Patent Publication Number: US-11384724-B2

Title: Permanently engaged starter system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/032,706 filed on May 31, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a permanently engaged starter system and, more specifically, to a permanently engaged starter system for use in a vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventional permanently engaged starter systems include a flex plate rotatably coupled to a crankshaft of a vehicle, a clutch rotatably coupled to the flex plate, a ring gear rotatably coupled to the clutch, and a starter motor including a pinion gear rotatably coupled to the ring gear for providing rotational torque to the crankshaft through the clutch and the flex plate. However, conventional permanently engaged starter systems are often costly, occupy substantial space in an engine bay, and are limited in their configurations and orientations within the engine bay. 
     As such, there remains a need to provide an improved permanently engaged starter system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES 
     A permanently engaged starter system for use in a vehicle includes a flex plate. The vehicle includes crankshaft and an engine block. The flex plate extends along and is rotatable about an axis. The flex plate is adapted to be rotatably coupled to the crankshaft. The permanently engaged starter system also includes a one-way clutch including an outer race disposed about the axis and rotatably coupled to the flex plate, and an inner race disposed about the axis and disposed between the outer race and the axis. The permanently engaged starter system further includes a ring gear rotatably coupled to one of the inner race and the outer race of the one-way clutch. The permanently engaged starter system additionally includes a starter support plate and a pilot support plate coupled to the ring gear. The pilot support plate is fixedly coupled to the starter support plate and is configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear and one of the inner race and the outer race with respect to the axis. 
     Accordingly, having the pilot support plate fixedly coupled to the starter support plate and configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear one of the inner race and the outer race with respect to the axis reduces axial packaging and dimensional stack up of the permanently engaged starter system, and removes the need for fasteners to couple the pilot support plate directly to the engine block. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of the permanently engaged starter system including a flex plate, a one-way clutch, a ring gear, a starter support plate, and a pilot support plate. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the starter support plate. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view one embodiment of the starter support plate and the pilot support plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a permanently engaged starter system  10  for use in a vehicle  12  is generally shown in a cross-sectional view in  FIG. 1 . The vehicle  12  includes a crankshaft  14  and an engine block  16  of an internal combustion engine (not shown). The vehicle  12  may be a conventional vehicle propelled solely by the internal combustion engine or may be a hybrid vehicle that is propelled by both the internal combustion engine and an electric motor. 
     The permanently engaged starter system  10  includes a flex plate  18  extending along and rotatable about an axis A. The flex plate  18  is adapted to be rotatably coupled to the crankshaft  14 . The permanently engaged starter system  10  further includes a one-way clutch  22  including an outer race  24  disposed about the axis A and rotatably coupled to the flex plate  18 , and an inner race  26  disposed about the axis A and disposed between the outer race  24  and the axis A. The one-way clutch  22  may be as a roller type one-way clutch comprising a plurality of rollers  28  disposed between the outer and inner race  24 ,  26 . The one-way clutch  22  may include a first side plate  64  and a second side plate  66  spaced axially from the first side plate  64 , with first and second side plates  64 ,  66  coupled to the outer and inner races  24 ,  26 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , the permanently engaged starter system  10  also includes a ring gear  30  rotatably coupled to one of the inner race  26  and the outer race  24  of the one-way clutch  22 . In one embodiment, the ring gear  30  is rotatably coupled to the inner race  26  of the one-way clutch  22 . In another embodiment, the ring gear  30  is rotatably coupled to the outer race  24  of the one-way clutch  22 . Although not required, the permanently engaged starter system  10  may include a starter motor  32  including a pinion gear  34  rotatably coupled to the ring gear  30  for providing rotational torque to the crankshaft  14  through the inner race  26 , the outer race  24 , and the flex plate  18 . The pinion gear  34  is typically permanently engaged with the ring gear  30 , resulting in a permanently engaged starter system. 
     The permanently engaged starter system  10  additionally includes a starter support plate  36 . The starter support plate  36  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and is shown in perspective view in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The permanently engaged starter system  10  also includes a pilot support plate  38  coupled to the ring gear  30 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The pilot support plate  38  is also shown in a perspective view with the starter support plate  36  in  FIG. 2 . The pilot support plate  38  may have an annular configuration and be disposed about the axis A. The pilot support plate  38  is fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36  and is configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and one of the inner race  26  and outer race  24  with respect to the axis A. In other words, the pilot support plate  38  is stationary with respect to the starter support plate  36  during operation of the permanently engaged starter system  10 , which allows the pilot support plate  38  to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and one of the inner race  26  and outer race  24  with respect to the axis A. For example, when the ring gear  30  is rotatably coupled to the inner race  26  of the one-way clutch  22 , the pilot support plate  38  is fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36  and is configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and the inner race  26  with respect to axis A. When the ring gear  30  is rotatably coupled to the outer race  24  of the one-way clutch  22 , the pilot support plate  38  is fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36  and is configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and the outer race  24  with respect to axis A. Because the pilot support plate  38  is fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36 , the starter support plate  36  and the pilot support plate  38  are stationary with respect to one another during operation of the permanently engaged starter system  10 . In particular, the pilot support plate  38  is grounded with respect to the engine block  16 , which secures the remaining components, in particular the one-way clutch  22  and the ring gear  30 . In one embodiment, the starter support plate  36  is adapted to be fixedly coupled to the engine block  16  such that the starter support plate  36  is stationary with respect to the axis A. Having the starter support plate  36  adapted to be fixedly coupled to the engine block  16  allows the permanently engaged starter system  10  to be mounted to the engine block  16  in numerous locations and, therefore, eliminates the need to modify the engine block  16 , for example the back of the engine block  16 , to fixedly couple the starter support plate  36  thereto. 
     Additionally, having the pilot support plate  38  fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36  and configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and the inner race  26  with respect to the axis A reduces axial packaging of the permanently engaged starter system  10 , as described in examples below. For example, having the pilot support plate  38  fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36  and configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and the inner race  26  with respect to the axis A removes the need for fasteners to couple the pilot support plate  38  directly to the engine block  16 , which further reduces axial packaging and reduces dimensional stack up as components of the permanently engaged starter system  10  are able to be placed closer together. 
     The starter support plate  36  may have an interior starter surface  40  defining an aperture  42 . When the starter support plate  36  has the interior starter surface  40  defining the aperture  42 , the pilot support plate  38  is typically engaged with the interior starter surface  40  and disposed within the aperture  42 . This reduces axial packaging of the permanently engaged starter system  10 . 
     The pilot support plate  38  may be spaced from the engine block  16  with respect to the axis A. Having the pilot support plate  38  spaced from the engine block  16  with respect to the axis A further helps with packaging of the permanently engaged starter system  10 . 
     The starter support plate  36  may have a first starter surface  44  facing away from the one-way clutch  22  with respect to the axis A and adapted to face the engine block  16 . The pilot support plate  38  may have a first pilot surface  46  facing away from the one-way clutch  22  with respect to the axis A and adapted to face the engine block  16 . The first starter surface  44  and the first pilot surface  46  may be parallel to one another with respect to the axis A. Having the first starter surface  44  and the first pilot surface  46  parallel to one another with respect to the axis A further reduces axial packaging and reduces dimensional stack up of the components of the permanently engaged starter system  10 . In one embodiment when the first starter surface  44  and the first pilot surface  46  are parallel to one another, the first starter surface  44  and the first pilot surface  46  may be flush with one another with respect to the axis A, which, again, further reduces axial packaging and reduces dimensional stack up of the components of the permanently engaged starter system  10 . 
     The flex plate  18  has a first flex end  48  spaced from the axis A and adjacent the one-way clutch  22 , and a second flex end  50  adjacent the axis A and disposed between the axis A and the first flex end  48  with respect to the axis A. The first flex end  48  and the starter support plate  36  define a length L that is less than 25 mm with respect to the axis A. In part, the length L is able to be less than 25 mm because the axial packaging is reduced as a result of the pilot support plate  38  is fixedly coupled to the starter support plate  36  and is configured to axially and radially align and retain the ring gear  30  and the inner race  26  with respect to the axis A. 
     The permanently engaged starter system  10  may include a bushing  54  fixedly coupled to the pilot support plate  38 . When present, the bushing  54  rotatably supports the ring gear  30  and the inner race  26  of the one-way clutch  22  as the ring gear  30  rotates about the axis A with respect to the pilot support plate  38 . The bushing  54  may define a bushing channel  56 , and when present the bushing channel  56  may receive the inner race  26  of the one-way clutch  22 . 
     The vehicle  12  may include a torque converter  62  coupled to the flex plate  18 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the permanently engaged starter system  10  may include a first contamination baffle  58  coupled to the flex plate  18  and adapted to be axially disposed between the flex plate  18  and the crankshaft  14 . The permanently engaged starter system  10  may include a second contamination baffle  60  coupled to the pilot support plate  38 . When present, the second contamination baffle  60  is grounded to the engine block  16  along with the starter support plate  36  and the pilot support plate  38 .