Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Alan V Parrett

Christopher A Stirlen

Jinshuo Zhu

Chong Wang

Timothy J Roggenkamp

Kyle W Stanforth

Hua He

Zachary L Cohen

A wheel assembly includes a wheel including a spoke portion radially supporting a rim portion about a central axis, wherein the rim portion presents a radial outer surface relative to the central axis. A tire is mounted to the wheel and cooperates with the wheel to define a tire cavity between the radial outer surface of the rim portion and the tire. A foamed aluminum portion is supported by the wheel, and includes a plurality of pores arranged to define an open-cell foam. The plurality of pores of the foamed aluminum portion is disposed in fluid communication with the tire cavity to absorb noise from within the tire cavity. The foamed aluminum portion may be integrally cast with the wheel, or otherwise affixed to the wheel.

Wheel with aluminum foam for tire cavity noise suppression

A wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a rim having a noise suppression device. The rim includes an outer radial surface that is concentrically disposed about a central axis. A tire is mounted to the rim to define a tire cavity between the outer radial surface of the rim and an interior surface of the tire. The noise suppression device includes a device wall that defines at least one resonator chamber, and includes a plurality of apertures allowing fluid communication between the tire cavity and the resonator chamber, with each of the plurality of apertures defining an opening area between the range of 0.03 mmand 0.8 mm.

Noise suppression device for a wheel assembly

A wheel assembly for a vehicle and a method of manufacturing the wheel assembly for the vehicle are disclosed. The wheel assembly includes a rim and a tire. The tire includes a distal wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, with the first and second side walls extending from the distal wall and each of the side walls attached to the rim such that the distal wall is spaced from the rim to define an interior cavity between the tire and the rim. The wheel assembly also includes a resonator defining a hole such that the resonator presents an inner wall defining a boundary of the hole. The hole cooperates with the interior cavity. The resonator includes an insert mounted to the inner wall. The insert defines an aperture in fluid communication with the interior cavity for attenuating sound produced inside the interior cavity.

Wheel assembly for a vehicle and a method of manufacturing the wheel assembly

A pass-through element for a motor vehicle front of dash panel system includes a body portion having an outer edge that surrounds a central web. A conductor pass-through member is provided in the central web, and a sound enhancing element provided in the central web alongside the conductor pass-through member. The sound enhancing element is configured and disposed to condition and conduct motor vehicle engine sound from an engine compartment to a passenger compartment through the motor vehicle front of dash system.

Pass-through element for a motor vehicle front of dash system

A porous, sound absorbing structural foam load floor support is provided that defines an integral duct. The duct is configured as a ventilation air passage from the air outlet of a heat-emitting component, such as an energy storage system in a hybrid vehicle, so that the load floor support serves both to support the load floor as well as to provide a route for heat dissipation. By integrating the duct within the load floor support, a separate duct, which would have to route around other vehicle components located under the load floor, is not required. The structural foam load floor support is configured to absorb noise of a cooling system for the energy storage system. A porous expanded polypropylene foam is especially well-suited for noise attenuation and load floor support.

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Milford, MI, United States of America

Alan V Parrett