Recoil starter mechanism

A recoil starter mechanism, comprising:

• a starter case (4);
• a rotation shaft (5) which projects from the starter case (4);
• a rope reel (6) which is rotatably mounted on the rotation shaft (5);
• a coil spring (7) which is wound on the rotation shaft (5), one end of the coil spring (7) being formed into a tip projecting portion (16);
• a hold plate (13) which is provided at a tip end portion of the rotation shaft (5) to thereby hold the coil spring (7) toward a base-side portion of the rotation shaft (5);
• and
• a ratchet (17) which is formed into a ring-like shape and interposed between the rope reel (6) and the hold plate (13), the ratchet (17) including:
• a fulcrum (18) around which the ratchet (17) is swingable with respect to the rope reel (6);
• a guide groove (20) including a first guide portion (20a) extending in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotation shaft (5) and a second guide portion (20b) extending in a radial-outward direction with respect to the rotation shaft (50), the tip projecting portion (16) being engaged with the guide groove (20) with a sliding resistance therebetween;
• and
• an engagement pawl (21) which is to be engaged with an engagement portion (3) of a pulley (1) to thereby start an engine, the guide groove (20) and the engagement pawl (21) being disposed at opposite sides so as to interpose the rotation shaft (5) therebetween.