Patent ID: 7775922

Claim:
A tension adjusting device for an engine accessory driving belt, comprising: a tension pulley configured to be brought into contact with the engine accessory driving belt; a pivotable pulley arm supporting said tension pulley and having a boss at one end thereof, said boss having an end surface and being formed with a shaft insertion hole which opens through said end surface of said boss; a slide bearing pressed in said shaft insertion hole and having at one end thereof a flange in abutment with said end surface of said boss; a tubular fulcrum shaft mounted in said slide bearing; a bolt axially extending through said fulcrum shaft and configured to be brought into threaded engagement with an engine block, thereby pivotally supporting said pulley arm; a hydraulic auto-tensioner for applying a regulating force to said pulley arm, thereby pressing said tension pulley against the belt; a washer comprising a disk portion and a cylindrical portion axially extending from a radially outer edge of said disk portion, said disk portion being disposed between a head of said bolt and said end surface of said boss so as to axially face said flange of said slide bearing with a first gap between said flange of said slide bearing and said disk portion of said washer, said cylindrical portion of said washer surrounding an end portion of said boss including said end surface of said boss; and a slinger comprising a cylindrical portion having first and second axial ends, said first axial end being disposed closer than said second axial end to said end surface of said boss, and a flange radially outwardly extending from said second axial end of said cylindrical portion of said slinger, said cylindrical portion of said slinger being mounted on said end portion of said boss and radially facing said cylindrical portion of said washer with a second gap between said cylindrical portion of said slinger and said cylindrical portion of said washer, said flange of said slinger axially facing an axial end surface of said cylindrical portion of said washer with a third gap between said flange of said slinger and said axial end surface of said cylindrical portion of said washer, said first, second and third gaps communicating with each other so as to define a labyrinth.