Mitsuba Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Mitsuba Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Kazuhiro Yamamoto

Shinichi Nagashima

Hitoshi Ono

Eiichi Kimura

Shigeki Miyazaki

In a starter system for an internal combustion engine using a planetary reduction gear unit, the internal gear of the planetary reduction gear unit, the center bracket accommodating the internal gear and the pinion cover are joined together so as not to rotate relative to one another by using radial projections provided in the outer circumferential surface of the internal gear which are passed through openings provided in the center bracket and received by associated recesses provided in the pinion cover. The three members are thus prevented from rotating relative to one another with a simple structure which is also easy to assemble. The projection of the internal gear may also be used for securing an annular seal member interposed between an axial end surface of the internal gear and the corresponding shoulder surface of the center bracket.

Starter system for an internal combustion engine

In a starter system for an internal combustion engine, an input member of an overrunning clutch is provided with an annular shoulder surface abutting an annular end surface of a cylindrical boss portion of a reduction gear unit casing when the overrunning clutch is at a rest position, and a cylindrical sleeve portion extends from the annular shoulder surface towards the reduction gear unit so as to be closely fitted on the cylindrical boss portion of the reduction gear unit casing. Thus, water and other foreign matters are not only shut off by these mutually abutting annular surfaces, but also prevented from reaching this region by the cylindrical sleeve portion closely fitted on the cylindrical boss portion of the reduction gear unit. Also, the centrifugal force prevents water and other foreign matters from reaching this area when the starter is actuated and the two annular surfaces are not in contact.

Growing community of inventors

Gumma, Japan

Kazuhiro Yamamoto