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US 6,206,797 B1Granted
Belt tensioner with flexible armplate
AssigneeDayco Products, Inc.
InventorJames G. Quintus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt tensioner includes a stationary spring case receiving a pivotal arm supporting a pulley and biased in a belt-tensioning direction by a spring element. The arm is provided with a surface supporting an armplate bushing having an inner diameter and juxtaposed with an armplate. The armplate has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the armplate bushing so as, upon radially riveting the armplate to a stationary shaft during assembly of the tensioner, an inner area of the armplate is resiliently bent. The bushing is provided with a taper, so that the respective juxtaposed surfaces of the bushing and armplate extend complimentary to each other upon deflection of the armplate.
Claims24
A belt tensioner for tensioning an endless drive belt of a drive system, said belt tensioner comprising:
- a shaft extending along a longitudinal shaft axis and formed with an outer axial end;
- a housing mounted rotatably fixed on said shaft;
- an arm mounted pivotally on said shaft and formed with a flange extending radially outwardly from said outer axial end of said shaft;
- a spring element operatively connected to said housing and to said arm and actuating said arm to pivot in a belt-tensioning direction with respect to said housing;
- a pulley mounted on said arm for applying a tensioning force on said endless drive belt upon pivoting said arm in said belt-tensioning direction, said pulley being spaced axially apart from said upper end of said shaft;
- a flexible armplate having an inner radial edge fixedly mounted on said outer end of said shaft, said armplate extending radially outwardly from said shaft and being spaced axially outwardly from said flange of said arm;
- and
- an armplate bushing located between said armplate and said flange, said armplate and said armplate bushing forming a contact surface, said armplate bushing having an inner radial edge terminating radially outwardly from said inner edge of said armplate to enable a region of said armplate adjacent to said contact surface to deflect axially inwardly with respect to said shaft upon mounting said armplate on said shaft.
5 more elements
A belt tensioner for tensioning an endless drive belt of a drive system of a vehicle, said belt tensioner comprising:
- a shaft mounted fixedly on said vehicle and extending along a longitudinal shaft axis and formed with an outer axial end;
- a housing fixedly mounted on said shaft;
- an arm mounted pivotally on said shaft and resiliently biased in a belt-tensioning direction to apply a tensioning force on said endless drive belt, said arm having an outer radially extending surface;
- an armplate bushing coaxial with said shaft and mounted on said outer surface of said arm, said armplate bushing having:
- an inner annular edge spaced radially outwardly from said shaft and defining an inner diameter of said armplate bushing, and
- a wear surface extending radially outwardly from said inner annular edge and facing away from said arm;
- and
- an armplate mounted on said wear surface of said armplate bushing and having an inner annular actual contact surface pressed against said outer end of said shaft, said armplate having an inner diameter less than the inner diameter of said armplate bushing to enable a region of said armplate adjacent to said inner annular contact surface to deflect axially inwardly during assembly of said belt tensioner.
5 more elements
A method for assembling a belt tensioner for tensioning an endless drive belt of a drive system of a vehicle, said belt tensioner comprising:
- a housing extending along an axis and fixed to a shaft for mounting on a vehicle;
- an arm mounted pivotally on said shaft and resiliently biased in a belt-tensioning direction to apply a tensioning force to said endless drive belt, said arm having an outer radially extending surface, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an armplate bushing with a wear surface and with an inner diameter,
- mounting said armplate bushing coaxially with said shaft on said outer surface of said arm, thereby having said armplate bushing spaced radially outwardly from said shaft;
- providing an armplate having an inner annular surface defining an inner diameter of said armplate which is less than said inner diameter of said armplate bushing;
- mounting said armplate on said armplate bushing coaxially with said shaft while pressing said inner annular surface against said shaft to allow a region of said armplate adjacent to said inner annular surface to deflect axially inwardly, thereby removing stackup clearances while avoiding a lock up of said tensioner.
3 more elements
A belt tensioner for tensioning an endless drive belt of a drive system, said belt tensioner comprising:
- a shaft extending along a longitudinal shaft axis and formed with an outer axial end;
- a housing mounted rotatably fixed on said shaft;
- an arm mounted pivotally on said shaft and formed with a flange extending radially outwardly from said outer end of said shaft;
- a spring element operatively connected to said housing and to said arm and actuating said arm to pivot in a belt-tensioning direction with respect to said housing;
- a pulley mounted on said arm for applying a tensioning force on said endless drive belt upon pivoting said arm in said belt-tensioning direction, said pulley being spaced axially apart from said upper end of said shaft;
- a flexible armplate having an inner radial edge fixedly mounted on said outer end of said shaft, said armplate extending radially outwardly from said shaft and being spaced axiallly outwardly from said flange of said arm;
- and
- an armplate bushing located between said armplate and said flange, said armplate and said armplate bushing forming a contact surface, said armplate bushing having an inner radial edge terminating radially outwardly from said inner edge of said armplate wherein said inner edge of said armplate bushing is narrower than an outer edge of said armplate bushing so that said armplate bushing is formed with a taper to enable a region of said armplate adjacent to said contact surface to deflect axially inwardly with respect to said shaft.
5 more elements
A belt tensioner for tensioning an endless drive belt of a drive system, said belt tensioner comprising:
- a shaft extending along a longitudinal shaft axis and formed with an outer axial end;
- a housing mounted rotatably fixed on said shaft;
- an arm mounted pivotally on said shaft and formed with a flange extending radially outwardly from said outer axial end of said shaft;
- a spring element operatively connected to said housing and to said arm and actuating said arm to pivot in a belt-tensioning direction with respect to said housing;
- a pulley mounted on said arm for applying a tensioning force on said endless drive belt upon pivoting said arm in said belt-tensioning direction, said pulley being spaced axially apart from said upper end of said shaft;
- a flexible armplate having an inner radial edge fixedly mounted on said outer end of said shaft, said armplate extending radially outwardly from said shaft and being spaced axially outwardly from said flange of said arm;
- and
- an armplate bushing located between said armplate and said flange wherein said flange is formed with an outer surface juxtaposed with said armplate bushing, said flange being formed with a taper to enable a region of said armplate adjacent to said contact surface to deflect axially inwardly with respect to said shaft.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.