Vibration isolator of vibration actively reducing apparatus

• US 5,950,756 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirade, Takahisa, Kimura, Takeshi, Aoki, Kazushige, Satoh, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/944,508
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 180/312
• US Class Current: 180/312
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 13/26 characterised by adjusting or regulating devices responsive to exterior conditions F16F13/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 19/02 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

Described is a vibration isolator of a vibration actively reducing apparatus which achieves a more accurate detection of a residual vibration by means of a load sensor after an interference of a controlled vibration developed from a controlled vibration source constituting the vibration isolator against a vibration developed and transmitted from a vibration source such as a vehicular engine. In the vibration isolator, all vibration forces developed and transmitted from the vibration source are once concentrated onto a predetermined rigidity member such as a yoke of an electromagnetic actuator constituting the controlled vibration source and the load sensor is installed between the predetermined rigidity member and a lid member of the vibration isolator coupled to a supporting base member attached onto, for example, a vehicle body.

Claims

1. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration comprising:

a) a vibration source;

b) a supporting base member on which the vibration source is supported;

c) a vibration isolator including a controlled vibration source and interposed between the vibration source and the supporting base member, the controlled vibration source being adapted for developing a controlled vibration to be interfered against a vibration developed from the vibration source at an interference position of the vibration isolator, the vibration isolator further including;

a predetermined rigidity member disposed on another position of the vibration isolator toward the supporting base member with respect to the interference position, the predetermined rigidity member being so arranged in the vibration isolator that all vibration forces transmitted from the vibration source toward the supporting base member are once concentrated thereonto;

a lid member, fixed onto the supporting base member and having a peripheral edge portion thereof coupled to a surface of the predetermined rigidity member which faces toward the supporting base member so as to provide a gap between a more inner portion of the lid member than the peripheral edge portion thereof and the surface of the predetermined rigidity member; and

a load sensor for detecting a residual vibration after the interference of the controlled vibration against the vibration developed from the vibration source and outputting the detected residual vibration in the form of a residual vibration signal, the load sensor having a pressure receiving surface thereof and which is so inserted between the predetermined rigidity member and the lid member so as to be located at an approximately center position of the gap and so as to receive the residual vibration from the predetermined rigidity member at its pressure receiving surface; and

d) a controller for developing and outputting a drive signal to drive the controlled vibration source to develop the controlled vibration on the basis of the residual vibration signal from the load sensor.

2. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge portion of the lid member is projected toward a direction at which the predetermined rigidity member is located so that the lid member is formed in an approximately letter-U shape in cross section and is caulked to the predetermined rigidity member with the projected peripheral edge portion of the lid member contacted on the surface of the predetermined rigidity member.

3. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controlled vibration source of the vibration isolator comprises:

a supporting elastic body intervened between the vibration source and the supporting base member;

a fluid chamber defined by the supporting elastic body and in which a fluid is sealed;

a movable member for forming a part of partitioning wall of the fluid chamber and capable of displacing in a direction toward which a volume of the fluid chamber is varied; and

an electromagnetic actuator interposed between the supporting elastic body and the supporting base member for developing a force to displace the movable member in the direction toward which the volume of the fluid chamber is varied in response to the drive signal from the and wherein the predetermined rigidity member is a yoke constituting the electromagnetic actuator.

4. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vibration isolator includes an approximately cylindrical casing for housing the electromagnetic actuator, the supporting elastic body being attached onto the casing and the casing being fixed to the yoke of the electromagnetic actuator so as to be brought in non-contact against the lid member and the supporting base member.

5. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 4, wherein one inner end surface of the casing is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the yoke of the electromagnetic actuator, an end portion of the yoke being exposed to an external of the casing, the peripheral edge portion of the lid member is fixed to an end surface of the yoke which is located at the end portion of the yoke, and the supporting elastic body is intervened between the other inner end surface of the casing and the vibration source.

6. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 5, wherein the one inner end surface of the casing is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the yoke of the electromagnetic actuator by means of a caulking.

7. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 5, wherein the one inner end surface of the casing is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the yoke of the electromagnetic actuator by means of a welding.

8. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 6, wherein the movable member comprises:

a plate spring having a peripheral edge portion supported on either of the vibration source or the supporting base member on which the electromagnetic actuator is attached; and

a magnetic path member made of a magnetizable material and which is fixed onto an approximately center part of the plate spring which faces against a surface of the yoke.

9. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vibration isolator further includes an orifice and a volume variable sub fluid chamber which is communicated with the fluid chamber via the orifice and wherein the fluid is sealed into the fluid chamber, the orifice, and the sub fluid chamber.

10. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controlled vibration source of the vibration isolator comprises:

a supporting elastic body intervened between the vibration source and the supporting base member;

a fluid chamber defined by the supporting elastic body and in which a fluid is sealed;

a movable member for forming a part of partitioning wall of the fluid chamber and capable of displacing in a direction toward which a volume of the fluid chamber is varied; and

an electromagnetic actuator interposed between the supporting elastic body and the supporting base member for developing a force to displace the movable member in the direction toward which the volume of the fluid chamber is varied in response to the drive signal from the controller and wherein the predetermined rigidity member is an attachment member for supporting a part of the elastic body which is extended toward the supporting base member.

11. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vibration isolator includes:

an approximately cylindrical casing intervened between the supporting elastic body and the supporting base member;

an annular supporting member installed within the casing for supporting the movable member thereon so as to face the movable member toward the direction in which the supporting base member is coupled to the lid member with respect to the supporting elastic body, wherein the electromagnetic actuator is disposed within the casing so that the annular supporting member is contacted on an outer peripheral edge portion of one surface of the yoke which faces toward the supporting elastic body, the load sensor is disposed in the gap between an approximately center portion of the other surface of the yoke which faces toward the supporting base member and the opposing approximately center portion of the lid member, wherein the lid member has an outer peripheral engagement portion which is contacted against an outer peripheral edge of the other surface of the yoke which faces toward the supporting base member and which is caulked to an opening end of the casing, and wherein a rigidity of the yoke is enlarged and the rigidity of the lid member is lowered with respect to a vibration force of all of the vibration forces which is transmitted from the vibration force toward the supporting base member via an outer peripheral side surface of the yoke and the lid member so that all the vibration forces from the vibration source toward the supporting base member are once concentrated onto the yoke.

12. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 11, wherein the yoke is formed in an approximately hollow cylindrical shape and wherein the electromagnetic actuator further comprises:

a coil housing recess formed in an approximately circular ring shaped hollow portion of the yoke on the one surface of the yoke which faces toward the movable member; and

excitation coil buried into the circular ring shaped hollow portion of the yoke;

a permanent magnet fixed on a part of the other surface of the yoke which is enclosed by the excitation coil; and

a sensor housing recess formed on the one surface of the yoke which faces toward the supporting base member in an approximately circular hole having a diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the coil housing recess, and wherein each of a corner of an inner side of the coil housing recess which is nearest to the sensor housing recess and of a corner of the sensor housing recess which is nearest to the coil housing recess is reinforced to enlarge the rigidity of the yoke.

13. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the corner of an inner side of the coil housing recess which is nearest to the sensor housing recess and of the corner of the sensor housing recess which is nearest to the coil housing recess is rounded to enlarge the rigidity of the yoke.

14. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 13, wherein a corner of the excitation coil buried into the coil housing recess is rounded so as to oppose to the rounded corner of the inner side of the coil housing recess.

15. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 14, wherein a corner of the load sensor housed in the sensor housing recess is rounded so as to oppose the rounded corner of the sensor housing recess.

16. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 15, wherein the lid member comprises a lid member main body on which the load sensor is contacted;

the outer peripheral engagement portion; and

a diameter expanding envelope portion whose diameter is increased to link the lid member main body to the outer peripheral engagement portion, a thickness of the diameter expanding envelope portion being thinned so as to lower the rigidity of the lid member.

17. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 16, wherein the diameter expanding envelope portion of the lid member is bent toward the yoke or toward the supporting base member so as to form the lid member in an approximately bell shape.

18. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration as claimed in claim 17, wherein a radius of curvature (R₂) of the rounded corner of the excitation coil is larger than the radius of curvature (R₁) of the rounded corner of the coil housing recess and the radius of curvature (R₄) of the rounded corner of the load sensor is larger than the radius of curvature (R₃) of the rounded corner of the sensor housing recess.

19. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration applicable to an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a) a vehicular engine;

b) a supporting base member on which the vehicular engine is supported, the supporting base member being attached onto a vehicle body;

c) an engine mount including a controlled vibration source and which is interposed between the vehicular engine and the supporting base member, the controlled vibration source being adapted for developing a controlled vibration to be interfered against a vibration developed from the vehicular engine at an interference position of the engine mount, the engine mount further including;

a predetermined rigidity member disposed on another position of the engine mount toward the supporting base member with respect to the interference position, the predetermined rigidity member being so arranged in the engine mount that all vibration forces transmitted from the vehicular engine toward the supporting base member are once concentrated thereonto;

a lid member, fixed onto the supporting base member and having a peripheral edge portion thereof coupled to a surface of the predetermined rigidity member which faces toward the supporting base member so as to provide a gap between a more inner portion of the lid member than the peripheral edge portion thereof and the surface of the predetermined rigidity member; and

a load sensor for detecting a residual vibration after the interference of the controlled vibration against the vibration developed from the vehicular engine and outputting the detected residual vibration in the form of a residual vibration signal, the load sensor having a pressure receiving surface thereof and which is so inserted between the predetermined rigidity member and the lid member so as to be located at an approximately center position of the gap and so as to receive the residual vibration from the predetermined rigidity member at its pressure receiving surface; and

d) a controller for developing and outputting a drive signal to drive the controlled vibration source to develop the controlled vibration on the basis of the residual vibration signal from the load sensor.

20. An apparatus for actively reducing a vibration comprising:

a) vibration developing means;

b) a supporting base member on which the vibration developing means is supported;

c) vibration isolating means including a controlled vibration developing means and interposed between the vibration developing means and the supporting base member, the controlled vibration developing means for developing a controlled vibration to be interfered against a vibration developed from the vibration developing means at an interference position of the vibration isolating means, the vibration isolating means further including;

a predetermined rigidity member disposed on another position of the vibration isolating means toward the supporting base member with respect to the interference position, the predetermined rigidity member being so arranged in the vibration isolating means that all vibration forces transmitted from the vibration developing means toward the supporting base member are once concentrated thereonto;

a lid member, fixed onto the supporting base member and having a peripheral edge portion thereof coupled to a surface of the predetermined rigidity member which faces toward the supporting base member so as to provide a gap between a more inner portion of the lid member than the peripheral edge portion thereof and the surface of the predetermined rigidity member; and

residual vibration detecting means for detecting a residual vibration after the interference of the controlled vibration against the vibration developed from the vibration developing means and outputting the detected residual vibration in the form of a residual vibration signal, the residual vibration detecting means comprising a load sensor having a pressure receiving surface thereof and which is so inserted between the predetermined rigidity member and the lid member so as to be located at an approximately center position of the gap and so as to receive the residual vibration from the predetermined rigidity member at its pressure receiving surface; and

d) controlling means for developing and outputting a drive signal to drive the controlled vibration developing means to develop the controlled vibration on the basis of the residual vibration signal from the load sensor.