Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F1/00—Springs
  • F16F1/02—Springs made of steel or other material having low internal friction; Wound, torsion, leaf, cup, ring or the like springs, the material of the spring not being relevant
  • F16F1/32—Belleville-type springs
  • F16F1/324—Belleville-type springs characterised by having tongues or arms directed in a generally radial direction, i.e. diaphragm-type springs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
  • B60B7/00—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins
  • B60B7/02—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins made essentially in one part
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
  • B60B7/00—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins
  • B60B7/06—Fastening arrangements therefor
  • B60B7/061—Fastening arrangements therefor characterised by the part of the wheels to which the discs, rings or the like are mounted
  • B60B7/068—Fastening arrangements therefor characterised by the part of the wheels to which the discs, rings or the like are mounted to the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
  • B60B7/00—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins
  • B60B7/06—Fastening arrangements therefor
  • B60B7/14—Fastening arrangements therefor comprising screw-threaded means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F2230/00—Purpose; Design features
  • F16F2230/24—Detecting or preventing malfunction, e.g. fail safe

Definitions

• the present invention is related to mechanically isolating vehicle sensors from vehicle vibrations, and, more specifically, an isolation bracket that isolates a vehicle sensor from vibrations of the vehicle.
• Vehicle sensors are often mounted to vehicle components such that information directly related to the associated component may be relayed to an interested party.
• odometers may be placed on a wheel hub to measure the revolutions of the associated wheel. The measured revolutions, along with information related to the wheel diameter, may be used to calculate a distance traveled by the associated wheel, and therefore a distance traveled by the associated vehicle.
• a hubodometer is one example of a sensor that may be mounted to a vehicle.
• Other types of sensors or devices may also be attached to a vehicle, such as, for example, tire pressure sensors, weight sensors, temperature sensors, location sensors, and communications devices, to name but a few.
• Embodiments disclosed herein provide a sensor bracket that isolates a sensor from mechanical vibrations of an associated component.
• Mounting brackets of various embodiments extend the operational lifetime, for example, of a wheel-mounted sensor on a truck, trailer or bus.
• Mounting brackets of various aspects accomplish this by protecting the mounted sensor from damaging shock and vibration.
• the sensor could be an electronic mileage counter such as an electronic hubodometer, a mechanical mileage counter such as a mechanical hubodometer, a tire pressure monitor, and/or a lubricant fluid sensor, to name a few.
• the shock and vibration impinging on a wheel-mounted sensor may result from poor road conditions such as potholes, washboard, gravel, expansion joints, and/or dislocations associated with the roadway.
• the shock and vibration impinging on a wheel-mounted sensor also may result from poor driving skill, resulting in excessive encounters with shoulder/centerline 'rumble strip' cut outs/protrusions, curbs, foreign objects, and the like.
• the shock and vibration impinging on a wheel-mounted sensor also may result from poor vehicle maintenance, resulting in, for example, excessive 'wheel hop' on braking.
• the shock and vibration impinging on a wheel-mounted sensor further may be the result of high levels of vibration generated by the internal gearing of the axle on which the sensor is mounted. In other vehicles, such as rail vehicles, vibration may result from axle gearing, track conditions, and the like.
• the present disclosure provides isolating mounting brackets that reduce the vibration transmitted to a vehicle sensor.
• a 'fail-safe' attachment method which prevents the bracket and sensor assembly from being launched from the wheel during operation of the vehicle should a failure of isolating elements occur.
• a sensor-mounting system designed for the purpose of extending the operational life of a wheel-mounted sensor by protecting it from harmful shock and vibration; use of a multi-legged bracket to decrease the dynamic instability induced by using highly compliant isolating elements on a rotating wheel; implementation of wide temperature range, multiple isolating elements to provide a reduction in the vibration impinging on a sensor while still maintaining rotational stability of the assembly on the wheel; and/or implementation of an intrinsic, fail-safe feature in the sensor mounting bracket and isolating element design.
• this disclosure provides a bracket for isolating a sensor from vibration, comprising: (a) a sensor mount adapted to receive a sensor; (b) a plurality of legs extending from the sensor mount; and (c) an isolating element that engages with a distal end of each leg and adapted to receive an attachment element that secures the respective leg, through the isolating element, to a wheel hub.
• the sensor mount in an embodiment, comprises a plate having a mounting hole therein that is adapted to receive a sensor.
• the sensor mount may also include tabs extending from the plate that cover a portion of a sensor when mounted to said plate and provide a shield for the sensor.
• the plurality of legs include holes that receive said isolating elements.
• the isolating elements may be formed of silicone rubber elements that are substantially cylindrical and include a reduced diameter slot that is captured by a matching hole a respective leg.
• the isolating elements also include, in some embodiments, a spacer that is inserted into the center thereof.
• the isolating elements are adapted to receive an attachment bolt used for securing the leg to a wheel hub.
• the isolating elements may also be molded directly onto said legs, and may include a spacer molded into the material of the isolating element.
• a bracket for isolating a sensor from vibration comprising: (a) a sensor mount adapted to receive a sensor; (b) a plurality of legs extending from the sensor mount; and (c) a dual stud isolator that engages with a distal end of each leg and adapted secure each leg to a vehicle wheel hub.
• the dual stud isolator may comprise a first threaded stud having an elastomeric element bonded thereto and a second threaded stud bonded to the elastomeric element opposite the first stud.
• the studs in an embodiment, comprise hex bolts with the elastomeric element bonded to the hex head of the hex bolts.
• the bracket may also include a lanyard assembly coupling the first and second threaded studs of each dual stud isolator.
• a further aspect of the disclosure provides an apparatus for mounting a sensor to a vehicle, comprising: (a) a mounting plate that receives a sensor; (b) a securement assembly that secures the mounting plate to a vehicle; and (c) an isolation element coupled to the securement assembly between the securement assembly and vehicle.
• the securement assembly in some embodiments, includes a plurality of legs that extend from said mounting plate.
• the mounting plate may comprise a plate and a plurality of tabs extending from the plate to at least substantially cover a portion of a sensor when mounted to the plate.
• the isolation element in some embodiments, is substantially cylindrical and includes a reduced diameter slot that is captured by a matching hole in the securement assembly.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle of one embodiment
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exploded mounting bracket assembly of an embodiment
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an assembled mounting bracket assembly of the embodiment of Fig. 2;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exploded mounting bracket assembly of another embodiment
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembled mounting bracket assembly of the embodiment of Fig. 4;
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting bracket of another embodiment.
• a vehicle 20 is illustrated for one embodiment as a bus that may be used in public transit. While the vehicle 20 of Fig. 1 is illustrated as a public transit bus, it will be readily understood that this example is for purposes of illustration and discussion, and that methods, systems and apparatuses of the present disclosure may be used for any type of vehicle, including, for example, automobiles, trucks, semi tractor/trailers, and school buses. Furthermore, the systems and apparatuses of the present disclosure may also be used with other types of vehicles, including rail vehicles, aircraft, and/or watercraft.
• an odometer 24 is mounted to a wheel hub 28 of a set of rear wheel 32.
• wheel 32 typically includes a set of dual wheels, although the present disclosure is equally applicable to any wheel configuration.
• Such an odometer 24 is often referred to as a "hubodometer,” and these devices are commonly used in situations where the mileage of the wheel 32 may not necessarily be tracked by an odometer within the vehicle 20 itself, and/or in situations where it is convenient to view a mileage reading without having to access an interior of the vehicle 20.
• a hubodometer it may be more efficient for personnel to view the mileage of a bus on such a hubodometer 24 rather than having to open a door to the bus, climb into the bus, read a mileage from an odometer on the interior instrument panel, exit the bus, and close the door.
• the odometer 24 of the embodiment of Fig. 1 includes a display 36 that displays the distance traveled, such as total miles since the odometer's 24 installation, of the vehicle 20. Such an odometer 24 may record and output on display 36 the distance traveled since a particular event, such as vehicle 20 maintenance or wheel 32 replacement, instead of or in addition to the total distance recorded since the installation of the odometer.
• a particular event such as vehicle 20 maintenance or wheel 32 replacement
• the odometer 24 is an electronic hubodometer that measures distance traveled according to a number of revolutions detected by an accelerometer within the hubodometer and a size of the wheel 32 that is programmed into the hubodometer.
• the odometer 24 may also include an RF circuit that operates to transmit an information signal modulated onto an RF signal that includes an identification for the odometer 24 and the current value of the distance that has been measured by the odometer 24.
• a solid metallic flat or formed (commercial steel with rust resistant treatment or stainless steel) bracket is used to attach an odometer to the wheel end of the vehicle or trailer.
• This bracket is rigidly mounted to the wheel, utilizing the existing hubcap bolts, drive axle cover-plate retainer bolts, or, in some cases, the actual lug nuts that attach the wheel to hub.
• the present disclosure recognizes that the mounting techniques just described provide little, if any, attenuation of the shock/vibration transmitted from the wheel to an odometer. It is recognized that such shock/vibration may have a detrimental effect on a hubodometer, or any other type of sensor associated with a wheel end, including failure of the component.
• a bracket is mounted to the wheel end utilizing isolating elements such as elastomeric (elastomeric refers to a relatively highly pliable material or rubber-like substance, such as neoprene or silicone-based rubber) elements.
• the assembly is designed so that the vibration from the hub to the bracket and sensor must be transmitted through the isolating element to the sensor and bracket.
• the isolating elements and bracket combination is designed, in various embodiments, to tailor the mechanical resonances so that they do not occur in close proximity (in the frequency domain) to the operational vibration frequencies in the axle.
• vibrations may be caused by roadway surfaces, environmental factors such as wind, and/or by the vehicle itself as different mechanical components of the vehicle operate and generate vibration.
• some vehicles have planetary gearing that is located at the end of a vehicle axle, which may cause vibrations in the wheel hub.
• Other drive train components may cause vibration as well, such as the engine and transmission.
• Various embodiments disclosed herein provide an isolation bracket that operates to isolate vibrations from a sensor.
• a hubodometer may be mounted to a bracket 100 via a sensor mount 104 that in the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3 is a center, 1/2 inch diameter hole, using a standard washer and locknut (not shown).
• the bracket 100 is mounted to a axle hub cover plate 108, the cover plate 108 being associated with a wheel hub of a vehicle (not shown).
• the bracket 100 is isolated from vibrations of the wheel hub through isolating elements 112, which in the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3 are four silicone rubber, single-piece, elastomeric elements 112 that are inserted into associated holes 116 in the bracket 100.
• a spacer 120 is inserted into the center of each of the isolating elements 112.
• the assembly is secured to the cover plate 108 using an attachment bolt 124 and a washer 128.
• the assembly is mounted in the specified manner on the cover plate 108.
• the associated wheel hub may be associated, for example, with a MAN planetary gear reduction axle, which is used in a large percentage of New Flyer, 40 foot transit buses.
• the elastomeric element 112 is a single- piece design, molded from silicone or neoprene rubber. The element 112 has a reduced diameter slot that is captured by a matching hole 116 in the bracket 100.
• isolating elements may be molded directly onto the bracket, thereby becoming an integral part of the bracket. Additionally, other embodiments may have the steel spacer molded into such an isolating element when the isolating element is molded directly onto the bracket, thereby forming a bracket assembly that would require fewer individual parts to assemble when mounted to a vehicle.
• FIG. 4 and 5 Another embodiment of an isolating bracket is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.
• an elastomeric element is created by bonding rubber directly to threaded studs.
• a hubodometer (not shown) may mounted to a bracket 200 via a sensor mount 204 that in the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 is a center, 1/2" diameter hole, using the standard washer and locknut (not shown).
• the bracket 200 is mounted to a axle hub cover plate 208, the cover plate 208 being associated with a wheel hub of a vehicle (not shown).
• the bracket 200 is isolated from vibrations of the wheel hub through a dual stud isolator 212.
• elastomeric element 216 is created by bonding rubber directly to threaded studs.
• the studs may be, for example, off-the-shelf hex bolts.
• the hex head has the advantage of providing an easy method of tightening the fastener into the wheel hub on one end and then providing for nut attachment to the bracket 200 on the other end.
• This system is made fail-safe by adding a lanyard assembly 220 made from steel end pieces 224 and a lanyard 228 of Nylon or Kevlar, for example, that connects the end pieces 224.
• the dual stud isolator 212 is assembled with the lanyard assembly 220 and the bracket 200 is secured with locknut 232 inserted into associated holes in the bracket 200.
• the associated wheel hub may be associated, for example, with a MAN planetary gear reduction axle, which is used in a large percentage of New Flyer, 40 foot transit buses.
• a sensor such as a hubodometer (not shown) may mounted to a bracket 300 via a sensor mount 304 that in the embodiment of Fig. 6 is a center, 1/2" diameter hole, using the standard washer and locknut (not shown).
• the bracket 300 similarly as described above, may be mounted to a axle hub cover plate associated with a wheel hub of a vehicle (not shown).
• the bracket 300 may be isolated from vibrations in a manner similar as described above, such as through elastomeric isolating elements that are inserted into associated holes 308 in the bracket 300.
• tabs 312 are provided that provide protection to the sensor from foreign objects and/or road debris when the vehicle is in motion.
• the height of the tabs 312 is selected such that each tab 312 is higher than the height of the mounted sensor or hubodometer. In such a manner, any flying rocks, sticks, small and medium-sized mammals, etc. may be deflected by the tabs 312 and provide an additional degree of protection to the sensor.
• the elastomeric isolating elements provide shock protection to the sensor in a similar manner as described above in that they provide isolation to the sensor from axle-borne shocks due to pot-holes and the other road hazards.
• sensor vibration isolation is obtained by manufacturing the actual bracket from a high-damping material or laminate composite that substantially reduces the vibration transmitted to the sensor due to the energy absorbing damping in the bracket construction.
• Elastomeric elements need not be used in this embodiment, and the bracket is bolted directly to the hub.
• the bracket material is made from Constrained Layer Damping (CLD) steel. This is a sandwich-type (laminated) construction where two layers of steel are bonded together with an high damping elastomeric layer in the center (similar to automotive windshield construction).
• the laminate in other embodiments, may also be formed with multiple layers of steel and damping layers thereby creating more damping and higher structural rigidity.
• the bracket is fabricated from aluminum, magnesium, injection molded plastic or carbon fiber- reinforced polymer that may be substituted for the steel components in the laminate construction. Bracket construction using a high damping material that has been described here would be inherently fail-safe, as separate isolating elements such as elastomeric elements are not required.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Vibration Prevention Devices (AREA)
• Transmission And Conversion Of Sensor Element Output (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=40954217

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (31)

• 2009
  • 2009-02-18 BR BRPI0908247A patent/BRPI0908247A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2009-02-18 US US12/388,403 patent/US20090206218A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-02-18 WO PCT/US2009/034414 patent/WO2009105480A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2009-02-18 CA CA2716021A patent/CA2716021A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-02-18 MX MX2010009035A patent/MX2010009035A/es not_active Application Discontinuation

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events