Patent ID: 6149542
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A belt tensioner for a motor vehicle engine, comprising:a pivot shaft;an eccentric pivoted structure mounted for pivoted movement on the pivot shaft;a rotatable pulley member mounted for rotation on the eccentric pivoted structure;a spring constructed and arranged to bias the eccentric pivoted structure in a direction tending to force the pulley member into tensioning engagement with a belt trained about the pulley member when the belt tensioner has been installed on the motor vehicle engine;an eccentric installation shaft received within said pivot shaft,a mounting bolt constructed and arranged to extend through said installation shaft to secure said belt tensioner to the motor vehicle engine, said installation shaft being rotatable about said mounting bolt to move said pulley into tensioning engagement with said belt and to pre-load the spring to bias the eccentric pivoted structure;wherein a belt load force applied by said belt to said belt tensioner pulley is centered about a belt centerline plane bisecting a width of the belt;said pivot shaft contacting said installation shaft at a first contact portion opposing the belt load force, and said installation shaft contacting said mounting bolt at a second contact portion opposing the belt load force,at least one of said first and second contact portions being limited to a location on one side of said belt centerline plane remote from said motor vehicle engine,said installation shaft having a portion thereof disposed closer to said motor vehicle engine than said at least one of said first and second contact portions limited to said one side of the belt centerline plane.