Tunable sound dampening system
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorUmesh N. Gandhi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sound dampening system having at least two acoustic deflection pads separated by a distance and an actuator operable to alter the distance in response to a stimulus. In some embodiments, the actuator is a shape memory alloy wire. The system is capable of alternating between a compact mode and a superior sound blocking mode. A door of an automotive vehicle incorporating such a system and a method of fabricating such a system.
Claims20
A sound dampening system comprising:
- a first acoustic deflection pad operable to obstruct propagating sound waves;
- a second acoustic deflection pad operable to obstruct propagating sound waves and separated from the first acoustic deflection pad by a distance;
- and
- an actuator operable to decrease the distance separating the first acoustic deflection pad from the second acoustic deflection pad in response to electrical stimulus.
A door of an automotive vehicle having a sound dampening system comprising:
- a first acoustic deflection pad operable to obstruct propagating sound waves;
- a second acoustic deflection pad operable to obstruct propagating sound waves and separated from the first acoustic deflection pad by a distance;
- and
- an actuator operable to decrease the distance separating the first acoustic deflection pad from the second acoustic deflection pad in response to electrical stimulus.
A method of fabricating a sound dampening system comprising:
- deploying a first acoustic deflection pad which is substantially planar;
- deploying a second acoustic deflection pad which is substantially planar, wherein the second acoustic deflection pad is deployed substantially in parallel to the first acoustic deflection pad;
- and
- affixing a shape memory alloy wire to each of the first acoustic deflection pad and the second acoustic deflection pad;
- wherein the shape memory alloy wire is operable to reversibly decrease a distance of separation between the first acoustic deflection pad and the second acoustic deflection pad in response to a stimulus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.