Starter with flexing solenoid lever

Abstract

A starter motor, for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising an electric motor, a shaft rotated by the motor and carrying a pinion assembly, a solenoid spaced from said shaft and including an armature movable from a rest position towards an operative position by energization of an electromagnet winding of the solenoid, and, a lever assembly mounted for pivotal movement about an axis passing between the solenoid and said shaft. The lever assembly links the armature of said solenoid and said pinion assembly such that movement of the armature is transmitted to the pinion assembly to move the pinion assembly axially on said shaft from a rest position towards an operative position, and comprises a rigid element supported for pivotal movement about said axis and a resilient element carried by said rigid element and coupled at one end to said armature. The end of the lever assembly remote from said solenoid is coupled to said pinion assembly, and said resilient element includes a region shaped to flex torsionally in the event of operative movement of said solenoid armature without corresponding movement of the pinion assembly, said region being prestressed during construction of the lever assembly in such a direction that the torsional stressing of said region would be increased by said movement of the solenoid armature relative to the pinion assembly.