Noise-reducing machine component
AssigneeThe Timken Company
InventorBevan V. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine component, which may be a race of an antifriction bearing, contains pockets, the borders of which is defined by side-by-side reflecting surfaces which have free boundaries and intersect at alternating peaks and valleys. Vibration or noise to which the machine component is subjected produces mechanical longitudinal and transverse waves which propagate through the machine component, with the longitudinal waves being more intense and less subjected to attenuation. Some of the longitudinal waves encounter the reflecting surfaces which partially convert them into transverse waves, and the transverse waves rapidly attenuate in the machine component itself. Thus, the pockets reduce noise in the machine component.
Claims25
The combination comprising:
- first and second machine components having first and second surfaces which are in contact at an interface between the machine components, the first machine component containing at least one pocket having a free boundary which is formed by a plurality of intersecting reflecting surfaces that create V-shaped grooves, whereby longitudinal waves produced by vibrations in the first component behind the free boundary of the pocket formed by the V-shaped grooves, upon encountering the reflecting surfaces of the pocket, will convert partially into transverse waves.
The combination comprising:
- a first machine component having a first surface and a second machine component that has a second surface in contact with the first surface of the first machine component, the second machine component being subjected to vibrations which cause longitudinal mechanical waves to propagate within it, the second machine component containing a pocket that is defined in part by reflecting surfaces which intersect to form a succession of alternating peaks and valleys which lie in the path of at least some of the longitudinal waves and have a free boundary, so that the longitudinal waves, upon encountering the reflecting surfaces, transform into transverse waves which attenuate in the second component, whereby noise is reduced.
A noise reducing bearing for facilitating rotation about an axis, said bearing comprising:
- a first race having a first raceway that surrounds the axis;
- a second race having a second raceway that surrounds the axis and is presented toward the first raceway;
- and rolling elements organized in a row between the first and second races and being in contact with the raceways, the second race containing a pocket, the boundary of which is free and is defined by reflecting surfaces which intersect at alternating peaks and valleys, whereby noise which is transmitted through the second race as longitudinal waves directed toward the pocket is reduced, in that the longitudinal waves, upon encountering the reflecting surfaces at the pocket, are transformed at least partially into transverse waves which attenuate in the second race.
A machine component that is subjected to vibrations at a source of noise in the component, said machine component containing a pocket having a free boundary that is presented toward the source of the vibrations, with the free boundary being formed by a plurality of reflecting surfaces that intersect at V-shaped peaks and valleys and are organized oblique to direction propagation of longitudinal waves produced by the vibrations, whereby the longitudinal waves upon encountering the reflecting surfaces partially convert into transverse waves which attenuate in the machine component and thus reduce noise in the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.