IP Library Granted Patent US 7,010,420
Granted Patent B2
US 7,010,420 · App. 11/086,389 · Granted Mar 7, 2006

Vibration controller for active vibration insulators and method for controlling vibrations for the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,010,420
App. No.
11/086,389
Granted
Mar 7, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vibration controller includes a data map storage, a detector, a determiner, a signal generator, and an actuator. The data map storage stores amplitude and/or phase data with respect to torque values of a vehicle engine as a data map in advance. The detector detects actual torque values of the vehicle engine. The determiner determines one of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to one of the actual torque values based on the data map. The signal generator generates a control signal based on cyclic pulsating signals emitted from the vehicle engine, and updates the amplitude and/or phase of the control signal based on the one of the determined amplitude and/or phase data. The actuator actuates an electromagnetic actuator of an active vibration insulator based on the updated control signal, whereby inhibiting vibrations of the vehicle engine from transmitting by means of vibrating forces exerted by the electromagnetic actuator.

Claims (23)

1. A vibration controller for active vibration insulators, the vibration controller comprising:

a data map storage for storing a data map prepared in advance, the data map comprising amplitude and/or phase data with respect to torque values of a vehicle engine;

means for detecting actual torque values of the vehicle engine;

means for determining one of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to one of the actual torque values based on the data map;

a signal generator for generating a control signal based on cyclic pulsating signals emitted from the vehicle engine, the control signal comprising an amplitude and a phase, and updating the amplitude and/or phase of the control signal based on the one of the determined amplitude and/or phase data; and

an actuator for actuating an electromagnetic actuator of an active vibration insulator based on the updated control signal, whereby inhibiting vibrations of the vehicle engine from transmitting by means of vibrating forces exerted by the electromagnetic actuator.

2. The vibration controller set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for detecting actual vehicle engine revolutions, wherein:

the data map further comprises amplitude and/or phase data with respect to vehicle engine revolutions in addition the torque values of the vehicle engine; and

the data determining means further determines one of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to one of the actual vehicle engine revolutions in addition to one of the actual torque values based on the data map.

3. The vibration controller set forth in claim 1 , wherein:

the data map further comprises amplitude and/or phase data with respect to datum torque values;

the data map storage is capable of selecting a plurality of the datum torque values on the vehicle engine; and

the data determining means is capable of selecting the datum torque values before and after the actual torque values, is further capable of selecting two of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to two of the selected datum torque values from the data map, and further determines one of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to one of the actual torque values by proportional-distribution interpolation based on two of the selected datum torque values in addition to the two of the determined amplitude and/or phase data.

4. The vibration controller set forth in claim 1 , wherein:

the data map further comprises amplitude and/or phase data with respect to datum torque values;

the data map storage is capable of selecting a plurality of the datum torque values on the vehicle engine; and

the data determining means is capable of selecting the datum torque values around the actual torque values, and further determines one of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to one of the datum torque values based on the data map.

5. A method for controlling vibrations of active vibration insulators, the method comprising the steps of:

storing amplitude and/or phase data with respect to torque values of a vehicle engine as a data map in advance;

detecting actual torque values of the vehicle engine;

determining one of the amplitude and/or phase data with respect to one of the actual torque values based on the data map;

generating a control signal based on cyclic pulsating signals emitted from the vehicle engine, the control signal comprising an amplitude and a phase, and updating the amplitude and/or phase of the control signal based on the one of the determined amplitude and/or phase data; and

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

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 20, 2014
From: TOKAI RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: SUMITOMO RIKO COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 034016/0613 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2005
From: ICHIKAWA, HIROYUKI; MURAMATSU, ATSUSHI; YASUDA, TAKAYOSHI
To: TOKAI RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 016406/0514 →