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US 12,663,060 B2Granted
Shuttling mechanical tensioner for control of chain drives with alternating tight and slack strands
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsPaul Freemantle, Timothy K. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shuttling mechanical tensioner for control of chain drives with alternating tight and slack chain strands. The shuttling mechanical tensioner allows for chain control on an outside face of the chain strand or an inside face of the chain strand.
Claims10
A tensioner for a chain housed in a chain drive housing comprising:
- a rod having a first end and a second end separated by a length and a series of grooves proximate to the second end;
- a first face support proximal to and fixed to a first end of the rod comprising a body defining a first face support hole for receiving the rod and a first face support protrusion extending axially from the body of the first face support, perpendicular to the first face support hole;
- a first tensioner face pivotably mounted to the first face support protrusion applying tension to a first strand of the chain;
- a second face support proximal to the second end of the rod having a body defining a second face support hole for receiving the rod, a cutout on a planar surface of the body adjacent the second face support hole, and a second face support protrusion extending axially from the body of the second face support, the cutout being adjacent to the series of grooves on the rod, wherein the second face support is moveable along the rod;
- a second tensioner face pivotably mounted to the second face support protrusion applying tension to a second strand of the chain;
- a clip for engaging the series of grooves of the rod within the second face support hole and the cutout of the second face support, allowing for movement of the rod in a first direction and preventing movement of the rod in a second direction, opposite the first direction;
- and
- a bias spring biasing the second face support towards the first face support;
- wherein as slack in the chain increases, tension is applied to the first strand of the chain via the first tensioner face mounted to the first face support and tension is applied to the second strand of the chain by the second tensioner face mounted to the second face support moveably biased into contact by the bias spring and held in contact with the second strand of the chain by engagement of the clip with the series of grooves on the rod and the cutout of the body of the second face support.
6 more elements
A tensioner for a chain housed in a chain drive housing comprising:
- a rod having a first end and a second end separated by a length and a series of grooves proximate to the second end;
- a first fixed piece mounted to the first end of the rod;
- a second fixed piece mounted to the second end of the rod;
- a first face support proximal to the first end of the rod and movable about the rod comprising a body defining a first face support hole for receiving the rod and a first face support protrusion extending axially from the body of the first face support, perpendicular to the first face support hole;
- a first tensioner face pivotably mounted to the first face support protrusion applying tension to a first strand of the chain;
- a second face support proximal to the second end of the rod having a body defining a second face support hole for receiving the rod, a cutout on a planar surface of the body adjacent the second face support hole, and a second face support protrusion extending axially from the body of the second face support, the cutout being adjacent to the series of grooves on the rod, wherein the second face support is moveable along the rod;
- a second tensioner face pivotably mounted to the second face support protrusion applying tension to the second strand of the chain;
- a clip for engaging the series of grooves of the rod within the second face support hole and the cutout of the second face support, allowing for movement of the rod in a first direction and preventing movement of the rod in a second direction, opposite the first direction;
- and
- a bias spring between the first moveable support and the second moveable support face;
- wherein as slack in the chain increases, tension is applied to the first strand of the chain via the first tensioner face mounted to the first face support biased into contact by the bias spring and tension is applied to the second strand of the chain by the second tensioner face mounted to the second face support moveably biased into contact by the bias spring and held in contact with second strand of the chain by engagement of the clip with the series of grooves on the rod and the cutout of the body of the second face support.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.