Patent ID: 6497632
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
An autotensioner comprising:a base; a support shaft fixed to said base; a swing member that has a cup having a bottom and opening toward said base, a bearing extending from said bottom toward said base and supported by said support shaft, and an arm extending from an outer circumferential surface of said cup, said swing member being able to swing about a rotational axis of said support shaft; a pulley attached to an end of said arm; a damping member that is fixed to said base and provided at a position close to said base in comparison with said bearing, said damping member frictionally sliding over the approximately entire circumference with respect to an inner circumferential surface of said cup, and supporting said swing member; a ring-shaped spring, said damping member being provided with a tubular portion having the rotational axis as the axial center and being biased by said ring-shaped spring provided at an inside of said tubular portion by a substantially uniform force in the circumferential direction toward the inner circumferential surface of said cup; and a torsion coil spring wound spirally around said support shaft, said torsion coil having two ends held engaged with a bottom of said cup and said base, the base side of said torsion coil spring being formed into a pigtail end shape so as to avoid interference with said damping member and said ring-shaped spring.