US 6,981,696 B2
Fluid-filled cylindrical vibration damping device
Motohiro Hatano, Konan (Japan); and Jyoji Tsutsumida, Komaki (Japan)
Assigned to Tokai Rubber Industries, LTD, Komaki (Japan)
Filed on Jul. 02, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/613,651.
Claims priority of application No. 2002-195699 (JP), filed on Jul. 04, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2004/0004317 A1, Jan. 08, 2004
Int. Cl. F16F 13/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 267—140.12 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid-filled cylindrical vibration-damping device comprising:
an inner shaft member;
an outer sleeve member disposed radially outwardly of said inner shaft member with a spacing therebetween;
an elastic body disposed between and elastically connecting a first axial end portion of said inner shaft member and a first axial end portion of said outer sleeve member;
a flexible layer disposed between and elastically connecting a second axial end portion of said inner shaft member and a second axial end portion of said outer sleeve member;
a flexible partition disposed between and elastically connecting axially intermediate portions of said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member;
a pressure-receiving chamber partially defined by said elastic body and disposed on one of axially opposite sides of said flexible partition, said pressure-receiving chamber being filled with a non-compressible fluid whose pressure varies upon application of an axial vibrational load between said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member;
an equilibrium chamber partially defined by said flexible layer and disposed on an other one of said axially opposite sides of said flexible partition, said equilibrium chamber being filled with said non compressible fluid and easily permitting volumetric change thereof;
an annular orifice defining member fixed to an inner circumferential surface of said outer sleeve member so as to at least partially define an orifice passage extending circumferentially along said inner surface of said outer sleeve member for permitting a fluid communication between said pressure-receiving chamber and said equilibrium chamber,
wherein said flexible partition includes a cylindrical portion axially protruding from an inner peripheral portion of said orifice defining member toward said elastic body, and an annular curved portion curvedly extending radially inwardly from a protruding end portion of said cylindrical portion to said inner shaft member,
wherein an outer peripheral portion of said cylindrical portion of said flexible partition is fixed to said orifice defining member, and an inner peripheral portion of said annular curved portion of said flexible partition is fixed to said inner shaft member, and
wherein the device further comprises: a rubber buffer disposed on an inner circumferential surface of said orifice defining member that is opposed to said inner shaft member in a radial direction perpendicular to an axial direction of said device, wherein said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member are brought into abutting contact with each other via said rubber buffer, thereby providing a radial stopper mechanism for limiting an amount of displacement of said inner shaft member and said outer sleeve member relative to each other in said radial direction in a shock absorbing fashion.