Vehicle Wheel Vibration Absorber for Road Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle wheels face a challenge in reducing road noise while maintaining appearance and design qualities, as increasing stiffness to reduce vibration often conflicts with weight reduction, which is necessary for fuel efficiency and ride comfort.
Innovation Solution
A vibration absorber for vehicle wheels is introduced, comprising a center cap with a vibration absorption unit that includes a housing, a mass body, and elastic supports, allowing the mass body to vibrate in the axial direction to cancel out wheel vibrations without altering the wheel's external appearance or design, by synchronizing the natural frequency of the mass body with the wheel's natural frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the stiffness of the wheel is increased to reduce vibration and road noise, then the vibration absorption capability is improved, but the weight of the wheel increases which deteriorates fuel efficiency and ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is divided into two independent parts: the wheel structure itself and the separately mounted vibration absorber. This allows the wheel to maintain its original lightweight design while the vibration absorber handles the vibration reduction function, eliminating the need to increase wheel stiffness and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
A vibration absorber is introduced as an intermediary device between the wheel and the vehicle body. This absorber contains a mass body and elastic support that actively counteract vibrations, serving as a mediator that reduces road noise without requiring changes to the wheel's structural stiffness or weight.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the stiffness of the wheel is increased to reduce vibration, then the vibration absorption capability is improved, but the appearance and design qualities of the wheel are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration control function is segmented from the wheel's structural design. The vibration absorber is mounted on the back surface of the center cap, separating the aesthetic wheel design from the functional vibration reduction component, allowing both to be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration absorber utilizes the axial dimension (depth) of the center cap by mounting on its back surface. This allows vibration reduction functionality to be added without affecting the radial or circumferential dimensions that determine the wheel's appearance and design qualities.
3Weight of moving object
If the weight of the wheel is reduced to improve fuel efficiency and ride comfort, then the fuel efficiency and ride comfort are improved, but the stiffness of the wheel deteriorates leading to increased vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is segmented into the lightweight wheel structure and the separate vibration absorber. This allows the wheel to be optimized for minimal weight while the absorber compensates for the reduced stiffness by actively absorbing vibrations, eliminating the trade-off between weight and vibration control.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration absorber acts as an intermediary that compensates for the reduced stiffness of lightweight wheels. By mounting the absorber on the center cap, it provides the necessary vibration reduction without requiring the wheel itself to be stiff, enabling weight reduction while maintaining vibration control.
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
This solution effectively reduces wheel vibrations and road noise within the frequency band that affects noise levels, allowing for optimized wheel design and weight reduction without compromising stiffness, thus enhancing fuel efficiency and ride comfort.
Implementation Method 1
The mass body may have a natural frequency determined according to a mass of the mass body and a stiffness of the elastic support. The natural frequency of the mass body may be determined to coincide with a natural frequency of the wheel for attenuation of the first vibration.
Implementation Method 2
an elastic support disposed in the internal space of the housing to support the mass body such that the mass body is able to vibrate in the axial direction of the wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A vibration absorber for vehicle wheels is capable of absorbing and attenuating vibration of a vehicle wheel and of increasing a vibration absorption capability of the wheel without changing the external appearance and design of the wheel. The vibration absorber includes a vibration absorption unit mounted on a back surface of a center cap of the vehicle wheel to absorb a first vibration in an axial direction of the wheel transmitted through the center cap.