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US 7,597,640 B2Granted
Long mechanical tensioner with a compliant blade spring
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsGeorge L. Markley, James Capp, Mark M. Wigsten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tensioner for imparting tension to a chain having a body, a resilient chain guide element a support member and at least one blade spring. The body contains at least one groove on its surface adjacent to the resilient chain guide for containing a blade spring in compression. The length of the blade spring is less than the length of the support member.
Claims11
A tensioner for imparting tension to a chain comprising:
- a body having a first end and a second end with a surface facing the chain, a pivot hole located approximately equidistant between the first and second ends and at least one groove located longitudinally along a portion of a length of the surface, the groove having containment means at each end;
- a support member located on the surface of the body;
- a resilient chain guide element covering the support member, having a chain contact surface with a first end wrapped around the first end of the body and with a second end wrapped around the second end of the body, the resilient chain guide element being longer than a length of the surface of the body, such that the chain contact surface is movable in a the direction of the chain without disengaging from the body;
- and
- at least one blade spring having a length shorter than a length of the support member said at least one blade spring tending to curl in a free state to contact a portion of the support member and positioned in the at least one groove of the body, each end of said blade spring securely located within one of the containment means of the groove, the containment means consisting of recessed pockets in the body to permit the at least one blade spring to curl toward its free state and return to contact with the surface of the body,
- wherein a ratio of a length the lengths of the at least one blade spring to the support member is from about 1:2 to about 1:6.
3 more elements
A tensioning system for imparting tension to a chain having a slack strand and a tight strand comprising a first tensioner located on the slack strand wherein the first tensioner comprises:
- a first body having a first end and a second end with a surface facing the chain, a pivot hole located approximately equidistant between the first and second ends and at least one groove located longitudinally along a portion of a length of the surface, the groove having a containment means at each end;
- a support member located on the surface of the body;
- a resilient chain guide element covering the support member, having a chain contact surface having a first end wrapped around the first end of the body and a second end wrapped around the second end of the body, the resilient chain guide element being longer than a length of the surface of the body, such that the chain contact surface is movable in a direction of the chain without disengaging from the body;
- and
- at least one blade spring having a length shorter than a length of the support member said at least one blade spring tending to curl in a free state to contact a portion of the support member and being located in the at least one groove of the body, each end of said blade spring securely positioned within one of the containment means of the groove, the containment means consisting of recessed pockets in the body to permit the at least one blade spring to curl toward its free state and return to contact with the surface of the body;
- wherein a ratio of a the length of the at least one blade spring to the support member is from about 1:2 to about 1:6;
- and
- a second tensioner located on the tight strand of the chain comprising:
- a second body having a first end and a second end with a surface facing the chain, a pivot hole located approximated equidistant between the first and second ends and at least one groove located longitudinally along a portion of a length of the surface, the groove having a containment means at each end;
- a support member located on the surface of the body;
- a resilient chain guide element covering the support member, having a chain contact surface having a first end wrapped around the first end of the body and a second end wrapped around the second end of the body, the resilient chain guide element being longer than a length of the surface of the body, such that the chain contact surface is movable in a the direction of the chain without disengaging from the body;
- and
- at least one blade spring having a length shorter than the length of the support member said at least one blade spring tending to curl in a free state to contact a portion of the support member being located in the at least one groove of the body, each end of said blade spring securely positioned within one of the containment means of the groove, the containment means consisting of recessed pockets to permit the at least one blade spring to curl toward its free state and return to contact with the surface of the body;
- wherein a ratio of a length of at least one blade spring to the support member is from about 1:2 to about 1:6.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.