HYDRAULIC ASYMMETRIC DAMPED BELT TENSIONER

摘要

A belt tensioner for a power transmission belt may be provided that operates on an endless path and that utilizes asymmetric motion control. The belt tensioner (14, 114, 214, 314, 315) may have an arm (18, 118, 224) with a belt engaging section (24,124, 236) and a drum section (26, 126), a support member (16, 116, 222) for securing the tensioner (14, 114, 214, 314, 315) relative to the belt (12, 112, 212, 312), where the arm (18, 118, 224) pivots on the support member (16, 116, 10 222), and a tension spring (20, 120, 228) that urges the arm to pivot about the support member in a first direction and urges the belt engaging section (24, 124, 236) against the belt (12, 112, 212, 312) with a force to tension the belt. The tensioner (14, 114, 214, 314, 315) also may have a fluid (58, 158, 239) filled chamber (30, 130, 230) inside a portion of the drum section (26, 126) of the arm (18, 118, 224) and a valve (34, 134, 231) pivotally attached to the tensioner (14, 114, 214, 312, 315) so that the valve extends across the fluid containing chamber (30, 130, 230).