Starter Drive Assembly Clutch Plate Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing starter drives for internal combustion engines, particularly those using a key and set screw combination, suffer from increased component failure rates, decreased reliability, higher production and maintenance costs, and limited compatibility with various engine types due to a higher part count and longer assembly length.
Innovation Solution
A starter drive assembly featuring a starter output shaft with circumferentially-spaced axial grooves, a clutch assembly with a screw shaft that engages and disengages with the clutch plate, and a barrel assembly with a pinion gear that interacts with the ring gear, eliminating the need for a key/keyway combination and reducing part count, thereby enhancing reliability and compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a key and set screw combination is used to maintain starter drive position, then the starter drive can be secured in position, but component failure rate increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the keyway and set screw functions into an integrated clutch plate design where the axial grooves and ratchet teeth are formed as integral features of the clutch plate itself, eliminating the need for separate key and set screw components while maintaining positional security during engine starting operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the key and set screw components from the starter drive assembly, replacing them with a self-contained clutch plate design where the positioning function is built into the clutch plate structure through axial grooves and ratchet teeth features
2Ease of manufacture
If a key and set screw combination is used, then position can be maintained, but part count increases and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (position maintenance, clutch engagement, and structural support) into a single integrated clutch plate component, reducing the total part count and eliminating the need for separate key and set screw parts that would increase production complexity and cost
3Length of moving object
If a key and set screw combination is used, then position can be secured, but assembly length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the positioning mechanism directly into the clutch plate structure, eliminating the need for additional key and set screw components that would extend the overall assembly length, thereby creating a more compact starter drive while maintaining reliability
4Adaptability or versatility
If a key and set screw combination is used, then position can be maintained, but adaptability decreases and compatibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal clutch plate with integrated axial grooves and ratchet teeth that can accommodate various engine configurations and starter motor types, eliminating the need for engine-specific key and set screw combinations, thereby enhancing adaptability and compatibility across different engine applications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The integrated starter drive system reduces component failure rates, lowers production and maintenance costs, and expands compatibility with a wider range of engines by consolidating components and eliminating the need for a key/keyway combination, resulting in a more efficient and reliable engine starting mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a screw shaft selectively matingly couplable to the clutch plate, wherein the screw shaft is configured to engage the clutch plate during rotation in a first direction and disengage the clutch plate in a second direction
Implementation Method 2
a pinion gear configured to engage the ring gear during the engine starting operation
Implementation Method 3
a clutch plate configured to engage the axial grooves of the output shaft such that the output shaft and the clutch plate rotate together
Data Source
AI summary
A starter drive assembly includes a starter output shaft having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced axial grooves, a clutch assembly, and a barrel assembly. The clutch assembly includes a clutch plate configured to engage the axially grooves of the output shaft such that the output shaft and the clutch plate rotate together during an engine starting operation. The clutch assembly further includes a screw shaft selectively matingly couplable to the clutch plate, wherein the screw shaft is configured to engage the clutch plate during rotation in a first direction and disengage the clutch plate in a second direction such that the screw shaft and the clutch plate rotate together in the first direction. The barrel assembly includes a first end configured to threadably engage the screw shaft, and a second end that includes a pinion gear configured to engage the ring gear during the engine starting operation.