Actuator arrangement on a vehicle structure

Abstract

An arrangement (1) of an electroacoustic actuator (2) on a vehicle structure (3) of a motor vehicle, has a housing (4), in which at least one loudspeaker (7) is arranged, which separates a front volume (8) from a rear volume (9) in the housing (4). The actuator (2) has a sound emission pipe (5), which projects outwards from the housing (4) and which is fluidically coupled with the front volume (8). A reduced introduction of noise into the vehicle arises when the actuator (2) is held on the vehicle structure (3) with a plurality of holding devices (19), which are arranged on the housing (4) in a circumferential direction (20) of the housing (4) spaced apart from one another. Each holding device (19) is designed as springy in a holding direction (21) and as rigid transversely thereto.

Claims

1. An electroacoustic actuator arrangement on a vehicle structure of a motor vehicle, the electroacoustic actuator arrangement comprising: an actuator housing; at least one loudspeaker which separates a front volume from a rear volume in the housing; a sound emission pipe protruding outwards from the housing and fluidically coupled with the front volume; a plurality of holding devices holding the actuator on the vehicle structure, the holding devices being arranged spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of the housing, each of the plurality of holding devices is springy in a holding direction and is rigid transversely to the holding direction, providing a reduced transmission of vibrations between the actuator and the vehicle structure.

2. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the holding directions of the holding devices run parallel to one another.

3. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the holding directions of the holding devices run parallel to an excitation direction of the loudspeaker, in which the loudspeaker transmits excitation forces to the housing during the operation of the actuator.

4. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said holding devices comprises a bracket rigidly connected with the housing and a coupling, the bracket being connected with the vehicle structure springily and rigidly transversely thereto via the coupling in the holding direction.

5. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least one of the holding devices and the brackets define a holding plane, which extends vertically to an excitation direction of the loudspeaker.

6. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least one of the holding devices and the brackets are arranged at locations equidistantly to a force inlet point of the loudspeaker, from which locations the at least one of the holding devices and the brackets transmit excitation forces from the loudspeaker to the housing during the operation of the actuator.

7. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least one of the holding devices and the brackets are arranged equidistantly to a mass center of the actuator.

8. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein a mass center of the actuator and a force inlet point, from which the holding devices transmit excitation forces from the loudspeaker, during the operation of the actuator, to the housing, are essentially arranged in one another or above one another in the direction of gravity.

9. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker is arranged in the housing such that an excitation direction of the loudspeaker, in which the loudspeaker transmits excitation forces to the housing during the operation of the actuator, runs parallel to the direction of gravity.

10. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the respective coupling is designed as an elastomer bearing.

11. An arrangement in accordance with at least claim 10, wherein: the elastomer bearing has a first elastomer area, which supports the bracket in the holding direction on the vehicle structure; the elastomer bearing has a second elastomer area, which supports the bracket in the holding direction on a side facing away from the vehicle structure at a disk; the disk is rigidly connected with the vehicle structure by means of a screw connection, which extends through the two elastomer areas and the bracket.

12. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the respective coupling comprises an elastomer body, which is rigidly connected with the respective bracket, on the one hand, and is rigidly connected with a holder fastened to the vehicle structure, on the other hand, whereby the elastomer body is designed to be springy in the holding direction and rigid transversely thereto.

13. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the coupling comprises at least one of at least one elastomer body and at least one spring element as well as at least one linear guide defining the holding direction.

14. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the actuator is held on the vehicle structure exclusively via the holding devices; and the sound emission pipe is arranged detached in a surrounding area of the actuator.

15. An electroacoustic actuator arrangement for connection to a vehicle structure of a motor vehicle, the electroacoustic actuator arrangement comprising: an actuator housing; at least one loudspeaker which separates a front volume from a rear volume in the housing; a sound emission pipe protruding outwards from the housing and fluidically coupled with the front volume; and a plurality of holding devices, each of the holding devices holding the actuator on the vehicle structure, the holding devices being arranged spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of the housing, each of the holding devices having a greater elasticity in the holding direction than in a direction transversely thereto, providing a reduced transmission of vibrations between the actuator and the vehicle structure.

16. An electroacoustic actuator arrangement and a motor vehicle comprising: a vehicle structure of the motor vehicle; an actuator housing; at least one loudspeaker which separates a front volume from a rear volume in the housing; a sound emission pipe protruding outwards from the housing and fluidically coupled with the front volume; a plurality of holding devices holding the actuator on the vehicle structure, the holding devices being arranged spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of the housing, each of the plurality of holding devices is springy in a holding direction and is rigid transversely to the holding direction, providing a reduced transmission of vibrations between the actuator and the vehicle structure.

17. An arrangement and motor vehicle in accordance with claim 16, wherein the holding direction of each holding device runs essentially parallel to an excitation direction of the loudspeaker, in which the loudspeaker transmits excitation forces to the housing during the operation of the actuator.

18. An arrangement and motor vehicle in accordance with claim 16, wherein each holding device comprises a bracket rigidly connected with the housing and a coupling, the bracket being connected with the vehicle structure springily and rigidly transversely thereto via the coupling in the holding direction.

19. An arrangement and motor vehicle in accordance with claim 18, wherein at least one of the holding devices and the brackets are arranged at locations equidistantly to a force inlet point of the loudspeaker, from which locations the at least one of the holding devices and the brackets transmit excitation forces from the loudspeaker to the housing during the operation of the actuator.

20. An arrangement and motor vehicle in accordance with claim 18, wherein a mass center of the actuator and a force inlet point, from which the holding devices transmit excitation forces from the loudspeaker, during the operation of the actuator, to the housing, are essentially arranged in one another or above one another in the direction of gravity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a highly simplified sectional view of an arrangement of an actuator on a vehicle structure;

(2) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the arrangement;

(3) FIG. 3 is a simplified sectional view through a holding device of the arrangement from FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a highly simplified isometric view of the arrangement, but in a different embodiment;

(5) FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a coupling means of the holding device used in FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the coupling means according to intersecting lines VI in FIG. 5; and

(7) FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a holding device in another embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) Referring to the drawings in particular, FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 show each an arrangement 1 of an electroacoustic actuator 2 on a vehicle structure 3, which is shown only in a rudimentary manner or partly, of a motor vehicle, otherwise not shown. The actuator 2 has a housing 4 as well as a sound emission pipe 5, which protrudes outwards from the housing 4 into a surrounding area 6.

(9) According to FIG. 1, at least one loudspeaker 7, which separates a front volume 8 from a rear volume 9 in the housing 4, is arranged in the housing 4. In the preferred example shown, the actuator 2 has only one loudspeaker 7. The loudspeaker 7 usually has a diaphragm 10 as well as an electromagnetic driver 11 for driving the diaphragm 10. The driver 11 and the diaphragm 10 are drive-connected in the manner shown.

(10) Further, a cage 12 is provided, which carries the driver 11, on the one hand, and stretches the diaphragm 10, on the other hand. In addition, the cage 12 is used for fastening the loudspeaker 7 to the housing 4. For this, a conduit 13 of the cage 12 is inserted into a flange area, via which two housing shells, namely a lower housing shell 15 and an upper housing shell 16 of the housing 2, are fastened to one another. The cage 12 is permeable towards the rear volume 9, such that the rear volume 9 extends through the cage 12 up to a rear side of the diaphragm 10 facing towards the upper housing shell 16. In addition, in the embodiment shown here, a funnel 17 is arranged in the housing 4, which funnel 17 surrounds the front volume 8 and which connects a front side facing towards the front volume 8 fluidically or acoustically with the sound emission pipe. In other words, the sound emission pipe 5 is fluidically coupled with the front volume 8. In this way, sound, which is generated by means of the diaphragm 10, can be radiated via the funnel 17 into the sound emission pipe 5 and through the sound emission pipe 5 into the surrounding area 6. In the example of FIG. 1, the funnel 17 in the lower housing shell 15 separates the front volume 18, in addition, from an additional volume 18. The conduit 13 is advantageously acoustically permeable, for example, by means of corresponding perforations or openings. In this way, the additional volume 18 can be acoustically added to the rear volume, as a result of which the actuator 2 has an especially large rear volume (9+18).

(11) The actuator 2 may be designed as an active muffler or as a sound generator or as a combination of active muffler and sound generator in order to form a sound emission of the vehicle. If the vehicle is equipped with an internal combustion engine, an emission of disturbing noise into the surrounding area of the vehicle can be reduced with the actuator 2 designed as an active muffler. In vehicles with smaller internal combustion engines and/or in vehicles with electric drive, it is, on the other hand, possible to generate a sound emission for the vehicle specifically by means of the actuator 2. Here, an acoustic feedback of the vehicle driver is important to get a feeling of the current performance of the drive in a conventional vehicle. The improved passive vehicle safety which is accompanied by a corresponding sound emission, is not insignificant exactly in electric vehicles, since the vehicle can consequently be better perceived by other road users. Because the travel noise is reduced in electric vehicles at slow vehicle speeds essentially to the rolling away noise, there is the risk that an electric vehicle is not heard by a pedestrian or bicyclist.

(12) According to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the actuator 2 is held on the vehicle structure 3 by means of a plurality of holding devices 19. The holding devices 19 here are arranged distributed in a circumferential direction 20 of the housing 4 indicated by means of a double arrow in FIGS. 2 and 4, such that they are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction 20. A variant, in which precisely three such holding devices 19 are provided, is preferred here. Theoretically, a solution with only two holding devices 19 is also conceivable.

(13) The holding devices 19 are each mounted on the housing 4 and preferably on the lower housing shell 15. The holding devices 19 are each designed as springy in a holding direction, indicated by means of a double arrow in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5-7, and as rigid transversely to the holding direction 21. Preferably, the holding directions 21 of all holding devices 19 run parallel to one another. Furthermore, the holding directions 21 preferably run parallel to an excitation direction 22 of the loudspeaker 7 indicated by means of a double arrow in FIG. 1. In the excitation direction 22, the loudspeaker 7 transmits excitation forces to the housing 4 during the operation of the actuator 2. Further, it can be gathered from FIG. 1 that, according to a preferred embodiment, the holding devices 19 define a holding plane 23. In other words, the holding devices 19 lie in a common holding plane 23. The holding plane 23 now extends vertically to the excitation direction 22 of the loudspeaker 7. Thus, the holding directions 21 are also vertical to the holding plane 23.

(14) According to FIGS. 1-7, the respective holding device 19 has a bracket 24, which is rigidly connected with the housing 4, as well as a coupling means 25, by means of which the respective bracket 24 is connected springily with the vehicle structure 3 in the holding direction 21 and rigidly transversely thereto. According to FIG. 1, said brackets 24 or the holding devices 19 can now be arranged on the housing 4 equidistantly to a force inlet point 26 of the loudspeaker 7, from which it transmits dynamic excitation forces from the loudspeaker 7 to the housing 4 during the operation of the actuator 2. The force inlet point 26 is located here in the driver 11, in which the reaction forms during the excitation of the diaphragm 10 (action). These excitation forces are now transmitted from the driver 11 via the cage 12 and the conduit 13 into the housing 4.

(15) Further, provisions are made here for the holding devices 19 or their brackets 24 to be arranged on the housing 4 equidistantly to a mass center 27 of the actuator 2. In this arrangement 1, this mass center 27 and the above-mentioned force inlet point 26 are arranged above one another in the direction of gravity. In addition, the loudspeaker 7 is preferably arranged in the housing 4, such that the excitation direction 22 runs parallel to the direction of gravity. Furthermore, the loudspeaker 7 is preferably arranged in the housing 4, such that a resulting excitation force, which passes through the force inlet point 26, additionally also passes through the mass center 27. Thus, the excitation forces and gravity act uniformly on the actuator 2, as a result of which especially a torque formation within the actuator 2 can be avoided.

(16) In addition, an electric supply 28, by means of which an electric cable 29 can be connected through the housing 4 with the loudspeaker 7 or with the driver 11, is indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. Further, additional electrical or electronic components of the actuator 2, for example, a microphone or a temperature sensor, may also be connected via the cable 29.

(17) Special embodiments of the holding devices 19 are explained in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3-7. FIG. 3 shows a possible embodiment of the holding device 19, as it may be used in the embodiment of the arrangement 1 shown in FIG. 2. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a coupling means 25, as it is used in the holding device 19 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 shows a holding device 19 according to another embodiment.

(18) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the coupling means 25 of the holding device 19 is designed as an elastomer bearing 30, which has a ring-shaped first elastomer area 31 and a ring-shaped second elastomer area 32. The first elastomer area 31 supports the bracket 24 in the holding direction 21 on the vehicle structure 3. The second elastomer area 32 supports the bracket 24 in the holding direction 21 on a disk 33, which is arranged on a side of the bracket 24 facing away from the vehicle structure 3. The disk 33 is rigidly connected with the vehicle structure 3 by means of a screw connection 34. To this end, the screw connection 34 extends through the two elastomer areas 31, 32 and through the bracket 24. In the example, the screw connection 34 extends, in addition, through a spacer sleeve 35, via which the disk 33 is supported in the holding direction 21 on the vehicle structure 3. The screw connection 34 has, in the example, a screw 36 as well as a nut 37. A screw head 38 of the screw 36 is supported on the disk 33. A screw shank 39 of the screw 36 extends through the disk 33, through the spacer sleeve 35 and thus through the two elastomer bodies 31 and 32 as well as through the bracket 24 and through a connection area 40 of the vehicle structure 3. The nut 37 is screwed with the screw shank 39 and is supported via a supporting disk 41 on a side facing away from the bracket 24 at the connection area 40 of the vehicle structure 3. In the example of FIG. 3, the two elastomer areas 31 and 32 are separate elastomer bodies. However, basically also conceivable is an embodiment, in which the two elastomer areas 31, 32 are formed integrally, i.e., materially uniformly on a common elastomer body. For example, the two elastomer areas 31, 32 may be connected with one another via a section likewise passed through the bracket 24.

(19) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-6, the coupling means comprises an elastomer body 42, which is configured here as a rubber strap. Here, on the one hand, the elastomer body 42 is rigidly connected with the respective bracket 24 and thus with the housing 24 via the bracket 24. On the other hand, the elastomer body 42 is rigidly connected with a holder 43, which is in turn fastened to the vehicle structure 3. To this extent, the respective elastomer body 42 is rigidly connected with the vehicle structure 3 via the respective holder 43. The respective elastomer body 42 is designed here, such that it is designed as springy in the holding direction 41 and as comparatively rigid transversely thereto. This is achieved, for example, via corresponding polar moments of inertia in conjunction with recesses 44, which can be recognized in FIGS. 5 and 6.

(20) Finally, FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the holding device 19, in which the coupling means 25 has at least one elastomer body 45 or at least one spring element 46. Basically, an embodiment, in which both at least one elastomer body 45 and at least one spring element 46 are provided, is also conceivable. Furthermore, the coupling means 25 here comprises a linear guide 47, which, in the example shown, is formed by a pin 48 and a bushing 49, in which the pin 48 is arranged in an adjustable manner bidirectionally. The linear guide 47 thus defines the holding direction 21 and stabilizes the coupling means 25 transversely to the holding direction 21. By contrast, the elastomer body 5 or the spring element 46 generates the elasticity of the coupling means 25 parallel to the holding direction 21. In the example of FIG. 7, the pin 48 is rigidly connected with the bracket 24, while the bushing 49 is rigidly connected with the vehicle structure 3.

(21) According to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the actuator 2 is preferably held on the vehicle structure 3 exclusively via the holding devices 19. As a result, no holding forces can thus be transmitted to the housing 4 especially via the sound emission pipe 5. In the examples shown, the sound emission pipe 5 is arranged detached in the surrounding area 6 of the actuator 2, i.e., it has no contact with the other components of the vehicle.

(22) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.