The present invention relates to mounting systems used for mounting a powertrain in motor vehicle applications, particularly to neutral torque roll axis mounting systems and pendular mounting systems, and more particularly to a fully decoupled pitch damping hydraulic bushing at the torque reacting mount components thereof
Powertrain mounting systems used in motor vehicle applications include the “four-point neutral torque roll axis” (hereafter simply “NTA”) mounting system, exemplified at
As shown by way of example at
When the motor vehicle is in operation, powertrain pitching due to various levels of torque loading occurs at the torque reacting mount component member(s), which includes both high and low vibration amplitudes for which damping and stiffness requisites vary. High vibration amplitude events include engine start/stop, garage shifts, rough road shake, and smooth road chuggle. Low amplitude vibration events include idle vibration and smooth road shake vibration. Therefore, a drawback of prior art torque reacting mount components utilizing solely an elastic element for reaction to powertrain pitch, is that the elastic element is unable to adjust itself in terms of stiffness and damping to the various high and low vibration amplitudes presented to it during powertrain pitching events.
A dual aspect mount device known in the prior art is a hydraulic mount used for left and right bearing load powertrain mounts. In a first aspect, a hydraulic mount provides location of one object, such as a motor vehicle powertrain, with respect to a second object, as for example the frame (or cradle) of the motor vehicle. In a second aspect, the hydraulic mount provides damping of vibration or low dynamic stiffness as between the first and second objects, as for example damping or isolating of engine vibration with respect to the frame of the motor vehicle. Hydraulic mounts which are used for motor vehicle applications are represented, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,828,234, 5,215,293 and 7,025,341.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,293, by way of example, discloses a hydraulic mount having a rigid upper member which is bolted to the powertrain and a lower powertrain member which is bolted to the frame (or cradle), wherein the upper and lower members are resiliently interconnected. The upper member is connected to a resilient main rubber element. Vibration of the main rubber element in response to engine vibration is transmitted to an adjoining upper fluid chamber. The upper fluid chamber adjoins a rigid top plate having an idle inertia track there through which communicates with an idle fluid chamber. The idle fluid chamber is separated from an idle air chamber by an idle diaphragm. The idle air chamber is selectively connected to atmosphere or to engine vacuum in order to selectively evacuate the idle air chamber in which case the idle diaphragm is immobilized. A bounce inertia track is formed in the top plate and communicates with a lower fluid chamber which is fluid filled. A bellows separates the lower fluid chamber from a lower air chamber which is vented to the atmosphere.
The idle inertia track has a larger cross-sectional area and a shorter length than that of the bounce inertia track, such that the ratio provides resonant frequency damping at the respectively selected resonance frequencies. In this regard, the resonance frequency of the fluid flowing through the idle inertia track is set to be higher than that of the fluid flowing through the bounce inertia track. As such, this prior art hydraulic mount is able to effectively damp relatively low frequency vibrations over a lower frequency range, such as powertrain shake or bounce, based on resonance of a mass of the fluid in the bounce inertia track, while, on the other hand, the idle inertia track is tuned so that the hydraulic mount exhibits a sufficiently reduced dynamic stiffness with respect to relatively high-frequency vibrations over a higher frequency range, such as engine idling vibrations, based on the resonance of a mass of the fluid in the idle inertia track.
In operation, vibrations in the higher frequency range are isolated by operation of the induced fluid oscillations in the upper fluid chamber passing through the idle inertia track and the resilient deformation of the main resilient element and the idle diaphragm in that the idle air chamber is at atmospheric pressure. For vibrations in the lower frequency range, the idle air chamber is evacuated by being connected to engine vacuum, wherein now the fluid oscillations of the upper fluid chamber travel through the bounce inertia track and are damped thereby in combination with the resilient deformation of the main resilient element and the bellows.
Hydraulic mounts are employed as load bearing mounts or as a combination load bearing and torque reacting mounts. In torque roll axis mounting systems, like the NTA and pendular systems, the torque reacting elements in the system are predisposed to carry minimal static preload and to primarily react to powertrain torque. In particular, bushing style mounts as the torque reacting elements in NTA and pendular systems provide specific benefits to the powertrain mounting system overall isolation not offered by other types of hydraulic mounts. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is to implement passive bushing style mounts not controlled by external devices that provide low stiffness at small amplitudes of powertrain pitch vibration and high damping at large amplitudes of powertrain pitch vibration.
The present invention packages a hydraulic device into a torque reacting mount bushing of a torque reacting mount component of a powertrain mounting system, for example an NTA or pendular mounting system, so as to provide high hydraulic damping and stiffness at high vibration amplitude, and minimal to no hydraulic damping and stiffness at low vibration amplitude, thereby enabling the mounting system to have passively decoupled powertrain pitch damping as between high and low amplitudes of vibration.
The hydraulic device torque reacting mount bushing according to the present invention is configured in a generally cylindrical shape which permits replacement packaging into the conventional cylindrically shaped bushing mount application of the torque reacting mount component. A rigid outer shell connects to a first torque reacting mount component member. An elastic member disposed within the outer shell is composed of a main elastic element and a main elastic body. The main elastic element has a generally centrally disposed bushing rod connected thereto, the bushing rod being connected to a second torque reacting mount component member. By way of example, the outer shell is in connection through the first torque reacting mount component member with the cradle and the bushing rod is in connection through the second torque reacting mount component member with to the powertrain.
The distal ends of the main elastic element are integrally connected to the main elastic body. A main liquid reservoir is located on a first side of the main elastic element, while the other, second, side of the main elastic element is exposed to the atmosphere. A bounce inertia track is hydraulically connected to the main liquid reservoir and extends to a secondary liquid reservoir which is separated from the atmosphere by a flexible bellows, the bellows being connected with the main elastic body. A fluid passage is hydraulically connected to the main liquid reservoir and hydraulically communicates with the secondary liquid reservoir. Disposed therein is a decoupler system which includes perforated sidewalls and a loose compliant membrane disposed therebetween.
In operation, vibrations of low amplitude are transmitted by the main elastic element to the main liquid reservoir and because the compliant membrane is free to move, the vibrations passing through the main liquid reservoir transmit through the decoupler system into the decoupler fluid passage, whereby low pitch stiffness and low to no hydraulic damping will be provided. For vibrations of high amplitude, the vibrations are transmitted by the main elastic element to the main liquid reservoir such that liquid is displaced (in or out) of the main liquid reservoir and exchanged with the secondary liquid reservoir via the bounce inertia track and resilient compliance of the bellows. At the same time, the amplitude of the vibration causes the compliant membrane of the decoupler system to be hydraulically pressed into occluding relation with a perforated sidewall of the decoupler system, thereby disabling operation of the compliant membrane. Thus, for high amplitude vibrations, high hydraulic damping and high pitch stiffness are provided. Accordingly, provided are high hydraulic damping and stiffness at high vibration amplitude, and minimal to no hydraulic damping and stiffness at low vibration amplitude, enabling the mounting system to have passively decoupled pitch damping at high and low amplitudes of vibration.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to utilize a hydraulic device as the torque reacting mount bushing of a torque reacting mount component of a powertrain mounting system, for example an NTA or pendular mounting system, so as to provide high hydraulic damping and stiffness at high vibration amplitude, and minimal to no hydraulic damping and stiffness at low vibration amplitude, thus enabling the mounting system to have passively decoupled pitch damping as between high and low amplitudes of vibration.
This and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following specification of a preferred embodiment.
Referring now to the Drawings, aspects of a hydraulic device torque reacting mount bushing for a torque reacting mount component of a powertrain mounting system according to the present invention are depicted in
A rigid outer shell 1004 connects to a first torque reacting mount component member 1002′. A main elastic element 1006 has a generally centrally disposed insert 1014 which is connected to a second torque reacting mount component member 1002″. A main liquid reservoir 1022 is disposed sealingly on a first side 1006′ of the main elastic element 1006, while the other, second, side 1006″ of the main elastic element is exposed to the atmosphere 1024. A bounce inertia track 1026 hydraulically connects to the main liquid reservoir 1022 and extends to a secondary liquid reservoir 1030 which is separated from the atmosphere 1024 by a flexible bellows 1032. A decoupler fluid passage 1034 hydraulically connects to the main liquid reservoir 1022 and hydraulically communicates with the secondary liquid reservoir 1030. Disposed in the decoupler fluid passage 1034 is a decoupler system 1040 in the form of a pair of parallel and mutually spaced apart perforated side walls 1042, 1044, between which is disposed a loose, compliant membrane 1046 which is sized to superpose the perforations 1048 of the perforated sidewalls. Liquid, preferably glycol 1025 fills the main and secondary liquid reservoirs 1022, 1030, the bounce inertia track 1026, the decoupler fluid passage 1034 and the decoupler system 1040.
In operation with respect to high amplitude vibrations, the vibrations are transmitted by the main elastic element 1006 to the main liquid reservoir 1022 such that liquid is displaced with respect to the main liquid reservoir and exchanged with the secondary liquid reservoir via the bounce inertia track 1026 and resilient compliance of the bellows 1032. At the same time, the high amplitude of the vibration causes the compliant membrane 1046 to be hydraulically pressed into occluding relation to the perforations 1048 of one or the other of the perforated sidewalls 1042, 1044, thereby disabling operation of the decoupler system 1040. Thus, for high amplitude vibrations, high pitch stiffness and high hydraulic damping are provided.
Further in operation with respect to low amplitude vibrations, the vibrations are transmitted by the main elastic element 1006 to the main liquid reservoir 1022, and because the compliant membrane 1046 is loosely free to move between the perforated sidewalls 1042, 1044 without occluding the perforations 1048, these low amplitude vibrations pass through the main liquid reservoir, then transfer through the decoupler system 1040 and into the decoupler fluid passage 1034, whereby minimal pitch stiffness and minimal to no hydraulic damping is provided as a reaction to the low amplitude powertrain pitching.
Turning attention now to
A rigid outer shell 104 connects to a first torque reacting mount component member, by way of example 102′ in
A main liquid reservoir 122 is disposed sealingly on a first side 106′ of the main elastic element 106, while the other, second, side 106″ of the main elastic element is exposed to the atmosphere 124. A bounce inertia track 126 is formed partly of the molded elastic bushing 110 and partly of the outer shell 104. The bounce inertia track 126 hydraulically connects (see opening 135) to the main liquid reservoir 122 and extends to a secondary liquid reservoir 130 which is separated from the atmosphere 124 by a flexible bellows 132 which is connected with the molded elastic bushing 110. A decoupler fluid passage 134 is formed partly of the molded elastic bushing 110 and partly of the outer shell 104. The decoupler fluid passage 134 hydraulically connects to the main liquid reservoir 122 and hydraulically communicates with the secondary liquid reservoir 130. Disposed in the decoupler fluid passage 134 is a decoupler system 140 in the form of a pair of parallel and mutually spaced apart perforated side walls 142, 144, between which is disposed a loose, compliant membrane 146 which is sized to superpose the perforations 148 of the perforated sidewalls. Liquid, preferably glycol 125 fills the main and secondary liquid reservoirs 122, 130, the bounce inertia track 126, the decoupler fluid passage 134 and the decoupler system 140. The bounce inertia track 126 and decoupler fluid passage 134 are separated, as for example by a wall 145.
Operation of a powertrain mounting system 105 having the hydraulic device torque reacting mount bushing 100 for each torque reacting mount component 102 thereof will now be described.
Powertrain torque and torque transients create powertrain pitch vibration about the torque roll axis (see
As shown at
As shown at
Accordingly, the present invention provides high hydraulic damping and stiffness at high vibration amplitudes of powertrain pitching around the torque roll axis of the powertrain, and minimal to no hydraulic damping and stiffness at low vibration amplitudes of powertrain pitching around the torque roll axis of the powertrain, enabling the mounting system to have passively decoupled pitch damping as between high and low amplitudes of vibration.
The demarcation between “high” and “low” vibration amplitudes of powertrain pitching around the torque roll axis of the powertrain whereat the decoupler system is active or disabled is determined by empirical testing or computer modeling for the particular vehicle application. However, by way merely of exemplification, any amplitude above about 0.5 millimeter of powertrain pitch acting at the hydraulic device torque reacting mount bushing may be considered a “high” vibration amplitude.
Further, by exemplification the terms “minimal” and “high” as used to describe damping and/or stiffness may, for example, represent about at least an order of magnitude difference, wherein the term “minimal” is the lesser therebetween.
To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change or modification. Such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.