Tensioner

• US 20200132173A1
• Filed: 10/24/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gates Corporation The
• Original Assignee: Gates Corporation The
• Inventors: Mora, Anthony R., Serkh, Alexander, Hao, Minchun, Liu, Keming, Dec, Andrzej
• Application Number:
  US16/169,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0806 Compression coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0808 Extension coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0865 Pulleys
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0874 Two or more finally actuated members
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/088 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0893 Circular path
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/08 Means for varying tension of belts, ropes, or chains pulleys of adjustable construction F16H55/52 ; gearings with endless belts F16H7/02; tensioning for chains or belts specially adapted for cycles B62M9/16; belt or chain tensioning arrangements for endless conveyors B65G23/44
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/0831 of the dry friction type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/12 of an idle pulley
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/1218 of the dry friction type

Abstract

A tensioner comprising a bracket, a first swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a first pulley journalled to the first swing arm, a second swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a second pulley journalled to the second swing arm, and a damping member connected between the first swing arm and the second swing arm, the damping member having a asymmetric damping characteristic.

Claims

1. A tensioner comprising:

a bracket;

a first swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a first pulley journalled to the first swing arm;

a second swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a second pulley journalled to the second swing arm; and

a damping strut member connected between the first swing arm and the second swing arm, the damping member having a damping characteristic.

2. The tensioner as in claim 1, wherein the damping strut member further comprises:

a cylinder and a cooperating rod, a wedge member fictionally disposed between a frustoconical portion of the rod and a cylinder inner surface, and, a spring urging the wedge member into pressing engagement with the frustoconical portion and the cylinder inner surface; and

an asymmetric damping characteristic.

3. The tensioner as in claim 2, wherein the rod further comprises a threaded portion to which the first swing arm is threadably connected.

4. The tensioner as in claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises an arcuate form that encircles a driven pulley.

5. A tensioner comprising:

a bracket;

a first swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a first pulley journalled to the first swing arm;

a second swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a second pulley journalled to the second swing arm;

a damping strut member connected between the first swing arm and the second swing arm, the damping member having an asymmetric damping characteristic; and

the damping strut member comprises a body and a cooperating rod, a wedge member fictionally disposed between a frustoconical portion of the rod and a body inner surface, and a spring urging the wedge member into frictional engagement with the frustoconical portion and the body inner surface.

6. The tensioner as in claim 5, wherein the bracket is mountable to a driven device in surrounding relationship with a shaft of the driven device.

7. A tensioner comprising:

a bracket mountable to a driven device in surrounding relationship with a shaft of the driven device;

a first swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a first pulley journalled to the first swing arm;

a second swing arm pivotally mounted to the bracket, a second pulley journalled to the second swing arm;

a first damping strut member connected between the first swing arm and the second swing arm, the first damping strut member having a damping characteristic; and

the first damping strut member comprises a body and a cooperating rod, a first wedge member fictionally disposed between a frustoconical portion of the rod and a body inner surface, and a spring urging the first wedge member into frictional engagement with the frustoconical portion and the body inner surface.

8. The tensioner as in claim 7, wherein the body is cylindrical.

9. The tensioner as in claim 7, wherein the first wedge member comprises two or more segments.

10. The tensioner as in claim 7, wherein the driven device comprises a motor generator unit.

11. The tensioner as in claim 7, wherein the rod comprises a threaded portion disposed distally to the frustoconical portion.

12. The tensioner as in claim 7 further comprising a second wedge member in cooperating engagement with the first wedge member.

13. The tensioner as in claim 7 further comprising a second damping strut member engaged between the bracket and the first swing arm.

14. The tensioner as in claim 13 further comprising a third damping strut member engaged between the bracket and the second swing arm.

15. The tensioner as in claim 7, wherein the damping characteristic is asymmetric.

16. The tensioner as in claim 7, wherein the damping characteristic is symmetric.

17. The tensioner as in claim 13, wherein the second damping strut member comprises an asymmetric damping characteristic.

18. The tensioner as in claim 13, wherein the second damping strut member comprises a symmetric damping characteristic.

19. The tensioner as in claim 14, wherein the third damping strut member comprises an asymmetric damping characteristic.

20. The tensioner as in claim 13, wherein the third damping strut member comprises a symmetric damping characteristic.