Patent ID: 7086373
Filing Date: 2006-08-08
Classification: F01L,F02B,F16H

Abstract:
1. An improved internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, an accessory, a motor/generator, and a belt-drive system including a crankshaft pulley, an accessory pulley, a motor/generator pulley, a belt tensioner, a belt tensioner pulley, and a power transmission belt trained about said crankshaft pulley, said accessory pulley, said motor/generator pulley, and said belt tensioner pulley said belt tensioner pulley contacting said belt at a starting-slack-side span, the improvement comprising: said tensioner being asymmetrically biased in a direction tending to cause said power transmission belt to be under tension; said asymmetrical biasing being that biasing at a level that is no more than that provided by spring rate biasing, when external forces acting upon said tensioner and said tensioner pulley are less than necessary to overcome said spring rate biasing and would thereby tend to cause said tensioner pulley to move in a increasing belt tension direction, and that biasing that results from spring rate biasing and direction reversal resistance, when said external forces acting upon said tensioner and said tensioner pulley are greater than that necessary to overcome said spring rate biasing and thereby tend to cause said tensioner pulley to move in a decreasing belt tension direction; and, said direction reversal resistance is intermittently applied in response to operation mode of a motor/generator in mechanical communication with said motor/generator pulley.