Vehicle Drive Assembly Damping Sleeve Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drive assemblies with drive units held between two walls of a frame interface face challenges in mechanical loading and tightness due to gaps that require bridging, leading to adverse effects on vibration transmission and noise levels.
Innovation Solution
A drive assembly design featuring damping sleeves made of vibration-damping material, inserted into openings of the drive unit and screwed to the frame interface, which reduces vibration transmission and provides tolerance compensation, ensuring secure fastening and reduced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a retaining plate is elastically deformed to bridge the gap between the drive unit and the wall, then the gap can be bridged, but the mechanical loading and tightness of the drive assembly are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a damping element as an intermediary component between the drive unit and the frame interface. This damping element comprises a damping sleeve and a damping element that surrounds the sleeve, providing both gap bridging and vibration damping functions without compromising mechanical strength. The damping element acts as a mediator that decouples the rigid connection, allowing for tolerance compensation while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element combines different materials with complementary properties: a metallic damping sleeve providing structural support and thread engagement, and a vibration-damping material (such as elastomer or polymer) that provides cushioning and tolerance compensation. This composite structure enables both gap bridging and maintenance of mechanical loading capabilities.
2Reliability
If the drive unit is rigidly fastened to the frame interface, then secure mounting is achieved, but vibration transmission and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element serves as a mediator between the rigid frame interface and the drive unit, providing vibration decoupling while maintaining secure fastening. The damping sleeve with internal thread engages with the frame interface, while the surrounding damping material absorbs vibrations and reduces noise transmission, preventing rigid vibration paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element is pre-installed in the mounting openings of the frame interface before the drive unit is fastened. This beforehand cushioning prepares the mounting locations with vibration-damping material, ensuring that vibrations are absorbed from the outset rather than allowing them to propagate through rigid connections.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different components are used to bridge gaps and provide damping, then functional requirements are met, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the gap-bridging function and the vibration-damping function into a single integrated damping element. The damping element comprises a damping sleeve and surrounding damping material that work together as one component, eliminating the need for separate retaining plates and damping components. This unified design reduces the number of different parts while meeting all functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides gap bridging through its elastic deformation capability, vibration damping through the surrounding damping material, and secure fastening through the threaded damping sleeve. This multi-functional design reduces component variety while satisfying diverse functional requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the durability of screw connections, reduces vibration and noise, and allows for simple and cost-effective production and assembly, while providing axial and radial seal effects and protection against corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
The damping element is formed from a vibration-damping material and surrounds the sleeve at least partially, preferably completely in the circumferential direction
Implementation Method 2
By forming the damping element from a vibration-damping material, vibration transmission between the walls of the frame interface and the drive unit is reduced or suppressed
Implementation Method 3
The damping element is formed from an elastically deformable material. By forming the damping element from a vibration-damping material, vibration transmission between the walls of the frame interface and the drive unit is reduced or suppressed
Implementation Method 4
A changing mechanical load of the screw connection is thus also reduced or prevented, whereby a high durability of the screw connection can be provided
Data Source
AI summary
A drive assembly of a vehicle operable with muscular power and/or motor power. The drive assembly including a drive unit, a frame interface, wherein the drive unit is arranged at least partially between a first wall and a second wall of the frame interface, a first bracket holding the drive unit on the first wall, and a second bracket holding the drive unit on the second wall. The first bracket comprises a first damping sleeve inserted into a first opening of the drive unit, the second bracket comprises a second damping sleeve inserted into a second opening of the drive unit, wherein each damping sleeve is screwed to the corresponding wall by means of a screw. Each damping sleeve comprises a sleeve, and a damping element which at least partially surrounds the sleeve and is formed from a vibration-damping material.