Patent ID: 7302870

Claim:
A motor vehicle starter comprising a starter head provided with a pinion , a driver and a coupling device with a conical clutch for coupling the pinion to the driver, the conical clutch comprising a first frustoconical friction surface fixed to the pinion and a second frustoconical friction surface complementary in shape to the first surface and fixed to the driver, the coupling device including a hollow-shaped coupling piece having a bottom and an annular skirt extending from the bottom axially towards one of the pinion and the driver and an axially acting elastic member bearing on a first stop fixed to the skirt of the coupling piece for acting on a second stop fixed to one of the pinion and the driver for biasing the pinion toward the driver, wherein the axially acting elastic member comprises a ring and axially deformable tongues extending from the ring circumferentially, wherein the tongues are bent axially so as to be offset axially with respect to the ring in the direction of the second stop, and wherein the tongues are in the form of arms which extend inside the ring.