Back to results
US 10,328,783 B2Granted
Component mount
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorMel Coldwell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A component mount is disclosed having two parallel compressible load paths interposed between first and second attachment members and a coupling mechanism. When a force above a predefined level is predicted to be transferred, the coupling mechanism is engaged so that both of the compressible load paths act in parallel to transfer the force between the first and second attachment members, and when the predicted level of the force to be transferred is below the predefined level, the coupling mechanism is disengaged and the force is transmitted through only the first compressible load path. Therefore the stiffness of the component mount is changed based upon whether a high or a low force has to be transmitted.
Claims20
A component mount, comprising:
- a first link arm and a second link arm arranged adjacent to one another, the first link arm including apertures at both ends and the second link arm including an aperture at a first end;
- a first compressible member bonded in a first aperture of the apertures of the first link arm, a second compressible member bonded in the aperture of the second link arm, and a third compressible member bonded in a second aperture of the apertures of the first link arm;
- a first bushing bonded in the first compressible member for use in attaching the component mount to a component to be supported and a second bushing bonded in the third compressible member to attach the component mount to a support structure;
- a first compressible load path formed by the first compressible member, the first link arm, and the third compressible member and a second compressible load path formed by the second compressible member and the second link arm;
- and
- a coupling member, wherein the coupling member is movable between a disengaged state in which the first load path is not connected to the second load path by the coupling member and all of a force transmitted through the component mount, between the first bushing and the second bushing, is transmitted by the first load path and one or more engaged states in which the first load path and the second load path are connected together in parallel by the coupling member, and the force transmitted through the component mount, between the first bushing and the second bushing, is transmitted by the first load path and the second load path that are acting in parallel.
3 more elements
A component mounting system, comprising:
- an actuator controlled by an electronic controller;
- and
- a component mount, the component mount comprising:
- a first link arm and a second link arm arranged adjacent to one another, the first link arm including apertures at both ends and the second link arm including an aperture at a first end;
- a first compressible member bonded in a first aperture of the apertures of the first link arm, a second compressible member bonded in the aperture of the second link arm, and a third compressible member bonded in a second aperture of the apertures of the first link arm, the first aperture of the first link arm coaxial with the aperture of the second link arm;
- a first bushing bonded in the first compressible member, the first bushing defining a first mounting bore for use in attaching the component mount to a component to be supported and a second bushing bonded in the third compressible member, the second bushing defining a second mounting bore for use in attaching the component mount to a support structure;
- a first compressible load path formed by the first compressible member, the first link arm, and the third compressible member and a second compressible load path formed by the second compressible member and the second link arm;
- and
- a coupling member, wherein the coupling member has a disengaged state in which the first load path and the second load path are not linked together by the coupling member and all of a force transmitted through the component mount, between the first bushing and the second bushing, is transmitted by the first load path and one or more engaged states in which the first load path and the second load path are directly connected together in parallel by the coupling member, and the force transmitted through the component mount, between the first bushing and the second bushing, is transmitted by the first and second load paths that are acting in parallel, wherein the actuator is operatively connected to the coupling member, and wherein the electronic controller is arranged to use the actuator to control a position of the coupling member based upon a level of force predicted to be transferred by the component mount.
6 more elements
A component mount, comprising:
- a first bushing extending through the component mount, from a first side to a second side of the component mount and a second bushing extending through the component mount, from the first side to the second side, the first bushing arranged at a first end of the component mount and the second bushing arranged at an opposite, second end of the component mount;
- a first link arm extending from the first end to the second end and arranged at the first side, the first link arm having a first aperture at the first end and a second aperture at the second end, and a second link arm extending from the first end to a position a distance away from the second end and arranged at the second side, the second link arm having a third aperture at the first end, the first link arm and the second link arm arranged adjacent to one another;
- a first compressible member bonded to and around the first bushing and within the first aperture, a second compressible member bonded to and around the second bushing and within the second aperture, and a third compressible member bonded to and around the first bushing and within the third aperture;
- a first compressible load path formed by the first compressible member, the first link arm, and the second compressible member and a second compressible load path formed by the third compressible member and the second link arm, the first and second load paths arranged in parallel with one another, between the first and second ends of the component mount;
- and
- a coupling member supported within the first link arm, the coupling member having an engaged state in which an end of the coupling member is engaged with a receiving aperture in the second link arm, directly coupling the first link arm and the second link arm, and all of a transmitted force is transmitted through the component mount, between the first bushing and the second bushing, by the first load path and the second load path and a disengaged state in which the end of the coupling member is not engaged with the receiving aperture in the second link arm, the first link arm and the second link arm are not directly coupled to one another via the coupling member, and all of the transmitted force, between the first bushing and the second bushing, is transmitted by only the first load path.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.