Hydraulic torsional damper for a steering system

摘要

A torsional damper significantly reduces vibrations in a steering system of a motor vehicle. The torsional damper (12) includes a housing (30) defining an interior (42) and flanges (34) for secure attachment to a structural member (28) of the motor vehicle. The torsional damper also includes a pump (78) driven by rotational movement of a steering shaft. The housing includes first and second chambers (120, 124) disposed within the interior and in fluid communication with the pump and each other through a fluid track (60). The housing also includes a diaphragm partitioning the first and second chambers and a predetermined stiffness. The fluid track is sized so as to establish a critical frequency above which steering shaft cyclic rotational motions are attenuated and below which steering shaft cyclic rotational motions are unaffected.