| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080220919 | Low Profile Tensioner with Arcuate Spring - A tensioner operable to substantially maintain a specified tension in a flexible drive, such as a belt or chain, includes a spring, mounted laterally to the pivot shaft of the tensioner, which biases the tensioner arm towards the flexible drive. The spring is arcuate in shape and is maintained in a correspondingly arc-shaped spring retainer on a mounting plate of the tensioner. The arcuate shape of the spring and spring guide on the tensioner arm follows as the tensioner arm pivots towards and away from the flexible drive. The tensioner also has a wear take up mechanism to maintain the friction bushing in continuous engagement with the tensioner arm. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20090176583 | One-way Isolator For High Torque Devices - A one way isolator for high torque devices, such as alternator-starters, driven by a flexible drive means includes a hub and a sheave each of which includes at least one stop member. The hub and sheave are linked by a isolating spring and, via a bearing and/or bushing, can rotate with respect to each other to provide isolation, through the spring, from torque variations when torque is transferred from the flexible drive means to the device. When substantial amounts of torque are transferred from the device to the flexible drive means, the sheave rotates with respect to the hub to bring the stop members into contact such that the isolator then acts like a solid pulley to facilitate the transfer of the torque from the device. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090275432 | TENSIONER WITH HUB LOAD BALANCING FEATURE - A tensioner assembly with a drive member, a tensioner arm, a shaft, a pivot bushing, a torsion spring and a load balancing element. The tensioner arm has a hub portion, a drive member mount and an arm disposed therebetween. The drive member is coupled to the drive member mount. The shaft is mounted coaxially within the hub portion. The pivot bushing has a frustoconical bearing surface, which engages a corresponding frustoconical surface in the hub portion, and is slidably mounted on the shaft. The torsion spring is received between the shaft and an outer wall of the hub portion and biases the tensioner arm about the shaft in a predetermined rotational direction. The load balancing element is received between and abuts the outer wall and the torsion spring to transmit a radially outwardly directed force generated by the torsion spring to the outer wall at a predetermined location. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20100137084 | Wear Compensated Tensioner - A tensioner for tensioning flexible drives employs an extruded shaft which can provide a relatively complex cross sectional shape to provide anti-rotation features to inhibit rotation of a pivot bushing located on the shaft. The pivot bushing has a frustoconical outer shape, as does the pivot surface of the hub of the tensioner arm which pivots on the pivot bushing. A dampening spring urges the pivot bushing towards the tensioner arm's pivot surface, providing for wear compensation and for dampening. The degree of dampening which is generated between the pivot bushing and the tensioner hub can be selected in a variety of manners: by varying the spring force; by changing the effective contact surface area between the pivot bushing and pivot surface; and/or by changing the coefficient of friction between the pivot bushing and the pivot surface. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100140044 | Crankshaft Torque Modulator - A decoupler with driven and driving members, a clutch, a torsional vibration damper and a lubricant. The clutch is received in a bore in the driven member and includes a carrier, a wrap spring and at least one spring. The wrap spring is formed of spring wire and has a plurality of coils disposed between a first end, which is received in a groove in the carrier, and a second end. The portion of the wrap spring outside the carrier has an outer circumferential spring surface that is abutted against the inner circumferential surface of the bore. The at least one spring is disposed between the carrier and the driving member to transmit rotary power from the driving member to the carrier. The torsional vibration damper is coupled to the driving member for rotation therewith. The lubricant is disposed on the remaining portion of the wrap spring. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100234155 | Tensioner For Flexible Drives - A tensioner in accordance with the present invention employs a spindle and a tensioner arm which are preferably manufactured by a suitable manufacturing process, such as die casting, negating a requirement for machining operations. The biasing spring of the tensioner is wound with wire having a non-circular cross section to increase the spring force of the spring compared to a similar spring wound with wire of circular cross section and, as the tensioner arm is moved away from the flexible drive, the diameter of the biasing spring expands and the coils press a dampening shoe into contact with a wall of the tensioner arm producing a dampening force. The tensioner is simple to assemble and requires a relatively small package volume for the biasing force it can produce. | 09-16-2010 |
