IP Library Granted Patent US 8,863,390
Granted Patent B1
US 8,863,390 · App. 14/254,134 · Granted Oct 21, 2014

Method for fabricating damped propshaft assembly

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,863,390
App. No.
14/254,134
Granted
Oct 21, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method for forming a propshaft assembly. The method includes: providing a hollow shaft; tuning a mass and a stiffness of at least one liner to form an intermediate damper, the intermediate damper being configured to attenuate at least one of a bending moment vibration and a torsion mode vibration that occurs at a first predetermined frequency; tuning the intermediate damper to form a tuned damper, the tuned damper attenuating the at least one of the bending moment vibration and the torsion mode vibration at the first predetermined frequency and also attenuating shell mode vibration; and installing the tuned damper into the hollow shaft.

Claims (34)

1. A method for manufacturing a shaft assembly for a driveline system, the driveline system including a first driveline component and a second driveline component, the shaft assembly being adapted to transmit torque between the first driveline component and the second driveline component, the method comprising:

providing a hollow shaft;

tuning a mass and a stiffness of at least one liner to form an intermediate damper, the intermediate damper being configured to attenuate one or more of a bending moment vibration and a torsion mode vibration that occurs at a first predetermined frequency, but not being configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration occurring at a frequency that is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold;

coupling a damping member to the intermediate damper to form a tuned damper, the damping member being configured to primarily attenuate shell mode vibration at one or more desired frequencies, the tuned damper attenuating the at least one of the bending moment vibration and the torsion mode vibration at the first predetermined frequency and also attenuating shell mode vibration; and

installing the tuned damper into the hollow shaft.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate damper is not configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration occurring at a frequency that is less than or equal to 1000 Hz.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the damping member provides broadband damping.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the broadband damping includes damping of shell mode vibration and damping of bending mode vibration at a plurality of frequencies.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the damping member is a resistive absorber.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the intermediate damper is configured to contact an inside surface of the hollow shaft over a first area, wherein the damping member is configured to contact the inside surface of the hollow shaft over a second area, and wherein a ratio of first area to the second area is less than or equal to five (5) percent.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the first area to the second area is less than or equal to two and one-half (2.5) percent.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the ratio of the first area to the second area is less than or equal to one and one-quarter (1.25) percent.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the damping member includes at least one contact member that is configured to contact an inside surface of the hollow shaft and wherein the damping member has a durometer of between 40 Shore A and 80 Shore A.

10. A method for manufacturing a shaft assembly for a driveline system, the driveline system including a first driveline component and a second driveline component, the shaft assembly being adapted to transmit torque between the first driveline component and the second driveline component, the method comprising:

providing a hollow shaft;

tuning at least one liner to form a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating bending mode vibrations, said liner not being configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration occurring at a frequency that is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold;

installing a damping member to the tuned reactive absorber to provide multimode, multi-frequency resistive vibration damping of shell mode vibration and at least one of torsion mode vibration and bending mode vibration; and

inserting the at least one liner with the damping member into the shaft member.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one liner is not configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration occurring at a frequency that is less than or equal to 1000 Hz.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the damping member is a resistive absorber.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tuned reactive absorber is configured to contact an inside surface of the hollow shaft over a first area, wherein the damping member is configured to contact the inside surface of the hollow shaft over a second area, and wherein a ratio of first area to the second area is less than or equal to five (5) percent.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ratio of the first area to the second area is less than or equal to two and one-half (2.5) percent.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ratio of the first area to the second area is less than or equal to one and one-quarter (1.25) percent.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the damping member has a durometer of between 40 Shore A and 80 Shore A.

17. A method for manufacturing a shaft assembly for a driveline system, the driveline system including a first driveline component and a second driveline component, the shaft assembly being adapted to transmit torque between the first driveline component and the second driveline component, the method comprising:

providing a hollow shaft;

tuning at least one liner to form a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating one or more of bending mode vibrations and torsion mode vibrations, said liner not being configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration occurring at a frequency that is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold;

coupling a damping member to the at least one liner to form a tuned damper, the tuned damper being the tuned reactive absorber that is configured to attenuate the at least one of the bending mode vibrations and the torsion mode vibrations, the tuned damper also being a multi-mode, multi-frequency resistive absorber that is configured to attenuate shell mode vibrations; and

inserting the further tuned at least one liner into the shaft member.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein prior to coupling the damping member to the at least one liner, the at least one liner is not configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration occurring at a frequency that is less than or equal to 1000 Hz.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one liner is configured to contact an inside surface of the hollow shaft over a first area, and wherein the damping member is configured to contact the inside surface of the hollow shaft over a second area, and wherein a ratio of first area to the second area is less than or equal to five (5) percent.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the ratio of the first area to the second area is less than or equal to two and one-half (2.5) percent.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the ratio of the first area to the second area is less than or equal to one and one-quarter (1.25) percent.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein wherein the at least one damping member has a durometer of between 40 Shore A and 80 Shore A.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2025
From: AMERICAN AXLE MANUFACTURING, INC.; MD INVESTORS CORPORATION; AAM NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073005/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2022
From: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060244/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.; CLOYES GEAR AND PRODUCTS, INC.; GREDE LLC; GREDE II LLC; METALDYNE, LLC; METALDYNE BSM, LLC; MSP INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042734/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2014
From: LEY, JASON; SUN, ZHAOHUI; BRAUN, WILLIAM; NYQUIST, JEFFREY P.; VOIGHT, MICHAEL A.
To: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.
Reel/Frame 032685/0815 →