External spring to increase tension on belt tensioner for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018038457-A1
Application number	US-201615228917-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 4, 2016
Priority date	Aug 4, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An easily attached and highly tunable spring arrangement for use with existing front end accessory drive automatic belt tensioners is provided. The spring arrangement of the disclosed inventive concept includes an external spring that can be attached to tensioners to provide a specifically desired amount of additional tension. The spring is flat or round and is externally mounted, conforming to the outer dimension of a portion of the tensioner. The spring can be used on existing tensioner-to-engine bosses using conventional fasteners. The spring includes an attachment end and a biasing end. The attachment end includes at least one bolt sleeve that is formed as part of or is fitted to the external spring by welding. The biasing end contacts the outside of the front end accessory drive automatic belt tensioner at an area adjacent the tensioner pulley. The spring length, material and thickness may be varied for proper tension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An external spring tensioner for use with a front end accessory drive automatic belt tensioner for an engine, the tensioner having an engine attachment housing and a tensioner arm, the arm having a tensioning pulley end, the tensioner comprising:
a spring having attachment and biasing ends, said attachment end being externally attachable to the housing and said biasing end applying a biasing force against the pulley end; and attachment sleeves fixed to said attachment end.

2 . The external spring tensioner of claim 1 including a fastener for each of said attachment sleeves, said fasteners being fitted through said attachment sleeves, the engine attachment housing, and into the engine.

3 . The external spring tensioner of claim 1 in which said spring is selected from the group consisting of a flat spring and a round spring.

4 . The external spring tensioner of claim 3 wherein said attachment end includes a flat portion and said biasing end includes an arcuate portion.

5 . The external spring tensioner of claim 1 wherein said spring is composed of spring steel.

6 . The external spring tensioner of claim 1 wherein said attachment sleeves are formed as part of said spring.

7 . The external spring tensioner of claim 1 wherein said attachment sleeves are attached to said spring.

8 . A tensioner arrangement for an engine, the arrangement comprising:
a front end accessory drive automatic belt tensioner attached to the engine, said tensioner having an engine attachment housing and a tensioner arm, said arm having a tensioning pulley end; a spring having attachment and biasing ends, said attachment end being externally attachable to said housing and said biasing end applying a biasing force against the pulley end; and attachment sleeves fixed to said attachment end.

9 . The tensioner arrangement of claim 8 including a fastener for each of said attachment sleeves, said fasteners being fitted through said attachment sleeves, said engine attachment housing, and into the engine.

10 . The external spring tensioner of claim 8 in which said spring is selected from the group consisting of a flat spring and a round spring.

11 . The external spring tensioner of claim 10 wherein said attachment end includes a flat portion and said biasing end includes an arcuate portion.

12 . The external spring tensioner of claim 8 wherein said attachment sleeves are formed as part of said spring.

13 . The external spring tensioner of claim 8 wherein said attachment sleeves are attached to said spring.

14 . A method for supplementing tension applied by a front end accessory drive automatic belt tensioner for an engine, the tensioner having an engine attachment housing and a tensioner arm, the arm having a tensioning pulley end, the method comprising:
forming a spring tensioner that includes a spring having a biasing end and an attachment end having attachment sleeves; and attaching said attachment end of said spring externally to the housing, whereby said biasing end applies a biasing force against the pulley end.

15 . The method for supplementing tension of claim 14 including controlling the amount of supplemented tension based on the thickness of said spring.

16 . The method for supplementing tension of claim 14 including controlling the amount of supplemented tension based on the width of said spring.

17 . The method for supplementing tension of claim 14 including providing a fastener for each of said attachment sleeves, said fasteners being fitted through said attachment sleeves, the engine attachment housing, and into the engine.

18 . The method for supplementing tension of claim 14 wherein said attachment end includes a flat portion and said biasing end includes an arcuate portion.

19 . The method for supplementing tension of claim 14 wherein said attachment sleeves are formed as part of said spring.

20 . The method for supplementing tension of claim 14 wherein said attachment sleeves are attached to said spring.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Basile James M
• Willis Scott
• Skrobowski Joseph Alan

Classifications

• F16H2007/0842

  Mounting or support of tensioner · CPC title

• F16H7/1281 Primary

  where the axis of the pulley moves along a substantially circular path · CPC title

• F16H2007/0893

  Circular path · CPC title

• F16H2007/0865

  Pulleys · CPC title

• F16H2007/0804

  Leaf springs · CPC title