Patent ID: 7641577

Claim:
A tensioner for imparting tension to a chain having a slack strand and a tight strand in an engine comprising: a body rigidly attached to the engine with a first end and a second end and a surface having a profile of a path of a new chain and a groove longitudinally along a length of the surface, the groove having a containment means at each end; a resilient chain guide element on the surface of the body, having a chain contact surface, a first chain guide element end and a second chain guide element end, with the first chain guide element end wrapped around the first end of the body and the second chain guide element end wrapped around the second end of the body, the resilient chain guide element being larger than the body, such that a clearance is present between the first end of the body and the first chain guide element end and the second end of the body and the second chain guide element end; and at least one blade spring received within the groove of the body with ends in the containment means, pushing the resilient chain guide element out and away from the body, such that the clearance between the first end of the body and the first chain guide element end and the second end of the body and the second chain guide element end is taken up until the chain element cannot bow out any further from the body; wherein the at least one blade spring received within the groove of the body is a sole tensioning force of the tensioner for imparting tension to the slack strand or the tight strand of the chain.