Tensioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767740-B2
Application number	US-201815919589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

To provide a tensioner capable of keeping oil pressure in an oil pressure chamber stable with a simple structure. The tensioner includes a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts oil pressure in the oil pressure chamber. The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a cylinder part, a piston unit set inside the cylinder part so as to be able to approach and separate from the oil pressure chamber, and a piston biasing unit. Between the cylinder part and the piston unit, a liquid tight condition is kept at any place between a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the oil pressure chamber and a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the adjustment space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tensioner comprising:
a plunger having a plunger hole that is open on a rear side; a housing having a plunger accommodating hole that is open on a front side and accommodates the plunger; a main biaser that is accommodated inside an oil pressure chamber and that is formed between the plunger and the plunger accommodating hole so as to expand and contract, and urging the plunger toward the front side; and a pressure adjusting mechanism adjusting oil pressure in the oil pressure chamber,
the pressure adjusting mechanism including a cylinder part, a piston unit set inside the cylinder part so as to be able to approach and separate from the oil pressure chamber and partitioning a space formed between the plunger and the housing into the oil pressure chamber and an adjustment space, and a piston biaser biasing the piston unit toward the oil pressure chamber,
between the cylinder part and the piston unit a liquid tight condition being kept at any place between a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the oil pressure chamber and a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the adjustment space,
wherein the pressure adjusting mechanism includes an inner sleeve set inside the plunger accommodating hole, a piston spring as the piston biaser is set in the inner sleeve, and the inner sleeve is fitted with the piston unit, and
wherein the inner sleeve includes a sleeve through hole that extends from an inner circumferential surface to an outer circumferential surface thereof.

2. The tensioner according to claim 1 , wherein a portion in a front to back direction of an inner circumferential surface of the plunger accommodating hole serves as a cylinder inner circumferential surface opposite the piston unit.

3. The tensioner according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure adjusting mechanism includes a first restricting part that restricts movement of the piston unit toward the adjustment space.

4. The tensioner according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure adjusting mechanism includes a second restricting part that restricts movement of the piston unit toward the oil pressure chamber.

5. The tensioner according to claim 4 , wherein the piston spring as the piston biaser has a larger spring force than that of a main spring as the main biaser.

6. The tensioner according to claim 1 , further comprising an oil supply passage that connects outside of the housing with the adjustment space, wherein
the piston unit is configured as a check valve that allows oil to flow from the adjustment space to the oil pressure chamber and prevents oil from flowing from the oil pressure chamber to the adjustment space.

7. The tensioner according to claim 6 , wherein
the piston unit includes a check valve unit and an outer tube member disposed around an outer circumferential surface of the check valve unit, and
the outer tube member includes a piston outer circumferential surface opposite the cylinder part.

Assignees

• Tsubakimoto Chain Co

Inventors

• Watanabe Masanori
• Kurematsu Yuji

Classifications

• F16H2007/0893

  Circular path · CPC title

• F16H2007/0859

  Check valves · CPC title

• F16H7/1245

  of the dissipating material type, e.g. elastomeric spring · CPC title

• F16H7/1236 Primary

  of the fluid and restriction type, e.g. dashpot · CPC title

• F16H2007/0806

  Compression coil springs · CPC title