Patent ID: 6997072
Filing Date: 2006-02-14
Classification: F02N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A starting apparatus for starting an engine comprising: a drive motor generating a rotational force; a reduction gear device including: a movable locking portion provided to move with the internal gear in the circumferential direction; a movable contact portion disposed at a predetermined distance from the movable locking portion in the circumferential direction and movable with the movable locking portion; an unmovable locking portion held in a state unmovable in the circumferential direction and opposed to the movable locking portion in the circumferential direction; an unmovable contact portion held in a state unmovable in the circumferential direction and opposed to the movable contact portion in the circumferential direction; and a shock absorbing member elastically held between the movable locking potion and the unmovable locking portion for elastically receiving a reaction force applied to the internal gear when the drive motor starts to rotate the engine via the reduction gear device, wherein a compression amount of the shock absorbing member is restricted by bringing the movable contact portion into contact with the unmovable contact portion, and wherein the movable contact portion and the unmovable contact portion are disposed such that the movable contact portion and the unmovable contact portion make contact at least at outside diameter portions thereof first when the movable contact portion is brought into contact with the unmovable contact portion.