Vibration-damping device having independent mass member

• US 6,641,119 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2001
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Riko Company Limited.
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Tokai Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Rentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES WILLIAMS, MELANIE
• Application Number:
  US10/027,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 682 Days
• Field of Search: 267/140.11, 267/140.12, 267/140.3, 267/141, 267/141.1, 267/141--14, 267/219, 267/293
• US Class Current: 267/140.12
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/38 with a sleeve of elastic material between a rigid outer sleeve and a rigid inner sleeve or pin , i.e. bushing-type hydraulically-damped bushes F16F13/14; suppression of vibrations in rotating systems by making use of elastomeric spring members between rotating elements, driveline torque being transmitted therebetween F16F15/126, by making use of a dynamic damping mass attached to a rotating element by means of elastomeric springs F16F15/14; pivots per se F16C11/00; elastic or yielding bearings or bearing supports F16C27/00; parts of sliding-contact bearings, e.g. bushes F16C33/04
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 13/108 characterised by features of plastics springs, e.g. attachment arrangements F16F13/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 13/22 characterised by comprising also a dynamic damper dampers using inertia effect per se F16F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2222/08 Inertia

Abstract

Disclosed is a vibration-damping device comprising: a first and a second mounting member disposed in mutually spaced apart relationship with each other and attachable to two members of a vibration system, respectively; and an elastic body disposed between and elastically connecting the first and second mounting members and including a connecting portion adapted to primarily connect the first and second mounting members. The connecting portion has a hollow housing portion in which an independent mass member is accommodated such that the independent mass member is independently displaceable relative to the housing portion without being bonded to the housing portion, and is brought into direct and elastic impact against the housing portion.

Claims

1. A vibration-damping device for elastically connecting two members of a vibration system in a vibration damping fashion, said vibration-damping device comprising:

a first mounting member attachable to one of the two members of the vibration system;

a second mounting member disposed away from said first mounting member and attachable to an other one of the two members of the vibration system;

an elastic body disposed between and elastically connecting said first and second mounting members, said elastic body including a connecting portion that extends between said first and second mounting members and has a hollow housing portion formed therein such that said housing portion is spaced apart from said first and said second mounting members so as to be displaceable in an entirety thereof relative to said first and second mounting members; and

an independent mass member accommodated in said housing portion with a spacing therebetween such that said independent mass member is independently displaceable relative to said housing portion without being bonded to said housing portion, and is brought into direct and elastic impact against said housing portion.

2. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said housing portion formed in said connecting portion of said elastic body is located at a substantially central portion between the first mounting member and said second mounting member in a direction in which said first and second mounting member are connected to each other via said connecting portion.

3. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said housing portion includes a rigid case member bonded by vulcanization to said elastic body.

4. A vibration-damping device according to claim 3, wherein said case member includes an abutting surface adapted to impact against said independent mass member, said abutting surface of said case member being covered by an abutting rubber layer integrally formed with said elastic body.

5. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portion of said elastic body undergoes shear deformation thereof upon application of a vibrational load between said first and second mounting members, and said independent mass member is independently displaceable relative to and is brought into direct and elastic impact against said housing portion in a direction in which said connecting portion of said elastic body undergoes shear deformation.

6. A vibration-damping device according to claim 5, wherein said housing portion formed in said connecting portion of said elastic body is located at an intermediate portion between said first and second mounting members, and extends in a direction perpendicular to said direction in which said connecting portion of said elastic body undergoes shear deformation.

7. A vibration-damping device according to claim 6, wherein said independent mass member has an elongated shape and extends continuously in a longitudinal direction of said housing portion.

8. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said first mounting member comprises an inner shaft member and said second mounting member comprises an outer sleeve member disposed radially outward of said inner shaft member with a radial spacing therebetween, while the elastic body is interposed between said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member,

said elastic body having a pair of voids formed therethrough over an entire axial length thereof at respective portions opposed to each other in a diametric direction perpendicular to an axis of said inner shaft member in which a vibrational load is applied between said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member, to thereby provide a pair of elastic connecting portions of said elastic body,

said pair of elastic connecting portions elastically connecting said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member with each other in respective diametric directions perpendicular to said axis of said inner shaft member, and

said housing portion being formed in each of said pair of said elastic connecting portions of said elastic body.

9. A vibration-damping device according to claim 8, wherein each of said pair of elastic connecting portions has a through hole axially extending therethrough to thereby constitute said housing portion, while said independent mass member has a rod shape and is disposed in said through hole such that said independent mass member extends through said through hole and is provided with a projection for preventing a disengagement thereof from said through hole.

10. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said second mounting member has a cylindrical portion, and said first mounting member is substantially coaxially disposed on one of axially opposite sides of said cylindrical portion of said second mounting member with an axial spacing therebetween, while said elastic body has a substantially tapered cylindrical shape and extends radially outwardly from said first mounting member to an open end portion of said cylindrical portion of said second mounting member so as to elastically connect said first mounting member and said cylindrical portion of said second mounting member,

said open end portion of said cylindrical portion of said second mounting member being fluid-tightly closed by said elastic body to thereby form within said cylindrical portion of said second mounting member a fluid chamber partially defined by said elastic body and filled with a non-compressible fluid, so that said vibration-damping device exhibit a vibration damping effect on the basis of flows of said non-compressible fluid, and

said housing portion formed in said connecting portion of said elastic body being located at an intermediate portion between said first and second mounting members in a direction in which said first mounting member and said cylindrical portion of said second mounting member are connected to each other via said connecting portion, and extending in a circumferential direction of said elastic body.

11. A vibration-damping device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a partition structure adapted to fluid-tightly divide said fluid chamber into a pressure receiving chamber partially defined by said elastic body whose pressure is variable due to an elastic deformation of said elastic body, and an equilibrium chamber partially defined by a flexible diaphragm whose volume is variable due to an elastic displacement of said flexible diaphragm; and

an orifice passage for fluid communication between said pressure receiving chamber and said equilibrium chamber,

said vibration damping device exhibiting a vibration damping effect on the basis of resonance of said fluid flowing through said orifice passage.

12. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said housing portion includes a housing body member fixed to said elastic body and being open at an opening thereof in an surface of said elastic body, and a covering member adapted to cover said opening of said housing body member,

said independent mass member being accommodated within said housing body member whose opening is closed by said covering member fixed to said opening of said housing body member.

13. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, further comprising a fluid-chamber partially defined by said connecting portion of said elastic body and filled with a non-compressible fluid whose pressure varies upon application of a vibrational load between said first and second mounting members, said housing portion accommodating said independent mass member being formed in said connecting portion partially defining said fluid pressure chamber.

14. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of an abutting surface of said independent mass member and an abutting surface of said housing portion has a Shore D hardness of 80 or lower.

15. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said independent mass member in a single form thereof has a mass within a range of 10-1000 g.

16. A vibration-damping device according to claim 1, wherein said independent mass member is reciprocatory movable relative to said housing member by a distance of 0.2-1.6 mm, in a direction in which a vibrational load is applied to said housing portion.