This invention relates to a starter with radial drive engagement assembly, more particularly, a starter motor used for starting an IC engines. The starter is switched on and off by a solenoid, usually integrally mounted on the starter bracket.

The advantages of this invention are solenoid travel and force are less and therefore a compact solenoid can be used. Pinion engaging and disengaging operations take less time. The noise is less as the backlash and the clearance between pinion and ring gear are less and consequently efficiency is better.

This invention enables the pinion to engage with ring gear radially by solenoid movement.

In the known art, the starter uses the force of attraction produced by a magnetic switch to move a pinion axially to engage with an engine ring gear, thereby starting an engine by the rotational driving force of the motor. When the ignition key switch is turned on, a battery energizes the magnetic switch which attracts a plunger, thereby closing the normally open internal contacts of the magnetic switch. When the internal contacts are closed, the motor is energized causing its rotational driving force to be transmitted to the engine through a roller clutch, pinion and ring gear, to start the engine.

This invention relates to a starter in which the solenoid closes the contacts of the starter motor and pulls the swing plate and causes the pinion shaft to engage into ring gear radially as shown in Fig.2. The motor starts to rotate the drive shaft and hence the journal shaft. The journal shaft and the gear assembled on it rotate. This rotates the meshed intermediate gear which is assembled on the pinion shaft. The pinion shaft and the pinion assembled on it rotate to drive the ring gear.

This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, and not by way of limitation, one of possible embodiments of the starter proposed herein, wherein

Fig. 1 is a front view, shown in isolation of a starter motor of the system.

Fig.2 is a sectional view of the direct drive starter motor taken along a line A-A in Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a sectional view of the direct drive starter motor taken along a line B-B in Fig.1.

Fig.4 is an alternate embodiment of the starter with radial drive engagement assembly with gear reduction starter from Fig.2.

Fig.5 is an alternate embodiment of the starter with radial drive engagement assembly with gear reduction starter and over running clutch at armature shaft from Fig.2.

A starter motor assembly (01) that includes a fixing bracket (24). An electrical motor (03) is provided inside yoke (02) and CE bracket(17) that has a rotatable armature shaft (04) that is linked with a sleeve(21). A pinion(06) assembly is provided that is engageable at one end with the drive shaft through journal shaft(25), center gear(07) and intermediate gear(08) and at the other end engageable with a flywheel of an engine. A solenoid assembly(11) is provided for selectively energizing the electrical motor(03). The solenoid assembly(l 1) is perpendicular to the plate 1(12) and plate 2(13). The solenoid assembly includes a plunger (14) having a bore(15). The plunger (14) is engageable with the pinion (06) assembly to move the pinion(06) assembly including the intermediate gear (08), pinion shaft (16) and pinion (06) into engagement with the flywheel. The plunger(14) is also engageable with a movable contact(l 8) to move the moveable contact to electrically connect with a pair of fixed contacts(19). A plunger return spring(20) is provided that is positioned at least in part within the bore(15) of the plunger(14) of the solenoid assembly(ll) for moving the pinion(06) assembly including the pinion (06) away from engagement with the flywheel. Energization of the solenoid assembly(ll) moves the plunger(14) to move the pinion(06) assembly to engage the pinion(06) with the flywheel.

Upon deenergization of the solenoid assembly(l 1), the plunger(14) is retracted independently due to centrifugal force created by the flywheel and ring gear and thereby break the electrical connection between the moveable contact(18) and the fixed contacts(19) before the plunger return spring(20) and contact return spring(10 ) moves the pinion(06) assembly to move the pinion away from engagement with the flywheel.

The rotatable armature shaft (04) assembled to a sleeve(21). The inter bracket(22) assembled between yoke(02) and fixing bracket(24) guides the sleeve(21) and withstand the load exerted on the sleeve(21). The journal shaft(25) has center gear(07), armature shaft one end(04) is supported inside the journal shaft(25) and the other end is supported inside the CE bracket(17) by the bush(05), journal shaft engages with drive to rotate, loads acting on journal shaft end is supported in the fixing bracket(24), two swing plates 1(12) and 2(13) assembled on journal shaft(25). The pinion shaft(16) has intermediate gear(08) and pinion(06) rotates about the center of journal shaft(25) to engage into ring gear(26). Swing plates(12) and (13) are assembled on pinion shaft(16). Bush(27) assembled on plate 1(12), needle roller bearing(28) assembled on plate 2(13) withstand the load exerted on the pinion shaft(16). The pinion(06) assembled on pinion shaft(16) projects out from the fixing bracket(24) to facilitate to fit the starter into a vehicle. The two swing plates(12) and (13) assembled on two shafts viz., journal shaft(25), pinion shaft(16) to permit the rotation of pinion shaft(16) coaxially about the journal shaft(25) and to transmit the linear movement of operating rod(29) into a radial movement of pinion shaft(16). The operating rod(29) one end is assembled to two swing plates(12) and (13) and another end is assembled inside the plunger(14). The plate(30) is assembled between fixing bracket(24) and the solenoid to assemble solenoid assembly(11 ) into a fixing bracket(24). The solenoid assembly(l 1) is having the air gap equivalent to a linear movement of a operating rod(29) and linear movement of a operating rod is converted into a radial movement of a swing plate depending on the included angle of a swing plate.

The fixing bracket(24) is having the solenoid assembly(11 ) fixing arrangement whose axis is perpendicular to the swing plate, slot for accomodation of movement of plunger(14), vehicle fixing arrangement(23), pinion(06) projects out from the fixing bracket(24), elongated slot for radial movement of pinion shaft(16), bolt(09) is assembled to assemble CE bracket(17) and fixing bracket(24), ribs around the circumference of the housing of fixing bracket(24), bush fitment arrangement inside the fixing bracket(24) to support end load of journal shaft(25).

In another embodiment of this invention the motor is coupled to a planetary gear reduction system as shown in Fig.4. Planetary gear output shaft (35) is engaged with journal shaft(25). Planetary gear reduction system contains sun gear (36), planetary gear (34), annulus (33), output shaft (35), output bush(37), cover plate (31), annulus housing (32), bush(38) in the annulus housing and seal(39) in the annulus housing. Annulus housing (32) is assembled between yoke (02) and fixing bracket (24).

In yet another embodiment of this invention an over running clutch and gear reduction system are assembled between motor and radially engaging pinion assembly as shown in

Fig.5. The motor is assembled to over running clutch(43), shaft(42) is engaged to planetary gear output shaft, cover plate(40) is assembled with bush(41) to withstand the load acting on the shaft(42).

It will be appreciated that various other embodiments of this invention are possible without departing from the scope and ambit of this invention.

We claim:

1. A starter with radial drive engagement assembly for an IC engine, comprising a motor, a solenoid assembly for energizing the motor to move the pinion mounted on the pinion shaft of a pinion assembly, to engage with, and drive, the ring gear of the engine, characterised by means for lowering, and raising, the pinion shaft on to, and above, the said ring gear, the pinion shaft, when so lowered, causing the pinion to radially engage with, to drive, the ring gear, and when so raised causing the pinion to disengage from the ring gear.

2. A starter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the motor is coupled to a planetary gear reduction system.

3. A starter as claimed in claim 1 wherein over running clutch and planetary gear reduction system are assembled between motor and pinion assembly.

4. A starter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pinion assembly is engageable at one end with the drive shaft and at the other end with the flywheel of the engine, the solenoid assembly being provided for selectively energizing the said motor.

5. A starter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the solenoid assembly includes a plunger having a bore, the plunger being engageable with the pinion assembly to move the pinion assembly including the pinion shaft and pinion into engagement with the flywheel of the engine, the plunger being also engageable with a movable contact to move the said contact to electrically connect with a pair of fixed contacts.

6. A starter as claimed in claim 5 wherein a return spring is positioned at least in part within the bore of the plunger of the solenoid assembly for moving the pinion assembly including the pinion away from engagement with the flywheel.

7. A starter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein upon de-energization of the solenoid assembly, the plunger is capable of moving independently of the pinion assembly to thereby break the electrical connection between the moveable contact and the fixed contacts before the return spring moves the pinion assembly to move the pinion away from engagement with the flywheel.

8. A starter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein two swing plates are assembled on journal shaft and pinion shaft to permit the rotation of pinion shaft coaxially about the journal shaft and to transmit the linear movement of an operating rod into a radial movement of pinion shaft.

9. A starter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the solenoid assembly has an air gap equivalent to a linear movement of operating rod and such movement is converted into a radial movement of swing plate depending on the included angle of swing plate.

10. A starter with radial drive engagement assembly substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.