KR101997273B1 - Coupling for propeller shaft of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coupler device for a propeller shaft of an automobile which connects drivetrain components such as a transmission and a propeller shaft, and more particularly to a coupler device capable of performing active vibration isolation under various driving conditions, .
Therefore, the present invention is provided between a transmission and a propeller shaft, and comprises: a hollow input shaft flange; An output shaft flange inserted into the input shaft flange; An MR fluid sealed between the input shaft flange and the output shaft flange; A coil capable of applying a magnetic field to the MR fluid; And a coupler case fixedly coupled to the vehicle body and supporting the coil at an outer side of the input shaft flange.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a coupler for a propeller shaft of a vehicle,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coupler device for a propeller shaft of an automobile, and more particularly to a coupler device for a propeller shaft of an automobile which connects drivetrain components such as a transmission and a propeller shaft.

In recent years, the demand for customers who value emotional quality has been increasing, especially the expectations of NVH-related customers have increased.

In this respect, since the NVH performance of the drive system connected to the engine-transmission-drive-axle-axle is important, not only the performance of each component is secured but also the vibration insulation structure of the portion connected to each component is important .

Among them, the transmission and the propeller shaft are usually connected by a universal joint.

The universal joint (see FIG. 4) is a material joining device for connecting a drive shaft and a driven shaft, and is widely used in passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles because of its low cost and simple structure. However, due to its mechanical structure, The NVH performance is deteriorated because the coupling moment (main vibration) is generated.

Conventionally, CV joints having the same rotational speed between drive shaft and driven shaft have been used. However, since the CV joint is expensive and complicated in structure, the vibration due to a sudden torque fluctuation occurring in the transmission There is a problem that it can not be insulated.

Recently, a rubber coupler and a torsional damper are used to provide vibration isolation between the transmission and the propeller shaft.

The rubber coupler is used to absorb a sudden change in torque of an engine or a transmission or a shock load of a rear axle, and a natural rubber (NR) material is used in many cases. However, a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) do.

Such a rubber coupler is excellent in vibration insulation performance. However, when the rubber coupler is applied with a high torque, there is a risk of damaging the rubber, and the rubber coupler is vulnerable to heat damage and environmental durability.

In addition, the rubber coupler has a disadvantage in that it can not be controlled according to the use conditions because the damping coefficient varies depending on the frequency of the rubber material.

The present invention has been devised to overcome the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to perform active vibration isolation in various driving conditions by using an MR (Magnetorheological) fluid in which the fluid behavior is selectively changed depending on whether a magnetic field is loaded or not And it is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler device for a propeller shaft of an automobile which exhibits excellent insulation even when a sudden change in torque occurs.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a transmission device comprising: a hollow input shaft flange installed between a transmission and a propeller shaft; An output shaft flange inserted into the input shaft flange; An MR fluid sealed between the input shaft flange and the output shaft flange; A coil capable of applying a magnetic field to the MR fluid; And a coupler case fixedly coupled to the vehicle body and supporting the coil at an outer side of the input shaft flange.

Preferably, the output shaft flange has a plurality of outer arms extending radially with respect to a center of the output shaft flange, and a distal end of each of the outer arms closely contacts the inner circumferential surface of the input shaft flange.

Further, preferably, the input shaft flange has a plurality of inner arms extending from a cylindrical outer peripheral portion toward a central portion, and the ends of the inner arms are spaced apart from the central portion of the output shaft flange.

Preferably, a bearing is provided between the coupler case and the input shaft flange so as to support the coil together with the coupler case.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a fluid controller is connected to the coil, and the fluid controller controls the intensity of a magnetic field applied to the coil to control the intensity of a magnetic field generated in the coil.

At this time, the fluid controller receives vehicle speed change information from a TCM (Transmission Control Module), receives vehicle speed information and vehicle attitude information from VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), and controls current intensity applied to the coil.

The coupler device for a propeller shaft of an automobile according to the present invention has the following advantages.

1. By increasing the insulation effect against the sudden torque fluctuation, it is possible to reduce the shift shock which is a chronic problem of the automatic transmission, thereby reducing the fatigue felt by the driver or the passenger.

2. By controlling the attenuation coefficient of the coupler, it is possible to perform active vibration isolation in optimum conditions for various driving modes, and smooth and comfortable driving is possible.

3. It can be used semi-permanently by supplementing the deterioration durability and environmental durability of existing rubber coupler.

1 is a view for explaining the characteristics of the MR fluid;
2 is a view illustrating a coupler device of a propeller shaft for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining a control method of a coupler apparatus for a propeller shaft according to the present invention;
4 is a view showing a conventional joint for a propeller shaft;

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

The present invention relates to a coupler device using an MR (Magnetorheological) fluid, and is characterized in that active vibration isolation can be performed under various driving conditions by using characteristics of the MR fluid depending on whether a magnetic field is applied or not.

MR fluid is a fluid in which paramagnetic particles are dispersed in a solvent of low permeability and has an MR effect (magnetorheological effect) in which the resistance of the fluid flow increases upon magnetic field loading.

As shown in FIG. 1, the MR fluid exhibits the same behavior as the Newtonian fluid in which the particles move freely when the magnetic field is not loaded, while Bingham, which has the yield stress, The behavior of fluid is shown.

Continuous change of yield stress according to the magnetic field of MR fluid can be applied to a wide range of applications such as dampers, valves, mounts, clutches and brakes, and these applications are greatly influenced by the performance of the MR fluid itself. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the behavior of MR fluid.

One of the methods to identify the behavior of MR fluids is to consider the movement of particles according to the magnetic field load through microscopic observation. According to the microscopic observation method, as shown in FIG. 1, when the magnetic field is no load, the particles dispersed in the fluid undergo free motion and show isotropic properties, but when the magnetic field is applied The particles in the particles induce anisotropic behavior by forming a large number of tissues oriented to the stimulus by inducing stimulation to exhibit resistance against fluid flow or shear force externally applied.

The coupler device of the propeller shaft according to the present invention connects the transmission of the automobile driveline with the propeller shaft in a shaft-like manner, and is installed between the transmission output shaft and the propeller shaft input shaft.

2, the coupler device 10 according to the present invention includes an input shaft flange 11 connected to a transmission output shaft, an output shaft flange 12 connected to an input shaft of the propeller shaft, A coil 14 which is capable of applying a magnetic field to the MR fluid 13 and a coupler 14 for supporting the coil 14 from the outside of the input shaft flange 11, (15).

The input shaft flange 11 is coupled to the output shaft of the transmission and has a plurality of inner arms 11b extending in the radial direction from the hollow outer cylindrical portion 11a toward the central portion.

The output shaft flange 12 is coupled to the input shaft of the propeller shaft and has a plurality of outer arms 12b extending radially with respect to a central portion 12a in the form of a pole.

The output shaft flange 12 is inserted into a central portion of the input shaft flange 11 and disposed coaxially with the outer shaft portion 11a of the input shaft flange 11. The ends of the respective outer arms 12b are in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame portion 11a of the input shaft flange 11 And the center portion thereof is spaced apart from the distal end of the inner arm 11b.

The gap between the end of the inner arm 11b and the central portion 12a of the output shaft flange 12 is a gap for the flow of the MR fluid 13.

The coupler case 15 is fixedly coupled to the vehicle body to support internal components, and may be provided in a hollow cylindrical shape.

A bearing 16 is provided between the coupler case 15 and the input shaft flange 11 to support the rotation of the input shaft flange 11 and a magnetic field is formed between the bearing 16 and the coupler case 15. [ A coil 14 is provided.

The coil 14 applies a magnetic field to the MR fluid 13 enclosed between the input shaft flange 11 and the output shaft flange 12 and is supplied with external electricity to form a magnetic field around the MR fluid 13 do.

At this time, the magnetic field intensity generated according to the intensity of the external electric power supplied is varied, and the magnetic field intensity applied to the MR fluid 13 is applied to the coil 14 by the electric power of the adjusted intensity through the fluid controller Be adjusted

A fluid controller 17 for controlling the intensity of the magnetic field generated by the coil 14 is connected to the coil 14. The fluid controller 17 includes a power supply unit (Not shown) to adjust the intensity of the current applied to the coil 14 by the power supply unit, thereby controlling the intensity of the magnetic field applied to the MR fluid 13.

3, the fluid controller 17 receives vehicle speed change information from a TCM (Transmission Control Module), receives vehicle speed information and vehicle attitude information from VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) The fluidity of the MR fluid 13 can be controlled by controlling the intensity of the current applied to the coil 14 by controlling the intensity of the current applied to the coil 14 by controlling the intensity of the applied current.

When the MR fluid 13 is formed and influenced by the magnetic field, the particles in the fluid form a plurality of tissues to increase the resistance to the external force. When the magnetic field is removed and the influence thereof disappears, The resistance to external force is relatively reduced.

Accordingly, when a magnetic field is applied to the MR fluid 13, the coupler apparatus using the MR fluid increases the damping force between the output shaft flange 12 and the input shaft flange 11 relatively to increase the vibration and shock between the transmission and the propeller shaft. And when the magnetic field weakens or is removed, the damping force of the MR fluid 13 becomes small, which makes it possible to carry out the normal driving, and the energy transfer is made large, so that the power loss rate that is sheared is reduced, do.

For example, the coupler device of the present invention increases the strength of the magnetic field of the coil 14 by the fluid controller 17 that receives the vehicle shift information from the TCM when an impact occurs during shifting, and the MR fluid 13 Is increased to increase the damping coefficient of the coupler 10, thereby effectively absorbing the shock transmitted from the transmission to the propeller shaft.

The coupler apparatus of the present invention reduces the magnetic field strength of the coil 14 by the fluid controller 17 that receives the vehicle speed information and the vehicle attitude information from the VDC in the case of constant speed travel, The damping coefficient of the coupler 10 is reduced, so that the vehicle can be driven normally.

The coupler device according to the present invention can obtain an optimal insulation effect by controlling the magnetic field strength applied to the MR fluid even when the torque fluctuates suddenly, and can actively perform vibration isolation for various driving conditions.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Modified forms are also included within the scope of the present invention.

10: Coupler
11: Input shaft flange
12: Output shaft flange
13: MR fluid
14: Coil
15: Coupler case
16: Bearings
17: Fluid controller

Claims (7)

And is installed between the transmission and the propeller shaft,
Hollow input shaft flange;
An output shaft flange inserted into the input shaft flange;
An MR fluid sealed between the input shaft flange and the output shaft flange;
A coil capable of applying a magnetic field to the MR fluid;
And a coupler case fixedly coupled to the vehicle body and supporting the coil outside the input shaft flange,
Wherein the output shaft flange has a plurality of outer arms extending radially with respect to a center of the output shaft flange, and the ends of the outer arms are closely attached to the inner circumferential surface of the input shaft flange.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the input shaft flange has a plurality of inner arms extending from the outer periphery of the cylindrical shape toward the center, and the ends of the inner arms are spaced apart from the center of the output shaft flange.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a bearing is provided between the coupler case and the input shaft flange to support the coil together with the coupler case.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the input shaft flange is connected to the output shaft of the transmission and the output shaft flange is connected to the input shaft of the propeller shaft.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the fluid controller is connected to the coil and the fluid controller controls the intensity of the magnetic field generated in the coil by controlling the intensity of the current applied to the coil.
The method of claim 6,
The fluid controller receives vehicle speed change information from a TCM (Transmission Control Module), receives vehicle speed information and vehicle attitude information from VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), and controls a current intensity applied to the coil. Coupler device for propeller shaft.

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