US Patent:
20090078077, Mar 26, 2009
Inventors:
Karl G. Horschel - Springville NY, US
International Classification:
F16F 15/167
F16F 7/10
Abstract:
A viscous torsional vibration damper comprising a housing adapted to be connected to a rotary member to be damped, the housing comprising an annular chamber having an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface elongated about a central axis, an inertial mass within the chamber and having an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface elongated about an axis of rotation, the inertial mass and the chamber configured such that the inertial mass is rotatable in the chamber relative to the housing, a first annular centering element and a second annular centering element between the opposed inner cylindrical surfaces of the chamber and the inertial mass or the opposed outer cylindrical surfaces of the chamber and the inertial mass, the annular centering elements configured and arranged to bias the axis of rotation of the inertial mass towards alignment with the central axis of the chamber, a clearance gap between the housing and the inertial mass, the clearance gap having a first portion and a second portion separated by at least one of the centering elements, a bypass channel extending through the inertial mass or at least one of the centering elements from the first portion of the clearance gap to the second portion of the clearance gap, and a viscous fluid within the clearance gap.