Endless belt power transmission systems or components – Friction drive pulley or guide roll – With stationary support for pulley or guide roll
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-09-25
Bonck, Rodney H. (Department: 3681)
Endless belt power transmission systems or components
Friction drive pulley or guide roll
With stationary support for pulley or guide roll
C474S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293885
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to pulleys, and more particularly to idler pulleys wherein the pulleys are stamped or formed out of sheet metal and are fixedly attached to an inner race of a bearing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Transmission of power by belt can be accomplished by a driver pulley and a single or series of driven pulleys about which a belt is trained. It is occasionally necessary for the belt to change direction as it operates between the driver and the driven in order to clear other components. In this case, the belt can be trained over idlers which allow the belt direction to be changed with minimal loss of efficiency. Further, for tensioning the belt, automatic tensioners can be used. In such case, the idler pulley is installed on the tensioner pivot arm.
Idlers generally comprise a base that is mounted on a non-rotating surface. The belt bearing surface or pulley is then rotatably connected to the base by means of a bearing. The bearing may be a ball bearing type having an inner and outer race. In most arrangements, the inner race of the ball bearing is attached to the idler base or to the non-rotating mounting surface directly. The idler pulley is then attached to the outer race of the ball bearing. The outer race and the pulley rotate together.
Representative of the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,448 to Kato et al. which discloses such a pulley body fitted to an outer race of a ball bearing.
It is also possible to attach the pulley to the inner race of the ball bearing, with the outer race being fixedly attached to a mounting surface.
Representative of the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,788 to Toth which discloses a belt tensioner having an idler pulley and bearing assembly. The idler pulley and bearing assembly comprise a non-rotating outer race and a pulley shaft extending through an inner race. The pulley is fitted to the inner race by means of the shaft, which shaft is pressed together with a retaining cup to hold the pulley shaft within the bearing inner race.
The prior art teaches a pulley shaft which is used to mount a pulley to a bearing race. This increases the cost of the idler with respect to the material cost as well as for machining and assembly.
What is needed is an idler pulley having a web mounted to an inner race of a bearing. What is needed is an idler pulley having a web affixed to an outer surface of an inner race of a bearing with a fastener. What is needed is an idler pulley having a web mounted to an inner race of a bearing with a lip for alignment. The present invention meets these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary aspect of the present invention is to provide an idler pulley having a web mounted to an inner race of a bearing.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide an idler pulley having a web affixed to an outer surface of an inner race of a bearing with a fastener.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide an idler pulley having a web mounted to an inner race of a bearing with a lip for alignment.
Other aspects of the invention will be pointed out or made apparent by the following description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
The invention comprises an idler pulley, the pulley having a web and a belt bearing surface connected to the web. The web is attached to an inner race of a bearing by a fastener. The pulley may be stamped out of sheet metal and may have a central hole for alignment with the central axis of the bearing. The outer race of the bearing is affixed to a mounting surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5209194 (1993-05-01), Adachi et al.
patent: 5272889 (1993-12-01), Harris
patent: 5421788 (1995-06-01), Toth
patent: 5462489 (1995-10-01), Kan et al.
patent: 5619879 (1997-04-01), Friese
patent: 5725448 (1998-03-01), Kato et al.
patent: 5841113 (1999-08-01), Kanemitsu et al.
patent: 5897214 (1999-04-01), Nisley
patent: 6059679 (2000-05-01), Tsutsui et al.
patent: 6241257 (2001-06-01), Hauck et al.
patent: 57-110862 (1982-07-01), None
patent: 62-151663 (1987-07-01), None
Hodjat Yahya
Serkh Alexander
Austin, Esq. S. G.
Bonck Rodney H.
Castleman, Esq. C. H.
The Gates Corporation
Thurnau, Esq. J. A.
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