A torque limiter, fixed to a flywheel including an annular portion to which knock pins each including a trunk portion are fixed, is disclosed. The torque limiter includes a first plate, a second plate axially opposed to the first plate, a friction disc disposed between the first and second plates, a pressing member, and a third plate. The pressing member presses the second plate onto the friction disc. The third plate holds the pressing member together with the second plate therebetween. The third plate includes knock pin through holes such that the knock pin are fitted therein. The third plate is attached at an attachment surface thereof to the flywheel. A length between a surface of the pressing member, facing an interior of an accommodation portion of the flywheel, and the attachment surface of the third plate is shorter than a length of the trunk portion of each knock pin.

A damper device includes a first rotor, a second rotor, an elastic coupling part elastically coupling the first and second rotors in a rotational direction, and a hysteresis generating mechanism. The hysteresis generating mechanism generates a hysteresis torque and includes a friction member. The friction member is configured to make frictional contact with the first or second rotor. The friction member does not make frictional contact with the first and second rotors in a first torsion angular range where torsion is caused from a neutral condition to a first side and a second side in the rotational direction. The friction member makes frictional contact with the first or second rotor so as to generate a hysteresis torque in a second torsion angular range exceeding the first torsion angular range. The friction member is set in a neutral position by actuation of the elastic coupling part in the neutral condition.

A damper device includes a first rotor, a second rotor, an elastic coupling part having first and second elastic members, and a hysteresis generating mechanism. The hysteresis generating mechanism includes a friction member, and generates a hysteresis torque. The friction member does not make frictional contact with the first and second rotors in a first torsion angular range where the torsion is caused between the first and second rotors by a first torsion angle from a neutral condition, makes frictional contact with the first or second rotor in a second torsion angular range exceeding the first torsion angle so as to generate the hysteresis torque, and does not make frictional contact with the first and second rotors in a predetermined torsion angular range within the second torsion angular range. In the neutral condition, the friction member is set in a neutral position by actuation of the elastic coupling part.

In a positive torsion angle region in which a torque is transmitted from an engine side, a small hysteresis torque is generated at all times. Therefore, torsional vibrations of a small amplitude occurring during idle operation can be effectively attenuated by the small hysteresis torque, without switching to a large hysteresis torque, for example, during idle operation of the engine. As a result, the driver can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable due to switching to a large hysteresis torque during idle operation, and drivability can therefore be improved.

In a positive torsion angle region in which a torque is transmitted from an engine side, a small hysteresis torque is generated at all times. Therefore, torsional vibrations of a small amplitude occurring during idle operation can be effectively attenuated by the small hysteresis torque, without switching to a large hysteresis torque, for example, during idle operation of the engine. As a result, the driver can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable due to switching to a large hysteresis torque during idle operation, and drivability can therefore be improved.

A damper apparatus according to an embodiment includes a pair of first plates, a second plate, an elastic member, a first friction material and a second friction material. The elastic member is configured to elastically deform in a circumferential direction of a rotation axis by a relative rotation between the pair of first plates and the second plate around the rotation axis. The first friction material is configured to generate a first friction torque in a case where the second plate rotates relative to the pair of first plates in a first direction from an initial state. The second friction material is configured to generate a second friction torque greater than the first friction torque in a case where the second plate rotates relative to the pair of first plates in a second direction which is opposite from the first direction from the initial state.

A torque limiter fixed to a flywheel including an annular portion and an accommodation portion is disclosed. The torque limiter includes a first plate, a second plate axially opposed to the first plate, a friction disc disposed between the first and second plates, a pressing member, and a third plate. A torque is inputted to the first plate. The pressing member presses the second plate onto the friction disc. The third plate supports the pressing member with the second plate therebetween while the pressing member is compressed. The third plate includes a support portion supporting the pressing member and a tubular portion provided in an outer peripheral part of the support portion. The tubular portion covers an outer peripheral surface of the friction disc. The tubular portion axially extends and is opposed to an inner peripheral surface of the annular portion of the flywheel, and includes first openings circumferentially aligned.

A design method for an inerter with adaptively adjusted inertia ratio is based on a lead screw-flywheel inerter, which is to change the positions of mass blocks on a flywheel along the radial direction of the flywheel, so as to change of the moment of inertia of the flywheel, and thus to realize adaptive adjustment of the inertia ratio of the inerter. Specifically, the change of angular velocity of the flywheel is caused by the change of an external force load on a lead screw, a centrifugal force on the mass blocks in spring-mass block structures is changed by the angular velocity, and the positions of the mass blocks in the radial direction of the flywheel is determined by the balanced relation of the centrifugal force and a spring restore force, so that the design purpose is achieved.

A design method for an inerter with adaptively adjusted inertia ratio is based on a lead screw-flywheel inerter, which is to change the positions of mass blocks on a flywheel along the radial direction of the flywheel, so as to change of the moment of inertia of the flywheel, and thus to realize adaptive adjustment of the inertia ratio of the inerter. Specifically, the change of angular velocity of the flywheel is caused by the change of an external force load on a lead screw, a centrifugal force on the mass blocks in spring-mass block structures is changed by the angular velocity, and the positions of the mass blocks in the radial direction of the flywheel is determined by the balanced relation of the centrifugal force and a spring restore force, so that the design purpose is achieved.

A torque-sensing and transmitting device is provided. The device includes a transmission body, two vibration-damping members, two inner casings, two outer casings, a first circuit board module, and a battery module. The two inner casings are disposed on a shaft of the transmission body, and a vibration-damping member is disposed between the inner casing and the shaft. The first circuit board module is disposed in one of the two inner casings, and the first circuit board module is covered by a vibration-damping layer. The battery module is disposed on the other inner casing, and the battery module is covered by a vibration-damping layer. With the configuration of the vibration-damping member and the vibration-damping layer, this device solves the problem of the first circuit board module and the battery module being damaged due to vibration.