the starter housing and inside said contactor. The contactor disclosed in this document does not provide several positioning angles including the first terminal when mounting said contactor on the housing of the starter.

Indeed, the cover being rotatably connected to the vessel for example by crimping, the positioning angle of the first terminal is fixed relative to the vessel. In addition, the angular positioning of the vessel relative to the starter housing is determined by the location of the mounting holes on the starter support, on the base plate and on the tank, the possibilities in the positioning of the first terminal are limited.

In addition, the use of a contactor having a hood fixed in rotation on a tank, and having fixed fixing holes, does not allow its standard use for starter housings that may have different fixing holes in their number, their positioning, their angular distribution.

Presentation of the invention

Also, a technical problem to be solved by the object of this The invention is to propose an electromagnetic contactor and a thermal engine starter, which make it possible to propose different positioning angles of the first terminal, as well as a standardized use of said contactor that can be adapted to several types of starter housing.

A solution to the technical problem raised is according to a first object of the present invention a contactor characterized in that the vessel comprises a number of fixing holes greater than the number of fasteners used.

Thanks to the invention, one can propose several angular positions of the first terminal when mounting the contactor on the starter housing. It is thus possible to reduce the number of types of tanks to be stored and this vessel can be mounted on different types of starter housing. The solution is therefore simple and economical. In addition, one can also propose several angular positions of a third terminal for supplying the electromagnetic coil.

According to preferred non-limiting embodiments, the contactor which is the subject of the invention has the additional characteristics, taken separately or in combination, set out below.

The tank comprises at least four fixing holes.

At least two fixing holes are diametrically opposed.

At least three fixing holes are regularly distributed.

The centers of the mounting holes are located on the same circumference.

The centers of the mounting holes are located on different circumferences.

The contactor comprises means for closing the fixing holes not occupied by the fasteners.

The sealing means are carried by an annular element. The sealing means are bosses complementary to the fixing holes.

The annular element is shaped to form a centering means of the contactor on the starter housing.

The annular element comprises at least two detent pins of the annular element in the fixing holes.

According to a second subject of the invention, a thermal engine starter is characterized in that it comprises an electromagnetic contactor according to the first subject of the invention.

Brief description of the figures

Fig. 1 is a side view of the starter with a partial cutaway to present the pinion and the ring gear of the engine start,

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the switch according to the arrow A of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a front view of the switch according to arrow B in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the contactor along the line C-C of the

Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the contactor,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the annular element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

It is shown in FIG. 1 a starter 1 of a heat engine.

In the remainder of the description, use will be made of an X-X axial orientation from front to back which corresponds to a left-to-right orientation by considering FIG. 1.

In this FIG. 1, there is shown the electromagnetic contactor 2 mounted, according to the invention, on a starter housing 10 having a front support 4, configured to be fixed on a fixed part such as the housing of a thermal engine of a motor vehicle , a yoke 5 inside which are housed the components of the electric motor of the starter including the stator, the rotor, and the rotor shaft. The housing 10 comprises also a rear bearing 6 configured to serve as a bearing at the rear end of the rotor shaft of the electric motor.

In FIG. 1, a base plate 3, is interposed between the front support 4 and the front end of the yoke 5. Tie rods 7, only one of which is shown, serve to assemble the rear bearing 6 to the front support 4, base 3 and the yoke 5 being sandwiched between the support 4 and the bearing 6.

This figure also shows the pinion 19 of the starter's launcher, a portion of the ring gear 11 for starting the heat engine to be started, and the output shaft 18 of the starter.

The starter 1 has an electromagnetic contactor 2 for controlling said starter 1. This contactor comprises a tank 15 intended to be fixed on the support 4 by means of fasteners 17, only one of which is shown. The fasteners 17 pass through the base plate 3 interposed between the bottom of the tank 15, constituting the front part of the contactor 2, and the support 4.

The contactor 2 is here located on the upper part of the starter 1 and its axis X 'is substantially parallel to the axis X of the output shaft 18. In a variant, the contactor can be deported while being carried by the rear bearing 6 of the electric motor. The axis of the contactor is then substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotor of the electric motor here confused with the axis of the output shaft 18.

The starter 1 has, as mentioned above, a tank 15 on which is fixed, at the rear, a cover 16 receiving electrical terminals, namely a first terminal 13 intended to be connected to the vehicle battery, a second terminal 14 intended to to be connected to the electric motor, a third terminal 12 for supplying the electromagnetic coil of the contactor mounted inside the tank 15. This coil comprises, in one embodiment, a call winding and a winding of maintenance. Alternatively, it has a single winding.

The cover can be fixed on the tank by crimping, screwing or other. The cover is preferably made of electrically insulating material.

The terminals 12 to 14 are axially oriented with respect to the axis X '. In a variant, at least one of the electrical terminals is of radial orientation. In another variant, at least one of the electrical terminals is fixed directly on the tank.

The hood here has a substantially cylindrical shape. A boss 21, in the form of a partition, allows electrical separation of the first terminal 13 with the second terminal 14 of the cover 16.

In FIG. 2, we see the angle α which is the positioning angle of the first terminal 13. More precisely, we can define α as the angle between the vertical axis Z passing through the center of the hood and the axis passing through the center of the first terminal and the center of the hood. This angle can vary from 0 to

360 °.

On the first terminal 13, there is placed a means ensuring the connection with the vehicle battery. The connecting means may be for example an electric cable.

In order to adapt the angle α to the stresses associated with the use of the connecting means, it is proposed, according to the invention, to make a greater number of fixing holes on the vat than the number of fixing members used. Thus, it is possible to propose different angles α when mounting the contactor on the starter housing.

The fasteners are, for example, threaded rods, the holes then being threaded. Alternatively the mounting holes are smooth and using self-tapping screws, bolts or rivets. The vessel may include at least four attachment holes. Thus, one can propose several angular positions of the first terminal for a contactor requiring at least two fasteners for mounting on the starter housing.

The document of the state of the art has a contactor fixed to the starter housing through a base plate. For reasons related to the assembly process of the starter as well as for greater stability of the contactor, it is necessary to use three fasteners.

Advantageously, at least three fixing holes, among all the fixing holes present on the contactor, are regularly distributed. This also improves the stability of the contactor on the starter contactor.

Alternatively, in the case where there is no base plate, one can use two bodies for fixing the contactor on the starter housing.

Advantageously, at least two fixing holes, among all the fixing holes present on the contactor, are diametrically opposed. The stability of the contactor on the starter housing is then increased. The stability of the contactor on the starter housing is important because it must be possible to ensure optimal displacement of the movable core in the housing and in the contactor.

The centers of the fixing holes are, in one embodiment, located on the same circumference. Thus, the tank, and therefore the switch, can fit on housings having fixing holes located on the same circumference.

Alternatively, the centers of the fixing holes are located on different circumferences. Thus, the tank can be adapted to housings having fixing holes located on different circumferences, which allows a greater standardization in the use of the contactors.

In FIG. 3, in FIG. 4 and in FIG. 5, there is shown an example of a vessel having twelve fixing holes, regularly distributed on the same circumference. This tank makes 12 angular positions of the terminal connected to the battery shifted by 30 ° and a standardization of the tank 15 of the contactor.

The fixing holes are made in the tank. The tank is here in three parts. It comprises a bottom 34 of transverse orientation to the axis X 'and having threaded fixing holes 35 and an orifice 37, for the passage of the movable core, centered on the axis X'.

The vessel also comprises an envelope 32 fixed to the bottom 34 and having an axially oriented portion extending in a direction opposite to said bottom 34. The envelope 32 also comprises a portion covering the outer front portion of the bottom 34 and ending with a centering hole of the tank. The centering orifice is composed of bosses 33, here three in number. This orifice is, in addition, coaxial with the orifice 37 for passage of the movable core. The portion of the casing covering the outer portion of the bottom 34 also has holes 39 coaxial with the holes 35. The holes 39 have, here, a diameter greater than the holes 35. The casing 32 has undergone, in advance, a treatment of surface to resist corrosion as well as to give it an aesthetic appearance.

Finally, the vessel also comprises a ferrule 31, of tubular form, axially oriented, housed inside the casing 32. The casing 32 is projecting axially relative to the ferrule 31. This shell 31 has a shoulder

38, for the axial support of the fixed core (not shown). It also provides an electromagnetic connection between the bottom 34 and said fixed core.

The thicknesses of the bottom 34 and the ferrule 31 are determined according to the needs of the passage of the magnetic flux. In practice, to avoid a excessive power consumption and too much copper volume at the coil of the electromagnetic coil, it is necessary not to saturate too much the magnetic circuit, so to have a sufficiently large magnetic flux passage section. Alternatively, the tank can be made in one piece, by die-casting, molding, forging, sintering or the like.

Fixing holes not occupied by the fasteners may cause problems in terms of sealing. Indeed, impurities or water could infiltrate during the operation of the contactor.

To remedy this problem, the contactor comprises means for closing the fixing holes not occupied by the fasteners. The sealing means may be a resin, deposited in the fixing holes. In a variant, the closure means are carried by an annular element. This annular element is, in one embodiment, one-piece. Its rear face is then in front of the fixing holes not occupied by the fasteners to close them.

Thus, with a single piece can be closed all the fixing holes not occupied by the fasteners.

In a variant, the annular element is divided into sectors.

Advantageously, the sealing means are bosses (62) complementary to the holes (35, 39) for fixing. Thus in FIG. 6, there is shown an example of an annular element having an internal orifice 64 complementary to the bosses 33, eight bosses 62 complementary to the unused mounting holes, two recesses 61 for the passage of the fasteners, two pins 63 for fixing of the annular element in the tank. Thus, the 12 fixing holes present on the tank are occupied. Advantageously, the bosses 62 are chamfered for better sealing of the fixing holes.

The pins 63 are intended to pass through the fixing holes 35, 39 in the tank 15, so that the tabs 65 are allowed to tighten with the aid of the slots 66 when passing through the fixing holes 35, 39 and then to to deploy to engage their shoulders 67 with the inner face of the bottom 34 or with the threads of the holes 35. The fixing of the annular element on the tank is therefore achieved by snapping. The number of pions is here equal to two, alternatively this number may be greater than two. As a result, the number of bosses complementary to the unused fastening holes is variable.

In a variant, the annular element is, in addition, shaped to form a means for centering the contactor on the starter housing.

The annular element has, for example, an outer diameter 67 enabling it to center the contactor on a bearing surface of the complementary starter housing, in the absence of a base plate.

Thus, the annular element closes the fastening holes not occupied by the fasteners while allowing to center the contactor on the housing of the starter.

In addition, the use of an intermediate annular element, which can adapt the centering of the contactor directly on the starter housing, allows a greater standardization of the contactor. In the absence of such an annular element, the switch can be centered on the starter housing, for example by means of a base plate, via its bosses 33.

Thus, the electromagnetic contactor, comprising a tank comprising a number of fixing holes greater than the number of fasteners used, makes it possible to propose positioning angles of the terminal connected to the different battery, as well as a standardized use of said contactor. adaptable to several types of thermal motor starter housing.

The present description is not limited to the embodiments described above.

The invention applies for mounting a contactor on a starter housing. This assembly will be able to adapt as well to the starters intended for the automobile fitting as for the renovated starters. In addition, this invention can also be applied to a mechanical contactor or to a movable core contactor not operating a control means.

Claims

An electromagnetic contactor (2) for mounting on a thermal engine starter housing (1), comprising:

- a tank (15) which comprises holes (35, 39) for fixing said tank on the housing with fasteners (17),

- At least two electrical connection terminals (13, 14) integral in rotation with the vessel, characterized in that the vessel comprises a number of fixing holes greater than the number of fasteners used.

2. Electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1 characterized in that the vessel (15) comprises at least four holes (35, 39) for fixing.

3. electromagnetic contactor according to claim 2 characterized in that at least two fixing holes (35, 39) are diametrically opposed.

4. Electromagnetic contactor according to claim 2 characterized in that at least three fixing holes (35, 39) are regularly distributed.

5. electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1 characterized in that the centers of the holes (35, 39) of attachment are located on the same circumference.

6. Electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1 characterized in that the centers of the fixing holes (35, 39) are located on different circumferences.

7. electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises means for sealing the holes (35, 39) of attachment not occupied by the members (17) of attachment.

8. electromagnetic contactor according to claim 7 characterized in that the sealing means are carried by an annular element.

9. Electromagnetic contactor according to claim 8 characterized in that the sealing means are bosses (62) complementary to the holes (35, 39) for fixing.

10. Electromagnetic contactor according to claim 8 characterized in that the annular element is shaped to form a centering means of the contactor on the starter housing.

11. Electromagnetic contactor according to claim 8 characterized in that the annular element comprises at least two pins (63) for snapping the annular element in the fixing holes.

12. A thermal engine starter characterized in that it comprises an electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1.