There is provided a rope reel provided in a recoil starter including: a rope holding groove; a flange portion disposed on both sides of the rope holding groove; a through hole provided in the flange portion and configured to allow an end of the rope wound around the rope holding groove to pass through; and an arch portion provided on a side surface of the rope reel and adjacent to the through hole. The arch portion is configured such that the rope is inserted therein, and the arch portion is capable of holding the inserted rope along the side surface of the rope reel. According to the above configuration, a front end portion of the rope is prevented from interfering with a rotation member at an engine side.

An exhaust gas heat recovery system includes a housing assembly, a valve assembly and a heat exchanger. The valve assembly is disposed within the housing assembly and includes a shaft and a plate. The plate is rotatable between a first position whereat exhaust gas flow through a first fluid passageway is allowed and exhaust gas flow through a second exhaust gas passageway is prevented, and a second position whereat exhaust gas flow through the second fluid passageway is allowed and exhaust gas flow through the first gas passageway is prevented. The heat exchanger assembly includes a heater core having a working fluid circulating therein. The working fluid is in thermal communication with fluid in the heater core. The housing assembly includes first and second shells attached to each other at a joint. An axis of the shaft being at the joint of the first and second shells.

An exhaust gas heat recovery system includes a housing assembly, a valve assembly and a heat exchanger. The valve assembly is disposed within the housing assembly and includes a shaft and a plate. The plate is rotatable between a first position whereat exhaust gas flow through a first fluid passageway is allowed and exhaust gas flow through a second exhaust gas passageway is prevented, and a second position whereat exhaust gas flow through the second fluid passageway is allowed and exhaust gas flow through the first gas passageway is prevented. The heat exchanger assembly includes a heater core having a working fluid circulating therein. The working fluid is in thermal communication with fluid in the heater core. The housing assembly includes first and second shells attached to each other at a joint. An axis of the shaft being at the joint of the first and second shells.

A starting device for a combustion engine includes a housing relative to which a rope pulley, a spring housing and an entrainer can rotate about a rotation axis. A coupling unit produces a rotationally-fixed connection between the rope pulley and the spring housing in response to a rotational movement of the rope pulley in a starting direction. The spring housing has a spring receiving space for a tension spring and is connected to an entrainer by the spring. The coupling unit has a first coupling element and a second coupling element, which interact at a contact location which is at a spacing (d) to the rotation axis and is at least as large as the maximum spacing (c) of the tension spring to the rotation axis.

A starting device for a combustion engine includes a housing relative to which a rope pulley, a spring housing and an entrainer can rotate about a rotation axis. A coupling unit produces a rotationally-fixed connection between the rope pulley and the spring housing in response to a rotational movement of the rope pulley in a starting direction. The spring housing has a spring receiving space for a tension spring and is connected to an entrainer by the spring. The coupling unit has a first coupling element and a second coupling element, which interact at a contact location which is at a spacing (d) to the rotation axis and is at least as large as the maximum spacing (c) of the tension spring to the rotation axis.

A startup assistance device, which assists startup of an internal combustion engine in which fuel is supplied from an electronically controlled fuel injection device and ignition is performed by an ignition device, includes a recoil starter which is driven by manpower and which performs cranking for starting up the internal combustion engine, an electric rotary machine which adds torque to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine during at least one of a startup period of the internal combustion engine using the recoil starter and a standby period before the startup period, a power source unit which supplies power to the electric rotary machine, and a control unit which controls the magnitude and time of the torque output by the electric rotary machine.

A startup assistance device, which assists startup of an internal combustion engine in which fuel is supplied from an electronically controlled fuel injection device and ignition is performed by an ignition device, includes a recoil starter which is driven by manpower and which performs cranking for starting up the internal combustion engine, an electric rotary machine which adds torque to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine during at least one of a startup period of the internal combustion engine using the recoil starter and a standby period before the startup period, a power source unit which supplies power to the electric rotary machine, and a control unit which controls the magnitude and time of the torque output by the electric rotary machine.

A spring casing of a starter device of an internal combustion engine has a base body provided with a spring receptacle. A cover plate is provided to cover at least partially the spring receptacle. A connecting device is provided that connects the cover plate and the base body to each other. The connecting device secures the cover plate against a movement relative to the base body in a direction of a center axis of the spring casing. The connecting device only has a first part that is a component of the base body and a second part that is a component of the cover plate and has no further parts. A starter device with such a spring casing is provided.

A spring casing of a starter device of an internal combustion engine has a base body provided with a spring receptacle. A cover plate is provided to cover at least partially the spring receptacle. A connecting device is provided that connects the cover plate and the base body to each other. The connecting device secures the cover plate against a movement relative to the base body in a direction of a center axis of the spring casing. The connecting device only has a first part that is a component of the base body and a second part that is a component of the cover plate and has no further parts. A starter device with such a spring casing is provided.

A startup assistance device, which assists startup of an internal combustion engine in which fuel is supplied from an electronically controlled fuel injection device and ignition is performed by an ignition device, includes a recoil starter which is driven by manpower and which performs cranking for starting up the internal combustion engine, an electric rotary machine which adds torque to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine during at least one of a startup period of the internal combustion engine using the recoil starter and a standby period before the startup period, a power source unit which supplies power to the electric rotary machine, and a control unit which controls the magnitude and time of the torque output by the electric rotary machine.