Patent ID: 6963144

Claim:
A starter for cranking an internal combustion engine having a ring gear, the starter comprising: an electric motor; a magnetic switch for driving a plunger by magnetic force generated therein; a first switch operated by the plunger, the first switch being closed when the plunger is driven by a first predetermined stroke, thereby supplying a first amount of current to the electric motor; a second switch operated by the plunger, the second switch being closed when the plunger is driven by a second stroke which is larger than the first stroke, thereby supplying a second amount of current which is larger than the first amount of current to the electric motor; an output shaft driven by the electric motor; a pinion gear coupled to the output shaft by means of a helical spline; a pinion-rotation-restricting member adapted to engage with the pinion gear to restrict rotation of the pinion gear; and a crank bar rotatively driven by the plunger for bringing the pinion-rotation-restricting member into engagement with the pinion gear, thereby thrusting the pinion gear on the output shaft toward the ring gear of the internal combustion engine and establishing engagement between the pinion gear and the ring gear, wherein: the crank bar driven by the plunger generates a spring-load which is higher than the magnetic force of the magnetic switch for driving the plunger during a period in which rotation of the pinion gear is restricted.