Patent ID: 6881173

Claim:
A vehicular engine starting system comprising: a pivot shaft that can pivot and sequentially pass a LOCK position, an ACC position, an ON position, and a START position in response to pivoting of a key inserted into a keyhole; a blocking lever that can move between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the blocking lever in the engaged position being engaged with the pivot shaft so as to block the pivot shaft from pivoting from the ACC position to the LOCK position, the blocking lever in the disengaged position being disengaged from the pivot shaft so as to allow the pivot shaft to pivot from the ACC position to the LOCK position; a return spring that biases the blocking lever toward the disengaged position; and a solenoid having a plunger that can move between a projecting position in a non-energized state and a retracted position in an energized state, the plunger in the projecting position being engaged with the blocking lever from the disengaged position side and the solenoid being energized when a shift lever is in a position other than a parking position; wherein the pivot shaft includes a cam surface that abuts against the blocking lever in response to movement of the pivot shaft from the LOCK position to the ACC position, the cam surface being formed into a shape that can move the blocking lever to the engaged position against a spring force of the return spring in response to movement of the pivot shaft from the ACC position toward the ON position, and wherein the plunger and the blocking lever are operatively connected so that the plunger is moved toward the retracted position in response to movement of the blocking lever from the disengaged position to the engaged position.