Active noise cancellation apparatus

• US 8,706,351 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Riko Company Limited.
• Original Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Koichi, Katagiri, Akira, Oshima, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US13/951,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/37, 701/38, 701/39, 701/47, 280/124.1, 280/124.108, 280/5.515, 280/5.512, 280/137.507, 280/506, 280/5.519, 267/2, 267/90, 267/136, 267/140.11, 188/381, 188/73.35, 188/73.36, 188/73.37, 188/378, 180/902
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/1011 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/175 using interference effects; Masking sound
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17879 using both a reference signal and an error signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/12821 Rolling noise; Wind and body noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3211 Active mounts for vibrating structures with means to actively suppress the vibration, e.g. for vehicles

Abstract

Provided is an active noise cancellation apparatus capable of reliably reducing road noise by a technique other than mounting a vibration generator on a floor panel itself or another plate-like interior part itself, while reducing costs and size of the apparatus. A reference signal detector is mounted on a knuckle and the vibration generator is mounted on a wheel housing or a suspension member. An error signal detector detects vibration of the wheel housing or vibration of the suspension member as an error signal, or detects sound in a vehicle interior as an error signal. A controller controls the vibration generator based on the reference signal and the error signal so as to reduce the error signal.

Claims

1. An active noise cancellation apparatus for actively reducing noise in an interior of a vehicle, the vehicle generating road noise in the interior of the vehicle by causing a plate-like member of vehicle component parts to vibrate, the plate-like member vibrating by vibration input from road surfaces to a wheel being transmitted to the plate-like member,

wherein the active noise cancellation apparatus comprises:

a reference signal detector mounted on a knuckle for supporting the wheel in at least one vibration transmission path from the wheel to the plate-like member and detecting vibration of the knuckle as a reference signal;

a vibration generator mounted on a wheel housing or on a suspension member in the vibration transmission path, the wheel housing connected to the plate-like member and supporting a suspension system, the suspension member connected to the plate-like member and constituting the suspension system, and the vibration generator applying vibration force to the wheel housing or the suspension member;

an error signal detector for detecting vibration of the wheel housing or vibration of the suspension member as an error signal or detecting sound in the interior of the vehicle as an error signal; and

a controller for controlling the vibration generator based on the reference signal and the error signal so as to reduce the error signal.

2. The active noise cancellation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes:

the knuckle for rotatably supporting the wheel;

a suspension arm connected to the knuckle;

a shock absorber connected to the suspension arm;

an upper support attached to the shock absorber; and

the wheel housing attached to the upper support and connected to the plate-like member,

the reference signal detector is mounted on the knuckle, and

the vibration generator and the error signal detector are mounted on the wheel housing.

3. The active noise cancellation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generator and the error signal detector are placed at positions which are closer to the upper support than to the plate-like member on the wheel housing.

4. The active noise cancellation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes:

the knuckle for rotatably supporting the wheel;

a suspension arm connected to the knuckle; and

the suspension member connected to the suspension arm and connected to a floor panel as the plate-like member by way of a member mount,

the reference signal detector is mounted on the knuckle, and

the vibration generator and the error signal detector are mounted on the suspension member.

5. The active noise cancellation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the vibration transmission path from the wheel to the plate-like member is a plurality of vibration transmission paths;

the vibration generator is placed in at least one of the plurality of vibration transmission paths; and

the error signal detector is a microphone for detecting sound in the interior of the vehicle as the error signal.

6. The active noise cancellation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of vibration transmission paths include at least a path from the wheel to the wheel housing and a path from the wheel to the suspension member, and

the vibration generator is mounted on the wheel housing constituting one of the vibration transmission paths, or on the suspension member constituting another of the vibration transmission paths.

7. The active noise cancellation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reference signal detector is mounted on a common component part in the plurality of the vibration transmission paths.