Patent Application
20060053913
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This invention relates to parts for internal combustion engines more specifically to components for engine starter systems.
Internal combustion engines are use for powering many forms of personal transportation.
Cars, trucks and motorcycles use engines to provide mobile power for transportation in all parts of the world.
Internal combustion engines usually have an output shaft that is connected to a flywheel on the outside of the engine.
Starting internal combustion engines starts with engaging the flywheel and turning it to cause the engine to start. Usually the starting device is connected to the gear assembly to give better leverage to output shaft causing the engine to turn over.
Early engines used a manual start device in the form of a crank or kick start connected to the flywheel with a one-way connection to allow the user to engage the crank with their arm or foot to turn the crank thus turning the flywheel and causing the combustion cycle to begin. This was dangerous as it usually put the user in a mechanical connection to the engine. A back fire or lurch of the engine caused by misfiring the fuel at the improper position of the piston could cause injury to the person starting the engine.
An electric starter assembly was designed to use electric motors to engage the flywheel and turn the crankshaft to initiate the combustion cycle. The electric starter assembly uses a pinion gear on the electric starter drive shaft to engage the flywheel. A requirement of the electric starter assembly was while the engine was running, the starter motor must be disengaged from the engine. To achieve this the pinion gear of the starter motor must be axially displaced from a rest position to an engagement position to engage the flywheel. Upon starting the engine, the pinion gear must return to the non-engaged position. The most common system used for axial translation of the starter is called a BENDIX type system wherein the pinion gear slidably moves along the starter drive shaft to engage the flywheel while starting. The pinion gear is biased in the non-engagement position by a spring assembly to return to the non-engagement position. A solenoid or gear motor is used to engage the pinion gear and move it along the shaft of the starter motor to engage the flywheel. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,139 by Mazzorana, herein incorporated in its entirety, a small motor is used to move the pinion gear into engagement with the flywheel. Alternatively, a solenoid assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,270 to McRoy, herein incorporated in its entirety, to engage the pinion gear and sequentially engage the starter motor.
The mechanical linkage between the solenoid and the pinion gear gives a mechanical advantage to overcome the spring bias and move the pinion gear to the engagement position. When the solenoid is in the energized position and the pinion gear is in the engagement position an electrical contact is made between the battery and the starter motor to cause the starter motor to spin thus turning the flywheel and starting the engine.
A one way clutch is used to prevent the flywheel from overturning the starter motor and back driving the starter motor causing damage.
The solenoid is energized by a starter relay making electrical connection between the battery and the solenoid. A start button or a start position on the key switch engages the starter relay.
The disadvantage of these systems is that the solenoid is subjected to shock and vibration during the operating period of the engine. Furthermore the starter relay is also subjected to such shock and vibration. These components may fail often while the vehicle is being used on rough terrain. The problem is especially prevalent on motorcycles which may be used on rougher terrain or have less shock absorbing capabilities.
Therefore there is a need to provide an alternate device and method of engaging the starter to start the engine in case of a failure of the starter relay or solenoid.
It is therefore and object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus to utilize the electric starter for starting an internal combustion engine.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can be produced at a relatively low cost.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can be retrofitted to existing starter systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that can be used with an existing starter system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can be used in combination with existing starter systems.
another object of the present invention is and apparatus that is adjustable to adapt to different existing starter assemblies.
The present invention provides an alternate method and apparatus for using the electric starter motor to start an internal combustion engine. The apparatus is mounted on a starter assembly for mechanically engaging an electrical solenoid without energizing the solenoid coil.
A motorcycle 10 having an engine 12 and gearbox 14 is shown in
Referring to
The second electrical connection 28 is connected to the battery and the first electrical connection 26 is connected to the switch 30 on the solenoid 32. The pinion gear 24 is slidable from a non-engaged position 34 to an engaged position 33 (
The solenoid 32 on the assembly 16 has a case 34, an armature 36, a coil 38 connected between the case 34 and the armature 36. The switch 30 has a first electrical contact 32 and a second electrical contact 35 The case 34 has an end cap 37 and an armature cap 39.
The first electrical contact 32 is connected to the armature 36 and connected to the first electrical connection 26 on the starter motor and to the battery (not shown). The second electrical contact 35 on the case 34 is connected to an alternate pole of the battery (not shown). The switch makes the connection between the electrical contacts 32, 35 when the coil 38 creates a magnetic field causing the armature 36 to move axially from a rest position 40 to an actuated position 42 (
A pivot lever 44 is pivotably mounted on the assembly 16. The pivot lever 44 has a solenoid end 46 on the armature 36 and a gear end 47 on the pinion gear 24. A pivot point 48 on the assembly 16 connects the pivot lever 44 to translate the motion of the armature 36 to the pinion gear 24. The pinion gear 24 is supported by a one-way bearing 50 that slidably engages the drive shaft 22. The lever 44 is configured to position the pinion gear 24 in the non-engaging position 34 when the armature 36 is in the rest position 40 and pivoting about the pivot point 48 when the armature 36 is moved to slide the pinion gear 24 into the engaged position 33 (
A mechanical actuator 60 is mounted on the end cap 37 in
The mechanical actuator 60 further comprises a spring retainer 80 mounted on the drive rod between the handle and a spring 82. The spring 82 bears against the rod tube 84 mounted on the base 86. The base 86 is the end cap 37 modified to accept the mechanical actuator 60. The rod tube 84 has a cylindrical hollow inner surface 86 for slidably receiving the drive rod 62.
The spiral rod drive 78 comprises a first rod guide 88 formed in the rod tube 84 extending from the inner surface 86. A mating first helical slot 87 is formed in the outer surface 76 of the drive rod. A second rod guide 90 (
The handle 64 is configured to move the drive rod 62 axially between a start position 92 (
Referring to
Referring to
The base 86 is shown having a cylindrical inner surface 86 and a plurality of rod guides 88, 90 are formed extending from the inner surface to engage the helical slots 87, 89 on the outer surface 76 of the drive rod 62. The base 86 has a mounting surface 102 to mount to the solenoid case 34. The mounting hole pattern on the base 86 is the same as the mounting hole pattern for the end cap that was removed. It should be understood, the end cap may be modified to accommodate the mechanical actuator 60 or the end cap 37 may be removed and disposed of and replaced with a mechanical actuator 60 having a base that mounts on the solenoid to replace the end cap 37 and add the functionality of the present invention.
A depth adjuster 104 is threadably mounted on the armature end 72 of the drive rod 62. The depth adjuster is adjusted to accommodate different clearance between the base and the end of the armature 36 in different manufacturers' solenoids.
In operation, the end cap 37 is removed from the solenoid case 34 and replaced by the mechanical actuator 60 of the present invention. The clearance is checked when the solenoid is at the rest position 40 and the spring 82 has pushed to drive rod 62 in its outward position. The drive rod is held in the base by one of the guides 88, 90 bearing against the closed distal end 106 of the helical slot 87, 89.
The mechanical actuator is assembled by threadably attaching the adjuster 104 to the armature end 72 of the drive rod. The drive rod 62 is inserted into the base from the mounting surface 102 side while making sure to engage the plurality of guides 88, 90 into the plurality of helical slots 87, 89. The spring 82 is placed over the handle end of the drive rod 62 and the spring retainer placed on top of the spring. The handle 64 is attached to the drive rod 62 to hold the spring retainer and spring in place.
The mounting surface 102 is placed on the solenoid case 34 and clearance is checked between the armature end of the drive rod 62 and the armature 36. The depth adjuster 104 is used to extend from the armature end of the drive rod to minimize the gap between the drive rod 62 with depth adjuster 104 extended and the armature 36. This adjustment minimizes the excess travel required by the drive rod to move the armature into the actuated position 42.
When the proper adjustment has been made to the depth adjuster 104 a commercially available thread lock 108 is applied to hold the depth adjuster in place. The base 86 is attached to the solenoid case 34 using the same or similar but longer threaded fasteners used to hold the end cap 37.
The engine may be started by turning the ignition on and actuating the handle 64 to cause the drive rod 62 to engage the armature 36 driving the pinion gear into the engaged position 36 and closing the contacts 32, 35 to excite the starter motor 20 turning the flywheel and starting the engine.
The rod guides may be pressed into the wall of the rod tube or welded on to the inner surface of the rod tube or otherwise formed to extend into the interior cylindrical area of the rod tube 84 to engage the helical slots in the drive rod.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
