Cold-weather starting strategy using an alternator-starter in a vehicle having a belt driven by an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654484-B2
Application number	US-201716082428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A starting strategy for a power train of a motor vehicle including an internal combustion engine fitted with a drive shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, an alternator-starter, a first pulley that is designed to be driven in rotation by the drive shaft, a pulley that is rigidly connected to a shaft of the alternator-starter, a belt encircling said two pulleys, and a coupling/decoupling system between the first pulley and the drive shaft of the engine, characterized in that the starting strategy includes a preparation procedure for said belt in cold weather.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A starting method for a power train of a motor vehicle including an internal combustion engine fitted with a drive shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, an alternator-starter, a first pulley configured to be driven in rotation by the drive shaft, a second pulley rigidly connected to a shaft of the alternator-starter, a belt encircling said two pulleys, and a coupling/decoupling system between the first pulley and the drive shaft of the engine, the starting method comprising:
a preparation procedure for said belt in cold weather, the preparation procedure comprising a cleaning phase for the belt that includes:
decoupling the first pulley from the drive shaft of the engine to prevent resistance to rotation, and
operating the alternator-starter in drive mode for a set duration to drive the belt and the first pulley while the first pulley is decoupled from the drive shaft.

2. The starting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a verification phase of a set of trigger conditions for the preparation procedure, said trigger conditions include receiving a temperature measurement below a temperature threshold and measuring a time since the last cleaning of the belt above a time threshold.

3. The starting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the preparation procedure includes a timing phase after the cleaning phase.

4. The starting method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the timing phase includes a coupling of the first pulley with the drive shaft of the engine.

5. The starting method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the timing phase includes a driver information procedure.

6. The starting method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the timing phase precedes a starting phase of the engine using the alternator-starter.

7. A power train of a motor vehicle comprising:
an internal combustion engine fitted with a drive shaft extending along a longitudinal axis,
an alternator-starter,
a first pulley that is configured to be driven by the drive shaft,
a second pulley that is rigidly connected to a shaft of the alternator-starter,
a belt encircling said pulleys,
a coupling/decoupling system between the first pulley and the drive shaft, and
an electronic control unit configured to start said engine via a starting method including a preparation procedure for said belt in cold weather,
the preparation procedure comprising a cleaning phase for the belt that comprises:
decoupling the first pulley from the drive shaft of the engine to prevent resistance to rotation, and
operating the alternator-starter in a drive mode for a set duration to drive the belt and the first pulley while the first pulley is decoupled from the drive shaft.

8. The power train as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first pulley comprises a switchable pulley.

9. The power train as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first pulley is held at the end of a shaft that is constrained to rotate with the drive shaft and that has a tooth.

10. The power train as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first switchable pulley is attached to and extends one end of the drive shaft.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Millon Jean-Pierre
• Der Matheossian Jean-Yves

Classifications

• F16H9/26

  with members having orbital motion · CPC title

• F16H7/00

  Gearings for conveying rotary motion by endless flexible members (specific for conveying rotary motion with variable gear ratio or for reversing rotary motion F16H9/00) · CPC title

• F16H7/02

  with belts; with V-belts · CPC title

• F02N11/04

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title

• B60K6/26

  characterised by the motors or the generators · CPC title