Torsionally compliant sprocket with locking mechanism
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsMariano Garcia, Matthew Crump
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A torsionally compliant sprocket system includes a first sprocket (250); a second sprocket (230) mounted in side-by-side relation to the first sprocket (250); a resilient member (270) that resiliently couples the second sprocket (230) to the first sprocket (250) to allow limited angular rotation of the second sprocket (230) with respect to the first sprocket (250); and a locking structure (300, 600, 700) that is biased toward an engaged position in which angular motion of the second sprocket (230) with respect to the first sprocket (250) is restrained and moves in response to rotation of the first sprocket (250) to a disengaged position in which angular motion of the second sprocket (230) with respect to the first sprocket (250) is permitted.
Claims15
A torsionally compliant sprocket system, comprising:
- a first sprocket (250);
- a second sprocket (230) mounted in side-by-side relation to the first sprocket (250);
- a resilient member (270) that resiliently couples the second sprocket (230) to the first sprocket (250) to allow limited angular rotation of the second sprocket (230) with respect to the first sprocket (250);
- and
- a locking structure (300, 600, 700) that is biased toward an engaged position in which angular motion of the second sprocket (230) with respect to the first sprocket (250) is restrained and moves in response to rotation of the first sprocket (250) to a disengaged position in which angular motion of the second sprocket (230) with respect to the first sprocket (250) is permitted.
A torsionally compliant sprocket system for an engine that includes a crankshaft (110) that rotates on an axis, the torsionally compliant sprocket system comprising:
- a hub portion (210) mounted on the crankshaft (110);
- a crankshaft drive sprocket (250) disposed on the hub portion (210) such that it is restrained from rotating with respect to the hub portion (210);
- a balance shaft drive sprocket (230) disposed on the hub portion (210) in side-by-side relation to the crankshaft drive sprocket (250);
- a resilient member (270) that resiliently couples the balance shaft drive sprocket (230) to the crankshaft drive sprocket (250) to allow limited angular rotation of the balance shaft drive sprocket (230) with respect to the crankshaft drive sprocket (250);
- and
- a locking structure (300, 600, 700) that is biased toward an engaged position in which angular motion of the balance shaft drive sprocket (230) with respect to the crankshaft drive sprocket (250) is restrained and moves in response to rotation of the crankshaft drive sprocket (250) to a disengaged position in which angular motion of the balance shaft drive sprocket (230) with respect to the crankshaft drive sprocket (250) is permitted, wherein the locking structure (300, 600, 700) moves from the engaged position to the disengaged position in response to rotation of the hub portion (210) above a threshold rotational speed and moves from the disengaged position to the engaged position in response to rotation of the hub portion (210) below the threshold rotational speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.