APPARATUS FOR STARTING ENGINE MOUNTED ON-VEHICLE

摘要

In a starter for starting an on-vehicle engine, a solenoid is provided to push a pinion gear. The solenoid has an electromagnetic coil composed of a single coil and electrically separated from a motor circuit, a fixed core, and a plunger. Supply of excitation current to the electromagnetic coil allows the fixed core to be magnetized to attract the plunger. Hence, a movement of the plunger results in a push of the movable member toward the ring gear. A switch is provided in the circuit and has a contact, a movable core, and a switch coil functioning as an electromagnet attracting the movable core in response to supply of current to the switch coil. A movement of the movable core results in on/off switching operations of the switch. The switch is allowed to operate independently of the solenoid when both the switch and solenoid are controlled.

主权项

1. A starter for a vehicle having an engine with a ring gear, comprising:
an electric motor that generates a torque in response to reception of electric power supplied from a battery via an electric circuit electrically connecting the battery and the motor, the circuit relaying the power; an output shaft that rotates in response to reception of the torque from the motor, the output shaft having a longitudinal direction defined as an axial direction; a movable member having a pinion gear that transmits the torque to the ring gear and being movable on the output shaft together with the pinion gear in the axial direction; a solenoid having an electromagnetic coil composed of a single coil and electrically separated from the circuit, a fixed core, and a plunger, supply of excitation current to the electromagnetic coil allowing the fixed core to be magnetized to attract the plunger so that a movement of the plunger results in a push of the movable member toward the ring gear in the axial direction; and a switch which is provided in the circuit and which has a contact, a movable core, and a switch coil functioning as an electromagnet attracting the movable core in response to supply of current to the switch coil, a movement of the movable core resulting in on/off switching operations of the switch, the switch being allowed to operate independently of the solenoid when both the switch and solenoid are controlled.