Abstract: The brush holding device includes a brush holder having a brush-housing chamber, and a holder plate to which the brush holder is attached. The holder plate is formed with a center hole at a center portion thereof, the center hole having a size allowing a commutator to path therethrough, and a pair of elongated holes opposing to each other with respect to the opening portion, the elongated holes defining bridge portions with the opening hole. The brush holder has a thick-wall portion integral with a bottom wall of the brush-housing chamber, the thick-wall portion being formed with fitting grooves at lateral sides thereof. The bridge portions are inserted into the fitting grooves so that the brush holder is fitted to the holding plate in such a state that the thick-wall portion is caught between the bridge portions.

Abstract: A brush to be disposed on a commutator of a dc rotary electric machine includes a high resistance member to be positioned at a front side of the commutator in the rotation direction, a low resistance member to be positioned at a back side in the rotation direction of the commutator, a medium resistance member disposed between the high resistance member and the low resistance member. The content of conductive material is arranged so that the low resistance member and the high resistance member have a difference ranging from 45% to 70%, and so that the medium provides a thermal expansion coefficient between the low resistance member and the high resistance member.

Abstract: In a starter, an electromagnetic switch is mounted to a seating. A lead wire of an exciting coil is led to an outside of a switch case by a coil-leading portion and is connected to a male terminal, which is fixed to the coil-leading portion by welding. The coil-leading portion is integrally provided with an end plate portion of a bobbin around which the exciting coil is wound. The coil-leading portion passes through and projects from a bottom surface of the switch case to the outside. A metal member, in a form of a plate, is insert-molded in the seating. A 50 terminal is provided on an end of the metal member and a female terminal is provided on an opposite end of the metal member. When the electromagnetic switch is mounted to a predetermined position of the seating, the female terminal engages with the male terminal.

Abstract: A carbon brush composed of a brush body and a lead wire is used for supplying electric current to a rotor of a rotary electric machine. The lead wire is made by twisting many thin wire elements each having a diameter smaller than 0.05 mm. A cross-section of the lead wire is made larger than 3 mm2 to give the lead wire a sufficient current capacity. Strength of the lead wire against vibration is improved by using a large number of thin wire elements without sacrificing flexibility. Preferably, a margin length between both ends of the lead wire is provided to allow the lead wire to smoothly follow movements of the brush body slidably contacting a commutator. An amount of a flexure of the lead wire due to the margin length is predetermined so that a stress applied to the wire element does not exceed its permissible fatigue limit.

Abstract: A copper-zinc alloy powder of which zinc content is from 10 to 50 wt % and of which mean particle diameter is from 15 ?m or under is added to a Pb-less brush body comprising graphite, copper and a metal sulfide solid lubricant of a copper-graphite brush.

Abstract: In a rotor of a rotary electric machine, a rotor core is formed by helically winding a material sheet. The material sheet forms teeth on a first side of a middle connecting portion and projections projecting from a second side of the connecting portion in a direction opposite to the teeth. The material sheet is one of a pair of material sheets formed in a single base sheet in a form of belt. In the base sheet, the material sheets are arranged such that the projections are intermeshed with each other. The material sheet is helically wound such that the projections are located at an inner diameter side of the rotor core.

Abstract: A brush body 4 of a metal-graphite brush 2 is composed of a commutator side portion 6 which contains graphite, copper and a metal sulfide solid lubricant, and a lead side portion 8 which contains graphite and copper but does not contain any metal sulfide solid lubricant. A lead wire 10 is attached to the lead side portion 8 containing no metal sulfide solid lubricant.

Abstract: A starter solenoid switch according to the present invention includes a first and a second set of contacts that are disposed between a battery and a starter motor in parallel with each other. The first and the second sets of contacts are so configured that the second set of contacts is closed to supply a lighter electric current to the starter motor before the first set of contacts is closed to supply a heavier electric current to the same. The second set of contacts is composed of a second fixed contact and a second movable contact, one of which includes a low-resistance portion at one end thereof and a high-resistance portion that contains more carbon than the low-resistance portion. The low-resistance and the high-resistance portions are serially disposed along a conducting path of electric current from the battery to the starter motor, thereby ensuring reliability of the starter solenoid switch.

Abstract: In a rotor of a rotary electric machine, a rotor core is formed by helically winding a material sheet. The material sheet forms teeth on a first side of a middle connecting portion and projections projecting from a second side of the connecting portion in a direction opposite to the teeth. The material sheet is one of a pair of material sheets formed in a single base sheet in a form of belt. In the base sheet, the material sheets are arranged such that the projections are intermeshed with each other. The material sheet is helically wound such that the projections are located at an inner diameter side of the rotor core.

Abstract: An armature composed of a shaft and an armature core is rotatably supported in a housing of a rotary electric machine. The shaft is forcibly inserted into a center hole of the armature core formed by laminating core sheets. Each core sheet has a center hole and outer holes connected to the center hole. A contour of the center hole is not continuous because the outer holes are connected thereto. The shaft can be firmly connected to the laminated core sheets with a relatively low inserting force. The shaft has a smooth outer surface having no knurls or the like. In addition, the outer holes of the laminated core sheets form cooling air passages in the armature core in its axial direction.

Abstract: A pinion gear of a starter is engaged with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine by restricting rotation of the pinion gear while driving a motor at a low speed. After the engagement is established, the motor is driven at a full speed by supplying a full current, thereby cranking up the engine. After the engine is cranked up, the engagement between the pinion gear and the ring gear is released. In order to prevent the motor from being driven at the full speed before the pinion gear fully engages with the ring gear, rigidity of a crank bar for restricting the pinion rotation is made sufficiently high to generate a spring-load that exceeds a force for driving a plunger that closes a switch for supplying the full current.

Abstract: A brush to be disposed on a commutator of a dc rotary electric machine includes a high resistance member to be positioned at a front side of the commutator in the rotation direction, a low resistance member to be positioned at a back side in the rotation direction of the commutator, a medium resistance member disposed between the high resistance member and the low resistance member. The content of conductive material is arranged so that the low resistance member and the high resistance member have a difference ranging from 45% to 70%, and so that the medium provides a thermal expansion coefficient between the low resistance member and the high resistance member.

Abstract: A metal-graphite brush comprises a brush body which is made by mixing and molding metal powder and graphite powder. 2 mg to 30 mg as amounts of phosphate ion of at least one of phosphoric acid and a phosphate compound is added to 1 g of the brush body of the metal-graphite brush.

Abstract: A starter solenoid switch according to the present invention includes a first and a second set of contacts that are disposed between a battery and a starter motor in parallel with each other. The first and the second sets of contacts are so configured that the second set of contacts is closed to supply a lighter electric current to the starter motor before the first set of contacts is closed to supply a heavier electric current to the same. The second set of contacts is composed of a second fixed contact and a second movable contact, one of which includes a low-resistance portion at one end thereof and a high-resistance portion that contains more carbon than the low-resistance portion. The low-resistance and the high-resistance portions are serially disposed along a conducting path of electric current from the battery to the starter motor, thereby ensuring reliability of the starter solenoid switch.

Abstract: A pinion gear of a starter is engaged with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine by restricting rotation of the pinion gear while driving a motor at a low speed. After the engagement is established, the motor is driven at a full speed by supplying a full current, thereby cranking up the engine. A crank bar for transferring movement of a plunger in a magnetic switch to a pinion-rotation-restricting member is divided into two or three portions. After the divided portions are assembled to the starter, they are connected together to form a solid piece. In this manner, a process of assembling the crank bar into the starter is simplified.

Abstract: A starter for an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a pair of angular contact ball bearings used to support an armature shaft. The bearings are disposed close to opposed ends of a core of an armature. The core has disposed thereon coils which define a commutator on one of the ends of the core. One of the bearings is disposed within an inner periphery of the commutator. This structure results in a decreased interval between the bearings, thus ensuring stability in supporting the armature shaft during rotation, which results in decreased mechanical vibrations, magnetic noises, and wear of the bearings.

Abstract: An armature of a rotary electric machine composed of an armature core, an armature winding and a shaft is manufactured in the following manner. A conductor bar including plural conductors connected in line is formed, and each conductor is cut out from the conductor bar. The conductor in a straight shape is inserted into each slot of the armature core, and then both side portions of the conductor are bent at substantially right angle so that the side portions are positioned along axial end surfaces of the armature core. The side portions are further skewed and electrically connected to form the armature winding. An outer surface of the side portions circularly arranged on the axial end surface of the armature core is used as a commutator surface.

Abstract: A rotor of a rotary electric machine such as a starter motor for cranking an internal combustion engine is substantially composed of an armature core fixed to a rotating shaft and an armature coil disposed in slots of the armature core. The armature coil is constituted by electrically connecting conductor segments. A rear end portion of each conductor segment disposed in the radial outside of the slot is bent and arranged on an axial rear surface of the armature core, thereby forming a commutator surface. The thickness of the rear end portion in the axial direction gradually increases from its radial outside toward its radial inside, and the cross-sectional area of the rear end portion is made uniform throughout its entire length.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a yoke includes a step of cutting a steel plate into a rectangular sheet having a plurality of first dovetail convexities at one end thereof and a plurality of second dovetail convexities at the other end, a step of rolling the rectangular sheet into a cylinder to fit the first dove tails and the second dove tails to each other and a step of punching border portions of the first dove tails and the second dove tails. The second dovetail convexities are formed to be the same in shape as the first dovetail convexities so that they can fit to the first dovetail convexities. A smooth-faced yoke can be manufacture without using an expensive welder.

Abstract: One end of a metallic wire having a rectangular cross-section is widened by upsetting the end of the wire in its axial direction. At the same time, a swollen portion is formed at a position where the widened end portion is to be bent from a straight portion of the wire. Then, the widened end portion is bent at the bending position having the swollen portion. Thus, a metallic wire segment having the widened end portion bent at the bending position is manufactured without wasting any part of wire material, while avoiding formation of cracks on the outer surface of the bending position. Plural wire segments thus manufactured are combined to form a rotor winding of a rotational electric machine, forming a commutator surface by the widened end portions at the same time.