Machine element or mechanism – Engine starters – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-03-20
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Engine starters
Automatic
C074S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift lever assembly for application to an electric starter motor for starting an engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric starter motor includes: a starter motor for generating a torque; a planetary reduction assembly for reducing and outputting the torque from the starter motor; an overrunning clutch spline-fitted onto an output shaft of the planetary reduction assembly; a pinion integrated with the overrunning clutch slidably disposed on the output shaft; and an electromagnetic switch for controlling the passage of current to the starter motor and for pushing the pinion together with the overrunning clutch towards a ring gear of an engine by means of a shift lever assembly.
FIG. 12
is an exploded perspective of a conventional shift lever assembly for an electric starter motor, such as that described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-28311, for example.
In
FIG. 12
, the shift lever assembly
50
includes: a lever holder
51
for securing to a front bracket (not shown); a shift lever
53
rotatably supported in the lever holder
51
by means of a pivot pin
52
; and a torsion coil spring
54
connected to the shift lever
53
and a hook on a magnetic switch (not shown) so as to be able to impart actuating torque to the shift lever
53
, elastically deforming when subjected to a torsional torque above a predetermined value.
The shift lever
53
includes: a first arm
53
a
for engaging an overrunning clutch (not shown); a forked second arm
53
b
extending in the opposite direction from the first arm
53
a
for supporting portions of both ends of the pivot pin
52
in a pair of pin bores
53
d
on either side; and a bridge portion
53
c
connecting the forked portions of the second arm
53
b
in the vicinity of the pin bores
53
d.
The torsion coil spring
54
includes: a coil portion
54
c
inserted with enough play so as not to contact the pivot pin
52
; and first and second engaging arms
54
a
and
54
b
extending from the coil portion
54
c
in mutually opposite directions. The first engaging arm
54
a
engages with the rear surface of the first arm
53
a.
The lever holder
51
has a pair of arm portions
51
a
and
51
b
for holding the shift lever
53
on either side, pin bores
51
c
and
51
d
for supporting both ends of the pivot pin
52
being disposed in the arm portions
51
a
and
51
b
. One pin bore
51
c
is formed with approximately the same diameter as the pivot pin
52
, and the other pin bore
51
d
is formed with a smaller diameter than the pivot pin
52
.
To assemble a shift lever assembly
50
constructed in this manner, the torsion coil spring
54
is mounted on the shift lever
53
by first supporting the outer circumference of the coil portion
54
c
of the torsion coil spring
54
against the front surface of the bridge portion
53
c
, then engaging the first engaging arm
54
a
against the rear surface of the first arm
53
a
while applying a predetermined torsional torque to the coil portion
54
c
as a set load, and additionally placing the second engaging arm
54
b
in contact with the rear surfaces of the forked second arm
53
b
so as to span the two.
Next, the shift lever
53
is inserted between the pair of arms
51
a
and
51
b
of the lever holder
51
such that the pin bores
53
d
and the pin bores
51
c
and
51
d
align. Then, the pivot pin
52
is inserted from the pin bore
51
c
, through the pin bores
53
d
, and pressed into the pin bore
51
d
, mounting the shift lever
53
to the lever holder
51
to complete assembly of the shift lever assembly
50
.
Then, the shift lever assembly
50
is mounted to the electric starter motor by securing the lever holder
51
to the front bracket.
Because the conventional shift lever assembly for an electric starter motor is constructed in this manner, one problem has been that there are many parts and the shape of the parts is complex, making it difficult to reduce costs.
Because the pivot pin
52
has been prevented from dislodging by pressing the pivot pin
52
into the pin bore
51
d
, another problem has been that strict precision has been required in the diameter of the pin bore
51
d
, also making it difficult to reduce costs.
Yet another problem has been difficult assembly because of the need to apply torsional torque to the torsion coil spring
54
while mounting the torsion coil spring on the shift lever
53
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide a shift lever assembly for an electric starter motor enabling reductions in the number of parts, simplification of the shapes of the parts, reductions in cost, and improvements to assembly.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shift lever assembly for an electric starter motor for transmitting the actuating force of a plunger of an electromagnetic switch to an overrunning clutch spline-fitted onto an output shaft driven by the rotation of a starter motor, the shift lever assembly including:
a shift lever having a fulcrum portion provided with a pair of pin bores for supporting portions of both ends of a pin, a first arm portion extending from one side of the fulcrum portion in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the pair of pin bores, a second arm portion for engaging the overrunning clutch extending from the other side of the fulcrum portion in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the pair of pin bores, and a housing recess formed from a root portion of the second arm portion across to the first arm portion so as to be open on one side in a direction perpendicular to both the axis of the pair of pin bores and the direction of extension of the first and second arm portions; and
a lever spring housed within the housing recess such that a first end thereof is placed in contact with a surface at the tip of the first arm portion and a second end thereof is placed in contact with the floor of the housing recess at the end nearest to the root portion of the second arm portion, the lever spring being bent towards the floor of the housing recess and elastically held against the shift lever by the pin inserted into the pair of pin bores, and the first end thereof engaging a hook on the plunger.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3283595 (1966-11-01), Inagaki
patent: 4116077 (1978-09-01), Mazzorana
patent: 4294129 (1981-10-01), Mazzorana
patent: 4637267 (1987-01-01), Mazzorana
patent: 4779470 (1988-10-01), Morita et al.
patent: 923883 (1954-07-01), None
patent: 57-148058 (1982-09-01), None
Kuragaki Akira
Shiroyama Shigeru
Bucci David A.
Joyce William C
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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