US 4,283,182 A · Hydraulic belt tensioner construction

Abstract

A hydraulic tensioning device and arrangement which maintains a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt of the vehicle accessories drive system. A hydraulically actuated piston applies a predetermined force to one of the vehicle accessories which is pivotally mounted with respect to the engine to tension the drive belt which is drivingly connected to this vehicle accessory. A self-contained hydraulic fluid supply and pump assembly is mounted in a fixed position on the vehicle engine and has a fluid pressure line connected to the piston for hydraulic actuation of the piston. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the fluid supply and pump assembly and is engaged with and driven by the drive belt for actuating the pump to supply hydraulic fluid from the fluid supply to the piston. A coil spring mounted within the piston cylinder applies a portion of the tensioning force on the belt tensioning accessory with the major portion of the tensioning force being applied hydraulically. Check valves regulate the amount of hydraulic force which is applied to the piston and ultimately to the belt by controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the piston.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A hydraulic belt tensioner construction for automatically tensioning an endless belt of the drive system for vehicle accessories, in which one of the vehicle accessories is pivotally mounted with respect to the vehicle engine and operatively engaged with and driven by the endless belt, said tensioner construction including:

(a) self-contained hydraulic fluid supply and pump means adapted to be mounted in a fixed position with respect to the vehicle engine;
(b) an idler pulley drivingly engaged with the fluid supply and pump means for actuation of said pump means upon rotation of said pulley, with said pulley being adapted to be operatively engaged with and driven by the endless drive belt;
and
(c) piston means operatively connected to the fluid supply and pump means for hydraulic actuation of said piston means, said piston means being adapted to be operatively engaged with the vehicle accessory for pivotally moving said accessory to tension the drive belt engaged therewith upon actuation of the pump means by the idler pulley.

1 more element

An arrangement for tensioning an endless drive belt of a vehicle engine accessories drive system including:

(a) a vehicle accessory pivotally mounted with respect to the engine and operatively engaged with and driven by the endless drive belt;
(b) piston means operatively engaged with the vehicle accessory for pivotally moving said accessory in a belt-tensioning direction to tension the drive belt engaged therewith;
(c) an assembly having a pump and a fluid reservoir mounted on the pump and a supply of hydraulic fluid in the reservoir communicating with the pump;
(d) conduit means hydraulically connecting the pump with the piston means for hydraulically actuating said piston means to pivot the vehicle accessory toward the belt-tensioning direction;
and
(e) an idler pulley mounted on the pump and fluid reservoir assembly and engaged with and driven by the drive belt, said pulley also being in operative driving engagement with the pump to actuate said pump to supply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the piston means from the reservoir for actuation of said piston means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hydraulic belt tensioner construction

Life of this patent

Hydraulic belt tensioner construction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19