Patent ID: 8302497

Claim:
A starter mounted on a vehicle for starting the engine, comprising: a motor that generates torque by being energized; an output shaft that rotates by receiving the torque from the motor; a clutch that fits an outer periphery of the output shaft; a pinion gear that receives the torque generated by the motor via the clutch; a pinion control means configured to allow the pinion gear to be pushed out in the axial direction integrally with the clutch; a motor control means for controlling current supplied to the motor on and off; a control means for separately controlling the pinion control means and the motor control means; and an inner tube that is arranged to be cylindrically extended from an inner portion of the clutch and in the direction opposite to the motor, supports the pinion gear so as to inhibit rotation thereof with respect to the periphery of the inner tube, and supports the pinion gear to be slidable in the axial direction; wherein a gear-side pressure receiving face and a tube-side pressure receiving face are formed in the pinion gear and the inner tube, respectively, in which the both faces are facing each other with a predetermined distance in the axial direction, and a cushioning member is disposed between the gear-side pressure receiving face and the tube-side pressure receiving face.