Patent ID: 6506137
Filing Date: 2003-01-14
Classification: F02B,F16H

Abstract:
An automotive assembly, comprising:an engine having a crankshaft and a starter/generator, said crankshaft having a crankshaft pulley attached to it and said starter/generator having a starter/generator pulley attached to it, said starter/generator being selectively operable in an engine-starting mode; an endless loop drive member drivingly interconnecting said crankshaft pulley and said starter/generator pulley such that 1) said crankshaft drives said starter/generator via said drive member during ordinary engine operation, and 2) said starter/generator drives said crankshaft to start said engine when in said engine-starting mode; wherein a first portion of said drive member extending from said crankshaft pulley toward said starter/generator pulley is in relative tension and a second portion of said drive member extending from said starter/generator pulley toward said crankshaft pulley is relatively slack when said crankshaft is driving said starter/generator during said ordinary engine operation and wherein said first portion of said drive member is relatively slack and said second portion of said drive member is in relative tension when said starter/generator is driving said crankshaft during said engine-starting mode; and wherein said crankshaft pulley, said starter/generator pulley, and said drive member each rotate in the same direction during said engine-starting mode as during said ordinary engine operation; and a tension assembly comprising first and second tension pulleys bearing against said first and second portions of said drive member, respectively, said tension pulleys being constructed and arranged such that 1) said first tension pulley takes up additional slack in said first portion of said driving member and said second tension pulley simultaneously yields under increasing tension in said second portion of said driving member during said engine-starting mode, and 2) such that said second tension pulley takes up additional slack in said second portion of said driving member and said first tension pulley simultaneously yields under increasing tension in said first portion of said driving member during said ordinary engine operation, whereby said tension assembly automatically compensates for varying kinematic conditions in said drive member as the automotive assembly transitions between said engine-starting mode and said ordinary engine operation.