Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Nagari Achar

Thomas Mathai

Hassan Dakhlallah

Nigel King

James F Beck

A system for securing a powertrain component to a body structure of a vehicle may include first and second mounts each having a base and a first elastomeric barrier secured to and extending from the base defining an air filled chamber, and a connector coupling the air filled chambers, the connector sized to provide an associated air volume that reduces stiffness of the first elastomeric barrier at an excitation frequency corresponding to a target engine speed. The air filled chambers may be hermetically sealed and pressurized above atmospheric pressure. The system may include a fluid-filled switchable mount having a decoupler air pocket selectively coupled to a vacuum source or atmosphere with an expander integrated with the mount or as a separate component coupled between the decoupler air pocket and the vacuum source. The expander may be implemented as a Helmholtz resonator or may include an in-line expansion chamber.

Pneumatically tuned vehicle powertrain mounts

Methods and systems are provided for a dual state hydromount in order to passively introduce air underneath a decoupler such that the stiffness of the air pocket adds to the stiffness of the decoupler, thereby increasing a level of damping available in a vehicle ride mode, the ride mode defined by vehicle speeds greater than a threshold speed. In one example, a dual state hydromount is described wherein a partitioning structure may be alternately coupled to either vacuum or atmosphere, and when coupled to atmosphere an air spring is created under the decoupler via the passive directing of air to the decoupler via a one way check valve. In this way, introduction of an air spring is achieved without additional active control.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Nagari Achar