Borgwarner Inc.

Dale N Smith

Kevin B Todd

Mark E Patton

Mark M Wigsten

George L Markley

Joseph P Goodsell

Matthew W Crump

Jason W Chekansky

Simon Barrette

Keith B Cobb

Sean R Simmons

Paul Freemantle

Seongdo Hong

Robert G Williamson

Fenton O'Shea

Robert Penzone Jr

Eric Palomaki

A hydraulic tensioner having a piston sliding around an outside surface of a pin or rod, so that the high pressure chamber for chain control is created by the area between the piston internal diameter and the rod outside diameter. A spring around the outside of the rod presses against the bottom of the piston, biasing the piston outward during low oil pressure conditions. Preferably, the piston is steel and the rod is aluminum, the reverse of prior art designs, which means that as temperature increases, the piston to bore clearance reduces. This can offset the oil viscosity reduction and maintain the same performance over operating temperatures.

Hydraulic tensioner with external pin and ratchet mechanism

A tensioner for tensioning a chain span which uses two pistons. The movement of the two pistons may be coupled together. The first piston provides damping to the chain span and a second piston provides variable, dominant and automatically adjusting spring force to the chain span. The tensioner automatically adjusts the mean tension force to keep the chain tension as low as possible without sacrificing chain control, significantly improving drive efficiency at new chain conditions and conditions with dynamic loads.

Tensioner with spring force control in a second bore

A tensioner which adjusts the mean tensioner force to keep the chain tension as low as possible without sacrificing chain control, significantly improving drive efficiency as the chain wears and is subject to low dynamic loads.

Chain drive tensioner spring force control mechanism

A press-fit check valve for a hydraulic tensioner includes a retainer, a seat, a ball, and a spring. The seat of the check valve is press-fit against the wall of the check valve counterbore of the hydraulic tensioner body. In some embodiments, the seat is cup-shaped to provide a predetermined level of press force retention of the press-fit check valve. In some embodiments, the seat includes a plurality of legs separated by leg openings. In some embodiments, a backflow path is provided past the press-fit check valve by a combination of the leg openings and at least one backflow slot through a flange of the retainer. In some embodiments, a lip at the outer end of the check valve counterbore prevents the seat from backing out of the check valve counterbore.

Press-fit check valve for a hydraulic tensioner reservoir with metered backflow

A pressure regulator is in fluid communication with a supply inlet of a hydraulic tensioner to actively control fluid to the inlet of the hydraulic tensioner. By actively controlling the pressure regulator based on engine conditions and thus the oil pressure being fed to the hydraulic tensioner, the oil pressure to the hydraulic tensioner may be reduced at low engine speeds, increasing the efficiency of the timing system, or allowing full oil pressure at high engine speeds and low engine temperature.

Hydraulic tensioner with controllable inlet pressure

A valve operating system that includes a plurality of cam assemblies that are coupled for rotation about a rotary axis. Each of the cam assemblies has a control link and a first cam member. Each of the control links has a link body, which forms a majority of the control link, and that extends parallel to the rotary axis. Each of the first cam members is coupled to one of the control links for axial movement therewith along the rotary axis between first and second positions to alternate between first and second cam profiles, respectively.

Valve operating system providing variable valve lift and/or variable valve timing

A tensioner for tensioning a chain or belt span which uses two pistons. The movement of the two pistons may be coupled together. The first piston provides damping to the chain span and a second piston provides variable, dominant and automatically adjusting spring force to the chain span. The tensioner automatically adjusts the mean tension force to keep the chain or belt tension as low as possible without sacrificing chain or belt control, significantly improving drive efficiency at new chain or belt conditions and conditions with dynamic loads.

Tensioner with spring force control

A tensioner () for an endless loop power transmission member can induce a piston () operably engageable with an endless loop power transmission member, and a cylinder () guiding include a piston () for sliding coaxial movement in a direction of the endless loop power transmission member. The piston () and cylinder () defining an oil reservoir or pressure chamber () for receiving hydraulic fluid. A bearing () has bearing balls () located in a counter bore () coaxial with cylinder bore (). The counter bore () has a steep taper () on which the bearing balls () ride. As the cylinder () moves in an extending direction, the bearing balls () move out of the counter bore () allowing free extending movement of the cylinder (). As the cylinder () moves in a retracting direction, the bearing balls () are driven down into the steep taper () preventing the cylinder () from retracting.

Series arrangement of hydraulic chain tensioner and ratchet

A tensioner comprising a piston slidably received within a piston bore of the housing having a plurality of grooves formed on an outer circumference, the piston forming a first pressure chamber with the piston bore. The tensioner uses a mechanism to remove a sliding pawl or expandable clip from engaging the grooves on the piston, such that the piston can move towards the housing and reduce chain load when fluid pressure is reduced in the first pressure chamber during engine shutdown, but not so much as to leave the chain uncontrolled during engine restart. The mechanism may for example be a fluid biased spool piston which engages the expandable clip or a pawl piston that engages a sliding pawl.

Growing community of inventors

Freeville, NY, United States of America

Dale N Smith