Back to results
US 9,175,753 B2Granted
Tensioner with spring damper
AssigneeLitens Automotive Partnership
InventorsMarek Frankowski, Liviu Tanjala, Jacek Stepniak, Frank Schimpl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tensioner having a closing-type torsion spring that is employed to bias a pivot arm about a pivot shaft. The tensioner includes a damper, which contacts an inside surface of the torsion spring to dampen torsional vibration transmitted through the torsion spring, and a one-way clutch that is configured to permit unencumbered rotation of the pivot shaft in one rotational direction but to resist rotation of the pivot shaft in an opposite direction.
Claims20
A tensioner comprising:
- a pivot shaft;
- a pivot arm pivotally mounted on the pivot shaft;
- a torsion spring that biases the pivot arm about the pivot shaft in a first rotational direction, the torsion spring being a closing-type torsion spring with a plurality of coils that are received about the pivot shaft;
- a damper disposed in contact with an inside surface of the coils of the torsion spring, the damper comprising a resilient member that deflects radially inwardly in response to contact with the coils of the torsion spring, the damper being disposed in an axially stationary position relative to the pivot shaft;
- and
- a one-way clutch disposed between the pivot shaft and the torsion spring, the one-way clutch comprising a first clutch portion and a second clutch portion, the first clutch portion being mounted on the pivot shaft, the second clutch portion being rotatable about the pivot shaft, the one-way clutch being configured to permit rotation of the second clutch portion relative to the first clutch portion in the first rotational direction but resist rotation of the second clutch portion relative to the first clutch portion in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction, the second clutch portion being engaged to the pivot arm with a predetermined amount of rotational play that permits the pivot arm to be moved between a maximum tension position and a minimum tension position for a given positioning of the second clutch portion without affecting a position of the second clutch portion relative to the pivot shaft
- wherein the one-way clutch comprises a wrap spring, the wrap spring being configured to non-rotatably couple the first and second clutch portions based on a direction of motion input by the pivot arm to the second clutch portion, wherein the wrap spring comprises a spring tang and wherein the spring tang is non-rotatably coupled to the damper.
4 more elements
A tensioner comprising:
- a pivot shaft;
- a pivot arm pivotally mounted on the pivot shaft;
- a torsion spring that biases the pivot arm about the pivot shaft in a first rotational direction, the torsion spring having a plurality of coils that are received about the pivot shaft and being configured to coil more tightly about the pivot shaft when the pivot arm is moved in a rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction;
- a damper having an annular end wall and a plurality of damping members that extend from the annular end wall, the annular end wall being received about the pivot shaft, each of the damping members being disposed in contact with an inside surface of the coils of the torsion spring, each of the damping members being configured to flex in a radial direction as a load on the torsion spring changes in response to movement of the pivot arm;
- and
- a one-way clutch disposed radially between the pivot shaft and the torsion spring, the one-way clutch comprising a first clutch portion and a second clutch portion, the first clutch portion being mounted on the pivot shaft and non-rotatably coupled to the annular end wall of the damping member, the second clutch portion being rotatable about the pivot shaft, the one-way clutch being configured to permit rotation of the second clutch portion relative to the first clutch portion in the first rotational direction but resist rotation of the second clutch portion relative to the first clutch portion in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction, the second clutch portion being engaged to the pivot arm with a predetermined amount of rotational play that permits the pivot arm to be moved between a maximum tension position and a minimum tension position for a given positioning of the second clutch portion without affecting a position of the second clutch portion relative to the pivot shaft.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.