Patent ID: 7784371

Claim:
A starter for starting up an engine having a ring gear, comprising: a case formed in a unitary structure having a reduction gear unit accommodating section, receiving therein a reduction gear section operative to reduce a rotational speed of a motor, and a switch accommodating section, receiving therein an electromagnetic switch having a plunger whose front end protrudes from the case; a housing supporting the case such that the case is sandwiched between the housing and the motor; a lever unit including a lever, having one end held in engagement with the front end of the plunger, and a lever support member mounted on the case for swingably supporting the lever, the lever unit being actuated by the electromagnetic switch to selectively move the lever in inoperative and operative positions; and a pinion moving body carrying thereon a pinion and held in engagement with the other end of the lever to be actuated by the lever unit when the electromagnetic switch is operated to allow the pinion to be brought into meshing engagement with the ring gear of the engine to transfer an output torque of the reduction gear section to the ring gear for thereby starting up the engine; and wherein one of opposing surfaces of the lever support member and the case has at least one positioning projection and the other one of the opposing surfaces of the lever support member and the case has at least one positioning depressed portion with which the positioning projection engages to allow the lever support member to be positioned with respect to the case.