Machine element or mechanism – Engine starters
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-09
2004-11-02
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Engine starters
C123S179100, C123S185100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06810759
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an engine starter suitable for an all-terrain vehicle (hereinafter referred to as ATV) in which the engine sometimes needs to be started by using a recoil device.
ATV known as an off-road vehicle is mainly used for driving over grassy, sandy, or hilly terrain, and road races on such rough terrain by using ATV are commonly held. While driving, the vehicle may go into a puddle or a muddy spot and be stuck therein, with the engine being stalled. ATV is normally provided with an engine starter for immediately starting the engine in such situation.
FIG. 4A
is a front view of a known engine and
FIG. 4B
is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A—A in FIG.
4
A.
FIG. 5
is a cross-sectional side view of a portion where the engine starter
100
including a recoil device
101
and a starter device
102
is mounted.
The recoil device
101
is accommodated within a recoil cover
103
. Within the recoil cover
103
are also encased a flywheel
105
attached to a distal end of a crankshaft
104
, ring gears
106
integrally fixed to the flywheel
105
, and pinions
102
a
which are parts of the starter device
102
and make engagement with the ring gears
106
when the starter device
102
is operated, as shown in
FIG. 5. A
recoil lever
107
is loosely fitted into a recoil guide
108
protruded on an upper part of the recoil cover
103
, and a screwed drain plug
109
is provided at a lower part of the recoil cover
103
as shown in FIG.
4
A.
When the recoil lever
107
is pulled in the direction of the arrow shown in
FIG. 4A
, recoil pulleys
111
are rotated through ropes
110
within the recoil device
101
, whereupon the flywheel
105
are operatively rotated with the recoil pulleys
111
, thereby rotating the crankshaft
104
and causing the engine to start. The ring gears
106
integrally attached to the flywheel
105
are also rotated with the flywheel
105
.
When the vehicle is stuck in a muddy spot or a puddle and the engine stops, by pulling the recoil lever
107
for starting the engine as described above may allow a liquid such as muddy water to enter the recoil cover
103
through a gap G (see
FIG. 4B
) formed between the recoil guide
108
and the ropes
110
. Such muddy water may be spattered around by the rotating ring gears
106
within the recoil cover
103
, causing the pinions
102
a
of the starter device
102
to rust.
A solution to this problem would be to remove muddy water collected inside the recoil cover
103
immediately, followed by adequate rust-resisting treatment. However, with the conventional drain plug
109
, removal of the muddy water entails opening and closing of the plug using a tool, and such operation is often shunned in view of the inconvenience.
Another solution to the problem would be to provide a recoil cover chamber for accommodating the recoil device therein and flywheel cover chamber for encasing the flywheel, the ring gears, and the pinions engaged therewith, and further a cooling fan in some cases, individually, such that a liquid-tight seal is formed between the two chambers. While such structure would be effective to prevent muddy water from entering the flywheel cover chamber, it is undesirable from a physical standpoint of the engine which should be small-sized and light-weighted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an engine starter which solves the problem of rusting of pinions in the starter device induced by a liquid such as muddy water which infiltrates into the cover, while satisfying the physical requirements of small size and light weight of the engine.
Another object of the invention is to provide an engine starter with which the presence of such a liquid within the recoil cover is readily discerned.
To achieve the above-described objects, an engine starter according to a first aspect of the invention includes a recoil device, a ring gear operatively rotated with the recoil device, a recoil cover for accommodating the recoil device and the ring gear therein, a starter device having pinions engaged with the ring gear, and a drain mechanism provided to the recoil cover which enables a liquid such as muddy water which has entered from the recoil cover to be discharged by one-touch operation. The drain mechanism enables any liquid which has entered from the recoil cover to be swiftly removed, whereby the problem of rusting of the pinions of the starter device is solved, while the physical requirements of small size and light weight of the engine also are satisfied.
Drain mechanism which lets a liquid drain by one-touch operation has a structure wherein the liquid within the recoil cover is readily discharged by removing a plug member or the like without using a tool. Thus the drain mechanism if the invention allows easy access to the interior of the recoil cover for removing muddy water and for easy maintenance.
In the engine starter according to a second aspect of the invention, the drain mechanism includes a transparent pipe member attached to the recoil cover, and a plug member fitted to the pipe member. Thereby, the drain mechanism not only permits the muddy water inside the recoil cover to be swiftly removed, but also makes the muddy water present inside the recoil cover readily discernible from outside.
In the engine starter according to a third aspect of the invention, the recoil cover includes a window for allowing the liquid therein to be visible from outside. The liquid such as muddy water which has entered from the recoil cover is therefore discernible from outside. Visual perception of liquid present inside the recoil cover is further facilitated by the provision of such window in addition to the drain mechanism as set forth in the foregoing.
In the engine starter according to a fourth aspect of the invention, the recoil cover includes a compressed air injection hole for introducing compressed air to forcibly discharge the liquid such as muddy water inside the recoil cover, and a lid member for closing the compressed air injection hole. Thereby, muddy water can be quickly and thoroughly removed by forcibly discharging same using the compressed air.
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Bucci David A.
Farber Martin A.
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Smith Julie K.
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