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 |
20110315502 | DECOUPLER FEATURING HELICAL WRAP CLUTCH SPRING AND COIL DAMPER SPRINGS - A decoupler having a hub, a drive member and an isolator. The drive member is disposed about the hub for rotation about a rotational axis and includes an inner clutch surface. The isolator couples the hub and the drive member and includes a carrier, a plurality of arcuate springs, and a wrap spring. The carrier is received between the hub and the drive member and includes a carrier member, which defines a pair of apertures, and a pair of reaction blocks that are mounted in the apertures. The arcuate springs are mounted in the carrier member and are disposed between the hub and an associated one of the reaction blocks. The wrap spring has an end and a plurality of helical coils that are engaged to the inner clutch surface of the drive member. The end has an end face that is abutted against one of the reaction blocks. | 12-29-2011 |
20120055436 | ENGINE STARTER - An engine starter that employs a clutch between a flywheel or flex plate and a plate structure that is configured to receive rotary power from a starter motor through a transmission. The transmission may include ring and pinion gears or a belt that transmits rotary power between pulleys. | 03-08-2012 |
20120115657 | 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. | 05-10-2012 |
20130056328 | 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. | 03-07-2013 |
20130087428 | ISOLATION PULLEY WITH OVERRUNNING AND VIBRATION DAMPING CAPABILITIES - A decoupler having an input hub, an output member, a one-way clutch, and at least one isolation spring. Rotary power is transmitted in a predetermined rotational direction from the input hub, through the one-way clutch, through the isolation spring and to the output member. A method for forming a decoupler is also provided. | 04-11-2013 |
20130319814 | CLUTCHED DEVICE WITH THRUST RING - A clutched device that includes a driving member, a driven member and a clutch assembly that is disposed between the driving and driven members. The clutch assembly includes a carrier, a wrap spring and a spacer. The carrier is configured to coupled the wrap spring to one of the driving and driven members to permit the transmission of rotary power there between. The spacer is configured to limit elongation of the wrap spring in an axial direction. | 12-05-2013 |
20140209428 | DECOUPLER - A decoupler that includes a drive member, a hub and an isolator that is configured to transmit rotary power between the drive member and the hub in a predetermined rotational direction. The isolator includes a wrap spring, a plurality of helical coil springs, and a carrier assembly. The wrap spring includes a plurality of helical coils and a proximal end. The helical coil springs are disposed between the hub and the carrier assembly. The carrier assembly includes a carrier plate and a spring shell. The carrier plate has a plate member with a rim and a spring groove. The rim abuts an axial end of the wrap spring. The proximal end of the wrap spring is received in the spring groove. The spring shell is assembled to the carrier plate and has a toric inner surface into which the helical coil springs are received. | 07-31-2014 |