JP2000097042A - Tensioner arm - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] To reduce wear of shoes and chains. SOLUTION: A tensioner arm 10 is constituted by an arm body 20 and a shoe 30 attached to the arm body 20. A through hole 20a for introducing lubricating oil is formed in the arm body 20, and an oil groove 20c communicating with the through hole 20a and extending along the mating surface 20b is formed in the arm body 20.
Plural through holes 3 communicating with oil groove 20c of arm body 20
0a is formed on the shoe 30. In this case, the lubricating oil introduced from the hydraulic tensioner 15 into the through hole 20a of the arm body 20 flows into the oil groove 20c of the arm body 20, and passes through the oil groove 20c to form the boss 23 of the arm body 20. And flows out of the shoe 30 through each through hole 30a of the shoe 30 communicating with the oil groove 20c. Thereby, sufficient lubricating oil can be supplied between the shoe 30 and the chain, and wear of the shoe and the chain can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tensioner arm for applying a tension to a chain, and more particularly to an improvement in the structure of an arm body and a shoe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as a tensioner arm for applying a predetermined tension to a timing chain in an engine, a tensioner arm composed of an arm body and a shoe mounted on the arm body has been conventionally used. ing.

[0003] When the chain is running, the chain slides on the shoe while the shoe is pressed against the chain.
Lubricating oil must be interposed between the chain and the shoe. Conventionally, oil splashes from other parts of the engine have served as such lubricating oil.

However, in recent years, there has been a demand for high-speed durability of the engine. At such a high-speed operation, lubrication only by oil droplets is not sufficient, and the shoe and the back side of the chain are worn out, and the distance between the shoe and the chain is reduced. Phenomena, such as an increase in the sliding resistance.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional situation, and has as its object to provide a tensioner arm capable of reducing wear of shoes and chains. Another object of the present invention is to provide a tensioner arm that can reduce wear of shoes and chains and can be easily formed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a tensioner arm that can reduce wear of shoes and chains and can further simplify the structure.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tensioner arm for applying a tension to a chain, comprising an arm body and a shoe attached to the arm body. The arm body has an introduction hole into which lubricating oil is introduced, and has an oil groove communicating with the introduction hole and formed along a mating surface with the shoe; And a through hole communicating with the oil groove and opening to the chain contact surface side.

A tensioner arm according to a second aspect of the present invention includes an arm body and a shoe attached to the arm body, wherein the arm body has an introduction hole through which lubricating oil is introduced, and the shoe is Having an oil groove communicating with the introduction hole of the arm body and formed along the mating surface with the arm body, and having a through hole communicating with the oil groove and opening on the chain contact surface side. It is characterized by having.

[0008] A tensioner arm according to a third aspect of the present invention is a tensioner arm for applying a tension to a chain, comprising an arm main body and a shoe attached to the arm main body. The lubricating oil has an introduction hole, and the arm body or the shoe has an oil passage formed in communication with the introduction hole and extending from the introduction hole to a contact start side between the shoe and the chain. The shoe has a through hole communicating with the oil passage and opening to the chain contact surface side.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tensioner arm according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the through hole of the shoe is formed at a contact start position with the chain.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the tensioner arm according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the introduction hole of the arm main body is formed at a tip end of the arm main body opposite to the pivot side. It is characterized by:

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the tensioner arm according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the lubricating oil introduced into the introduction hole of the arm body is supplied from a hydraulic tensioner. It is characterized by.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the lubricating oil introduced into the arm main body flows into the oil groove from the introduction hole of the arm main body, and passes through the shoe through hole communicating with the oil groove, thereby causing the chain contact of the shoe. It is led out to the contact side.

Thus, a sufficient amount of lubricating oil can be supplied between the shoe and the chain, and as a result, the wear of the shoe and the chain can be reduced even during high-speed operation of the engine. Further, since the arm main body has an oil groove formed along the mating surface with the shoe, the oil passage is easily formed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the lubricating oil introduced into the arm body flows into the oil groove of the shoe from the introduction hole of the arm body, and passes through the shoe through hole communicating with the oil groove, thereby causing the chain contact of the shoe. It is led out to the contact side.

Therefore, also in this case, sufficient lubricating oil can be supplied between the shoe and the chain, and as a result, the wear of the shoe and the chain can be reduced even at the time of high-speed operation of the engine.

In this case, an oil groove communicating with the introduction hole of the arm body is formed on the shoe side. The shoe has a generally rectangular cross-section, which makes it very easy to form an oil groove.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the oil passage communicating with the introduction hole of the arm body is formed to extend from the introduction hole to the contact start side of the shoe and the chain. As a result, sufficient lubricating oil can be supplied, and as a result, wear of the shoe and chain can be reduced even during high-speed operation of the engine.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the through hole of the shoe is formed at the contact start position with the chain, the shoe enters the shoe during operation and starts sliding with the shoe. Can be prevented from running out of lubricating oil on the chain sliding surface, thereby further reducing wear of the shoe and chain.

It is preferable that the introduction hole of the arm body is formed at a tip end opposite to the pivot side of the arm body, as described in the fifth aspect of the invention. Thereby, the formation of the introduction hole is easier and the structure can be simplified as compared with the case where the introduction hole is formed on the pivot side of the arm main body.

According to the invention of claim 6, the lubricating oil introduced into the introduction hole of the arm body is supplied from the hydraulic tensioner. Thus, it is not necessary to provide a separate lubricating oil supply means in the engine, and the structure of the entire system can be simplified.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 6 are views for explaining a tensioner arm according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an engine timing system including the tensioner arm, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tensioner arm, 3 is a front view of the tensioner arm, FIG. 4 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 3, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI.

As shown in FIG. 1, the engine timing system 1 includes a crank sprocket 3 fixed to a crankshaft 2, cam sprockets 6 and 7 fixed to camshafts 4 and 5, respectively. , 6 and 7, and a silent chain 8 wound therearound. The arrow a in the figure indicates the rotation direction of the crankshaft, and the arrow b indicates the traveling direction of the chain 8.

The tensioner arm 10 disposed on the slack side span of the chain 8 has an arm body 20 and a shoe 30 mounted on the arm body 20 and on which the chain 8 slides. The arm body 20 is rotatable around a pin 21 through which one end is inserted. Arm body 20
A pad 22 is fixed to a tip end (free end) of the hydraulic tensioner 15.
a is in contact.

The arm body 20 is a metal member such as aluminum, for example, and has a hole 23a through which a pin 21 (FIG. 1) is inserted, as shown in FIGS. are doing. A through hole (introduction hole) 20 a having a long cross section is formed at the tip of the arm body 20, and a pad 22 fixed to the tip of the arm body 20 has a long hole with a cross section communicating with the through hole 20 a. Through hole 22a
Are formed.

As described above, since the through hole 22a is elongated, the piston 15 can be moved during operation of the hydraulic tensioner 15.
The lubricating oil from the piston 15a can be reliably supplied into the through hole 22a even when the center of the hole a is slightly deviated from the center of the through hole 22a.

The arm body 20 has a mating surface 20b extending in a substantially arc shape on a side facing the shoe 30, and an oil groove 20c extending along the mating surface 20b is formed in the mating surface 20b. ing. One end of the oil groove 20c communicates with the through hole 20a, and the other end is disposed above the boss 23.

The oil groove 20c has a substantially semicircular cross section as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, but other cross sections such as a substantially rectangular shape may be adopted. Oil groove 2
0c does not necessarily have to be formed along the mating surface 20b. Further, instead of the oil groove 20c, an oil passage extending to the contact start side between the shoe 30 and the chain 8 may be formed.

The shoe 30 is a member made of, for example, resin and extends in a substantially arc shape in the longitudinal direction. The shoe 30 has a concave portion 31a at one end 31 and an L-shaped engaging portion 32 at the other end. Are formed. At the time of assembling to the arm main body 20, the tip of the arm main body 20 is inserted into the concave portion 31a, and the locking portion 32 is engaged with the other end (boss side end) of the arm main body 20. .

The shoe 30 has a plurality (here, two).
Are formed. When assembled to the arm body 20, all of these through holes 30a communicate with the oil groove 20c of the arm body 20 (see FIGS. 3, 5, and 6). In addition, these through holes 30
One of “a” is formed at a position where contact with the chain 8 starts. Here, the through-hole 30a arranged above the boss portion 23 of the arm body 20 corresponds to this.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a groove 30b for guiding the running of the chain 8 (FIG. 1) is formed on the upper surface of the shoe 30.
Are formed.

A hole 15b (FIG. 2) is formed in the piston 15a of the hydraulic tensioner 15, and lubricating oil is supplied from a hydraulic supply source (not shown) through the hole 15b.

Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described. When the chain 8 travels in the direction of arrow b due to rotation of the crank sprocket 3 (FIG. 1), the hydraulic tensioner 15 is driven, so that the piston 15 a presses the tip of the arm body 20 via the pad 22. As a result, the arm body 20 rotates around the pin 21 and the shoe 30 presses the chain 8, and as a result, an appropriate tension acts on the chain 8.

At this time, lubricating oil supplied from a hydraulic supply source (not shown) is jetted from a hole 15b (FIG. 2) formed in the piston 15a of the hydraulic tensioner 15. The lubricating oil spouted from the hole 15b passes through the hole 22a of the pad 22 and the through hole 20a of the arm body 20 to form the oil groove 20c.
(See FIG. 3).

The lubricating oil flowing into the oil groove 20c is
It moves to the boss portion 23 side of the arm body 20 along 0c, flows into each through hole 30a of the shoe 30 communicating with the oil groove 20c, and flows out of the shoe 30 from each through hole 30a.

On the other hand, the chain 8 runs on the shoe 30 in the direction of arrow b (FIG. 2). At this time, each through hole 3
0a, sufficient lubricating oil can be supplied between the shoe 30 and the chain 8, and as a result,
Even during high-speed operation of the engine, wear of the shoe 30 and the chain 8 can be reduced.

In this case, since the lubricating oil flows out of the through hole 30a on the boss portion 23 side of the arm body 20, the contact starting point with the chain 8 on the shoe 30 is lubricated. When the chain 8 enters the shoe 30 and starts sliding with the shoe 30 during operation of the engine, the chain sliding surface of the shoe 30 can be prevented from running out of lubricating oil. Wear can be further reduced.

Further, in this case, a through hole 20a for supplying lubricating oil is formed at the tip end of the arm body 20, and the lubricating oil is supplied from the hydraulic tensioner 15. The structure of the entire system can be simplified as compared with the case where a through-hole is formed on the other end side (the boss portion 23 side) of the arm body 20 and the lubricating oil supply means is separately provided in the engine.

In this case, since the arm body 20 is made of metal, the shoe 30 is made of resin, and the oil groove 20c is formed on the metal arm body 20 side, the rigidity of the entire tensioner arm 10 is increased. This is advantageous in that

In the above embodiment, FIGS.
As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, the arm body 20 has a vertical web 20d and an I-shaped cross section including upper and lower flanges 20e and 20f.
Have been shown as examples in which the center lines of the upper and lower flanges coincide with the center lines of the upper and lower flanges 20e and 20f, however, the application of the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, as shown in FIGS.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a tensioner arm having an asymmetrical deformed I-shaped cross-sectional arm body in which the center line of the vertical web 20d having a mold section is deviated from the center line of the upper and lower flanges 20e and 20f by Δ1. .

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the center line of the vertical web 20d is positioned at the upper and lower flanges 20e, 20e.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a tensioner arm having an arm body having a U-shaped cross section deviated by Δ2 (> Δ1) from the center line of f.

[ Other Embodiments ] FIGS. 11 to 13 are views for explaining a tensioner arm according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front view of the tensioner arm, and FIG. XII-XII sectional view, FIG. 13 is FIG.
1 is a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII. In these figures, the same reference numerals as those of the above-mentioned embodiment indicate the same or corresponding parts.

In the above embodiment, the oil groove 20c communicating with the through hole 20a of the arm body 20 is formed in the mating surface 20b of the arm body 20, but in other embodiments, the oil groove 20c is formed in the through hole 20a of the arm body 20. Oil groove 30 communicating with
c is formed on the mating surface 30d of the shoe 30 (FIGS. 5, 6 and 1).
2, see FIG. 13). The oil groove 30c extends to above the boss 23 of the arm body 20.

In this case, the lubricating oil supplied from the hydraulic tensioner 15 passes through the hole 22 a of the pad 22 and the through-hole 20 a of the arm body 20 and the oil groove 30 of the shoe 30.
c (see FIG. 11).

The lubricating oil flowing into the oil groove 30c is
It moves to the boss portion 23 side of the arm body 20 along 0c, flows into each through hole 30a of the shoe 30 communicating with the oil groove 30c, and flows out of the shoe 30 from each through hole 30a.

Therefore, also in this case, the lubricating oil flows out of each through-hole 30a, so that
Sufficient lubricating oil can be supplied between the shoe 30 and the chain 8 even during high-speed operation of the engine.
Wear can be reduced.

Further, the lubricating oil flows out of the through hole 30a on the boss portion 23 side of the arm main body 20, so that the shoe 3
At 0, the contact start point with the chain 8 is lubricated, so that when the chain 8 enters the shoe 30 and starts sliding with the shoe 30 during engine operation, the chain sliding surface of the shoe 30 Shortage of lubricating oil can be prevented, and as a result, wear of the shoe 30 and the chain 8 can be further reduced.

Further, through holes 2 for supplying lubricating oil
0a is formed on the distal end side of the arm body 20;
Since the lubricating oil is supplied from the hydraulic tensioner 15, a through hole is formed on the other end side (the boss portion 23 side) of the arm body 20 and lubricating oil supply means is provided separately in the engine. Thus, the structure of the entire system can be simplified.

In this case, an oil groove 30c communicating with the through hole 20a of the arm body 20 is formed on the shoe 30 side. The shoe generally has a rectangular cross-section, which makes it easy to form the oil groove. On the other hand, as in the above embodiment, the through hole 2
When the oil groove 20c communicating with the oil body 20a is formed on the arm body 20 side, the arm body 20 is generally I-shaped or H-shaped.
Since it often has a cross-sectional shape that is devised in molding such as a U-shaped cross-section, when further forming an oil groove in such an arm body 20, a core is required, or It will require some ingenuity.

The oil groove 30c is not necessarily
It does not have to be formed along d. Furthermore, oil groove 3
Instead of 0c, an oil passage extending to the contact start side between the shoe 30 and the chain 8 may be formed.

In the other embodiment, as shown in the cross-sectional views of FIG. 12 and FIG.
Vertical web 20d and upper and lower flanges 20e, 20
f, and the center line of the vertical web 20d of the I-shaped cross section coincides with the center lines of the upper and lower flanges 20e and 20f. Not limited.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the center line of the vertical web 20d of the I-shaped cross section is deviated from the center line of the upper and lower flanges 20e and 20f by Δ1.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a tensioner arm having an arm body having an asymmetrical deformed I-shaped cross-sectional shape, and as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the center line of the vertical web 20d is upward,
Δ2 (> Δ1) from the center line of lower flanges 20e and 20f
) Can be similarly applied to a tensioner arm having an arm body having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that is deviated only by ().

[0052]

As described above, in the tensioner arm according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, an oil groove or an oil passage is formed in the arm body or the shoe, and a plurality of through holes communicating with the oil groove or the oil passage are formed. Since the holes are provided in the shoe, a sufficient amount of lubricating oil can be supplied between the shoe and the chain, and as a result, there is an effect that wear of the shoe and the chain can be reduced even during high-speed operation of the engine.

In the tensioner arm according to the second or third aspect of the present invention, the oil groove or oil passage is formed on the shoe side, so that the oil groove or oil passage can be easily formed.

According to the tensioner arm according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the through hole of the shoe is formed at the point where the shoe starts to contact the chain, thereby preventing the chain sliding surface of the shoe from running out of lubricating oil. This has the effect of further reducing wear on the shoe and chain.

In the tensioner arm according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the through hole of the arm body is formed at the tip end opposite to the pivot side of the arm body, so that the through hole penetrates the pivot side of the arm body. The formation of the through hole is easier than the formation of the hole, and the structure can be simplified.

According to the tensioner arm of the present invention, since the lubricating oil introduced into the through hole of the arm body is supplied from the hydraulic tensioner, it is necessary to provide a separate lubricating oil supply means in the engine. And the structure of the entire system can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an engine timing system including a tensioner arm according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tensioner arm.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a tensioner arm.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a tensioner arm.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a first modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a first modification of the arm main body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a second modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a second modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a front view of a tensioner arm according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a view showing a first modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 12 of the other embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a view showing a first modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 13 of the other embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a view showing a second modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 12 of the other embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a view showing a second modification of the arm body of the tensioner arm, and is a view corresponding to FIG. 13 of the other embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 8 silent chain 10 tensioner arm 15 hydraulic tensioner 20 arm body 20a through hole (introduction hole) 20b mating surface 20c oil groove 30 shoe 30a through hole 30c oil groove 30d mating surface

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Shigemi Kobayashi 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. In Honda R & D Co., Ltd. 50 Borg Warner Automotive Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A tensioner arm for applying a tension to a chain, comprising: an arm body; and a shoe attached to the arm body, wherein the arm body has an introduction hole through which lubricating oil is introduced. And an oil groove communicating with the introduction hole and formed along a mating surface with the shoe, wherein the shoe communicates with the oil groove of the arm body and opens to the chain contact surface side. A tensioner arm having a through hole. 2. A tensioner arm for applying tension to a chain, comprising: an arm body; and a shoe attached to the arm body, wherein the arm body has an introduction hole through which lubricating oil is introduced. The shoe has an oil groove communicating with the introduction hole of the arm main body and formed along a mating surface with the arm main body, and communicating with the oil groove and opening on the chain contact surface side. A tensioner arm having a through-hole that is formed. 3. A tensioner arm for applying a tension to a chain, comprising: an arm body; and a shoe attached to the arm body, wherein the arm body has an introduction hole through which lubricating oil is introduced. The arm body or the shoe has an oil passage formed in communication with the introduction hole and extending from the introduction hole to a contact start side between the shoe and the chain. A tensioner arm having a through hole communicating with a road and opening to the chain contact surface side. 4. The tensioner arm according to claim 1, wherein a through hole of the shoe is formed at a position where contact with the chain starts. 5. The tensioner arm according to claim 1, wherein an introduction hole of the arm main body is formed at a distal end of the arm main body opposite to a pivot side. 6. The tensioner arm according to claim 1, wherein the lubricating oil introduced into the introduction hole of the arm main body is supplied from a hydraulic tensioner.