Patent ID: 6268670
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: F02N,Y10T

Abstract:
A starter having an output shaft driven by a motor, and a plunger, an exciting coil, and an overrunning clutch coaxially mounted on the output shaft, wherein the motor is driven by exciting the coil to attract the plunger, and the overrunning clutch having a thrust spline connected to the output shaft is moved toward a ring gear to allow a pinion of the overrunning clutch to mesh with the ring gear, thus starting the engine, the starter further having a pinion return coil spring coaxially arranged relative to the output shaft, said spring being compressed when the pinion moves in a direction to mesh with the ring gear and imparting a restoring force to an end of the pinion to return the pinion to an original position thereof when power is no longer supplied to the exciting coil, wherein:a) the pinion return coil spring is held between a first stopper arranged coaxially relative to the output shaft so as to contact the end of the pinion and slide in the axial direction, and a second stopper coaxially arranged relative to the output shaft at a fixed position of an end thereof, andb) each stopper is provided with a region for restricting an inner diameter of the pinion return coil spring and controlling the movement of the pinion.