Idle stop control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502848-B2
Application number	US-201213985777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2012
Priority date	Feb 16, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is an idle stop control device that automatically shuts down an engine when a first condition is satisfied, and then restarts the engine using a starter to which electricity is fed through a brush when a second condition is satisfied, the idle stop control device including a start-operation brush wear amount computing unit that is configured to compute a brush wear amount in a single start operation, a total brush wear amount computing unit that is configured to compute a total brush wear amount by integrating the brush wear amount in a single start operation, and an automatic engine shutdown prohibiting unit that is configured to prohibit an automatic engine shutdown when the total brush wear amount is equal to or larger than a warranty driving wear amount of the starter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An idle stop control device that automatically shuts down an engine when a first condition is satisfied, and then restarts the engine using a starter to which electricity is led through a brush when a second condition is satisfied, the idle stop control device comprising:
a start-operation brush wear amount computing unit that is configured to compute a brush wear amount in a single start operation;
a total brush wear amount computing unit that is configured to compute a total brush wear amount by integrating the brush wear amount in a single start operation; and
an automatic engine shutdown prohibiting unit that is configured to prohibit an automatic engine shutdown when the total brush wear amount is equal to or larger than the warranty driving wear amount of the starter,
wherein the start-operation brush wear amount computing unit estimates the brush wear amount in a single start operation based on a difference voltage (ΔV) occurring in a battery voltage by applying a voltage to the starter in a single start operation.

2. The idle stop control device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the brush wear amount in a single start operation is estimated based on the difference voltage obtained by applying a voltage to the starter in a single start operation, the start-operation brush wear amount computing unit estimates that the brush wear amount in a single start operation increases as the difference voltage increases.

3. An idle stop control device that automatically shuts down an engine when a first condition is satisfied, and then restarts the engine using a starter to which electricity is fed through a brush when a second condition is satisfied, the idle stop control device comprising:
a count equivalent value setting unit that is configured to set a count equivalent value based on a brush wear amount in a single start operation;
a total restart count computing unit that is configured to compute a value obtained by integrating the count equivalent value as a total start count of the starter; and
an automatic engine shutdown prohibiting unit that is configured to prohibit an automatic engine shutdown when the total start count of the starter is equal to or greater than the warranty driving count of the starter,
wherein the count equivalent value setting unit estimates the brush wear amount in a single start operation based on a difference voltage (ΔV) occurring in a battery voltage by applying a voltage to the starter in a single start operation.

4. An idle stop control device that automatically shuts down an engine when a first condition is satisfied, and then restarts the engine using a starter to which electricity is fed through a brush when a second condition is satisfied, the idle stop control device comprising:
a start-operation brush wear amount computing means for computing a brush wear amount in a single start operation;
a total brush wear amount computing means for computing a total brush wear amount by integrating the brush wear amount in a single start operation; and
an automatic engine shutdown prohibiting means for prohibiting an automatic engine shutdown when the total brush wear amount is equal to or larger than the warranty driving wear amount of the starter,
wherein the start-operation brush wear amount computing means estimates the brush wear amount in a single start operation based on a difference voltage (ΔV) occurring in a battery voltage by applying a voltage to the starter in a single start operation.

5. An idle stop control device that automatically shuts down an engine when a first condition is satisfied, and then restarts the engine using a starter to which electricity is fed through a brush when a second condition is satisfied, the idle stop control device comprising:
a count equivalent value setting means for setting a count equivalent value based on a brush wear amount in a single start operation;
a total restart count computing means for computing a value obtained by integrating the count equivalent value as a total start count of the starter; and
an automatic engine shutdown prohibiting means for prohibiting an automatic engine shutdown when the total start count of the starter is equal to or greater than the warranty driving count of the starter,
wherein the count equivalent value setting means estimates the brush wear amount in a single start operation based on a difference voltage (ΔV) occurring in a battery voltage by applying a voltage to the starter in a single start operation.

Assignees

• Nakamura Koin
• Okuma Satoru
• Imamura Fumihiko
• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Nakamura Koin
• Okuma Satoru
• Imamura Fumihiko

Classifications

• F02N15/067

  the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever · CPC title

• F02N11/0818

  Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode · CPC title

• H01R39/58 Primary

  Means structurally associated with the current collector for indicating condition thereof, e.g. for indicating brush wear · CPC title

• G05B19/4065

  Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition · CPC title

• Y02T10/48

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic