American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.

Jeffrey P Nyquist

Zhaohui Sun

Michael A Voight

Jason Ley

William Braun

A damped propshaft assembly with a hollow shaft and a tuned damper, which is received in the hollow shaft and includes a liner and a damping member. The liner's mass and stiffness are tuned to attenuate one or more of a bending mode vibration and a torsion mode vibration that occurs at a first predetermined frequency. The liner is not configured to substantially damp shell mode vibration that occurs at a frequency that is not equal to the first predetermined frequency. The damping member is coupled to the liner and is configured to primarily attenuate shell mode vibration in the hollow shaft at one or more desired frequencies. The tuned damper attenuates the at least one of the bending moment vibration and the torsion mode vibration at the first predetermined frequency and also attenuates shell mode vibration. A method for forming a damped propshaft assembly is also provided.

Damped propshaft assembly and tuned damper for a damped propshaft assembly

Damped propshaft assembly and method for fabricating a damped propshaft assembly

A propshaft assembly that includes a tubular member, first and second end connections coupled to opposite ends of the tubular member and a damper that is received in the tubular member and positioned between the first and second end connections. The tubular member has a wall member that defines an interior circumferential surface. The damper has a first damping device, a second damping device and a third damping device. The first damping device has a first core and a first damping member that is fixed to the first core. The first damping member extends helically about the first core and engages the interior circumferential surface. The second damping device is formed of foam and is positioned in the tubular member between the first and third damping devices. The second damping device engages the interior circumferential surface. The third damping device has a second core and a second damping member that is fixed to the second core. The second damping member extends helically about the second core and engages the interior circumferential surface.

Propshaft assembly with damper

A method for forming a propshaft assembly. The method includes: providing a hollow shaft; tuning a mass and a stiffness of at least one liner to form an intermediate damper, the intermediate damper being configured to attenuate at least one of a bending moment vibration and a torsion mode vibration that occurs at a first predetermined frequency; tuning the intermediate damper to form a tuned damper, the tuned damper attenuating the at least one of the bending moment vibration and the torsion mode vibration at the first predetermined frequency and also attenuating shell mode vibration; and installing the tuned damper into the hollow shaft.

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Detroit, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey P Nyquist