An internal combustion engine, includes: a cylinder block; a crankshaft rotatably supported in the cylinder block; an oil pan fastened to a lower end portion of the cylinder block; a chain case fastened to one end wall of the cylinder block in an axial direction of the crankshaft; a belt wound around a crank pulley provided on an end portion of the crankshaft protruding from the chain case and an accessory pulley provided on an engine accessory; and a tensioner contacting a back surface of the belt and applying a tension to the belt, wherein the tensioner includes multiple fastening portions, such that one of the fastening portions is fastened to at least one of the cylinder block and the chain case, and another one of the fastening portions is fastened to the oil pan.

Disclosed herein is an assembly, method of assembling, and kit for assembling an assembled flexible helical belt that is mounted within a mounting space defined by a continuous mechanical constraint of a device. Embodiments of the flexible helical belt include a flexible helical belt that has a plurality of belt teeth, where some of the belt teeth are each pierced by a through hole which extends through the respective belt tooth and where the flexible helical belt is of sufficient length such that, when the flexible helical belt is mounted within the intended mounting space, the flexible helical belt overlaps itself by at least one rotation such that each through hole is transversely aligned with at least one other through hole, enabling a transverse compression device to be fitted through the through holes, creating a transverse compressive force on the flexible helical belt to form a single continuous drive belt.

A tensioner for a hybrid electric vehicle adjusts tension of the belt which is provided to synchronize rotation of a pulley of a starting motor shaft and rotation of a pulley of a crankshaft. The tensioner for a hybrid electric vehicle may include: a base arm, a driving arm pivotably connected with the base arm, and a driven arm pivotably connected with the base arm. The tensioner further includes an actuator operating so as to autonomously vary an entire length so that one end thereof is fixed to the base arm and the other end thereof is connected with the driving arm; a first pulley rotatably connected with the first pulley connecting portion or the driving arm and rolling while contacting the belt; and a second pulley rotatably connected with the second pulley connecting portion of the driven arm and rolling while contacting the belt.

A tensioner comprising a base, a shaft extending from the base, a pivot arm pivotally engaged with the shaft, a torsion spring disposed between the pivot arm the base, a base portion cooperatively engagable with a pivot arm portion upon an axial movement of the pivot arm to a first position, a removable member engaged with the shaft to retain the pivot arm in the first position, the first position limiting the pivot arm to a first range of movement, and the pivot arm axially moveable to a second position upon removal of the removable member, the second position limiting the pivot arm to a second range of movement.

Accessory drives for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle are disclosed that have a first pulley mounted on the drive shaft, a second pulley mounted on the shaft of an electric machine, a belt cooperating with the first and second pulleys, an adjustable-position pulley, and a tensioner. The tensioner has a first tensioning pulley and a second tensioning pulley and at least one spring that biases the first and second tensioning pulleys into contact with respective branches of the belt. The adjustable-position pulley cooperates with the belt to vary the installation tension thereof and is one of the first and second tensioning pulleys, one of the first and second pulleys, or another pulley in the accessory drive.

An internal-combustion engine includes a belt-driven starter generator and makes an idling stop while a vehicle is at a stop. In the process of the engine revolution speed decreasing with cutting of fuel to stop the vehicle, to suppress the reduction in restart responsiveness caused by slack in a belt, preliminary powering of the starter generator is performed. The belt tension during deceleration microscopically changes periodically between a relatively high-tension period and a relatively low-tension period due to pulsation of the engine revolution speed. Slack in the belt does not occur in the high tension period, and thus preliminary powering torque is applied only in the low-tension period.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tensioner lever that can reduce vibration and noise when the chain runs, and realize smooth attachment into an engine with minimal deformation of the lever body with a simple configuration. A tensioner lever according to the present invention includes a lever body and a torsion coil spring pressed the lever body toward the chain. The lever body includes a stopper member mounting part where a stopper member by which the support arm of the torsion coil spring is locked and which retains the torsion coil spring in a compressed state is removably mounted. The stopper member mounting part is located closer to a distal end of the lever body than a center position in the longitudinal direction of the lever body, or a center of gravity position of the lever body.

In an aspect, a tensioner is provided for an endless drive member, and includes a shaft-and-base unit, a tensioner arm, a pulley, and a tensioner spring. The shaft-and-base unit is mountable to be stationary relative to an engine, and includes a fastener aperture for a fastener. The tensioner arm is pivotable relative to the shaft-and-base unit about a tensioner arm axis. The pulley is rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm for rotation and is engageable with an endless drive member. The tensioner spring is positioned to urge the tensioner arm in a first direction relative to the shaft-and-base unit. The tensioner spring includes a plurality of coils that are arranged generally helically about a longitudinal axis and are spaced radially from one another and generally increase in distance away from the axis in a longitudinal direction.

The present invention pertains to an auto tensioner (1) to be provided in an auxiliary-driving belt system, including a friction member (6) that is sandwiched between an arm (3) and an inner circumferential surface of an outer cylindrical portion (21) of a base (2) in the radial direction of the outer cylindrical portion (21) and that has an arc-shaped surface (60) locked to the arm (2) and slidable with respect to the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion (21), in which the friction member (6) is provided so that the arc-shaped surface (60) remains at a height equal to or higher than a horizontal plane (HP) passing through a central axis (R) when sliding with respect to the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion (21) as the arm (3) oscillates.

A tensioner comprising a base having a cylindrical portion extending axially, the cylindrical portion comprising a radially outer surface and a receiving portion that is radially inward of the radially outer surface, an eccentric arm pivotally engaged with the radially outer surface, a torsion spring disposed within the radially inward receiving portion, the torsion spring applying a biasing force to the eccentric arm, and a pulley journalled to the eccentric arm.