Plastic Motor Support Bracket With Integrated Vibration Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing supports for electric motors in vehicles fail to effectively dampen or absorb vibrations generated by electric motors, which have different vibration ranges compared to combustion engines, necessitating new designs that provide adequate damping characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A bracket for supporting electric motors on a vehicle chassis, composed of plastic material with a cavity containing a damper and oscillating mass, utilizing a resilient member and ribs for enhanced vibration absorption, is designed to dampen vibrations in the frequency range of 750 Hz to 2000 Hz, and is manufactured through a dual injection process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a bracket made from plastic material with a cavity is used, then vibration damping and absorption in the frequency range of 750 Hz to 2000 Hz is improved, but the structural strength and stiffness may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration dampingVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket is divided into two half shells that are fixed to each other, forming a cavity structure. This segmentation allows the bracket to maintain structural integrity while creating internal space for vibration damping mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between strength and vibration absorption capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cavity within the bracket houses a damper with an oscillating mass and resilient member, creating a nested structure where the damping mechanism is integrated within the bracket itself. This nesting allows the vibration damping function to be incorporated without significantly increasing the overall size or compromising structural strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a damper with oscillating mass and resilient member is integrated into the bracket, then vibration absorption is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration absorptionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The damper components (oscillating mass, resilient member, and damper wall) are merged with the bracket structure itself. The damper wall is formed as one piece with one of the half shells, and the resilient member is integrated into the cavity structure, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying assembly while maintaining vibration absorption functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the resilient member is made from elastic material, then vibration dampening capability is improved, but the manufacturing precision and assembly difficulty may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration dampeningVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient member is pre-formed and integrated into the bracket structure during the manufacturing process, specifically through a dual injection process that creates the half shells and resilient member in one operation. This preliminary action ensures proper positioning and eliminates the need for complex post-assembly adjustments, maintaining manufacturing precision while achieving the required vibration dampening characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 bracket effectively dampens and absorbs vibrations in the specified frequency range, reducing structure-borne noise, while being lightweight and requiring no additional fastening means, thus simplifying assembly and reducing components.

Implementation Method 1

the bracket comprises a damper arranged in the cavity, which comprises an oscillating mass and a first resilient member attached to the bracket and the oscillating mass, wherein the resilient member is made from an elastic material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3785961B1Bracket for supporting an electric motor and method for manufacturing such a bracket
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 VIBRACOUSTIC NANTES SAS
  • EP3785961B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3785961B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3785961B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a bracket (10) for supporting an electric motor on a chassis of a vehicle, comprising a first half shell (12) defining a first half space (20) and a second half shell (14) defining a second half space (22), wherein the first half shell (12) and the second half shell (14) are made from a plastic material, in particular a polymer material, wherein the first half shell (12) and the second half shell (14) are fixed to each other, preferably by welding, such that the first half shell (12) and the second half shell (14) define a cavity within the bracket (10) including the first half space (20) and the second half space (22).