Patents by Inventor Rares I. Comsa

Rares I. Comsa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11353092
    Abstract: In an aspect, a tensioner is provided for an endless drive member, and includes a shaft-and-base unit, a tensioner arm, a pulley, and a tensioner spring. The shaft-and-base unit is mountable to be stationary relative to an engine, and includes a fastener aperture for a fastener. The tensioner arm is pivotable relative to the shaft-and-base unit about a tensioner arm axis. The pulley is rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm for rotation and is engageable with an endless drive member. The tensioner spring is positioned to urge the tensioner arm in a first direction relative to the shaft-and-base unit. The tensioner spring includes a plurality of coils that are arranged generally helically about a longitudinal axis and are spaced radially from one another and generally increase in distance away from the axis in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Milos Baljozovic, Rares I. Comsa, Flaviu V. Dinca
  • Publication number: 20210140518
    Abstract: In an aspect, a tensioner is provided for an endless drive member, and includes a shaft-and-base unit, a tensioner arm, a pulley, and a tensioner spring. The shaft-and-base unit is mountable to be stationary relative to an engine, and includes a fastener aperture for a fastener. The tensioner arm is pivotable relative to the shaft-and-base unit about a tensioner arm axis. The pulley is rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm for rotation and is engageable with an endless drive member. The tensioner spring is positioned to urge the tensioner arm in a first direction relative to the shaft-and-base unit. The tensioner spring includes a plurality of coils that are arranged generally helically about a longitudinal axis and are spaced radially from one another and generally increase in distance away from the axis in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Milos BALJOZOVIC, Rares I. COMSA, Flaviu V. DINCA
  • Patent number: 9790817
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Marek Frankowski, Dino Farronato, Rares I. Comsa, Frank C. Schimpl
  • Patent number: 9726051
    Abstract: 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 bushing that is positioned radially between the pulley and the tensioner arm to support the pulley radially during relative rotation between the pulley and the tensioner arm, 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Marek Frankowski, Dino Farronato, Rares I. Comsa, Frank C. Schimpl
  • Publication number: 20150275706
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Marek Frankowski, Dino Farronato, Rares I. Comsa, Frank C. Schimpl
  • Publication number: 20140287859
    Abstract: 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 bushing that is positioned radially between the pulley and the tensioner arm to support the pulley radially during relative rotation between the pulley and the tensioner arm, 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Marek Frankowski, Dino Farronato, Rares I. Comsa, Frank C. Schimpl
  • Patent number: 8840495
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention is directed to a belt tensioner for tensioning a belt, comprising a pivot shaft that is fixedly mountable with respect to an engine block of an engine, a tensioner arm rotatably mounted to the pivot shaft for pivoting about a tensioner arm axis in a first direction and in an opposing second direction, a pulley rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm for rotation about a pulley axis, and a tensioner spring positioned to bias the tensioner arm in the first direction, wherein the tensioner spring has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is engaged with the tensioner arm, and a micro adjustment mechanism that is operatively connected to control the position of the second end of the tensioner spring so as to control the tension in the tensioner spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventors: Rares I. Comsa, Flaviu V. Dinca, Jacek Stepniak, Gary J. Spicer
  • Publication number: 20110312454
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention is directed to a belt tensioner for tensioning a belt, comprising a pivot shaft that is fixedly mountable with respect to an engine block of an engine, a tensioner arm rotatably mounted to the pivot shaft for pivoting about a tensioner arm axis in a first direction and in an opposing second direction, a pulley rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm for rotation about a pulley axis, and a tensioner spring positioned to bias the tensioner arm in the first direction, wherein the tensioner spring has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is engaged with the tensioner arm, and a micro adjustment mechanism that is operatively connected to control the position of the second end of the tensioner spring so as to control the tension in the tensioner spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Rares I. Comsa, Flaviu P. Dinca, Jacek Stepniak, Gary J. Spicer
  • Patent number: 7611431
    Abstract: A belt tensioner for tensioning the belt of a belt drive system includes an eccentric adjusting member, a pivot structure eccentrically mounted on the adjusting member for pivoting around the adjusting member, a belt-tensioning pulley mounted to rotate on the pivot structure, a biasing member that resiliently biases the pivot structure in a belt-tightening direction, and a coupling structure. The coupling structure temporarily couples the pivot structure to the adjusting member to pivot with it during a belt installation procedure, and the configuration keeps the coupling structure unloaded except for a limited period of time during the installation procedure such that the coupling structure can be installed and removed easily. The tensioner is rendered operative after the pivot structure is uncoupled from the adjusting member, thus allowing the pivot structure to pivot with respect to the adjusting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventors: Flaviu Dinca, Yinchu Tao, Rares I. Comsa
  • Patent number: 7285065
    Abstract: A belt tensioner for tensioning the belt of a belt drive system includes an eccentric adjusting member, a pivot structure eccentrically mounted on the adjusting member for pivoting around the adjusting member, a belt-tensioning pulley mounted to rotate on the pivot structure, a biasing member that resiliently biases the pivot structure in a belt-tightening direction, and a coupling structure. The coupling structure temporarily couples the pivot structure to the adjusting member to pivot with it during a belt installation procedure, and the configuration keeps the coupling structure unloaded except for a limited period of time during the installation procedure such that the coupling structure can be installed and removed easily. The tensioner is rendered operative after the pivot structure is uncoupled from the adjusting member, thus allowing the pivot structure to pivot with respect to the adjusting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventors: Flaviu Dinca, Yinchu Tao, Rares I. Comsa
  • Publication number: 20040180745
    Abstract: A belt tensioner for tensioning the belt of a belt drive system includes an eccentric adjusting member, a pivot structure eccentrically mounted on the adjusting member for pivoting around the adjusting member, a belt-tensioning pulley mounted to rotate on the pivot structure, a biasing member that resiliently biases the pivot structure in a belt-tightening direction, and a coupling structure. The coupling structure temporarily couples the pivot structure to the adjusting member to pivot with it during a belt installation procedure, and the configuration keeps the coupling structure unloaded except for a limited period of time during the installation procedure such that the coupling structure can be installed and removed easily. The tensioner is rendered operative after the pivot structure is uncoupled from the adjusting member, thus allowing the pivot structure to pivot with respect to the adjusting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Flaviu Dinca, Yinchu Tao, Rares I. Comsa