Patent ID: 8904983

Claim:
An automatic starting device for an engine, comprising: a vehicle-speed sensor for detecting a speed of a vehicle; an accelerator opening-degree sensor for detecting a pressing amount of an accelerator pedal; a brake opening-degree sensor for detecting a pressing amount of a brake pedal; a crank-angle sensor for detecting an engine rpm, the crank-angle sensor being provided with a reverse-rotation detecting function which enables detecting whether the engine is rotating in a forward direction or a reverse direction; a ring gear coupled with the engine; a starter including: pinion-gear push-out means for pushing out a pinion gear toward the ring gear; and pinion-gear rotary-driving means for rotary-driving the pinion gear, the starter being capable of operating the pinion-gear push-out means and the pinion-gear rotary-driving means in an independent manner; and a controller for controlling a fuel injection amount and ignition timing of the engine, wherein: in a case where it is judged based on a detection signal of the vehicle-speed sensor that the vehicle is decelerating and it is also judged based on a detection signal of the accelerator opening-degree sensor that fuel injection is currently stopped, when it is then judged based on a detection signal of the brake opening-degree sensor that the brake pedal is released and the engine rpm detected by the crank-angle sensor is smaller than an engine rpm which allows recovery from a fuel-supply stop state, the controller disengages a lock-up clutch for coupling the engine and a transmission; when reverse rotation of the engine is detected based on a detection signal of the crank-angle sensor, the controller drives the pinion-gear push-out means of the starter to push out the pinion gear to mesh the pinion gear with the ring gear; and after the ring gear is rotated by a predetermined angle, the controller rotary-drives the pinion-gear rotary-driving means of the starter to restart the engine.