Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber – Including energy absorbing means or feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-20
2001-06-05
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Including energy absorbing means or feature
C267S219000, C267S140140, C267S140300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241223
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an elastic mount, especially, an engine mount for motor vehicles. The mount includes at least two resilient elements connected in parallel to each other, a force applicator connecting a source of vibration to the at least two resilient elements, and a selectable couple for connecting the force applicator thereto.
An elastic mount is disclosed in German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 41 28 761.4 A, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,315 to Hartel et al. In the Hartel configuration, two resilient elements are connected in parallel. Each of the elements has an elastomeric resilient body. One of the resilient bodies is configured as a tubular cylinder and accommodates the second resilient body in its interior. The interior resilient element is a force applicator that is selectable by a couple to enable a variance of the stiffness of the elastic mount as a function of the vehicle ride. The couple includes a coupling element defined on the resilient element. The coupling element is force-lockingly connectable to a second coupling element. A force-locking connection is one that connects two elements together by force external to the elements, as opposed to a form-locking connection, which is provided by the shapes of the elements themselves. A hydraulically activated diaphragm achieves the change in movement. In the prior art engine mount, the travel and force components needed to select the coupling elements are relatively high. Furthermore, in the released condition, no axial decoupling of the second resilient element is provided.
German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 41 39 046 A discloses another engine mount in which the resilient element is configured as an elastomeric tubular cylinder disposed between a mounting plate at the engine end and a mounting plate at the vehicle body end. Provided below the mounting plate at the vehicle body end is a hydraulic damping mount configured as a two-chamber mount. While the tubular cylindrical resilient block produces high damping of material-borne noise, the parallel-connected hydraulic mount serves to damp low-frequency vibration. The application does not provide for or disclose a stiffness selection for the engine mount.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an elastic mount, especially, an engine mount for motor vehicles, that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that reduces the travel and force components needed to select the coupler and provides an axial decoupling of the non-active resilient element in the released condition.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an elastic mount including at least two resilient elements connected in parallel to each other, force applicators for selectively connecting a source of vibration to the at least two resilient elements, the force applicators including a first force applicator and a second force applicator, and a coupler for selectively engaging the force applicators with the at least one resilient element, the coupler having an actuator, a first coupling element, and a swiveling second coupling element to be selectively connected to the first coupling element by the actuator, the second coupling element connected to one of the force applicators and to at least one of the two resilient elements in an engaged condition, and swivelably mounted in a released condition.
With the objects of the invention in view, the elastic mount is an elastic engine mount for motor vehicles.
The invention provides an engine mount having a coupler with first and second coupling elements connectable by an actuator. The second coupling element is connectable to the force applicator of the second coupling element in the engaged condition and the second coupling element is configured as a rotary body swivelably mounted in the released condition.
The mount of the invention can be achieved, in principle, with many different kinds of resilient elements. More particularly, at least two conventional resilient elements incorporating elastomeric resilient bodies and a hydraulic damping mount may be used. The resilient body of the resilient element may be configured as a tubular cylinder. In addition, the resilient element may include at least two opposite resilient bodies each having a wedge-shape. In the embodiment, there is an advantage when the resilient element extends primarily in one direction in space. Furthermore, the stiffness is variable both transversely and longitudinally. The invention further provides facilitated tuning of the load/deflection characteristic.
Common to all embodiments is a selectable control of a stiffness of at least one resilient element. The coupler in accordance with the invention is characterized by low travel and force components needed for its selection. Furthermore, the second coupling element used in the coupler ensures axial decoupling of the second resilient element in the released condition. In the engaged condition, the advance of the first coupling element to the second coupling element produces a force-locking connection between the second coupling element and the force applicator. Because the second coupling element is configured as a rotary body swivelably mounted in the released condition, the second resilient element is able to execute a tilting movement when radially loaded. The movement results in substantially no hydraulic effects occurring in radial loading of a resilient element configured, more particularly, as a hydraulic damping mount. Thus, the radial stiffness in the released condition is reduced.
Advantageously, one of the at least two resilient elements has a dished mount for swivel-mounting the second coupling element, and the second coupling element is a spherical body accommodated in the dished mount.
In one advantageous embodiment, the second coupling element is a receiver for the second force application element, the opening cross-section of which is variable for force-lockingly engaging the second force application element and the shape of which defining the second force application element.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the second coupling element can include at least one slit that is closed by the first coupling element in the engaged condition. Advantageously, the coupling element is made of brass or some other bearing metal.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the first coupling element includes a receiving opening adapted to the outer contour of the second coupling element. In the engaged condition, the second coupling element is then located at least in part in the receiving opening. The clamping mechanism may be configured alternatively with a shell clamp, the diameter of which is variable by an actuator through a setscrew. Due to the conical seating of the mount shells in the shell clamp, the radial force of the setscrew can be diverted into an axial force acting on the mount shells. The angle of the conical seat in the configuration permits a translation in the active force.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the actuator may be an electric, piezoelectric, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuator. In all variants, the configuration of the couple in accordance with the invention advantageously allow only low travel and force components to occur in selection.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the first resilient element is an elastomeric resilient body and the second resilient element is a hydraulic damping mount. It is expedient to have the hydraulic damping mount be selectable in the configuration.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the resilient body is a tubular cylinder accommodating the hydraulic damping mount in its interior. Such a configuration provides a compact elastic mount.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, each of the at least two re
Fatehpour Edison
Gugsch Mathias
Butler Douglas C.
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Stemer Werner H.
Trelleborg Automotive Technical Centre GmbH
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