Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber – Including energy absorbing means or feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-05-22
Oberleitner, Robert J. (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Including energy absorbing means or feature
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234463
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vibration insulating device which mounts a vibrating body such as an engine on a mounting body such as a vehicle body while insulating vibration and an assembly method thereof, and particularly to a vibration insulating device in which a fluid chamber accommodating fluid is defined by an elastic support disposed between the vibrating body and the mounting body so as to change a volume of the fluid chamber actively, thereby reducing vibration transmission rate by using that active mounting force and an assembly method thereof.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-250590 (Japanese Patent Application No. H8-59219) discloses a vibration insulating device having a fluid chamber accommodating fluid so as to change a volume of the fluid chamber actively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Because in a conventional vibration insulating device having a fluid chamber in which a volume of the fluid chamber is changed actively, a movable member which can be vibrated when the volume of the fluid chamber is changed is used, a gap between the movable member and its surrounding part like a connecting member which communicates with a mounting body like a vehicle body needs to be maintained accurately in a direction in which the stroke of the vibration is changed. For example, in a case that an electromagnetic actuator is used to vibrate the movable member, the movable member is often so designed that the vibration stroke thereof with respect to the electromagnetic actuator is changed. Therefore, it is important to apply a magnetic force of the electromagnetic actuator appropriately to the movable member and specify the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator accurately so as to make the movable member vibrate at a necessary stroke. The importance of maintaining the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator accurately is increased as the vibration insulation characteristic required for the vibration insulating device is increased.
However, according to consideration of the present inventors and the like, because the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator positioned on the side of the mounting body is affected by error in dimensions of the components disposed around the movable member and error in characteristic such as resilient force and magnetic force, it is very difficult to settle the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator within a predetermined strict allowance at the time of assembly of the vibration insulating device. Although, as the countermeasure, minimizing the error in dimension of the components and error in physical characteristic or the like can be considered, this countermeasure is not favorable in a case of mass production when cost or the like of the vibration insulating device are taken into account. If such a condition regarding mass production or the like of the vibration insulating device are considered, an effective countermeasure on assumption that the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator does not come within a predetermined allowance at a single assembly is demanded.
In a case that mass production or the like of the vibration insulating device are considered, it can be considered to first measure the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator at the time of assembly, previously prepare some kind of adjusting part and then make adjustment with the adjusting part so that the gap between the movable member and the electromagnetic actuator comes into its allowance. Although such an adjusting part is desired to be disposed in the vicinity of the movable member and electromagnetic actuator in viewpoints of accuracy of the adjustment, generation of an excessive step such as a step for disassembling already installed components should be avoided if mass production or the like are considered. Such an excessive disassembly process for the components which is essentially not necessary may introduce a new error factor at the time of reassembly or damage the components at worst, therefore the disassembly process should be eliminated in any case.
The present invention has been achieved based on the considerations described above by the inventors and the like, and therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a vibration insulating device including a movable member positioned accurately as required to ensure a high vibration insulation characteristic, having a high suitability to mass production at the time of assembly and in which a necessity of disassembling the already installed components of the vibration insulating device is eliminated, and an assembly method thereof.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vibration insulating device, which is interposed between a vibrating body and a mounting body, includes a fluid chamber fluid filled with fluid, an elastic support partly defining the fluid chamber, a movable member partly defining the fluid chamber, a supporting member supporting the movable member, an actuator opposed to the movable member, the actuator that generates displacement force to displace the movable member, and a gap holding member disposed between the supporting member and the actuator. Here the gap holding member maintains a gap between the actuator and the movable member.
In other words, such a vibration insulating device includes a fluid chamber filled with fluid, an elastic support partly defining the fluid chamber, a movable member partly defining the fluid chamber, means for supporting the movable member, means for displacing the movable member, and position adjusting means, provided between the means for displacing and the elastic support, for adjusting a gap between the movable member and the means for displacing.
On the other hand, the assembly method of the vibration insulating device of the present invention includes a step of preparing an elastic support connecting to a vibrating body and partly defining a fluid chamber, a step of preparing a movable member partly defining the fluid chamber, a step of preparing a supporting member supporting the movable member, a step of preparing an actuator generating force to displace the movable member and connecting to a mounting body, a step of preparing a gap holding member maintaining a gap between the movable member and the actuator, a step of supporting the movable member with the supporting member and the gap holding member in such a manner that the movable member is capable of being displaced and opposes the actuator. The gap holding member is positioned between the supporting member and the actuator. The assembly method further comprises a step of defining a fluid chamber accommodating a fluid with the elastic support and the movable member, and a volume of the fluid chamber is capable of being varied by a displacement of the movable member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5718417 (1998-02-01), Aoki
patent: 5947456 (1999-09-01), Aoki
patent: 6032937 (2000-03-01), Kojima
patent: 196 41 239 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 0 855 535 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 9-250590 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 10-252817 (1998-09-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 1998, No. 01, Jan. 30, 1998 & JP 09 242813 A (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.), Sep. 16, 1997 (Sep. 16, 1997).
Akatsu Yousuke
Aoki Kazushige
Kimura Takeshi
Satou Shigeki
Bartz C. T.
Foley & Lardner
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
Oberleitner Robert J.
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