Vibration damping apparatus

Abstract

Vibration damping apparatus for use in the power train between the engine and the variable-speed transmission of a motor vehicle has a first flywheel connectable to the engine, a second flywheel connectable to the input shaft of the transmission by a friction clutch, one or more dampers between the flywheels, and an axial plug-in coupling between the parts which are carried by the first flywheel and the parts which are carried by the second flywheel. The coupling has radially extending first profiles which are carried by the first flywheel and radially extending second profiles which are carried by the second flywheel and mate with the first profiles to transmit torque when the engine is running. In order to reduce rattling or other types of noise when the engine is idling while the clutch is engaged and the transmission is not shifted into a forward or reverse gear, the first and second profiles are braced against other by coil springs or by other types of resilient bracing members in a direction in which the first profiles transmit torque to the second profiles when the engine drives the first flywheel and the first flywheel rotates the second flywheel by way of one or more dampers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.