Active vibration insulator

• US 20060287788A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Riko Company Limited.
• Original Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Oshima, Hideki, Ichikawa, Hiroyuki, Sato, Kenichi, Fushimi, Takehiko, Mizushima, Daichi, Yasuda, Takayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 13/264 comprising means for acting dynamically on the walls bounding a working chamber

Abstract

An active vibration insulator includes an electromagnetic actuator, a controller, and a bad-roads processor. The electromagnetic actuator generates vibrating forces depending on electric-current supplies. The controller carries out vibrating-forces generation control. In the vibrating-forces generation control, the electric-current supplies are made variable so as to actively inhibit vibrations generated by an on-vehicle vibration generating source of a vehicle from transmitting to a specific part of the vehicle based on cyclic pulsating signals output from the on-vehicle vibration generating source. Thus, the controller lets the electromagnetic actuator generate the vibrating forces. The bad-roads processor stops the vibrating-forces generation control effected by the controller when the vehicle travels on bad roads.

Claims

1. An active vibration insulator, comprising:

an electromagnetic actuator for generating vibrating forces depending on electric-current supplies;

a controller for carrying out vibrating-forces generation control in which the electric-current supplies are made variable so as to actively inhibit vibrations generated by an on-vehicle vibration generating source of a vehicle from transmitting to a specific part of the vehicle based on cyclic pulsating signals output from the on-vehicle vibration generating source, thereby letting the electromagnetic actuator generate the vibrating forces; and

a bad-roads processor for stopping the vibrating-forces generation control effected by the controller when the vehicle travels on bad roads.

2. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 1, wherein the bad-roads processor stops the vibrating-forces generation control when the vehicle enters bad roads;

and resumes the vibrating-forces generation control when the vehicle returns ordinary roads out of the bad roads.

3. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 2, wherein the bad-roads processor comprises:

first judge for judging whether the vehicle enters bad roads based on a first condition;

second judge for judging whether the vehicle returns ordinary roads out of bad roads based on a second condition, which differs from the first condition; and

control-stop processor for stopping the vibrating-forces generation control by the controller when the first judge judges that the vehicle enters bad roads, and resuming the vibrating-forces generation control by the controller when the second judge judges that the vehicle returns ordinary roads out of bad roads.

4. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 1, wherein the bad-roads processor controls actuating voltages, which the controller applies to the electromagnetic actuator when the vehicle travels on bad roads, to zero.

5. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 1, wherein the bad-road processor controls actuating voltages, which the controller applies to the electromagnetic actuator when the vehicle travels on bad roads, to a predetermined voltage.

6. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 1 further comprising a vibrations-detection sensor for detecting vibrations of the vehicle, wherein:

the bad-roads processor judges whether the vehicle travels on bad roads or not based on the vibrations of the vehicle, which the vibrations-detection sensor detects.

7. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 3 further comprising a vibrations-detection sensor for detecting vibrations of the vehicle, wherein:

the first judge judges that the vehicle enters bad roads when the vibrations of the vehicle, which the vibrations-detection sensor detects, exceed a predetermined threshold value at least a predetermined time within each of plural predetermined continuous periods of time.

8. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 3 further comprising a vibrations-detection sensor for detecting vibrations of the vehicle, wherein:

the second judge judges that the vehicle returns ordinary roads out of bad roads when the vibrations of the vehicle, which the vibrations-detection sensor detects, do not exceed a predetermined threshold value within each of plural predetermined continuous periods of time.

9. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 6, wherein the vibrations-detection sensor comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting the vibrations of the vehicle.

10. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 7, wherein the vibrations-detection sensor comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting the vibrations of the vehicle.

11. The active vibration insulator set forth in claim 8, wherein the vibrations-detection sensor comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting the vibrations of the vehicle.