Measuring and testing – Dynamometers – Responsive to torque
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-24
2003-12-16
Lefkowitz, Edward (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Dynamometers
Responsive to torque
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662669
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems for testing electrical and mechanical energy transfer systems that exhibit vibratory and other responses to electrical or mechanical input energy, and more particularly, to an arrangement that isolates a mechanical or electrical system under test and produces signals and data corresponding to a plurality of operating characteristics of the system under test in response to the input energy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Noise testing of gears to date has been attempted by methods that rigidly mount the gear or axle assemblies in one or more planes. Some other previous attempts chose to have one of the rigidly mounted planes resonate at a frequency sympathetic to gear noise. None of these methods, or any other rigidly mounted test system has been successful. This is due to the lack of repeatability of the previous systems, largely as a result of interacting resonances, and external background noise that is transferred through the rigid mounting system. This is especially true in a production test environment.
These deficiencies in the prior art are most evident in the axle industry. At this time, the only widely accepted way of measuring gear noise is to acquire an assembled axle and install it in a test car. A specially trained individual then drives the car over its typical operating range while carefully listening for axle gear noise. The individual rates the quality of axle gear noise on a scale that is typically 0 to 10. Ten is usually a perfect axle, i.e. one that has no gear noise. This method is made difficult by:
1 The lack of available trained noise rating individuals
2 The cost of test cars.
3 The lack of quality roads or test tracks on which to perform a repeatable and accurate test.
4 The time required for each test.
5 The subjectivity that humans bring into the rating system
Typically less than a dozen axles can be tested by a major manufacturer in one shift due to all of the above complications. This low number is not statistically valid when it is considered that most manufacturers make thousands of axles each day. Even with all of the above problems, human testers in cars are the only widely accepted method of axle testing in the industry due to the lack of a better more reliable testing method. This lack of a scientific basis for rating axles and gear systems is made worse when the reader considers that modem cars are extremely quiet, and are evolving to become more quite. This market direction increases the pressure on axle and other gear manufacturers to make their products quieter. There is a need for a system that offers gear and axle manufacturers a repeatable, reliable, accurate and practical way of measuring gear noise in production or laboratory environments.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a system for testing an energy transfer system, such as a vehicle axle, quickly and inexpensively, and achieving repeatable results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides, in a first apparatus aspect thereof, an arrangement for isolating an energy transfer system while it is subjected to a test process for noise, the energy transfer system being of the type having an energy input and at least one energy output. In accordance with the invention, the arrangement is provided with a base for supporting the arrangement and the energy transfer system. An isolation support supports the energy transfer system whereby the, energy transfer system is translatable in at least one plane of freedom with respect to the base. Additionally, an engagement arrangement is provided for securing the energy transfer system to the isolation support, the engagement arrangement having a first position with respect to the base wherein the energy transfer system is installable on, and removable from, the isolation support, and a second position wherein the energy transfer system is secured to the isolation support.
In one embodiment, there is further provided an energy supply coupled to the energy transfer system for supplying energy thereto when the engagement arrangement is in the second position. The energy transfer system is, in one embodiment of the arrangement of the present invention, a mechanical energy transfer system, and in such an embodiment, the energy supply, which is a part of the arrangement of the invention, is in the form of a source of rotatory mechanical energy. A rotatory coupler couples the source of rotatory mechanical energy to the energy transfer system.
In a highly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mechanical energy transfer system test has forward and reverse directions of operation, and drive and coast modes of operation for each of the forward and reverse directions of operation. The mechanical energy transfer system contains at least a pair of meshed elements, at least one of the pair of meshed elements being a gear having a plurality of gear teeth thereon, the gear teeth each having first and second gear tooth surfaces for communicating with the other element of the pair of meshed elements. A mechanical energy transfer communication between the pair of meshed elements is effected primarily via the respective first gear tooth surfaces during forward-drive and reverse-coast modes of operation, and primarily via the respective second gear tooth surfaces during forward-coast and reverse-drive modes of operation. With such a system under test, the arrangement of the present invention is provided with a first acoustic sensor arranged at a first location in the vicinity of the mechanical energy transfer system for producing a first signal that is responsive substantially to a qualitative condition of the first gear tooth surfaces. A second acoustic sensor is arranged at a second location in the vicinity of the mechanical energy transfer system, and produces a second signal that is responsive substantially to a qualitative condition of the second gear tooth surfaces. The first and second locations are distal from each other on opposite sides of the pair of meshed elements.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the rotatory coupler is provided with a resilient coupler arrangement that transmits rotatory motion there across over a predetermined range of rotatory motion transmission angles. The resilient coupler arrangement is provided with first and second coupler portions, the first and second coupler portions being rigidly coupled rotationally to each other. Additionally, they are axially resiliently coupled to each other, whereby the first and second coupler portions are synchronously rotatable over the predetermined range of rotatory motion transmission angles.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the resilient coupler arrangement is provided with first and second coupler portions, the first and second coupler portions being rigidly coupled rotationally to each other, and radially resiliently coupled to each other. Thus, the first and second coupler portions are synchronously rotatable over a predetermined range of axial displacement.
A torque sensor advantageously is interposed, in a highly advantageous embodiment, between the source of rotatory mechanical energy and the energy transfer system. The torque sensor produces a signal that is responsive to a torque applied by the source of rotatory mechanical energy to the energy transfer system. The torque sensor is provided with a torque-transmitting element that has a predetermined deformation characteristic. Thus, the torque-transmitting element becomes deformed in response to the torque that is applied by the source of rotatory mechanical energy to the energy transfer system. In this embodiment of the invention, the torque sensor further is provided with a strain sensor that is coupled to the torque-transmitting element for producing a strain signal responsive to the predetermined deformation characteristic of the torque-transmitting element. The strain signal, therefore, is proportional to the torque.
It
Juranitch James C.
Olschefski Robert D.
Lefkowitz Edward
Monsanto Raphael A.
Rohm Benita J.
Thompson Jewel V.
Veri-Tek Inc.
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