Patent ID: 8402849

Claim:
A starter comprising: a motor that generates torque by being energized; an output shaft that rotates by receiving the torque from the motor; a pinion movable body that includes a pinion for transmitting the torque of the motor to a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, and is provided on an outer circumference of the output shaft integrally with the pinion in a manner allowing movement along an axial direction of the output shaft, the internal combustion engine repeating alternately rotation in a negative direction and rotation in a positive direction immediately before stop of the internal combustion engine; a pinion-pushing means for pushing the pinion towards the ring gear; a motor current-supply means for turning ON and OFF energizing current flowing to the motor, the motor current-supply means operating separately and independently from the pinion-pushing means; and a shock absorbing device that is disposed on a torque transmitting path transmitting the torque of the motor to the pinion such that the torque of the motor is transmitted to the ring gear of the engine, the shock absorbing device comprising: a stationary friction plate having a friction surface and disposed in a manner prohibiting rotation; and a rotation friction plate having a friction surface that engages with the friction surface of the stationary friction plate and of which rotation is restricted; wherein: the shock absorbing device is configured to intermittently transmit the torque by the engagement of the friction surfaces between the stationary friction plate and the rotation friction plate; and when shock torque exceeding preset torque acts on the torque transmitting path during rotation of the ring gear in the negative direction, the rotation friction plate spins with respect to the stationary friction plate, thus reducing the shock torque.