Patent ID: 7814807
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: F02N,F02P,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A starter for starting an engine provided with a ring gear, comprising: a pinion shaft which is rotated by a motor having a rotating axis defining an axial direction as a direction along the rotating axis; a clutch slidable along the pinion shaft in the axial direction; a pinion gear rotatable around the pinion shaft and, together with the clutch, slidable along the pinion shaft in the axial direction, rotation of the pinion gear enabling a rotational torque of the pinion shaft to be transferred to the pinion gear; an intermediate shaft which is parallel with the axial direction; an intermediate gear rotatable around the intermediate shaft and slidable along the intermediate shaft in the axial direction, the intermediate gear engaging with the pinion gear so that the rotation torque is transferred from the pinion gear to the intermediate gear; and a retainer fitted on both the pinion gear and the intermediate gear and disposed between the pinion gear and the clutch in the axial direction, the retainer being pushed by the clutch so that the pinion gear moves, together with the intermediate gear, toward the ring gear in the axial direction, the intermediate gear engaging with the ring gear so that the rotational torque is transferred from the intermediate gear to the ring gear to crank up the engine, wherein the intermediate gear partly overlaps with the clutch between the pinion shaft and the intermediate shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the retainer having a first side face, which faces the ring gear, and a second side face, which faces oppositely to the first side face, the intermediate gear having a first surface, which is opposed to the first side face of the retainer, the first surface of the intermediate gear overlapping with a second surface of the clutch between the pinion shaft and the intermediate shaft in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the pinion having a third surface, wherein the first surface of the intermediate gear and the third surface of the pinion are in contact with the first side face of the retainer, and the second surface of the clutch being in contact with the second side face of the retainer when the clutch pushes the retainer toward the ring gear.