Patent ID: 7980150

Claim:
A starter for starting an engine, the starter comprising: a motor; a pinion; a pinion carrier which carries the pinion and is driven by the motor to rotate together with the pinion; a ring member provided on the pinion carrier, the ring member being rotatable relative to the pinion carrier and restricted in movement in an axial direction of the motor toward the pinion; a shifting member having a ring portion arranged on the pinion carrier with the ring member interposed between the ring portion and the pinion in the axial direction, the ring portion having an axial end face that has a recess for receiving lubricant and is covered by the ring member, the shifting member being configured to shift, by pushing the ring member with the ring portion, the pinion in the axial direction, thereby bringing the pinion into mesh with a ring gear of an engine to start the engine; a lubricant blocking member positioned radially outside the recess of the ring portion of the shifting member to block the lubricant which leaks out of the recess from being scattered radially outward due to rotation of the pinion carrier with the pinion the lubricant blocking member is defined by a side wall of the shifting member which protrudes from a radially outer periphery of the axial end face of the ring portion of the shifting member in the axial direction toward the pinion, and the side wall of the shifting member has a height in the axial direction which is greater than an axial thickness of the ring member.