Method for actuating active vibration insulators

• US 7,409,268 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Riko Company Limited.
• Original Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Hiroyuki, Yasuda, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US11/100,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/280, 701/46, 701/47, 701/111, 735/70, 735/76, 735/78, 735/79, 735/84
• US Class Current: 700/280
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/02 Suppression of vibrations of non-rotating, e.g. reciprocating systems; Suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of members not moving with the rotating systems F16F15/005 takes precedence ; layered products B32B; suppression of vibration in ships B63; relieving load on bearings, using magnetic means F16C39/06

Abstract

A method for actuating active vibration insulators includes the steps of generating an idling control signal in an idling range of a vehicle, generating a running control signal in a running range of the vehicle, and actuating an electromagnetic actuator of an active vibration insulator based on the idling control signal or the running control signal, thereby inhibiting vibrations of a vehicle engine from transmitting by the electromagnetic actuator. The idling control signal is produced by adding a higher order harmonic signal component with respect to a control frequency, based on a cyclic pulsating signal emitted from the vehicle engine, to a fundamental-wave signal component of the control frequency. The running control signal is composed of the fundamental-wave signal component of the control signal. The method can inhibit noises from generating by actuating simple electromagnetic actuators, and can damp vibrations of vehicle engines simply and less expensively.

Claims

1. A method for actuating active vibration insulators, the method comprising:

judging whether a control frequency, which is based on a cyclic pulsating signal emitted from a vehicle engine, is at a set-up frequency or less;

generating an idling control signal in an idling range of a vehicle, the idling range corresponding to a first range in which the control frequency is at the set-up frequency or less, wherein the idling control signal is produced by adding a higher order harmonic signal component with respect to the control frequency to a fundamental-wave signal component of the control frequency;

generating a running control signal in a running range of the vehicle, the running range corresponding to a second range in which the control frequency is higher than the set-up frequency, wherein the running control signal is composed of only the fundamental-wave signal component of the control frequency; and

actuating an electromagnetic actuator of an active vibration insulator based on one of the idling control signal and the running control signal, thereby inhibiting vibrations of the vehicle engine from transmitting vibrating forces exerted by the electromagnetic actuator.

2. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the higher order harmonic signal component comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of a secondary harmonic signal component with respect the control signal and a tertiary harmonic signal component with respect thereto.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

calculating a set-up frequency from following equation (1);

F_s=(NE/60)/(N_c/k) 

 

(1)

wherein F_s specifies the set-up frequency (in Hz);

NE specifies engine revolutions per 1 minute (in r/min) and falls in a range of from 1,000 to 1,5000 rpm;

N_c specifies crankshaft revolutions resulting from ignitions in all engine cylinders (in r); and

k specifies the number of engine cylinders (in pieces);

wherein

the idling range comprises a first vibration range whose frequency is the set-up frequency or less; and

the running range comprises a second vibration range whose frequency is higher than the set-up frequency.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the running control signal comprises a rectangle-shaped wave signal which is produced by converting a sine-wave signal of the control frequency into a rectangle-shaped wave.

5. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the fundamental-wave signal component of the idling control signal comprises a sine-wave signal of the control frequency.

6. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the fundamental-wave signal component of the idling control signal comprises a rectangle-shaped wave signal which is produced by converting a sine-wave signal of the control frequency into a rectangle-shaped wave.