The present invention generally relates to internal combustion engines and outdoor power equipment powered by such engines. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electric starting system for an engine.
Outdoor power equipment includes lawn mowers, riding tractors, snow throwers, pressure washers, portable generators, tillers, log splitters, zero-turn radius mowers, walk-behind mowers, riding mowers, industrial vehicles such as forklifts, utility vehicles, etc. Outdoor power equipment may, for example use an internal combustion engine to drive an implement, such as a rotary blade of a lawn mower, a pump of a pressure washer, the auger of a snow thrower, the alternator of a generator, and/or a drivetrain of the outdoor power equipment.
Many pieces of outdoor power equipment include engines that are manually started with a recoil starter. To start the engine, the user must manually pull a recoil starter rope. Other pieces of outdoor power equipment include electric starting systems in which a starter motor powered by a battery starts the engine. Conventional electric starting systems typically require an engine block different than the engine block used with a recoil starting system. The electric start engine block adds a mounting location that the starter motor is secured to. Conventional electric starting systems also require a flywheel with a ring gear that is engaged with the starter motor pinion gear.
One embodiment relates to an engine that includes an engine block having a cylinder defining a front of the engine, a blower housing coupled to the engine block and defining a hot half positioned adjacent the front of the engine and a cool half opposite the hot half, and an electric starting system positioned within the blower housing. The electric starting system includes a starter mount assembly coupled to the blower housing, an electric starter motor retained by the starter mount assembly and positioned in the cool half, and a battery mounted to the blower housing and positioned in the cool half. The battery is electrically coupled to the electric starter motor.
Another embodiment relates to an engine that includes an engine block, a blower housing coupled to the engine block, the blower housing including an exterior wall that defines an interior cavity, an electric starter motor positioned within the interior cavity and secured to the blower housing, and a battery positioned within the interior cavity and integrated into the blower housing.
Another embodiment relates to an engine that includes a controller structured to control a flow of power from a battery mounted in a blower housing of the engine to an electric starter motor mounted to the blower housing to cause the electric starter motor to rotate at a first speed, sense a current draw of the electric starter motor, continue operation of the electric starter motor at the first speed while the current draw is below a threshold value, determine that the current draw has exceeded the threshold value, and increase the speed of the electric starter motor to a second speed greater than the first speed in response to determining that the current draw has exceeded the threshold value.
Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims.
The disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, in which:
Before turning to the figures, which illustrate the exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
Referring generally to the drawings, a starter assembly for an engine is shown and described that includes a blower housing and a starter motor and a battery mounted to the blower housing. The starter motor is mounted in an area of the blower housing located away from any hot components of the engine such as a muffler/exhaust or a cylinder. The battery is integrated into or mounted on the blower housing for removal therewith. The starter motor is also arranged to use time thresholds and/or current sensing to provide a soft start feature.
Referring to
Referring to
The transmission 130 includes a worm 135 coupled to the electric motor 120, a worm gear 140 engaged with the worm 135, a clutch 108, and a flywheel cup 115 of the flywheel 112 (see
With continued reference to
The engine 100 defines a cylinder axis A (see
A starter mount assembly in the form of a worm bracket 132 that captures the worm 135 and a motor bracket 133 that captures the electric motor 120. In some embodiments, the worm bracket 132 includes a bearing. In some embodiments, the worm bracket 132 is formed with the blower housing 105 or attached to the blower housing 105 (e.g., with fasteners or adhesive). The motor bracket 133 and the worm bracket 132 maintain the electric motor 120 in position within an interior cavity 125. One end of the worm 135 is coupled to the electric motor 120 and rotates about a worm axis 122. In some embodiments, positioning the motor bracket 133 and the worm bracket 132 away from the muffler 111 (e.g., in a cool quadrant or a cool half) increases the local structural characteristics of the plastic from which the blower housing 105 is formed. In some embodiments, the strength of the blower housing in the cool quadrant or cool half is higher than in other areas of the blower housing 105. In some embodiments, the cool quadrant or the cool half is defined relative to the piston 109 and not the muffler 111. In addition, the electric motor 120 may experience less vibration when located farther away from the cylinder 109 and reduced vibration can lead to increased longevity of the electric motor 120 and/or improved reliability and functionality. Further, the relatively lower heat in the mounting position of the electric motor 120 improves the ability of the electric motor 120 to function and the longevity of wiring and electrical components.
The battery 155 is attached (e.g., with fasteners or adhesive) to the blower housing 105 within the interior cavity 125. In some embodiments, the battery 155 is retained within a battery housing 156 fastened to the blower housing 105 with tamper resistant fastener 157 to inhibit removal of the battery 155 by a user other than an approved technician. The battery 155 is integrated into the blower housing 105 so that the battery 155 is removed along with the blower housing 105 during maintenance or installation. In some embodiments, the battery 155 and/or the battery housing 156 are shaped to match an outside contour of the blower housing 105. In some embodiments, the battery 155 includes a charging connector that an end user can access to provide charge to the battery cells via a wall charger connected to grid power (e.g., 110 VAC).
In some embodiments, the battery 155 is positioned in the oil quadrant F adjacent the oil dipstick cutout 127. In some embodiments, the battery 155 is positioned in a cool quadrant or a cool half of the blower housing 105. In some embodiments, the battery 155 is structured to be serviceable by a maintenance technician but not intended to be serviced by an end user. The battery 155 can include replaceable cells received within recesses or pockets of the battery housing 156 so that the cells may be removed and replaced by the maintenance technician. In some embodiments, the battery 155 is located in a half of the blower housing 105 opposite the electric motor 120. In some embodiments, the battery 155 is located in a different quadrant than the electric motor 120, while both are arranged in a cool half of the blower housing 105. The electric motor 120 and the battery 155 are coupled to the blower housing 105 so that they are removed with the blower housing 105 for service.
In some embodiments, the cylinder 109 defines a front of the engine 100 and the battery 155 and the electric motor 120 are located toward a back half of the engine 100. In some embodiments, the back half of the engine 100 is defined on an opposite side of the side-by-side center plane C from the cylinder 109.
The worm gear 140 is configured to rotate about the crankshaft axis 106 and selectively drive the crankshaft 104 via dogs 137 and the clutch 108 (e.g., a starter clutch, a freewheeling clutch, an overrunning clutch, and overspeed clutch, etc.). The clutch 108 is coupled to worm gear 140. When the clutch 108 is engaged (in an engaged position) the worm gear 140 and the crankshaft 104 rotate together. When the clutch 108 is disengaged (in a disengaged position) the worm gear 140 and the crankshaft 104 are free to rotate independently of one another. The crankshaft axis 106 is perpendicular to the worm axis 122. In other embodiments, the worm axis 122 is otherwise angled relative to the crankshaft axis 106.
When cranking (e.g., a starting operation) is initiated by the user, the clutch 108 is engaged so that the worm gear 140 drives the crankshaft 104. Once the engine 100 has started, the clutch 108 disengages when the crankshaft 104 begins to rotate faster than the worm gear 140 (an overspeed condition), allowing the worm gear 140 to rotate independently of the crankshaft 104. In some embodiments, as illustrated in
When activated in a response to a user input, the electric starting system 110 rotates the crankshaft 104 to rotate (e.g., crank) the engine 100. The electric motor 120 rotates the worm 135. The worm 135 is coupled to the worm gear 140 and rotates the worm gear 140. The clutch 108 is engaged so the dogs 137 extend outward (e.g., fly out) from the crankshaft axis 106. The dogs 137 engage with the flywheel 112 via the flywheel protrusions 117 and rotate the crankshaft 104 to rotate (e.g., crank) the engine 100. The worm gear 140 includes one or more protrusions in the form of a pawl stop 141 (e.g., one for each dog 137) configured to limit the range of travel of the dogs 137 upon cranking of the engine 100. When the crankshaft 104 begins to rotate faster than the worm gear 140 (an overspeed condition), the dogs 137 are retracted by contact with (e.g., pushed inward toward a retracted position by) the flywheel protrusions 117.
Accordingly, the worm gear 140 is then allowed to rotate independently from the crankshaft 104. The electric motor 120 is turned off and rotation of the worm 135 and the worm gear 140 stops. The electric motor 120 may be turned off automatically in response to the engine reaching a threshold speed (e.g., as determined by monitoring the ignition system or spark plug), in response to the user removing the start input (e.g., stops turning the key switch or pushing the start button), after a set period of cranking time (e.g., 5 seconds), etc. Accordingly, an engine speed sensor and/or timer may be included. The engine speed sensor determines the engine speed based on signals from the crankshaft position, ignition system, etc. The timer (e.g., timing circuit) monitors the lapsed time from the start of engine cranking. In response to these signals, the electric motor 120 may be turned off automatically.
The worm 135 and the worm gear 140 are configured to rotate the crankshaft 104 at a lower speed than the rotational speed of the electric motor 120 and thereby produce higher torque at the crankshaft 104 than at the electric motor 120. Compared to conventional starter motors mounted to the engine block, this permits the use of a higher-speed, lighter, and more compact electric motor 120, while still producing sufficient torque at the crankshaft 104 to rotate (e.g., crank) the engine 100. For example, the electric motor 120 may be a high-speed motor rated for operation at 12,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) and the worm 135 and worm gear 140 reduce that rotational speed by a gear reduction ratio of 30:1 comparing the rotational speed of the electric motor 120 to the rotational speed of the crankshaft 104, with a resulting rotational speed of the crankshaft 104 of approximately 400 rpm. As another example, the gear reduction ratio may be 45:1, with a resulting gear speed of approximately 267 rpm. In some embodiments, the gear reduction ratio is between 30:1 and 50:1.
The engine 100 may also include a charging system to charge the battery 155. In some embodiments, the charging system includes an alternator to produce electricity. The alternator may be driven directly or indirectly (e.g., by a transmission, belt, chain, etc.) by the crankshaft 104. In other embodiments, other types of charging systems may be used. For example, an ignition coil waste spark charging system may be used in which waste sparks from the ignition coil are harvested to provide charging energy. In some embodiments excess energy from the ignition system is harvested to charge the battery 155. In a magneto or spark ignition system extra energy in the form of ignition sparks or pulses can be harvested and stored in the battery 155. Though a spark-based ignition system is discussed as an example other types of ignition systems are possible. The excess energy of the ignition system may also be sufficient to power the controller or other electrical components included in the engine. After the engine 100 is started, there is a relatively abundant amount of excess energy that can be harvested as electricity. For example, the energy from the two positive pulses or sparks of a four-cycle magneto ignition system can yield about one amp of current. Other types of ignition systems also provide waste energy that could be harvested to power an electronic governor system. In a four-cycle magneto ignition system there is a waste spark on the exhaust stroke of the cylinder. In such a system, the two positive pulses or sparks and the waste negative pulse or spark could all be harvested. As another example, a charge coil for a capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) system can be used as a charging system for the battery 155.
In some embodiments, the electric starting system 110 further includes a controller 143 (
Alternatively, or in addition to the first soft start, the controller 143 can be arranged in communication with a load sensor coupled to or arranged to monitor the electric motor 120. In some embodiments, the load sensor is a current sensor arranged to sense current consumed by the electric motor 120 and provide a signal indicative of the consumed current to the controller 143. The controller 143 controls the electric motor 120 so that the worm 135 rotates at a relatively slow speed while the current consumption of the electric motor 120 is constant. In some embodiments, the relatively slow speed is maintained while the current draw is below an engagement threshold or within an engagement range of current draws. When the controller 143 recognizes a spike or a significant increase in current draw by the electric motor 120 (e.g., the engagement threshold current is exceeded), then the speed of the electric motor 120 is increased until the electric motor is operating at its full rated speed.
The construction and arrangements of the starter system for an engine, as shown in the various exemplary embodiments, are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Some elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process, logical algorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. While certain combinations of features and methods of operation are recited in the claims, other combinations of features and method steps are contemplated. This disclosure is intended to provide support for all combinations of features explicitly recited and not explicitly recited.
This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/259,049, filed on Jan. 8, 2021, which is a National Stage Application of PCT Application No. PCT/US2018/041756, filed on Feb. 5, 2021, the both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3536051 | Hamman | Oct 1970 | A |
4887476 | Yokoyama | Dec 1989 | A |
5072627 | Horiye | Dec 1991 | A |
5838085 | Roesel, Jr. | Nov 1998 | A |
5990590 | Roesel, Jr. | Nov 1999 | A |
6240889 | Kuwabara | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6531787 | Koelle | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6826895 | Iida | Dec 2004 | B2 |
7370619 | Berger | May 2008 | B2 |
7650865 | Kohls | Jan 2010 | B2 |
8258639 | Labbe | Sep 2012 | B2 |
8655526 | Schwenke | Feb 2014 | B2 |
8878481 | Connelly | Nov 2014 | B2 |
9394873 | Fujita | Jul 2016 | B2 |
9771915 | Hirabayashi | Sep 2017 | B2 |
10263485 | Koenen | Apr 2019 | B2 |
10539112 | Meyer | Jan 2020 | B2 |
10544772 | Hao | Jan 2020 | B2 |
10690102 | Yoshida | Jun 2020 | B2 |
11085412 | Procknow | Aug 2021 | B2 |
11408326 | Meyer | Aug 2022 | B2 |
11490566 | Hasegawa | Nov 2022 | B2 |
20020163197 | Koelle | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20030037525 | Iida | Feb 2003 | A1 |
20070296223 | Saylor | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20080066707 | Berger | Mar 2008 | A1 |
20090267553 | Labbe | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20120119516 | Connelly | May 2012 | A1 |
20120179312 | Schwenke | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20120209501 | Turnback | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20140076259 | Fujita | Mar 2014 | A1 |
20150354523 | Hirabayashi | Dec 2015 | A1 |
20170204829 | Hannah | Jul 2017 | A1 |
20180175691 | Koenen | Jun 2018 | A1 |
20180180012 | Yoshida | Jun 2018 | A1 |
20190101092 | Meyer | Apr 2019 | A1 |
20190323472 | Hao | Oct 2019 | A1 |
20200116117 | Procknow | Apr 2020 | A1 |
20200124013 | Koenen | Apr 2020 | A1 |
20200315090 | Hasegawa | Oct 2020 | A1 |
20210270225 | Meyer | Sep 2021 | A1 |
20210363955 | Procknow | Nov 2021 | A1 |
20220042474 | Chen | Feb 2022 | A1 |
20220042487 | Chen | Feb 2022 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
101275531 | Oct 2008 | CN |
100510385 | Jul 2009 | CN |
102333946 | Jan 2012 | CN |
102465812 | May 2012 | CN |
102481926 | May 2012 | CN |
102483025 | May 2012 | CN |
102483025 | May 2012 | CN |
103597200 | Feb 2014 | CN |
102333946 | Oct 2014 | CN |
105275703 | Jan 2016 | CN |
102465812 | Aug 2016 | CN |
103597200 | Aug 2016 | CN |
103958309 | Aug 2016 | CN |
105275703 | Jun 2018 | CN |
110397539 | Nov 2019 | CN |
111788939 | Oct 2020 | CN |
110397539 | Apr 2021 | CN |
107630777 | Aug 2021 | CN |
10 2006 025 439 | Dec 2006 | DE |
102006025439 | Dec 2006 | DE |
10 2009 029 207 | Mar 2011 | DE |
102009029207 | Mar 2011 | DE |
10 2011 085 625 | May 2012 | DE |
102011085625 | May 2012 | DE |
10 2012 000 036 | Jul 2012 | DE |
102012000036 | Jul 2012 | DE |
10 2012 000 036 | Oct 2015 | DE |
102012000036 | Oct 2015 | DE |
10 2015 108 249 | Dec 2015 | DE |
102015108249 | Dec 2015 | DE |
10 2017 116 180 | Jan 2018 | DE |
102017116180 | Jan 2018 | DE |
10 2019 109 803 | Oct 2019 | DE |
102019109803 | Oct 2019 | DE |
0 345 351 | Dec 1989 | EP |
0 364 118 | Apr 1990 | EP |
364118 | Apr 1990 | EP |
0 407 694 | Jan 1991 | EP |
1 646 103 | Apr 2006 | EP |
2 110 544 | Oct 2009 | EP |
2110544 | Oct 2009 | EP |
2 239 455 | Oct 2010 | EP |
2239455 | Oct 2010 | EP |
2 754 883 | Jul 2014 | EP |
2754883 | Jul 2014 | EP |
2 239 455 | Aug 2015 | EP |
2239455 | Aug 2015 | EP |
3 085 948 | Oct 2016 | EP |
3085948 | Oct 2016 | EP |
2 288 805 | May 2017 | EP |
2288805 | May 2017 | EP |
3 211 213 | Aug 2017 | EP |
3821121 | May 2021 | EP |
3821121 | Mar 2022 | EP |
2563689 | Nov 1985 | FR |
2930001 | Oct 2009 | FR |
2930002 | Oct 2009 | FR |
2944067 | Oct 2010 | FR |
2952130 | May 2011 | FR |
2 485 375 | May 2012 | GB |
2485375 | May 2012 | GB |
2002-188548 | Jul 2002 | JP |
2002188548 | Jul 2002 | JP |
2004-028010 | Jan 2004 | JP |
2004028010 | Jan 2004 | JP |
3942401 | Jul 2007 | JP |
4001331 | Oct 2007 | JP |
4004872 | Nov 2007 | JP |
4188820 | Dec 2008 | JP |
2015-229944 | Dec 2015 | JP |
2015229944 | Dec 2015 | JP |
2021-161880 | Oct 2021 | JP |
2021161880 | Oct 2021 | JP |
6978539 | Dec 2021 | JP |
20060065050 | Jun 2006 | KR |
WO-9534117 | Dec 1995 | WO |
WO-9534117 | Dec 1995 | WO |
WO-0196735 | Dec 2001 | WO |
WO-0196735 | Dec 2001 | WO |
WO-2008156478 | Dec 2008 | WO |
WO-2008156478 | Dec 2008 | WO |
WO-2009138624 | Nov 2009 | WO |
WO-2009138624 | Nov 2009 | WO |
WO-2011026672 | Mar 2011 | WO |
WO-2011026672 | Mar 2011 | WO |
WO-2013035168 | Mar 2013 | WO |
WO-2013035168 | Mar 2013 | WO |
WO-2014205247 | Dec 2014 | WO |
WO-2017189912 | Nov 2017 | WO |
WO-2017189912 | Nov 2017 | WO |
WO-2020013825 | Jan 2020 | WO |
WO-2020013825 | Jan 2020 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Extended European Search Report and Written Opinion regarding European Patent Application No. 22193554.7, dated Dec. 2, 2022, 7 pps. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20220381176 A1 | Dec 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 17259049 | US | |
Child | 17882716 | US |