Rotary damper

Abstract

A rotary damper that is to be fastened to a first mass via a fastening part (10) comprises a damper housing (2) surrounding an electromagnetic damper motor (4) which is disposed along a central axis of the rotary damper, a hinged lever 14) connected to a second mass, and a gearing (14) for transmitting and/or converting a relative rotation between the masses to the damper motor (4) such that vibrations are dampened. The fastening part (10) is connected to a bearing part (38) via an elastomer bearing (44), the damper motor (4) being disposed on said bearing part (38), and the damper housing (2) is connected to the hinged lever (14), which is mounted so as to be able to rotate relative to the bearing part (38).

Claims

1. A rotary damper, comprising: a damper housing defining an axis; a bearing part; an electromagnetic damper motor surrounded by the damper housing, said damper motor being arranged along the axis and supported by the bearing part; an elastomer bearing; a unitary fastening part configured for connection to a first mass and directly connected via the elastomer bearing to the bearing part for fastening the rotary damper to the first mass; an articulated lever configured for connection to a second mass and directly connected to the damper housing, said articulated lever being rotatably mounted relative to the bearing part; and a gearing configured for transmitting and/or converting a relative rotation movement between the first and second masses onto the damper motor for vibration damping.

2. The rotary damper of claim 1, wherein the fastening part has an outside bearing surface and the bearing part has an inside bearing surface, said elastomer bearing positioned between the inside bearing surface and the outside bearing surface.

3. The rotary damper of claim 1, wherein the fastening part includes a base plate and a cup shaped base plate extension which projects from the base plate in a direction of the axis, said base plate extension including a radial bottom portion and an axial side wall portion which forms the outside bearing surface.

4. The rotary damper of claim 3, wherein the bearing part includes an axially extending bearing collar with a radial base portion, an axial side wall portion which forms the inside bearing surface, a bearing portion extending along the base plate, and an axial bearing wall which adjoins the bearing portion, and further comprising a roller bearing for rotatably supporting the articulated lever on the bearing wall.

5. The rotary damper of claim 1, wherein the bearing part includes a bottom portion and a bearing axle, said bearing axle being connected to the bottom portion for support of the damper motor.

6. The rotary damper of claim 5, wherein the damper motor comprises a rotor rotatably mounted on the bearing axle in the damper housing in coaxial relation to the damper housing, and a stator secured to the damper housing.

7. The rotary damper of claim 2, wherein the inside and outside bearing surfaces and the elastomer bearing are oval in cross section perpendicular to the axis.

8. The rotary damper of claim 1, wherein the gearing is constructed in the form of a strain wave gear which includes a rigid unit having internal teeth, a flexible unit having external teeth, and an oval wave generator which is rotatably mounted in the flexible unit and which causes deformation of the flexible unit as it rotates, said rigid and flexible units being coupled to one another by a form fit via the internal and external teeth.

9. The rotary damper of claim 8, wherein the flexible unit is connected to the bearing part, and the rigid unit is connected to the articulated lever and to the damper housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further advantages, features, and options of applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

(2) In the description, in the claims, and in the drawing, the terms used in the below list of reference signs, and associated reference signs are used. In the drawing:

(3) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the rotary damper according to the invention along a plane in the longitudinal direction of the rotary damper;

(4) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the arrangement of an elastomer bearing; and

(5) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the elastomer bearing and of associated parts of the rotary damper according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) According to FIG. 1, a rotary damper includes a damper housing 2 which surrounds an electromagnetic damper motor 4, which includes a stator 6 and a rotor 8, arranged in the stator 6, and means for generating a magnetic field at the rotor 8 and the stator 6.

(7) The rotor 8 is rotatably supported on a bearing axle 12 in coaxial relationship with the damper housing 2, whereas the stator 6 is fixed to the damper housing 2. The rotor 8 may include a magnet assembly, whereas the stator 6 may include an energizable coil assembly, as is typical in such damper motors 4.

(8) The rotary damper is to be fixed via a fastening part 10 to a body. An articulated lever 14 of the rotary damper is connected to the wheel suspension (not shown).

(9) A strain wave gear 16 is provided for transmitting and/or converting a relative rotation movement between the masses to the damper motor 4 for vibration damping.

(10) The strain wave gear 16 includes a rigid unit 18 having internal teeth, and a flexible unit 20 having external teeth, and an oval wave generator 22 which is rotatably mounted in the flexible unit 20 and which is able to deform the flexible unit 20 as it rotates, with both units 18, 20 being coupled to each other by a form fit via the teeth. A flexible rolling-contact bearing 24 is arranged between the flexible unit 20 and the wave generator 22. The rotor 8 of the strain wave gear 16 is rotatably supported on the bearing axle 12 via roller bearings 26, 28.

(11) The rigid unit 18 is connected, on one hand, to the articulated lever 14, and, on the other hand, to a radial wall 30 of the damper housing 2, whereas the wave generator 22 is connected to the rotor 8 of the damper motor 4. The flexible unit 20 is connected to a bearing part 38, which is mounted on the articulated lever 14 via a roller bearing 34. To connect the flexible unit 20 with the bearing part 38, the flexible unit 20 includes an axial wall portion 36, a radial wall portion 40, and a further axial wall section 42 fastened to the bearing part 38.

(12) The flexible unit 20 thus forms a flexible pot as component of the strain wave gear 16.

(13) In the presence of a jouncing/rebounding of the wheel, the articulated lever 14 is pivoted relative to the fastening part 10 about an angle. As a result of this pivotal movement, a restoring force is generated by the damper motor 4. Due to the rotational speed, the rotary damper generates a damping force as a result.

(14) FIG. 1 also shows the arrangement of the bearing part 48 and the fastening part 10 in the rotary damper, the support of the articulated lever 14 on the bearing part 38 via the roller bearing 34 as well as an elastomer bearing 44. The fastening part 10 can be secured to the body by bolts 32, of which only one is shown in the figures. Details of these parts of the rotary damper will be described hereinafter.

(15) FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the arrangement of the elastomer bearing 44 between the fastening part 10 and a bearing part 38. According to FIG. 2, the fastening part 10 has an outside bearing surface 48, and the bearing part 38 has an inside bearing surface 50, with the elastomer bearing 44 positioned between the inside bearing surface 50 of the bearing part 38 and the outside bearing surface 48 of the fastening part 10. In the assembled state, the elastomer bearing 44 lies thus between the bearing surfaces 48 and 50, as also shown in FIG. 1.

(16) The fastening part 10 has a base plate 52 and a cup-shaped base plate extension 54 which projects axially from the base plate 52 and has a radial bottom portion 56 and an axial side wall portion 58, which in turn forms the outside bearing surface 48 of the fastening part 10. The bearing part 38 includes an axially extending bearing collar 64 with a radial bottom portion 66 and a side wall portion 68 which forms the inside bearing surface 50. The bearing part 38 further has a bearing portion 70 extending along the base plate 52 of the fastening part 10, and an axially extending bearing wall 72 which adjoins the bearing portion 70 and to which the articulated lever 14 is mounted via the roller bearings 74. Finally, the bearing part 38 also includes the bearing axle 12, connected to its bottom portion 66, for support of the damper motor 4.

(17) Attached to the fastening part 10 is a pin 60, which protrudes to fit into a bore 62 that is provided in the bearing part 38 in centered relation to the axis X so as to realize an alignment of the fastening part 10 relative to the bearing part 38.

(18) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the elastomer bearing 44 and of associated parts of the rotary damper according to the invention, taken along the section A-A in FIG. 1. According to FIG. 3, the inside bearing surface 50 of the bearing part 38 and the outside bearing surface 48 of the wall 58 of the base plate extension 54 as well as the elastomer bearing 44 can be configured oval in cross section perpendicular to the axis X. As a result of this arrangement, the bearing surfaces 48, 50 for the elastomer bearing 44 ensures that the force, which acts in opposition to a pivoting of the bearing part 38 relative to the fastening part 10, progressively increases the further the oval surfaces of a non-deflected zero position between the fastening part 10 and the bearing part 38, in which the respective long and short axes of the ovals are superimposed, deviate. As a result, an effective torque support is realized.

(19) The invention is not limited to the shown exemplary embodiments but includes rotary dampers which fall under the scope of the claims. In particular, types of damper motors other than electromagnetic damper motors and other types of gearings may be used as strain wave gear, without departing from the scope of the claims.