A drive unit is provided for a motor vehicle, including at least one internal combustion engine that has an output shaft, at least one starting element that can be driven by the output shaft, a transmission that can be driven by the output shaft via the starting element, and at least one bellows mechanism via which the starting element can be driven by the output shaft.

In a permanently engaged starter system (20), a one-way clutch (40) is located between a starter motor (21) and a starter gear (54) for initiating the start of an internal combustion engine. The clutch (40) can include a starter gear (54), an outer race (56), an inner race (60), a roller cage (42) supporting a plurality of roller disks (46), and at least one spring (52). The roller cage (42) can include an enlarged inertia ring supported adjacent to a radially outwardly located peripheral edge (50) for retarding rotational movement of the roller cage (42) relative to the inner race (60) in response to acceleration of the starter motor (21). The spring (52) biases the roller cage (42) relative to the inner race (60) toward a disengaged clutch position, such that the plurality of roller disks (46) engage the inner race (60) and are spaced from the outer race surface (56).

A starter has a high voltage direct current electric motor, a speed reduction device, a clutch, an output gear and a switch box configured to turn on the electric motor. The output gear is driven by the electric motor via the speed reduction device and the clutch. The starter also has a stationary axle on which the output gear is installed. The electric motor has an output shaft. The speed reduction device has a drive gear fixed to the output shaft and a driven gear meshed with the drive gear, the driven gear being rotatably mounted to the axle via a bushing.

The engine starter includes a pinion-mobile component which is linked to an output shaft by a helical spline and can be slid in a shaft direction, in a state where the pinion-mobile component includes; an overrunning clutch which is idled when the pinion gear, which is engaged to the ring gear, is driven by the engine via the ring gear so as to be rotated at a rotational speed which is higher than a rotational speed of the output shaft; and a breaking mechanism in which the overrunning clutch breaks a transmission of a torque, which is generated in accordance with a rotation of the motor and is transmitted to the ring gear, when a value of the torque is a predetermined condition value with respect to a direction where the torque is transmitted to the ring gear.

A drive unit is provided for a motor vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an output shaft, a starting element that can be driven by the output shaft, a transmission that can be driven by the output shaft via the starting element, and a bellows mechanism via which the starting element can be driven by the output shaft. The bellows is configured as a folding bellows with a plurality of walls overlapping each other in the axial direction, such that the bellows can be pulled apart and compressed again without the bellows being damaged or deformed plastically as a result. The bellows is utilized as a balancing clutch, via which the starting element is coupled to the output shaft, such that torques are transmitted via the bellows between the starting element and the output shaft.

Since a pinion gear unit which rotates according to the rotation of an output rotation shaft driven by the motor unit, a pushing mechanism which moves the pinion gear unit towards an engagement location of the pinion gear and an engine starting gear, and a bracket which includes a bracket main body unit which supports the motor unit and the pushing mechanism and a nose unit which extends from the bracket main body unit to a side opposite to the motor unit and rotatably bears a tip portion of the output rotation shaft on a side opposite to the motor unit, and which is attached to an engine side are included, a first stopper unit which restricts the movement of the rotation member to the direction of the engine starting gear is provided on the output rotation shaft, a second stopper unit which restricts the movement of the pinion gears to the direction of the engine starting gear by pushing and biasing of the elastic member is provided on the rotation member, and positioning the first stopper unit is positioned on a side opposite to the engine starting gear with respect to the second stopper unit, it is possible to shorten the shaft length of the rotation member and to shorten the entire length of the engine starting device.

A starter (1) includes a motor unit (3), an output shaft (4) configured to receive a rotational force of the motor unit (3) and rotate, a pinion gear (74) (a pinion mechanism) helically engageable with a ring gear (23) of an engine, a clutch mechanism (5) configured to transmit the rotational force of the output shaft (4) to the pinion gear (74), and an electromagnetic device (9) configured to bias a pressing force toward the ring gear (23) to the clutch mechanism (5) and the pinion gear (74), wherein a plunger spring (91) (a backlash absorption mechanism) configured to bring one end (81a) (a point of action) of a plunger inner part (81) in constant elastic contact with the clutch mechanism (5) is installed at the electromagnetic device (9).

An engaging device and a starter comprising the engaging device, the starter comprises an electric motor, a speed reducer connected with the electric motor, an overrunning clutch comprising a driving piece connected with the speed reducer and a driven piece, and an engaging device with a main shaft connected with the driven piece of the overrunning clutch. A quick engagement may be achieved and a certain initial engagement depth is guaranteed. During the engaging process, the pinion may mesh into a ring gear in its own initiative, reducing the effect of teeth milling phenomenon on the ring gear to a maximum extent.