# US 2014/0155209 A1 · Chain guide and chain transmission device

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- Number: US 2014/0155209 A1
- Document ID: US20140155209A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/234,418
- Filed: 2012-07-13
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-25
- Assignees: Ntn Corporation
- Inventors: Akio Kato; Shinji Oishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155209A1

## CPC

- F16H 7/20: Mountings for rollers or pulleys
- F16C 13/006: {Guiding rollers, wheels or the like, formed by or on the outer element of a single bearing or bearing unit, e.g. two adjacent bearings, whose ratio of length to diameter is generally less than one}
- F16C 33/588: {Races of sheet metal}
- F16C 2240/60: Thickness, e.g. thickness of coatings
- F16C 2361/63: Gears with belts and pulleys
- F16H 7/1281: {where the axis of the pulley moves along a substantially circular path}
- F16H 2007/0865: {Pulleys}
- F16H 2007/0893: {Circular path}
- F16H: GEARING
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS

## Abstract

A chain guide includes a plurality of roller shafts provided on one side of a timing chain for torque transmission and spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of a guide base facing the timing chain. The respective roller shafts rotatably support chain guiding rollers in the form of needle roller bearings. The rollers are cylindrical members having the same diameter over the entire axial direction such that the rollers are movable in the axial direction relative to the timing chain. The rollers are supported so as to be movable in the axial direction. When the rollers and the timing chain move relative to each other in the axial direction and the rollers move relative to the roller shafts in the axial direction, contact portions between the rollers and the roller shafts are displaced in the axial direction, so that radial loads are not locally applied.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A chain guide comprising:
a guide base configured to be arranged to extend along a portion of an outer periphery of a timing chain, the guide base being elongated in a direction in which the timing chain is moved;
a plurality of roller shafts mounted in the guide base so as to be spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the guide base; and
a plurality of chain guiding rollers rotatably supported on the respective roller shafts, each of the rollers comprising a roller bearing including an outer race and a plurality of roller elements received in the outer race:
wherein the rollers are movable in a roller axial direction relative to both the timing chain and the roller shafts.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The chain guide according to claim 1, wherein the roller bearings comprise needle roller bearings or cylindrical roller bearings.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The chain guide according to claim 1, wherein the guide base has an opposed pair of side plate portions supporting respective ends of the roller shafts, and wherein gaps are defined between inner side surfaces of the respective side plate portions and end surfaces of the rollers such that the rollers are movable in the axial direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The chain guide according to claim 3, wherein the guide base is formed by molding synthetic resin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The chain guide according to claim 4, wherein the synthetic resin comprises polyamide 46 or polyamide 66 reinforced by glass fiber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The chain guide according to claim 1, wherein the roller shafts are thermally treated by bright quenching.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A chain transmission device comprising:
a timing chain looped over a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket;
a pivotable chain guide provided on one side of a slack side of the timing chain, and guiding movements of the timing chain; and
a chain tensioner for applying adjustment force to a remote end of the chain guide remote from a center of pivoting movement of the chain guide, thereby pressing the remote end against the timing chain,
wherein the chain guide comprises the chain guide according to claim 1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The chain transmission device comprising;
a timing chain looped over a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket;
a pivotable chain guide provided on one side of a slack side of the timing chain, and guiding movements of the timing chain;
a fixed chain guide provided on one side of a tight side of the timing chain, and guiding movements of the timing chain;
a chain tensioner for applying adjustment force to a remote end of the pivotable chain guide remote from a center of pivoting movement of the pivotable chain guide, thereby pressing the remote end against the timing chain,
wherein each of the fixed chain guide and the pivotable chain guide is constituted by a chain guide according to claim 1.