U.S. patent application number 14/196776 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-03 for sleeve damper assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to GM Global Technology Operations LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is GM Global Technology Operations LLC. Invention is credited to TURGAY BENGISU, MICHAEL DUVA, KENNETH C. TESNER.
Application Number | 20140182988 14/196776 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46845271 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140182988 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TESNER; KENNETH C. ; et
al. |
July 3, 2014 |
SLEEVE DAMPER ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A damper for a linear element of a motor vehicle drivetrain such
as a cable, a transmission oil fill tube or an engine oil dipstick
tube constitutes a loose fitting sleeve or annulus disposed about
the linear component. The damper may be positioned on a
substantially vertical tube by a stop which may be any device such
as a sleeve of material having an outside diameter larger than the
inside diameter of the damper that is clamped or secured to the
tube. Alternatively, the damper may be of sufficient length that
one end may be clamped to the tube while the other end, which
loosely fits on the tube, acts as a damper. The damper may be
fabricated of a material such as closed cell foam or other
relatively lightweight, resilient and compressible material.
Inventors: |
TESNER; KENNETH C.; (MACOMB,
MI) ; BENGISU; TURGAY; (WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI) ;
DUVA; MICHAEL; (HOWELL, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GM Global Technology Operations LLC |
Detroit |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
GM Global Technology Operations
LLC
Detroit
MI
|
Family ID: |
46845271 |
Appl. No.: |
14/196776 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13074517 |
Mar 29, 2011 |
8701848 |
|
|
14196776 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
188/378 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16F 2224/0225 20130101;
F16F 15/04 20130101; F16F 7/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
188/378 |
International
Class: |
F16F 7/10 20060101
F16F007/10 |
Claims
1. A sleeve damper assembly for reducing resonance of a linear
element of a motor vehicle comprising, in combination, an elongate
tubular damper sleeve fabricated of plastic foam and defining an
axial through passageway adapted to receive a linear element, and a
retaining collar having an outside diameter larger than a diameter
of said through passageway, said retaining collar secured to said
linear element adjacent said damper sleeve.
2. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 1 wherein said axial through
passageway has a diameter larger than an outside diameter of said
linear element.
3. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 1 wherein said linear
element is a transmission fill tube.
4. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 1 wherein said tubular
damper sleeve has a length of seven inches or less.
5. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 1 wherein said plastic foam
is closed cell polyurethane.
6. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 1 wherein said retaining
collar is secured to said linear element by a strap.
7. The vibration damper assembly of claim 1 wherein said tubular
sleeve and said retaining collar are distinct components.
8. A random, chaotic damper assembly for reducing resonance of a
non-rotating linear element of a motor vehicle comprising, in
combination, an elongate circular damper sleeve fabricated of
plastic foam and defining an axial through passageway adapted to
receive a linear element, and a retaining collar having an outside
diameter larger than a diameter of said through passageway, and
means for securing said retaining collar to said linear
element.
9. The chaotic damper assembly of claim 8 wherein said axial
through passageway of said circular damper sleeve has a diameter
larger than a diameter of said linear element.
10. The chaotic damper assembly of claim 8 wherein said linear
element is a transmission fill tube.
11. The chaotic damper assembly of claim 8 wherein said linear
element is an engine dipstick tube.
12. The chaotic damper assembly of claim 8 wherein said circular
damper sleeve has a length of seven inches or less.
13. The chaotic damper assembly of claim 8 wherein said plastic
foam is closed cell polyurethane.
14. The chaotic damper assembly of claim 8 wherein said means for
securing said retaining collar to said linear element is one of a
strap, a cable tie and adhesive.
15. A sleeve damper assembly for reducing resonance of a
transmission fill tube of a motor vehicle comprising, in
combination, an elongate tubular damper sleeve fabricated of
plastic foam and defining an axial through passageway adapted to
receive said transmission fill tube, and a retaining collar having
an outside diameter larger than a diameter of said through
passageway, and a strap for securing said retaining collar to said
transmission fill tube adjacent said tubular damper sleeve.
16. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 15 wherein said tubular
damper sleeve has a length of seven inches or less.
17. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 15 wherein said plastic
foam is closed cell polyurethane.
18. The sleeve damper assembly of claim 15 wherein said tubular
damper sleeve and said retaining collar are fabricated of closed
cell foam.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This divisional application claims the benefit of U.S.
application Ser. No. 13/074,517 filed on Mar. 29, 2011. The entire
contents of the above application are incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to damper assemblies and more
particularly to sleeve damper assemblies for damping sympathetic
vibrations in motor vehicle engine components.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may or may not
constitute prior art.
[0004] The impact of unwanted, sympathetic vibration or resonances
of elements in mechanical systems ranges from inconsequential,
through annoying and service life limiting to problematic and
catastrophic. Certainly the extent or magnitude of such sympathetic
vibration plays a role in locating a particular activity along the
foregoing spectrum. Additionally, the type of product, i.e.,
whether it is a refrigerator, an air compressor, an electric
generator, a motor vehicle powertrain, an airplane or a suspension
bridge determines whether the vibration is a nuisance, the source
of consumer complaints or a safety issue.
[0005] The most complex consumer products, at least from a
mechanical standpoint, are clearly motor vehicles. With thousands
of components, frequent new and re-designed mechanical components,
an emphasis on weight reduction, lengthy service lives and vehicle
service and care ranging from virtually total neglect to careful
and complete, sympathetic vibration or resonance of components is a
constant and constantly addressed engineering issue.
[0006] In motor vehicles, the drive or powertrain tends to be the
situs of most sympathetic vibration problems and thus the focus of
the most attention. A common area of difficulty typically involves
a linear component, such as a cable or tubing, that extends
unsupported between two points. The most difficult problems arise
when a linear element includes an unsupported length that is free
standing, such as a transmission oil fill tube or engine oil
dipstick tube.
[0007] Various solutions have been heretofore proposed. Perhaps the
most common involves strengthening the linear element. Such a
solution adds to the weight and cost of the component and it still
may be subject to sympathetic vibration or resonance--just at a
different frequency. Adding additional braces or points of
attachment is also a common solution but, once again, it not only
adds weight and cost but also increases the time and cost of
assembly.
[0008] The present invention is directed to reducing or eliminating
sympathetic vibration of linear components in mechanical systems
such as vehicle powertrains.
SUMMARY
[0009] The present invention provides a damper assembly for a
linear element of a motor vehicle such as a cable, tube,
transmission oil fill tube or engine oil dipstick tube. A first
embodiment of the damper assembly constitutes a loose fitting
sleeve or annulus disposed about a linear component such as a
cable, a cooler pipe or line, a transmission oil fill tube or
engine dipstick tube. The sleeve damper assembly may be positioned
on a substantially vertical tube by a stop which may be any device
such as a sleeve of material having an outside diameter larger than
the inside diameter of the damper that is clamped or secured to the
tube. In a second embodiment, the damper sleeve is of sufficient
length that one end may be clamped to the tube while the other end,
which loosely fits on the tube, acts as a damper. The damper sleeve
may be fabricated of a material such as closed cell foam or other
relatively lightweight, resilient and compressible material. The
damper moves or "rattles" in random, chaotic manner to absorb
energy and interfere with and thus minimize or eliminate resonance
or harmonic vibration of the associated linear element.
[0010] Thus it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a
damper assembly for a linear mechanical element such as a cable, a
cooler pipe or line, a transmission fill tube or an engine dipstick
tube.
[0011] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a
damper sleeve which fits loosely about a linear mechanical
element.
[0012] It is a still further aspect of the present invention to
provide a damper sleeve having at least a portion which fits
loosely about a linear mechanical element.
[0013] It is a still further aspect of the present invention to
provide a damper assembly which moves or "rattles" in a random,
chaotic manner.
[0014] It is a still further aspect of the present invention to
provide a damper assembly which absorbs energy and interferes with
and thus minimizes or eliminates unwanted harmonic vibration of an
associated mechanical element.
[0015] Further aspects, advantages and areas of applicability will
become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be
understood that the description and specific examples are intended
for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the
scope of the present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0016] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure in any way.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transmission fill tube
having a first embodiment of a sleeve damper assembly according to
the present invention installed thereon;
[0018] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a
first embodiment of a sleeve damper assembly according to the
present invention on a transmission fill tube;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a transmission fill tube
having a second embodiment of a sleeve damper assembly according to
the present invention installed thereon; and
[0020] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a
second embodiment of a sleeve damper assembly according to the
present invention on a transmission fill tube.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and
is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or
uses.
[0022] With reference to FIG. 1, a transmission fill tube upon
which a sleeve damper assembly according to the present invention
is mounted is illustrated and generally designated by the reference
number 10. The transmission fill tube 10 is typically an elongate,
hollow tube that is secured to and extends upwardly from a
transmission housing 12. The transmission housing 12 receives,
locates and protects various components (not illustrated) of the
transmission 14. The transmission fill tube 10 is typically between
one foot and four feet in length (30.5 cm. to 122 cm.) in a typical
passenger car, light truck or sport utility vehicle and extends
from the transmission housing 12 upwardly to a location of
convenient access within the engine compartment to a terminus 16.
Depending upon the length of the transmission fill tube 10, it may
include one or more brackets or straps 18 which are secured or
attached to the transmission housing 12 and/or an engine 20 by, for
example, suitable fasteners such as bolts or machine screws 22. The
transmission fill tube 12 facilitates addition of transmission
fluid (not illustrated) to the transmission 14 as needed. In
addition to facilitating addition of fluid to the transmission 14,
the transmission fill tube 10 receives a removable flexible,
typically flat shaft or dipstick 24 that facilitates determining
the level of fluid in the transmission 14. The dipstick 24
preferably includes a top seal, cap or grommet 26 that closes off
the terminus 16 of the transmission fill tube 10.
[0023] A significant portion of the transmission fill tube 10,
especially that portion most distant from the transmission housing
12 and adjacent the terminus 16, may be unsupported. As noted
above, such unsupported lengths of a tubular, elongate component
such as the transmission fill tube 10 may permit or encourage
resonance or sympathetic vibration of the component.
[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of a
sleeve damper assembly according to the present invention is
illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 30.
The sleeve damper assembly 30 is typically and preferably installed
on an unsupported portion of the transmission fill tube 10. The
sleeve damper assembly 30 includes a tubular damper sleeve 32 which
defines a through, axial passageway 34. The damper sleeve 32 is
preferably fabricated of conventional closed cell polyurethane foam
satisfying ASTM D1056 2D2 and having a UL 94 V-O coating. Other
relatively lightweight, softly resilient materials such as foam
rubber and materials having different densities are also
suitable.
[0025] The damper sleeve 32 is preferably between about 3 inches
(76.2 mm.) to 6 inches (152.4 mm.) in length, preferably has a wall
thickness of between about 0.20 inches (5.1 mm.) and 0.35 inches
(9.0 mm.) and preferably an inside diameter (the diameter of the
axial passageway 34) of between 0.75 inches (19.05 mm.) and 1.25
inches (31.75 mm.). Preferably, as well, the outside diameter of
the transmission fill tube 10 will be at least one-half of the
diameter of the axial passageway 34. The foregoing dimensions are
approximate only and it should be understood that they will vary
(even outside the stated ranges) depending upon the density of the
material of which the damper sleeve 32 is fabricated, the outside
diameter of the transmission fill tube 10, the particular frequency
or band of frequencies desired to be attenuated by the sleeve
damper assembly 30 and other design variables.
[0026] Below the damper sleeve 32 and disposed in supporting
relationship with it is a fixed collar, stop or support 36. The
collar, stop or support 36 has an outer diameter that is slightly
larger than the diameter of the axial passageway 34 such that the
damper sleeve 32 cannot slide along or down the transmission fill
tube 10 beyond the location at which the upper edge of the collar,
stop or support 36 engages the lower edge of the damper sleeve 32.
The stop or support 36 may be of any suitable material such as the
closed cell foam described above or other reasonably durable and
lightweight material. If fabricated of closed cell foam or other,
similar resilient material, the stop or support 36 may be readily
secured to the transmission fill tube 10 by, for example, a strap,
cable tie 38 or a similar tensioning device. Alternatively, a
suitable adhesive may be utilized.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 3, a second embodiment of a sleeve
damper assembly according to the present invention is illustrated
and generally designated by the reference number 50. The second
embodiment of the sleeve damper assembly 50 is shown in place on a
transmission fill tube 10'. The transmission fill tube 10' extends
from a transmission housing 12' and may include one or more
mounting brackets or straps 18'. Typically, the transmission fill
tube 10' receives a removable flexible, typically flat shaft or
dipstick 24' that facilitates determining the level of fluid in the
transmission 14. The dipstick 24 preferably includes a top seal,
cap or grommet 26' that closes off the fill tube 10'. Proximate the
upper terminus 16' of the transmission fill tube 10', typically in
an unsupported region, is disposed the sleeve damper assembly 50.
The sleeve damper assembly 50 includes a single, elongate tubular
damper sleeve 52 which defines a through, axial passageway 54. The
damper sleeve 52 is preferably fabricated of conventional closed
cell polyurethane foam satisfying ASTM D1056 2D2 and having a UL 94
V-0 coating. Other softly resilient materials such as foam rubber
and materials having different densities are also suitable.
[0028] The damper sleeve 52 is preferably between about 4 inches
(101.6 mm.) to 7 inches (177.8 mm.) in length, preferably has a
wall thickness of between about 0.20 inches (5.1 mm.) and 0.35
inches (9.0 mm.) and preferably an inside diameter (the diameter of
the axial passageway 54) of between 0.75 inches (19.05 mm.) and
1.25 inches (31.75 mm.). Preferably, as well, the outside diameter
of the transmission fill tube 10' will be at least one-half of the
diameter of the axial passageway 54. The foregoing dimensions are
approximate only and it should be understood that they will vary
(even outside the stated ranges) depending upon the density of the
material of which the damper sleeve 52 is fabricated, the outside
diameter of the transmission fill tube 10', the particular
frequency or band of frequencies desired to be attenuated by the
sleeve damper assembly 50 and other design variables.
[0029] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the damper sleeve 52
includes a pair of radially aligned, that is, diametrically
opposed, axially extending cuts or slits 56A and 56B at the lower
end of the damper sleeve 52, that is, the end most distant from the
terminus 16' of the transmission fill tube 10'. The damper sleeve
52 is preferably disposed on the transmission fill tube 10' with
the cuts or slits 56A and 56B aligned horizontally. Threaded
through the cuts or slits 56A and 56B, around the lower half of the
transmission fill tube 10' and over the upper, outside surface of
the damper sleeve 52 is a strap or cable tie 58 or similar
tensioning or securement device. Positioning the strap or cable tie
58 proximate one end of the damper sleeve 52 (the lower end) allows
a maximum length of the damper sleeve 52 to move and vibrate to
interfere with and cancel out vibrations and to absorb energy.
Fastening the cable tie 58 around the lower half of the
transmission fill tube 10' and the upper surface of the damper
sleeve 52 maintains an open region 62 within and at the lower
portion of the axial passageway 54 to allow dirt and debris to pass
through the damper sleeve 52 and thereby prevent the accumulation
of dirt and debris within the axial passageway 54 of the damper
sleeve 52 which would interfere with its operation.
[0030] In operation, both the first embodiment of the sleeve damper
assembly 30 and the second embodiment of the sleeve damper assembly
50 function in essentially the same way: as untuned, i.e., chaotic,
dampers or energy absorbing and dissipating devices to damp
unwanted resonances or sympathetic vibrations in unsupported
portions of linear elements such as cables, and engine and
transmission fill tubes in motor vehicles. Thus, they be readily
and easily fitted about and secured to such elements and, without
extensive tuning and matching of source and damper fundamental and
harmonic frequencies, they function as untuned, chaotic dampers to
attenuate the motion of the linear element and to absorb and
dissipate vibratory energy over a broad frequency spectrum.
[0031] The description of the invention is merely exemplary in
nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the
invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention.
Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *