Patent ID: 6817258
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: F02N,Y10T

Abstract:
A starter for an internal combustion engine including a planetary gear speed reduction mechanism, a pinion to be engaged with a ring gear of said engine and a pinion drive shaft connected to said speed reduction mechanism, comprising:a motor having a motor housing with a first outside diameter and a motor shaft; a front housing for supporting said pinion drive shaft, said front housing having a bearing for supporting said pinion drive shaft at one end of said shaft and an integrally formed and radially-outwardly extending flange for providing a plurality of fastening holes disposed at a circumference having second diameter through which a plurality of fastening bolts is fixed to a portion of said internal combustion engine; and a center casing having approximately the same outside diameter as said motor housing and a bearing for supporting said pinion drive shaft at the other end, said center casing being disposed between said motor housing and said front housing for aligning said motor shaft, said planetary gear speed reduction mechanism and said pinion drive shaft; and adjusting means for fixing said front housing to a selected angular position of said center casing, wherein a difference between said first diameter and said second diameter is larger than a maximum outside diameter of said fastening bolt so that said fastening bolt can be inserted into said fastening hole along outer peripheries of said motor housing, and said adjusting means comprises a first number of female screw holes formed at an end of said center casing, a second number of through holes, which number is smaller than said first number, formed at an end of said front housing in contact with said end of said center casing and a plurality of bolts that screw into those of said female screw holes that are selected to adjust said front housing to said selected angular position.