Apparatus for electromagnetically isolating an automobile

• US 5,533,388 A
• Filed: 02/21/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Keiichi, Okabe, Masaaki, Yamamoto, Akira, Kaneko, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US08/391,651
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 73/116, 73/117, 73/117.1, 73/117.3, 73/123, 73/125, 73/862.17
• US Class Current: 73/116.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0072 the wheels of the vehicle co-operating with rotatable rolls G01M17/022, G01M17/045, G01M17/065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0821 rooms and test sites therefor, e.g. anechoic chambers, open field sites or TEM cells for testing antennas G01R29/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00

Abstract

An electromagnetic compatibility simulating apparatus for an automobile including an electromagnetically shielded cell having a wall dividing the interior of the cell into a first chamber for the automobile and a second chamber. Road simulator units are mounted within the second chamber. Dynamometers are mounted within the second chamber in driving relation with the road simulator units. The wall has windows for allowing driving contact of the road simulator units with the road wheels, and blower openings for allowing air feed from blowers. Electromagnetic wave absorbers and reflecting wall portions are disposed on the windows. Expanded metals cover the blower openings or metal pipes are disposed between the blower and the blower openings. The wall has inspection windows with shutters on which electromagnetic shielding net is disposed. A controller is disposed outside the first and second chambers. Conductors connect the controller with the dynamometers and blowers. First and second filters are disposed in the conductors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electromagnetically isolating an automobile having road wheels from an environment surrounding the automobile, comprising:

a first chamber for the automobile;

a second chamber disposed adjacent said first chamber;

means for shielding said first and second chambers from passing of electromagnetic wave between said first and second chambers and environments around said first and second chambers;

a wall disposed between said first and second chambers to cover said second chamber;

road simulator units mounted within said second chamber;

dynamometer means mounted within said second chamber in driving relation with said road simulator units;

blowers mounted within said second chamber;

a controller disposed outside said first and second chambers to prevent electromagnetic wave from entering said first and second chambers;

conductors connecting said controller with said dynamometer means and said controller with said blowers;

first filters disposed in said conductors to filter electromagnetic noise propagated from said controller to said dynamometer means; and

second filters disposed in said conductors to filter electromagnetic noise propagated from said controller to said blowers.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller includes thyristor means for turning on and off connection between said controller and said dynamometer means and connection between said controller and said blowers.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulating transformer disposed in said conductors to restrain resonance occurring between said controller and said second filters.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall has window means for allowing driving contact of said road simulator units with the road wheels and further comprising means for preventing the electromagnetic wave from entering said first chamber through said window means.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said preventing means includes an electromagnetic wave absorber fixed to said window means.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said preventing means includes electromagnetic wave reflecting wall portions disposed along a periphery of said window means.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said preventing means includes an electromagnetic wave absorber fixed to said electromagnetic wave reflecting wall portions.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall has blower openings through which said blowers feed air into said first chamber and further comprising means for preventing the electromagnetic wave from entering said first chamber through said blower openings.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said preventing means includes an expanded metal covering said blower openings.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said preventing means includes an electromagnetic wave reflector in the form of a plurality of metal pipes disposed between said blower and said blower opening.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall has inspection windows covered with shutters and further comprising means for preventing the electromagnetic wave from entering said first chamber through said inspection windows.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said preventing means includes an electromagnetic wave shielding net disposed on said shutters.

13. An apparatus for electromagnetically isolating an automobile having road wheels from an environment surrounding the automobile, comprising:

an electromagnetically shielded cell having a wall dividing an interior within said cell into a first chamber for the automobile and a second chamber;

road simulator units mounted within said second chamber;

dynamometer means mounted within said second chamber in driving relation with said road simulator units;

said wall having window means for allowing driving contact of said road simulator units with the road wheels, said window means having a periphery; and

means for preventing an electromagnetic wave from entering said first chamber through said window means;

said preventing means including an electromagnetic wave absorber disposed within said second chamber along said periphery of said window means.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said wall is formed with portions extending from said periphery of said window means toward said road simulator units in said second chamber, said electromagnetic wave absorber being fixed to each of said portions.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said wall is formed with electromagnetic wave reflecting wall portions extending toward said road simulator units in said second chamber, said electromagnetic wave absorber being attached to each of said electromagnetic wave reflecting wall portions.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising blowers disposed within said second chamber, and wherein said wall has blower openings for allowing air feed into said first chamber and means for preventing an electromagnetic wave from entering said first chamber through said blower openings.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said preventing means includes an expanded metal covering each of said blower openings.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said preventing means includes an electromagnetic wave reflector in the form of a plurality of metal pipes (14) disposed between said blower and said blower opening.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said wall has inspection windows covered with shutters and further comprising means for preventing the electromagnetic wave from entering said first chamber through said inspection windows.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said preventing means includes an electromagnetic wave shielding net disposed on said shutters.