Radial vibration dampers having a tuning ratio and a tuning angle

1. A radial vibration damper comprising:

an inertia member defining an annular channel having a radially facing, open face, a bottom surface, and interior, opposing surfaces, wherein the interior, opposing surfaces are each angled generally outward away from a central transverse plane through the inertia member at an angle in a range from zero degrees to at most 45 degrees; and

a spring damper member having a channel portion seated in the annular channel to a selected depth that defines a damper gap between a radial inner surface of the spring damper member and the bottom surface of the annular channel and having a shaft-engaging portion protruding from the radially facing, open face, wherein once the shaft-engaging portion is compressed against a shaft, the spring damper member defines a clearance gap between the shaft and the inertia member;

wherein the channel portion of the spring damper member has opposing angled axial surfaces that mate with the interior, opposing surfaces of the annular channel;

wherein a tuning ratio of the clearance gap to the selected depth is in a range of about 1:1.5 to about 1:0.5, and finite element analysis modeling demonstrates that the radial vibration damper has a first mode of vibration that is radial in shape.

2. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the inertia member is a monolithic body.

3. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the selected depth is defined by an annular shoulder in each of the interior, opposing surfaces of the annular channel.

4. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the damper gap has a radial distance of about 1 mm to about 25 mm.

5. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the spring damper member further comprises an annular stiffening rib extending axially along at least a central portion of the radial inner face.

6. The radial vibration damper of claim 5 , wherein the stiffening rib comprises one or more of the same materials as the channel portion, and the stiffening rib has a higher modulus than the channel portion of the spring damper member.

7. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the spring damper member comprises one or more of an elastomeric material, a hyperfoam material, and a nylon.

8. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the spring damper member is an endless band.

9. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the radial inner surface of the spring damper member is wedge-shaped with a generally central apex in contact with the bottom surface of the annular channel.

10. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein finite element analysis modeling demonstrates that the radial vibration damper has a second mode of vibration with a frequency that is at least 20 Hertz higher than the first mode of vibration.

11. The radial vibration damper of claim 10 , wherein the second mode of vibration is axial in shape.

12. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the radial vibration damper is press-fittable into a hollow shaft with the shaft-engaging portion of the spring damper member compressed against an inner surface of the hollow shaft.

13. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the radial vibration damper is press-fittable over a shaft with the shaft-engaging portion of the spring damper member compressed against an exterior surface of the shaft.

14. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the angle of the interior, opposing surfaces are each in a range from zero to at most 40 degrees.

15. The radial vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the angle of the interior, opposing surfaces are each in a range from zero to at most 35 degrees.

16. A system comprising a shaft having press-fit thereto a radial vibration damper according to claim 1 .

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the radial vibration damper is press-fit inside the shaft.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the radial vibration damper is press-fit about the exterior of the shaft.