Hydraulic timing chain tensioner assembly
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorJohn Meade Beardmore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic timing chain tensioner assembly includes a shoe configured to contact a timing chain, and a plunger having a distal end abutting the shoe. The plunger is movable within a cylindrical opening formed in a tensioner body. The cylindrical opening includes oil and a spring member therein to cushion chain loads transmitted through the shoe and plunger. A spring-controlled oil pressure relief structure is operatively associated with the cylindrical opening to vent the oil when the oil is pressurized above a predetermined level by the plunger, thereby enabling further movement of the plunger into the cylindrical opening to reduce maximum loads experienced by the timing chain.
Claims15
A hydraulic timing chain tensioner assembly comprising:
- a shoe configured to contact a timing chain;
- a hydraulic tensioner including a plunger having a distal end abutting said shoe, said plunger being movable within an opening formed in a tensioner body, said opening including oil and a spring member therein to cushion chain loads transmitted through the shoe and plunger;
- and
- said hydraulic tensioner further including a spring-controlled oil pressure relief structure operatively associated with said opening to vent the oil when the oil is pressurized above a predetermined level by movement of the plunger into the opening, thereby enabling further movement of the plunger into the opening to regulate loads experienced by the timing chain.
A hydraulic timing chain tensioner assembly comprising:
- a shoe configured to contact a timing chain;
- a hydraulic tensioner including a plunger having a distal end abutting said shoe, said plunger being movable within an opening formed in a tensioner body, said opening including oil and a spring member therein to cushion chain loads transmitted through the shoe and plunger;
- and
- said hydraulic tensioner further including a pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the opening for selectively venting the oil, said pressure relief valve including a ball spring-loaded toward a valve seat, such that a predetermined level of oil pressure causes movement of the ball away from the seat against said spring load to open the valve and vent the pressurized oil.
A hydraulic timing chain tensioner assembly comprising:
- a shoe configured to contact a timing chain;
- a hydraulic tensioner including a plunger having a distal end abutting said shoe, said plunger being movable within an opening formed in a tensioner body, said opening including oil and a spring member therein to cushion chain loads transmitted through the shoe and plunger;
- and
- said hydraulic tensioner further including a poppet valve structure formed by the plunger, the plunger including a plunger sleeve, a shoe contact end, a valve head end, and an internal spring compressed between the shoe contact end and a rim of said plunger sleeve, said rim also being in contact with the oil and with the valve head end to define a poppet valve, said poppet valve opening when force from pressure of the oil and force from the spring member against the rim overcomes force of the internal spring against the rim to vent the pressurized oil to regulate loads experienced by the timing chain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.