Belt tensioner with bottom wall of base juxtaposed pivot arm
AssigneeThe Gates Corporation
InventorsAlexander Serkh, H. W. Oberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A belt tensioner of the Zed type with a base member, a pivot-arm, a pivot-pin, a pulley attached to the pivot-arm, a torsional spring attached between the base member and pivot-arm, and wherein the base member has a "tube pan" shape with a cantilevered inner wall that supports the pivot-pin, a cantilevered outer wall, and a bottom wall interconnecting the inner and outer walls and oriented with the bottom wall juxtaposed the pivot-arm. Optionally, the spring is connected to a damping mechanism that generates a reaction force in generally the same direction as a belt force or hub load. In another embodiment, a second, damping spring generates a reaction force in generally the same direction as the belt force with a constant damping force.
Claims16
A tensioner for tensioning a power transmission belt including a pivot-arm;
- a pulley attached to the pivot-arm for engaging the belt and receiving a belt load;
- a pivot-pin attached to the pivot-arm;
- a base member having generally a tube-pan shape with a cantilevered inner wall having a bore, an outer wall, an annular spring receiving cavity defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, an open end, and a bottom wall interconnecting the inner wall and the outer wall and facing the open end;
- at least one bushing supporting the pivot-pin;
- a spring operatively connected between the pivot-arm and the base member;
- a damping mechanism;
- and wherein the improvement comprises:
- the base member oriented with a first side of the bottom wall juxtaposed to the pivot-arm and a second side of the bottom wall facing the spring and wherein the open end of the base member faces away from the pivot-arm and said pivot-arm is rotatably disposed with respect to the base member;
- and
- the pivot-pin having a first end connected to and protruding from a side of the pivot-arm and having a second end connected to the spring.
A belt tensioner for tensioning a power transmission belt associated with an engine, comprising:
- a pivot-arm;
- a pulley attached to the pivot-arm for engaging the belt and receiving a belt load;
- a pivot-pin attached to the pivot-arm and supported by at least one bushing;
- a base member fixedly attachable to the engine and having generally a tube-pan shape with a cantilevered inner wall having a bore, an outer wall, an annular spring receiving cavity defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, an open end, and a bottom wall interconnecting the inner wall and the outer wall and facing the open end;
- said base member oriented with the bottom wall juxtaposed to the pivot-arm and with the open end of the base member facing and spaced away from the pivot-arm wherein said pivot-arm is rotatably disposed with respect to the base member;
- said pivot-pin having a first end connected to and protruding from a side of the pivot-arm, and having a second end;
- a spring operatively connected between the base member and the pivot-arm, one end of the spring being constrained proximate the second end of the pivot-pin;
- and
- a damping mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.