US 7,455,607 B2
Tensioner
Kinzo Narita, Nabari (Japan); Junichi Wake, Nabari (Japan); and Simon Barrette, Aichi-ken (Japan)
Assigned to BorgWarner Morse TEC Japan K.K., Nabari-Shi (Japan)
Filed on May 23, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/419,771.
Claims priority of application No. 2005-172565 (JP), filed on Jun. 13, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2006/0281595 A1, Dec. 14, 2006
Int. Cl. F16H 7/08 (2006.01); F16H 7/22 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 474—109  [474/110; 474/101] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tensioner for imparting tension to a chain comprising:
a housing having a piston bore extending axially including an open end with a notch connected radially to the piston bore, an upper stop surface and a lower stop surface;
a piston slidably supported in the piston bore comprising a plurality of rack teeth on the outer circumferential surface thereof;
a piston spring provided in the piston bore biasing the piston in a protruding direction from the housing; and
a circlip member comprising:
an expandable ring-shaped body engaged with the rack teeth of the piston having at least one wavy portion that elastically deforms in an axial direction, and
an operatable handle portion for expanding the ring-shaped body extending outside of the housing through the notch connected radially to the piston bore;
wherein the rack teeth of the piston are formed such that when the ring-shaped body of the circlip member engages with the upper stop surface of the piston bore, the piston is permitted to move in the protruding direction and when the ring-shaped body of the circlip member engages with the lower stop surface of the piston bore, the piston is restricted to moving in the retracting direction and the wavy portions of the ring-shaped body of the circlip member deform in the axial direction.