Wedge-damped blade tensioner
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsJ. Haesloop, Sam Kuznets
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A blade tensioner system for a chain that imparts tension to a chain that drivingly connects to a driven shaft to a drive shaft in an engine. The blade tensioner comprises a blade shoe and mating block. The blade shoe has an arcuately curved chain sliding face, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion having a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and at an angle. The mating block has a channel with a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and at a second angle for receiving the distal end portion. When load on the chain increases, the tapered sides of the distal end portion and the bottom contact and wedge with the tapered sides of the channel of the mating block, damping chain vibration.
Claims38
A blade tensioner system for a chain, the system including a blade tensioner imparting tension to the chain that drivingly connects a driven shaft to a drive shaft in an engine, the blade tensioner comprising:
- a blade shoe having an arcuately curved chain sliding face, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion having a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and arranged at a first angle;
- and
- a mating block having a channel with a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and arranged at a second angle for receiving the distal end portion;
- wherein when load on the chain increases, the tapered sides of the distal end portion contact and wedge with the tapered sides of the channel of the mating block, damping chain vibration.
A method of damping chain vibrations during tensioning of a chain comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a blade tensioner comprising a blade shoe having an arcuately curved chain sliding face, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion having a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and arranged at a first angle;
- b) providing a mating block stationary with respect to the chain comprising a mating block having a channel with a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and arranged at a second angle for receiving the distal end portion;
- and
- c) arranging the blade tensioner and the mating block such that when load on the chain increases, the tapered sides of the distal end portion contact and wedge with the tapered sides of the channel of the mating block, damping chain vibrations.
A blade tensioner system for a chain, the system including a blade tensioner imparting tension to the chain that drivingly connects a driven shaft to a driving shaft in an engine, the blade tensioner comprising:
- a blade shoe having an arcuately curved chain sliding face, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion having a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and arranged at a first angle;
- and
- a mating block having a channel with a pair of tapered sides spaced apart a distance, joined by a bottom and arranged at a compound angle for receiving the distal end portion;
- wherein at least a portion of the channel has a large distance between the tapered sides and at least another portion of the channel has a small distance between the tapered sides;
- wherein when load on the chain increases, the tapered sides of the distal end portion contact and wedge with the tapered sides of the channel of the mating block, and the distal end portion of the blade shoe rises from the channel, such that the arcuately curved chain sliding face comes into increased contact with the chain, damping chain vibration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.