Orbital tensioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11333223-B2
Application number	US-201916533486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2019
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

An orbital tensioner comprising an annular base, a ring journalled to the annular base on a ball bearing, said ring having a ring axis of rotation (A-A), a first pulley journalled to the ring, a first pulley axis of rotation (B-B) offset from the ring axis of rotation (A-A), a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the ring, a pivot arm pivot axis (C-C) offset from the ring axis of rotation (A-A), a second pulley journalled to the pivot arm, a torsion spring biasing the pivot arm in a first direction, the ball bearing having a first race and a second race, the ring fixed to the first race, the annular base fixed to the second race, and a damping mechanism frictionally disposed between the ring and the base.

First claim

We claim:

1. An orbital tensioner comprising:
an annular base;
a ring journalled to the annular base on a ball bearing, said ring having a cylindrical portion and a ring axis of rotation (A-A);
a first pulley journalled to the ring, a first pulley axis of rotation (B-B) offset from the ring axis of rotation (A-A);
a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the ring, a pivot arm pivot axis (C-C) offset from the ring axis of rotation (A-A), a second pulley journalled to the pivot arm;
a torsion spring biasing the pivot arm in a first direction;
the ball bearing having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and an inner race and an outer race; wherein
the cylindrical portion of the ring has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the ball bearing so as to be fixed to the inner race; and wherein
the annular base has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the ball bearing so as to fixed to the outer race; and
a damping mechanism frictionally disposed between the ring and the annular base.

2. The orbital tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein the ball bearing is staked to the ring.

3. The orbital tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein the ball bearing is staked to the annular base.

4. The orbital tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein the damping mechanism comprises a friction member and a spring.

5. The orbital tensioner as in claim 4 , wherein the spring comprises a wave spring.

6. The orbital tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein the ball bearing comprises a double row bearing.

7. The orbital tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein the ball bearing is a sealed bearing.

8. The orbital tensioner as in claim 1 , further comprising a removable pin engaged with the pivot arm and the base.

9. An orbital tensioner comprising:
an annular base;
a ring rotationally engaged with the annular base with a ball bearing, the ring having a cylindrical portion and a ring axis of rotation (A-A);
a first pulley journalled to the ring and having a first pulley axis of rotation (B-B) that is offset from the ring axis of rotation (A-A);
a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the ring and having a pivot arm pivot axis (C-C) that is offset from the ring axis of rotation (A-A);
a second pulley journalled to the pivot arm;
a torsion spring biasing the pivot arm in a first direction;
the ball bearing having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and an inner race and an outer race; wherein
the cylindrical portion of the ring has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the ball bearing so as to be fixed to the inner race; and wherein
the annular base has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the ball bearing so as to fixed to the outer race; and
a damping mechanism frictionally disposed between the ring and the annular base.

10. The orbital tensioner as in claim 9 , wherein the ball bearing is a double row bearing.

11. The orbital tensioner as in claim 10 , wherein the damping mechanism comprises a wave spring and a friction element.

12. The orbital tensioner as in claim 9 , wherein the ball bearing is a single row bearing.

13. The orbital tensioner as in claim 12 , wherein the single row bearing is a deep groove single row bearing.

14. The orbital tensioner as in claim 9 , further comprising a removable pin engaged with the pivot arm and the base.

Assignees

• Gates Corp

Inventors

• Koppeser Michael
• Cadarette Marc
• Kim Sangkyu

Classifications

• F16H2007/0893

  Circular path · CPC title

• F16H2007/0874

  Two or more finally actuated members · CPC title

• F16H2007/0865

  Pulleys · CPC title

• F16H2007/0863

  Finally actuated members, e.g. constructional details thereof · CPC title

• F16H2007/081

  Torsion springs · CPC title