Patent ID: 8079340
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: F02N,H01H,H02P

Abstract:
1. A system for cranking, according to an occurrence of an engine restart request, a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine that has been automatically controlled for stop thereof in response to an engine automatic stop request to thereby restart the internal combustion engine, the crankshaft having a ring gear attached thereto, the system comprising: a starter provided with a motor working to, when energized, rotatably drive an output shaft with a pinion and an actuator working to, when energized, shift the pinion toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear; a power supply electrically connected to the motor and operative to output electrical power; a first mechanical relay electrically connected between the power supply and the motor and working to turn on and off a supply of a current based on the electrical power to the motor for rotating the pinion; a switching element electrically connected across the first mechanical relay and working to turn on and off the supply of the current to the motor for rotating the pinion; a second mechanical relay electrically connected between the power supply and the actuator and working to turn on and off the supply of the current to the actuator for shifting the pinion; and a circuit selecting unit placed between the switching element and the starter and configured to provide selectively one of: a first circuit in which the switching element is electrically connected in parallel to the first mechanical relay; and a second circuit in which the switching element is electrically connected in parallel to the second mechanical relay.