ENGINE STARTER SYSTEM HAVING AN IMPROVED PINION ASSEMBLY

摘要

In an engine starter comprising a pinion slidably fitted on the output shaft for driving a ring gear of an engine that is to be started, and a one-way clutchhaving a first end secured to the pinion and a second end which is engaged by the output shaft via spline means, a compression coil spring is interposed between astopper secured to the output shaft and an annular shoulder defined in a cylindrical extension of the second end of the one-way clutch. Therefore, even when the pinion is forced into a high speed rotation by the engine which has been started by the engine starter, the pinion simply rotates freely, and no friction is applied to the compression coil spring or the stopper. Also, by receiving the compression coil spring in an annular space defined between the cylindrical extension of the second end of the one-way clutch and the output shaft, the compression coil spring can be protected from the centrifugal force which acts upon the compression coil spring when the output shaft of the engine starter rotates at an extremely high speed.