Patent ID: 6416435
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
A belt tensioner for automatically tightening a belt of a motor vehicle, the belt tensioner comprising:a tensioner mechanism including a hub, an inner casing and an outer casing, the outer casing movably mounted to the inner casing, the hub freely mounted for rotation to the outer casing and for contacting the belt and selectively tightening and loosening the belt in response to movement of the outer casing relative to the inner casing in first and second directions, respectively; means for providing a torque force to the outer casing in the first direction; a one-way clutch mechanism normally resisting movement of the outer casing relative to the inner casing in the second direction; and an exteriorly accessible rotatable member associated with the one-way clutch mechanism for selectively deactivating the one-way clutch mechanism to permit movement of the outer casing in the second direction.