Patent ID: 6074302
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: F02B,F16F,F16H

Abstract:
A torsion isolator for driving connection between rotatably mounted input and output drives of a driveline; the isolator including spring means for transmitting driveline torque between the drives and an expandable chamber mechanism for to-and-fro hydraulic dampening of driveline torsionals; the mechanism including means defining at least first and second volumes which vary inversely in volume in response to the driveline torsionals effecting flexing of the spring means, a liquid in each volume, during flexing of the spring means one of the volumes increases in size while another of the volumes decreases in size to effect a pressure increase of the liquid in the other of the volumes decreasing in size for effecting said hydraulic dampening; characterized by:control means operative during initial flexing of the spring means in response to a torsional of the driveline torsionals for momentarily inhibiting the pressure increase, the control means including a valving member movable between first and second positions respectively unblocking and substantially blocking a passage, the valving member operative while moving from the first position toward the second position to allow flow of the liquid through the passage from the other of the volumes decreasing in size for inhibiting the pressure increase therein to allow spring attenuation of low amplitude torsionals and delay a normal hydraulic dampening of the low amplitude torsionals and operative in the second position to substantially block such flow for allowing the pressure increase in the other of the volumes decreasing in size to effect a return to normal dampening during higher amplitude torsionals, the valving member being in the first position at a beginning of the torsional and in the second position in response to the torsional effecting a relatively small decrease in the other of the volumes decreasing in size.