A GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN AN EPICYCLIC GEAR REDUCTION STARTER MOTOR FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

摘要

A gear box assembly for use in an epicyclic gear reduction starter motor for automotive applications provided with a housing accommodating gear elements, such as, planetary gears surrounding, an meshing with, a sun gear; an internal gear-annulus meshing with the planetary gears, characterised in that a circular flexible metal strip member is snugly located between the internal gear-annulus and the housing, the strip member having alternate ridges and grooves on its periphery in close contact with the internal gear-annulus, whereby under conditions of overload, when the torque on the starter exceeds a predetermined value, greater than the normal cranking torque, the strip member allows the internal gear-annulus to slip against the said ridges and grooves, thus avoiding damage to the gear elements and also ensuring concentricity of the internal gear annulus, planetary gears and sun gear.