Patent ID: 7040184

Claim:
A starter comprising: a motor for generating a rotating force for an armature; a planetary reduction assembly for reducing rotation of said armature through a planetary gear; a power transmission device formed into a cylindrical configuration and integrated with a carrier made to support said planetary gear for transmitting rotation of said carrier; an output shaft whose motor-side end portion is spline-fitted in an inner circumference of said power transmission device so that said output shaft is movable by a predetermined quantity in its axial directions with respect to said power transmission device; a pinion shaft fitted through a pinion bearing over an outer circumferential surface of said output shaft to be rotatable; a pinion provided at an end portion of said pinion shaft on an opposite side to said motor to be rotated integrally with said pinion shaft; a one-way clutch for transmitting rotation of said output shaft to said pinion shaft; and a housing including a housing bearing located between said pinion and said one-way clutch to support said pinion shaft so that said pinion shaft is rotatable and slidable, said output shaft being made to be moved integrally with said pinion shaft and said one-way clutch in an opposite-of-motor side direction when an engine is placed into a cranking condition so that said pinion engages with a ring gear of said engine.