A tensioner, front end driveline system, and vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of tensioner, front end wheel system and vehicle, solve the technical problem that the abrasion of each accessory, the abrasion of belt, increase the friction loss of system and then influence the engine oil consumption level caused by the excessive tension of system belt in prior art, the tensioner includes base, rotating drive mechanism and tensioning assembly;Wherein.Base has installation cavity;Tensioning assembly is rotationally arranged on base;Rotating drive mechanism includes force transmission member, power element and cam driven to rotate by power element;Force transmission member and cam are rotationally arranged in installation cavity, and power element is connected to base;Force transmission member has first contact portion acting on cam and second contact portion acting on tensioning assembly, so that cam drives force transmission member and tensioning assembly to rotate along the circumference of force transmission member, realize the demand regulation of belt tension, adapt to the tension required under different working conditions, achieve the purpose of reducing engine friction work, reducing engine oil consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engine technology, and more specifically to a tensioner, a front wheel system, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The design of the belt tension in the engine front pulley system needs to take into account the loads of accessories such as the compressor, generator, and water pump, as well as the output excitation of the engine crankshaft pulley. The belt tension setting needs to ensure that the slippage rate of each accessory pulley meets the relevant design indicators when the system reaches the maximum load.

[0003] However, in existing engines, the excessive tension in the system exacerbates the wear of various accessory bearings and belts. At the same time, high tension increases the friction loss of the system, which in turn affects the engine's fuel consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems and overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a tensioner, a front-end pulley system, and a vehicle to achieve the required adjustment of belt tension, adapt to and match the tension required under different working conditions, and achieve the purpose of reducing engine friction work and reducing engine fuel consumption.

[0005] The solution to achieve the technical objective of this invention is a tensioner, comprising:

[0006] The base has a mounting cavity;

[0007] The tensioning assembly is rotatably mounted on the base;

[0008] A rotation drive mechanism includes a force transmission component, a power component, and a cam driven to rotate by the power component; the force transmission component and the cam are both rotatably disposed within the mounting cavity, and the power component is connected to the base;

[0009] The force transmission member has a first contact portion for contacting the cam and a second contact portion for acting on the tensioning assembly, so that the cam drives the force transmission member and the tensioning assembly to rotate circumferentially along the force transmission member.

[0010] Furthermore, the tensioning assembly includes a connected swing arm and a tensioning pulley for tensioning the belt, the swing arm being rotatably mounted on the base.

[0011] Furthermore, the mounting cavity is an annular cavity, and the inner wall of the annular cavity has a protrusion that protrudes from the end face of the outer cavity wall, and the swing arm is sleeved on the protrusion; the force transmission component is cylindrical, and the force transmission component is movably sleeved on the inner wall of the annular cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner cavity wall is provided with a through hole; the tensioner also includes a positioning shaft, which is set in the through hole by a threaded structure, the positioning shaft has a limiting step, and the swing arm is clamped between the end face of the outer cavity wall and the limiting step.

[0013] Furthermore, the force transmission component is a helical spring, and the two ends of the steel wire of the helical spring respectively form the first contact portion and the second contact portion, and respectively act on the swing arm and the cam.

[0014] Furthermore, the first contact portion and / or the second contact portion are bosses provided on the circumferential surface of the force transmission member;

[0015] Alternatively, at least one end of the force transmission member in the axial direction has a stepped structure, and the stepped surface of the stepped structure constitutes the first contact portion and / or the second contact portion.

[0016] Furthermore, a shoulder is provided inside the mounting cavity, and the profile of the cam contacts the shoulder and the first contact portion respectively.

[0017] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a front-end pulley system, including a crankshaft pulley, a compressor pulley, a water pump pulley, a generator pulley, and a belt wound around the crankshaft pulley, the compressor pulley, the water pump pulley, and the generator pulley, characterized in that it further includes the aforementioned tensioner; the tensioning component of the tensioner acts on the belt.

[0018] Furthermore, the generator pulley, the crankshaft pulley, and the compressor pulley are all located on the inner side of the belt, while the water pump pulley and the tensioner are located on the outer side of the belt.

[0019] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a vehicle including the aforementioned front wheel system.

[0020] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the tensioner provided by the present invention includes a base, a rotation drive mechanism and a tensioning component. The base serves as the mounting base for the rotation drive mechanism and the tensioning component, and the rotation drive component provides driving power for the tensioning component, thereby realizing the unidirectional active rotation of the tensioning component on the base. The rotation drive mechanism includes a power component, a force transmission component, and a cam driven to rotate by the power component. The power component is connected to the base, and the force transmission component and the cam are rotatably disposed within the mounting cavity of the base. The force transmission component has a first contact portion that contacts the cam and a second contact portion that acts on the tensioning assembly. When the cam rotates along the axis of rotation under the drive of the power component, when the cam profile moves towards the first contact portion, the cam pushes the force transmission component to rotate through the first contact portion, and at the same time, the second contact portion pushes the tensioning assembly to rotate along the first direction. When the cam profile moves away from the first contact portion, there is a gap between the cam and the first contact portion, and the tensioning assembly moves along the second direction opposite to the first direction under the action of an external force. This achieves the technical effect of the cam driving the force transmission component and the tensioning assembly to rotate circumferentially along the force transmission component. At the same time, the cam and its power component occupy little space, respond quickly, and are easy to install after being integrated into the tensioner, requiring minimal modification to the existing system and facilitating implementation.

[0021] The tensioner provided by this invention changes the relative position of the tensioning component and the belt to be tensioned by rotating the tensioning component, thereby changing the tension force between the tensioner and the belt, and thus increasing or decreasing the belt tension, realizing multi-stage adjustment or even map-style adjustment of belt tension.

[0022] This invention provides a front-end wheel system and a vehicle, both including the aforementioned tensioner. The tensioning component of the tensioner acts on the belt of the front-end wheel system to tension each pulley. Under the action of the cam, the tensioning component can rotate on the base, that is, the relative position of the tensioning component and the belt changes, thereby increasing or decreasing the tension of the belt on the wheel system. According to the working conditions, the rotation of the tensioning component is controlled by adjusting the rotation of the cam to change the basic tension of the system, so as to meet the wheel system tension requirements at different working conditions. Compared with the existing technology of constant tension in the front-end wheel system, this invention realizes the corresponding adjustment of the basic tension value of the system according to different working requirements, thereby reducing engine friction work and reducing engine fuel consumption under low tension requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the tensioner provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the cam and the force transmission component in the tensioner under the first contact state;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the cam and the force transmission component in the tensioner in the second contact state;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the front-end wheel system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the state changes of the front-end wheel train system;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the control principle of a vehicle provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0029] Figure descriptions: 1-Base, 11-Mounting cavity, 12-Inner cavity wall, 13-Protrusion; 2-Tensioning assembly, 21-Swing arm, 22-Tensioning wheel; 3-Rotation drive mechanism, 31-Force transmission component, 32-Power component, 33-Cam; 4-Shoulder; 5-Crankshaft pulley, 6-Compressor pulley, 7-Water pump pulley, 8-Generator pulley, 9-Belt. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand this application, the technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] To address the technical problems in existing technologies where excessive belt tension leads to wear on various accessories, belt wear, and increased system friction loss, thus affecting engine fuel consumption, this invention provides a tensioner, a front-end pulley system, and a vehicle. This allows for the adjustment of belt tension to meet the required tension under different operating conditions, thereby reducing engine friction and fuel consumption. The invention is further detailed below through three specific embodiments:

[0032] Example 1

[0033] The tensioner provided in this embodiment includes a base, a rotation drive mechanism, and a tensioning assembly. The base serves as the mounting base for the rotation drive mechanism and the tensioning assembly. The rotation drive assembly provides driving power to the tensioning assembly, enabling the tensioning assembly to rotate unidirectionally on the base. The base has a mounting cavity; the tensioning assembly is rotatably mounted on the base; the rotation drive mechanism includes a power component, a force transmission component, and a cam driven to rotate by the power component; the power component is connected to the base, and the force transmission component and the cam are both rotatably mounted in the mounting cavity of the base; the force transmission component has a first contact portion that contacts the cam and a second contact portion that acts on the tensioning assembly. When the cam rotates along the axis of rotation under the drive of the power component, when the cam profile moves towards the first contact portion, the cam pushes the force transmission component to rotate through the first contact portion, and at the same time, the second contact portion pushes the tensioning assembly to rotate along the first direction; when the cam profile moves away from the first contact portion, there is a gap between the cam and the first contact portion, and the tensioning assembly moves along the second direction opposite to the first direction under the action of external force, thus achieving the technical effect of the cam driving the force transmission component and the tensioning assembly to rotate circumferentially along the force transmission component. At the same time, the cam and its power component occupy little space, respond quickly, and are easy to install after being integrated into the tensioner, requiring minimal modification to the existing system and facilitating implementation. The rotation of the tensioning component changes the relative position between the tensioning component and the belt to be tensioned, thereby changing the tension between the tensioner and the belt, and thus increasing or decreasing the tension of the belt on the pulley system, achieving multi-stage adjustment or even map-style adjustment of the belt tension.

[0034] In this embodiment, the adjustment mode and changes of belt tension are determined by the shape of the cam. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the design of the cam profile, but can design it according to the actual tension adjustment requirements. By adjusting the cam profile, the multi-segment positioning and position adjustment of the tensioning component can be achieved, thereby realizing multi-segment or even map-style adjustment of belt tension. The cam and its power components occupy little space, respond quickly, and are easy to install after being integrated into the tensioner. They require minimal modification to the existing system and are easy to implement.

[0035] In order to accommodate the rotation of the belt, in this embodiment, the tensioning assembly includes a swing arm connected to the belt and a tensioning wheel for tensioning the belt. The swing arm is rotatably mounted on the base, and the tensioning wheel rotates with the swing arm around the rotation center of the swing arm, thereby compressing or stretching the belt to achieve the technical effect of changing the belt tension.

[0036] To position the force transmission component and ensure sufficient rotational space and clearance, thus guaranteeing unimpeded movement of the tensioning assembly, the mounting cavity in this embodiment is an annular cavity. Furthermore, for the rotatable installation of the swing arm, the inner wall of the annular cavity has a protrusion extending beyond the end face of the outer cavity wall, and the swing arm is fitted onto this protrusion. The force transmission component is cylindrical and movably fitted onto the inner wall of the annular cavity. This arrangement, where the force transmission component and cam are housed within the base, minimizes space requirements, provides rapid response, and facilitates installation after integration into the tensioner.

[0037] To achieve axial positioning of the swing arm, in this embodiment, a through hole is provided in the inner cavity wall; the tensioner also includes a positioning shaft, which is set in the through hole through a threaded structure. The positioning shaft has a limiting step, and the swing arm is clamped between the end face of the outer cavity wall and the limiting step. At the same time, the positioning shaft fixes the base to the engine, for example, through a threaded structure. The positioning shaft can be directly a bolt.

[0038] This invention does not impose specific limitations on the structure of the force transmission component, as long as it can satisfy circumferential rotation and transmit the power of the cam to the swing arm through the first contact part and the second contact part to achieve the change of the position of the tension wheel. In this embodiment, preferably, the force transmission component is a helical spring with a certain rigidity, and the two ends of the steel wire of the helical spring respectively form the first contact part and the second contact part, and act on the swing arm and the cam respectively.

[0039] In some embodiments, the force transmission element may be replaced by a sleeve; the first contact portion and / or the second contact portion is a boss disposed on the circumferential surface of the force transmission element; or, at least one end of the force transmission element in the axial direction has a stepped structure, the stepped surface of the stepped structure constituting the first contact portion and / or the second contact portion.

[0040] To ensure the installation strength of the cam and prevent damage or even failure of the connection between the cam and the power component under the high tension of the belt, in this embodiment, a shoulder is provided in the mounting cavity. The profile of the cam contacts the shoulder and the first contact portion, respectively. The shoulder provides support for the cam and achieves reverse lifting. This embodiment does not specifically limit the location of the shoulder; it can be located on the housing of the power component, a mounting base for fixing the power component, or directly on the cavity wall of the mounting cavity.

[0041] The working principle of the tensioner provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0042] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the eccentric cam and the outgoing parts of the rocker arm act on the two ends of the spring's winding wire, respectively. When the system requires high tension, the eccentric cam rotates, and the cam tip contacts the spring, compressing it. The spring rotates, causing the rocker arm to rotate clockwise, which in turn compresses the belt, putting the system in a high-tension state. When the system requires low tension, the eccentric cam rotates, and the cam base circle contacts the spring and the shoulder, creating a gap between the spring and the cam. Under the action of the belt, the rocker arm rotates counterclockwise until the drive cam contacts the first contact part of the spring, putting the system in a low-tension state.

[0043] The tensioner provided in this embodiment drives the force transmission component and the tensioning assembly to rotate circumferentially along the force transmission component via a cam. The rotation of the swing arm changes the relative position between the tensioning wheel and the belt to be tensioned, thereby changing the tension between the tensioner and the belt, and thus increasing or decreasing the tension of the belt on the pulley system, realizing multi-stage adjustment or even map-style adjustment of the belt tension.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] Based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment provides a front-end pulley system, including a crankshaft pulley, a compressor pulley, a water pump pulley, a generator pulley, and a belt wound around the crankshaft pulley, compressor pulley, water pump pulley, and generator pulley. To adjust the basic tension of the front-end pulley system to adapt to tension requirements under different operating conditions, this embodiment also includes a tensioner as provided in Embodiment 1; the tensioning component of the tensioner acts on the belt. Other unmentioned structures of this front-end pulley system can be referenced from existing technologies, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0046] The applicant discovered that in existing traditional front-end gear train systems, the crankshaft, compressor, water pump, generator, and the center point position of the tensioner, as well as the pulley diameter, are fixed. Based on design and development requirements, the belt tension is calculated considering the tension demand under the system's maximum load, and then the required belt length is determined. Once the design is finalized, the system's basic tension is not adjustable. In actual use, the loads on various accessories and the crankshaft excitation rarely reach peak levels for extended periods. Under most operating conditions, the system tension is in a surplus state. Taking the compressor as an example, the frequency of compressor use varies significantly between cold and hot regions, and between summer and winter: when the compressor is not operating, the gear train system only drives the compressor pulley; when operating, the gear train system needs to drive the compressor body and perform work. In the non-operating state of the compressor, the system's tension demand level is much lower than in its operating state. This means that in the non-operating state of the compressor, the system tension is surplus. Excessive tension will accelerate the wear of the bearings of various accessories and the belt, and at the same time, high tension will increase the system's frictional losses, thus affecting engine fuel consumption.

[0047] Compared with the prior art, the front-end gear train system in this embodiment allows the tensioning component to rotate on the base under the action of the cam, which changes the relative position of the tensioning component and the belt, thereby increasing or decreasing the belt tension on the gear train. According to the working conditions, the rotation of the tensioning component is controlled by adjusting the rotation of the cam to change the basic tension of the system and meet the gear train tension requirements at different working conditions. Compared with the prior art's technology of constant tension in the front-end gear train system, this invention realizes the ability to adjust the basic tension value of the system according to different working requirements, thereby reducing engine friction work and engine fuel consumption under low tension demand conditions.

[0048] This invention does not impose specific limitations on the winding arrangement of the belt with the crankshaft pulley, compressor pulley, water pump pulley, and generator pulley; rotation can be performed according to design requirements. As one embodiment, in this example, the generator pulley, crankshaft pulley, and compressor pulley are all located inside the belt, while the water pump pulley and tensioner are located outside the belt.

[0049] Example 3

[0050] Based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment also provides a vehicle, including the front wheel system provided in Embodiment 2, which naturally possesses all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned front wheel system. This invention does not specifically limit the type or category of the vehicle; it can be any type of vehicle in the prior art, such as a passenger car, bus, or truck. Other undescribed structures of the vehicle can be referred to the relevant disclosures in the prior art, and will not be elaborated here.

[0051] Taking two-stage tension adjustment as an example, the vehicle adjustment control method in this embodiment is as follows:

[0052] The system defaults to a low-tension state. When the user requests to turn on the air conditioning (by pressing the air conditioning on button), the vehicle's electronic control system receives the user's request and first sends a command to the electronically controlled cam mechanism controller. The cam mechanism actuator then rotates, bringing the system to a high-tension state. After a short time interval (e.g., 1 second), the vehicle's electronic control system sends a command to the compressor controller, energizing the compressor's solenoid coil and engaging the pulley to operate the compressor. When the user requests to turn off the air conditioning (by pressing the air conditioning off button), the vehicle's electronic control system receives the user's request and first sends a command to the compressor controller. The compressor's solenoid coil is de-energized, and the pulley disengages. After a short time interval (e.g., 1 second), the vehicle's electronic control system sends a command to the electronically controlled cam mechanism controller, energizing the cam mechanism actuator and bringing the system back to a low-tension state.

[0053] Through the above embodiments, the present invention has the following beneficial effects or advantages:

[0054] 1) The tensioner, front-end wheel system, and vehicle disclosed in this invention achieve two-stage tension adjustment of the tensioner through an electronically controlled cam mechanism. Similarly, this invention can be extended to achieve multi-stage or even map-type adjustment of spring tension by adjusting the cam profile, thereby achieving multi-stage or even map-type adjustment of belt tension. At the same time, the cam and its power components occupy little space, have a fast response, and are easy to install after integration into the tensioner, requiring minimal modification to existing systems and facilitating implementation.

[0055] 2) The tensioner, front-end wheel system and vehicle disclosed in this invention provide a new belt tension adjustment logic, which, in combination with compressor requirements, adjusts the rotation of the cam mechanism and changes the basic tension of the system to reduce engine fuel consumption.

[0056] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0057] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A tensioner, characterized in that, include, The base has a mounting cavity; The tensioning assembly is rotatably mounted on the base; A rotation drive mechanism includes a force transmission component, a power component, and a cam driven to rotate by the power component; the force transmission component and the cam are both rotatably disposed within the mounting cavity, and the power component is connected to the base; The force transmission component has a first contact portion for contacting the cam and a second contact portion for acting on the tensioning assembly, so that the cam drives the force transmission component and the tensioning assembly to rotate circumferentially along the force transmission component; A shoulder is provided inside the mounting cavity, and the profile of the cam contacts the shoulder and the first contact portion respectively.

2. The tensioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The tensioning assembly includes a connected swing arm and a tensioning pulley for tensioning the belt, the swing arm being rotatably mounted on the base.

3. The tensioner as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting cavity is an annular cavity, and the inner wall of the annular cavity has a protrusion that protrudes from the end face of the outer cavity wall. The swing arm is sleeved on the protrusion. The force transmission component is cylindrical and is movably sleeved on the inner wall of the annular cavity.

4. The tensioner as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The inner cavity wall is provided with a through hole; the tensioner also includes a positioning shaft, which is set in the through hole by a threaded structure. The positioning shaft has a limiting step, and the swing arm is clamped between the end face of the outer cavity wall and the limiting step.

5. The tensioner as described in any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The force transmission component is a helical spring, and the two ends of the steel wire of the helical spring respectively form the first contact portion and the second contact portion, and respectively act on the swing arm and the cam.

6. The tensioner as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first contact portion and / or the second contact portion are bosses provided on the circumferential surface of the force transmission member; Alternatively, at least one end of the force transmission member in the axial direction has a stepped structure, and the stepped surface of the stepped structure constitutes the first contact portion and / or the second contact portion.

7. A front-end pulley system, comprising a crankshaft pulley, a compressor pulley, a water pump pulley, a generator pulley, and a belt wound around the crankshaft pulley, the compressor pulley, the water pump pulley, and the generator pulley, characterized in that, It also includes a tensioner according to any one of claims 1-6; the tensioning component of the tensioner acts on the belt.

8. The front-end wheel system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The generator pulley, the crankshaft pulley, and the compressor pulley are all located on the inner side of the belt, while the water pump pulley and the tensioner are located on the outer side of the belt.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the front wheel system as described in claim 7 or 8.

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