JPH09242829A - Timing chain - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the identifying force of outer plates on which timing marks are marked. SOLUTION: A timing chain 4 where outer plates 1 and inner plates 2 are connected by connecting pins 3 to form an endless chain, is laid over between a crankshaft 5 and a cam shaft 6 of a vehicular engine. Some outer plates 1' of the timing chain 4 are colored by baking finish. Favorable colors are metallic colors inherent to the material of parts of the vehicular engine, or colors except for dark colors. Specifically, the colors of high brightness and saturation, such as white, yellow, light blue, pink, greenish yellow, red, etc., are preferable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a timing chain having timing marks. The present invention is suitable for a timing chain wound around a crankshaft and a camshaft and a timing chain wound around a crankshaft and a balancer shaft in a vehicle engine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle engine, it is necessary to rotate a camshaft and a balancer shaft synchronously with a crankshaft. Therefore, a sprocket with a timing mark and a timing chain with a timing mark are used, the timing marks are aligned with each other, and the timing chain is wound around the sprocket.

[0003]

However, since the chain plate is conventionally colored by plating, its color is limited to metallic color. Not only timing chains and sprockets, but parts of vehicle engines are
The color is a metallic color system such as silver or a dark color system such as black.
The colors obtained by plating are difficult to distinguish from the surroundings,
There was a problem that the timing marks were misaligned when assembled on the sprocket. In addition, the plate that has been subjected to the plating process, the gas generated during the plating process, for example,
Since hydrogen must be removed, a baking process must be added in order to prevent the fatigue strength from decreasing, process control must be strict, and production efficiency is extremely poor.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention has solved the above problems by using a timing mark formed on a timing chain as a timing mark formed by color baking.

[0005]

[Function] By coloring the chain by baking coating, a wide variety of colors can be adopted, and the timing mark can be clearly indexed by colors other than the metallic color system and the dark color system to prevent the timing chain from being misaligned. Incorrect assembly can be prevented. Further, in baking coating, no harmful gas such as hydrogen, which causes brittle fracture, is generated in the metal, so that an additional step such as a baking process is unnecessary, and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0006]

The drawings show an embodiment according to the invention. In this embodiment, an outer plate 1 and an inner plate 2 are connected by a connecting pin 3 to form an endless timing chain 4.
Is wound around the crankshaft 5 and the camshaft 6 of the vehicle engine. The type of the timing chain 4 may be a roller chain as shown in the drawing, or may be a silet chain. Also, the timing chain 4
May be wound around the crankshaft and balancer shaft.

In the timing chain 4 of the present invention, a part of the outer plate 1'is colored by baking. Preferred colors are colors other than the metallic color system and the dark color system, which are the colors peculiar to the materials used for vehicle engine parts. Specifically, colors having high lightness and saturation such as white, yellow, light blue, pink, green yellow, and red are particularly preferable.

Timing marks 9 and 10 are provided on the crank sprocket 7 and the cam sprocket 8, respectively. When the timing baking chain is wound around the sprockets 7 and 8 with the colored baking coated plate 1'as a mark, the colored baking coated plate 1'marks the timing mark clearly, so that incorrect assembly can be reliably prevented. it can.

Further, by coloring by baking coating, gas such as hydrogen, which is harmful to metals, is not generated,
The baking process, which was required in the past, is no longer required, and the production efficiency can be improved and the process control can be simplified by reducing the number of steps.

[0010]

According to the present invention, since the timing mark is indexed by color baking, a wide variety of colors can be adopted, and the chain is colored so as to become white or yellow with high brightness and saturation. Thus, the operator can identify the timing mark based on the metal color around the engine to reliably prevent erroneous assembly of the timing chain. Moreover, since no harmful gas is generated in the metal in baking coating, an additional step such as a baking process is not required, and it is possible to reduce the number of steps and simplify the step control.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a timing chain according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Outer plate 1'Colored baking coating plate 4 Timing chain 9, 10 Timing mark

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A timing chain in which the timing marks formed on the timing chain are colored baking coating.