Patent ID: 8001943

Claim:
A starter for an internal combustion engine including: a motor that has a bracket with a flange formed so as to extend in a radial direction of said motor, with said starter being mounted on said internal combustion engine through said flange; an electromagnetic switch that extends in an axial direction of said motor and is mounted on said motor for turning on and off the supply of a current to said motor; an auxiliary switch that extends in said axial direction of said motor and is mounted on said motor for operating said electromagnetic switch by means of an operation of a key switch; and a pinion gear that can be placed into or out of engagement with a ring gear of said internal combustion engine so as to be driven to rotate by means of said motor; wherein said auxiliary switch is arranged at an inner side of a common tangent line which extends from an outer peripheral surface of said electromagnetic switch to an outer peripheral surface of said flange, said auxiliary switch is encompassed within an area between said common tangent line, said outer peripheral surface of said electromagnetic switch and an outer peripheral surface of said motor, said auxiliary switch is entirely disposed within said area which extends in said axial direction of said motor, and wherein said auxiliary switch comprises a battery terminal and is electrically connected to the battery, a key terminal that is electrically connected to the key switch, a switch terminal that is electrically connected to the electromagnetic switch, and a ground terminal.