Borgwarner Inc.

Borg-warner Automotive Gmbh

Todd K Preston

Roger T Simpson

Michael C Duffield

A hydraulic tensioner having an external rack member. The rack member has an extending member at its upper end that contacts wedges or grooves along the exterior of the piston to limit backdrive or backlash of the piston. The rack member has an end member at its lower end that is located in a groove in the tensioner housing. The rack member has a plurality of portions that are held together by a garter spring to form a single cylindrical piece.

Hydraulic tensioner with external rack having backlash restriction

A hydraulic tensioner is designed for low cost and ease of manufacturing. A housing has a bore and a sleeve member received within the bore. A piston is slidably received within the sleeve member, forming a high pressure fluid chamber with the sleeve member. The housing can be constructed of inexpensive materials such as aluminum or plastic. The piston and sleeve member are constructed of drawn metal. The housing may be formed by injection molding. The sleeve member and other components of the tensioner may be assembled within the tensioner by inserting them into the mold during the injection molding process.

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Horseheads, NY, United States of America

Todd K Preston