Noise attenuator for side wall panel

A noise attenuator comprising:

• a rigid core that further includes a tubular sleeve that contains a front face plate that is secured to one end of said sleeve and a rear face plate that is secured to the opposite end of said sleeve;
• said front and rear face plates extending radially beyond said tubular sleeve to establish a space therebetween;
• a single elastomeric bushing that surrounds said tubular sleeve and fills the space between said front and rear end plates, said single bushing being bonded to said sleeve and said plates;
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced voids that pass through one of said end plates and extend axially substantially through said single bushing;
• and
• mounting means for connecting said core to a first member and said bushing to a second member such that noise producing vibrations in one member are attenuated before said vibrations reach said second member, said voids being disposed such that vibratory loads upon said attenuator cause non-voided regions of said bushing to be placed in either a combined compression and shear or a combined tension and shear based on the direction of the vibratory load.

A method for manufacturing a noise attenuator, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a rigid core that includes an elongated tubular sleeve having respective plates at opposite ends of said sleeve, each of said plates having an end face that is normal to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve;
• providing a single cylindrical elastomeric bushing;
• bonding said single elastomeric bushing to said core and to a bracket that encircles said sleeve, said bushing filling the space between said plates;
• creating a series of voids that longitudinally pass through at least one of said plates and axially substantially through said bushing;
• securing one of said plates against one of a first member and a second member subjected to vibratory loads;
• and
• securing the bracket to the other of said first member and said second member wherein said bracket is radially loaded when secured, said voids being configured such that the non-voided regions of said bushing are placed in either combined compression and shear or combined tension and shear, thereby creating attenuation.