US 12,146,572 B2
Multi component idler or pulley for a belt system
Andrew Jason Zimmer, Temecula, CA (US)
Assigned to ZPE LICENSING INC., Temecula, CA (US)
Filed by ZPE LICENSING INC., Temecula, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/173,205.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/316,842, filed on Mar. 4, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0279924 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. F16H 55/36 (2006.01); F16H 7/12 (2006.01); F16H 55/56 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 7/12 (2013.01) [F16H 55/36 (2013.01); F16H 55/56 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An adjustable idler for tuning a belt system of an automobile, the adjustable idler comprising:
a mounting hub attachable to a shaft of the belt system, the mounting hub having a face transverse to a central axis of the mounting hub, the mounting hub having a plurality of threaded holes in a radial array about the central axis of the mounting hub;
an external idler housing adjustably fixable to the mounting hub, the external idler housing having a face transverse to a rotational axis of the external idler housing, the external idler housing having a plurality of apertures that are alignable to the plurality of threaded holes formed on the face of the mounting hub;
a plurality of fasteners that are insertable through the plurality of apertures of the idler housing and engagable to the plurality of threaded holes of the mounting hub to fix the idler housing to the mounting hub;
wherein the external idler housing is settable at two or more fixed axial positions of the mounting hub so that the external idler housing remains at the fixed axial position during rotation of the adjustable idler;
wherein an external cylindrical surface of the mounting hub has threads and an internal cylindrical surface of the external idler housing has threads for threadable engagement with the threads of the mounting hub so that rotation of the external idler housing changes the axial position of the external idler housing on the mounting hub at a rate equal to a pitch of the threads of the mounting hub and the external idler housing, and the axial position of the external idler can be set by inserting the plurality of fasteners through the plurality of apertures of the external idler and engaging the plurality of threaded holes.