Patent ID: 8492916

Claim:
A switching apparatus for a starter, the apparatus comprising: pinion-pushing means for pushing a pinion of the starter toward a ring gear of an engine; main-contact-switching means for opening and closing a main contact for a motor circuit for supplying electrical power from a battery to a motor; a resistor for suppressing a startup current that flows from the battery to the motor when the motor is started, the resistor being connected to the motor circuit; and energizing-path-switching means for switching between a higher-resistance energizing path from the battery to the motor is through the resistor and a lower-resistance energizing path that bypasses the resistor to energize the motor, wherein the pinion-pushing means, the main-contact-switching means, the resistor, and the energizing-path-switching means share a single housing, and are integrally accommodated inside the housing.