US 2020/0400218 A1 · RETENTION OF CHAIN TENSIONER PISTON

Abstract

A camshaft chain tensioner, comprising: a piston having an exterior circumferential surface that includes at least one groove; an expandable clip, positioned around the exterior circumferential surface, that includes a first end and a second end, the expandable clip being expandable from a resting diameter to an expanded diameter, wherein the expandable clip existing in the resting diameter engages one of the grooves and prevents axial movement of the piston and wherein the expandable clip existing in the expanded diameter permits axial movement of the piston in response to an axial force exerted on the piston; and a clip retention device that releasably engages the expandable clip and inhibits radially outward expansion of the expandable clip to the expanded diameter of the expandable clip.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A camshaft chain tensioner, comprising:

a piston having an exterior circumferential surface that includes at least one groove;
an expandable clip, positioned around the exterior circumferential surface, that includes a first end and a second end, the expandable clip being expandable from a resting diameter to an expanded diameter, wherein the expandable clip existing in the resting diameter engages one of the grooves and prevents axial movement of the piston and wherein the expandable clip existing in the expanded diameter permits axial movement of the piston in response to an axial force exerted on the piston;
and
a clip retention device that releasably engages the expandable clip and inhibits radially outward expansion of the expandable clip to the expanded diameter of the expandable clip.

1 more element

A camshaft chain tensioner, comprising:

a piston having an exterior circumferential surface that includes a plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves each including a minimum diameter and a maximum diameter;
an expandable clip, controlling axial movement of the piston, that includes a first end and a second end, the expandable clip being expandable from a resting diameter to an expanded diameter, wherein the resting diameter is equal to or larger than the minimum diameter and smaller than the maximum diameter, and wherein the expanded diameter is equal to or exceeds the maximum diameter;
and
a clip retention device that engages the expandable clip either at an overlapping region of the expandable clip or at both the first end and the second end of the expandable clip, wherein the clip retention device engages the expandable clip such that the expandable clip is prevented from expanding to or exceeding the expanded diameter of the expandable clip.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Retention of chain tensioner piston

Life of this patent

Retention of chain tensioner piston

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14