A clutch device includes a shaft member, an outer rotor provided on a radially outer side of the shaft member, a clutch module configured to selectively switch between a free state where the shaft member and the outer rotor are allowed to rotate relatively and a lock state where the shaft member and the outer rotor are not allowed to rotate relatively, a coil spring configured to absorb a rotational fluctuation between the shaft member and the outer rotor in the lock state, and a bearing configured to support the shaft member and the outer rotor to rotate relatively is in the free state, and the clutch module is provided on the radially outer side of the shaft member, and the coil spring configured to absorb the rotational fluctuation is provided further radially outwards than the clutch module.

A belt tensioner having a tensioner base and a tensioning arm axially aligned about a pivot shaft defining a pivot axis, the tensioning arm pivotal in relation to the tensioner base about the pivot axis. The tensioner has a bearing positioned around and sealed against the pivot shaft, with the tensioning arm positioned around the bearing. The bearing forms a radial seal between the bearing and the tensioning arm and between the bearing and the pivot shaft. A torsion spring is positioned externally around a portion of the tensioning arm.

The present invention relates to an auto-tensioner containing a base having a cylindrical part, a rotating member supported rotatably to the base, a pulley provided at the rotating member, a friction member sandwiched between the cylindrical part and the rotating member, and a coil spring locked to the friction member and the base and disposed in a state of being compressed in an axial direction, thereby biasing the rotating member in one direction, in which the friction member has an arcuate surface capable of sliding along the cylindrical part, a first locking part located further toward the one direction side than the arcuate surface in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical part and locked to the rotating member, and a second locking part locked to one end of the coil spring.

An engine timing tensioner including: a tensioner arm having a cylindrical protrusion extending from a first side of the tensioner arm; the cylindrical protrusion having at least one counter-bore disposed on a surface of the cylindrical protrusion and an inner bore extending through the cylindrical protrusion; an axle adapted to be received by the inner bore, the tensioner arm being adapted to rotate about the axle; a first spring disposed proximate a second side of the tensioner arm, opposite the first side, the first spring being adapted to bias the tensioner arm in a first direction; and a damping structure that includes a damping seat adapted to engage at least a portion of the axle; and a second spring, wherein a damping characteristic of the damping structure increased in responsive to the second spring limiting the tensioner arm in a second direction opposite the first direction.

In an aspect, a tensioner includes a shaft and base unit that is mountable to an engine, an arm pivotable about the shaft and base unit, a pulley on the arm engageable with a belt, a spring urging the arm in a free arm direction, a first damping member fixed on the shaft and base unit, which receives a first radial force from a first segment of the spring causing a first amount of frictional force between the first damping member and a surface that moves with the tensioner arm, and a second damping member on the arm, which receives a second radial force from a second segment of the tensioner spring that is spaced axially from the first segment of the spring, causing a second amount of frictional force between the second damping member and a surface that is stationary with the shaft and base unit.

A pattern for application to the face of the tensioner arm, guide or snubber in contact with a chain to intentionally break up the chain contact force between the back of the chain links and the tensioner arm, guide or snubber face. This is done to prevent alignment with the chain related orders which are causing NVH within the chain system or to increase overall NVH to obscure chain related orders.

A tensioner moves the flow restriction controlling the tensioner tuning to the nose of the piston through a hole ranging in cross sectional area from 0.01 mm.sup.2 to 1.1 mm.sup.2. It also eliminates a component from the design of the tensioner. The piston hole geometry is one or a plurality of holes.

In an aspect, a tensioner for tensioning an endless drive member on an engine, is provided, comprising a base that mounts to the engine, a tensioner arm that is pivotally connected to the base for pivotal movement about a tensioner arm axis, a pulley rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm for rotation about a pulley axis that is spaced from the tensioner arm axis, a tensioner spring and a damping member. The tensioner spring is positioned to urge the tensioner arm into an endless drive member. The spring has a first helical end and a second helical end. The first helical end is positioned to transfer force with a first spring end force transfer surface on the base and the second helical end is positioned to transfer force with a second spring end force transfer surface on the tensioner arm. The damping member is positioned in a surrounding relationship with the tensioner spring. The damping member includes a spring force adjustment member having a first end face and a second end face spaced from the first end face by a selected angular spacing. The damping member includes a first portion that contains the spring force adjustment member and that is generally rigid, and at least one second portion that is adjacent the first member and that is flexibly joined to the first member. The spring force adjustment member is positioned between one of the spring ends and one of the spring end force transfer surfaces on one of the base and the tensioner arm. The damping member is frictionally engaged with the other of the base and the tensioner arm during pivotal movement of the tensioner arm relative to the base.

In an aspect, a tensioner is provided for maintaining tension in an endless drive member in a belt-in-oil drive system. The tensioner includes a base that is mountable to a stationary structure and that has a circumferential wall that defines an arm pivot axis, an arm having a radially inner arm surface, and an endless drive member engagement surface that is engageable with an endless drive member, a bushing positioned between the radially inner arm surface and the circumferential wall of the base cup, and a tensioning spring. The arm is supported on the base cup via the bushing. The tensioning spring is positioned to bias the arm in a first direction about the arm pivot axis.

In an aspect, a tensioner for an endless drive member, comprising a shaft and base that are mountable to be stationary relative to an engine, a tensioner arm that is pivotable relative to the shaft about a tensioner arm axis, a pulley on the tensioner arm rotatable about a pulley axis that is offset from the tensioner arm axis, and that is engageable with an endless drive member, a tensioner spring that is positioned to urge the tensioner arm towards a free arm position, a damping element that engages the tensioner arm and that is engaged by a plurality of axially spaced segments of the tensioner spring.