Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-06
2001-03-27
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S205000, C296S203020, C296S203040, C188S267000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206460
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a motor vehicle and to a motor vehicle frame with a longitudinal moveable strut.
For land-supported vehicles, especially for convertibles with an integral body and frame which, because of the absence of a roof, are weakened with respect to their stability, but also for frame vehicles, such as motorcycles or vehicles with an aluminum bodies, which are carried by a profiled frame, the problem arises that an external excitation of a vibration, as encountered when driving over an uneven roadway, leads to an excitation of the vibration of the car body. Such vehicle vibrations interfere with driving comfort and safety. In spite of damping elements in the chassis, a transfer of the vibrations to the car body or to the supporting frame cannot be excluded. The car body, especially in the case of a convertible, should therefore be equipped with its own damping elements, which are independent of the chassis and decrease the vibration amplitude of the car body as far as possible within a short response time.
Assigning so-called vibration dampers, that is, damping masses, to the car body structure is well known. These vibration dampers are suitable for damping vibrations of a particular frequency, to which the dampers are tuned. The tuning is possible only for a single frequency. Moreover, adaptation to the respective vehicle type is necessary, the arrangement of the damper in the hollow spaces of the car body or the like being structurally difficult. The dampers themselves have a high mass, which is undesirable with regard to the energetically thrifty operation of the motor vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is therefore based on the problem of equipping a motor vehicle body or a motor vehicle frame with a vibration-damping system, which is suitable for acting directly on the car body or on the supporting frame and, in so doing, avoids the disadvantages mentioned above.
Due to the inventive construction of a motor vehicle, the latter can react independently of chassis measures to an external stimulation of the car body to vibrate by varying the length of struts. With that, an adaptive damping system is created, for which an absorbing unit transfers the stresses imposed on a strut and, with that, the amplitude of a stimulating vibration, as a measured value to a control unit, which then acts with a voltage upon a control element, which is located preferably in the strut, whereupon the control element brings about a change in length. A stiffening of the car body or of the frame, to which the respective strut is assigned, goes along with this change in length. The essential parts of the vibration damping device therefore are contained in the respective struts, so that the structural expense of the device as well as its mass are small.
Particularly advantageously, such a strut fulfills a double function, in that, aside from damping vibrations, it additionally develops the function of a stiffening component for an integral body and frame or of a bearing part within a frame of a motor vehicle. Such stiffening components of integral bodies and frames are customary for convertible vehicles and extend, for example, essentially diagonally from the longitudinal edge region of the floor group as far as into a middle region, in order to increase the torsional stiffness in this manner. If such stiffening struts are present the additional mass for achieving an adaptive counter control for vibrations, is minimal. Compared to the usual struts in this region, it is merely necessary to make a division, and the absorbing unit and the control element, which preferably contain pressure-voltage or voltage-pressure converters are then inserted in the middle region.
Pursuant to the invention, the dampers need not be adapted to a respective frequency. Instead, the change in length of the struts can take place at different frequency ranges and is initiated when a minimum stress on the strut is exceeded, that is, by the height of the amplitude of the vibration. Moreover, a response time of the order of milliseconds can be achieved. The deflection, as a reaction to the stress noted between the coupling points of the strut, lies in the millimeter range.
As a control unit, a computer may be used, into which, a reaction optimized to the respective conditions, can be entered by means of a learning program.
Further advantages and distinguishing features arise out of the example of the object of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3185260 (1965-05-01), Navarro
patent: 4163578 (1979-08-01), Watson
patent: 4351515 (1982-09-01), Yoshida
patent: 4411333 (1983-10-01), Bothwell
patent: 4848525 (1989-07-01), Jacot et al.
patent: 4892328 (1990-01-01), Kurtzman
patent: 5074587 (1991-12-01), Schwede
patent: 5577760 (1996-11-01), Pressler
patent: 5775469 (1998-07-01), Kang
Breitenbach Elmar
Bunsmann Winfried
Gausmann Werner
Hanselka Holger
Licher Siegfried
Dayoan D. Glenn
Engle Patricia
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
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