Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber – Including energy absorbing means or feature
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2003-09-23
Lavinder, Jack (Department: 3683)
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Including energy absorbing means or feature
C267S140150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06622995
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a hydraulic mount, particularly adapted for motor vehicle engine and powertrain mount applications, including a magnetorheological (MR) fluid which is forced to flow through an annular path between mount fluid chambers and under the influence of a controllable magnetic field.
BACKGROUND
Conventional automotive vehicle powertrain mounts exist in many variations and generally operate to provide engine vibration isolation while also controlling the motion of the engine and connected powertrain components with respect to the vehicle frame or body structure. In many applications of engine and powertrain mounts, it is desirable to vary the damping characteristics of the mount to provide selective isolation of vibrations at certain frequencies, such as those vibrations related to engine speed, for example. At the same time, it is necessary to provide the mount with a relatively high dynamic stiffness to control large displacements of the powertrain with respect to the vehicle body structure.
However, space limitations in many applications of hydraulic mounts are such as to require that the mount incorporate mechanism which will isolate relatively low-displacement and high-frequency vibrations and which will also damp the aforementioned large displacement movements of the engine and/or related powertrain components with respect to the vehicle body. In this regard, hydraulic engine mounts have been developed with annular fluid flow paths between a pumping chamber and a reservoir, which flow paths may include a somewhat circular or annular orifice track. Such mounts are also desirably provided with a flexible elastomer decoupler member operable to cause the mount to isolate relatively low-displacement, high frequency vibrations associated with unbalanced engine inertia or shaking forces, for example.
Although magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based vibration dampers have been developed, there has been a continuing need to improve the performance of such dampers and to provide an MR-based fluid damper or mount which is adapted to isolate or damp vibrations at multiple frequencies to optimize the ride characteristics or comfort of occupants of motor vehicles, as well as the handling characteristics of the vehicle. It is desirable to provide these features in a mount which does not require relatively large space in the vehicle and may be substituted for conventional mounts without making other design changes in the vehicle. Moreover, it has also been considered desirable to utilize the vehicle engine as a tuned mass damper for the vehicle body structure. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved hydraulic mount, particularly adapted for automotive vehicle powertrain applications, which utilizes a magnetorheological (MR) fluid to control the damping or vibration isolation characteristics of the mount.
In accordance with one important aspect of the invention, a hydraulic mount is provided which includes an elastomer body, a base member, a partition interposed the elastomer body and the base member and separating a pumping chamber and a reservoir for an MR fluid. The partition defines flow passages for transferring the MR fluid between the pumping chamber and the reservoir and the partition also supports an electric coil for producing a magnetic field to act on the MR fluid which, in turn, varies the vibration isolation and damping characteristics of the mount in a selective manner. The partition also preferably supports an elastomer decoupler member operable to be in communication with at least one of the pumping chamber and the reservoir to aid in isolating relatively low-displacement, high-frequency vibrations imposed on the mount.
The hydraulic mount of the present invention incorporates the above-mentioned features in a relatively compact structure which does not require additional space or alter the dimensional relationships of engine and powertrain mounts and the structure supporting and supported by the mounts in many automotive vehicle applications, for example.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a hydraulic mount is provided which is operable to damp or isolate vibrations of multiple frequencies to provide optimum vibration isolation which is desirable in automotive vehicles wherein powertrain mounts are exposed to vibrations of many frequencies and amplitudes.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a compact hydraulic mount is provided which includes a decoupler, a restricted flow path for an MR fluid between a pumping chamber and a reservoir and an electromagnetic coil mounted in such a way as to alter the shear stress needed to move the MR fluid in a selective manner so as to modify the vibration damping characteristics of the mount. The electromagnetic coil is operable to provide a magnetic field of sufficient strength to change the shear stress required to move an MR fluid at a relatively low voltage imposed on the coil, such as the voltage of a conventional automobile electrical system, thereby providing desirable performance characteristics for automotive vehicle applications.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the advantages and superior features of the invention upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2661596 (1953-12-01), Winslow
patent: 5398917 (1995-03-01), Carlson et al.
patent: 5571263 (1996-11-01), Koester et al.
patent: 6036183 (2000-03-01), Lee et al.
Alexandridis Alexander A.
Baudendistel Thomas A.
Long Mark W.
Longhouse Richard E.
Namuduri Chandra S.
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Lavinder Jack
McBain Scott A.
Williams Thomas J.
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