Sound Proofing / Insulation: Description and Operation
Low Vibration and Low Noise Body1. General
An effective application of vibration damping and noise suppressant materials reduces engine and road noise.
2. Body Shell Construction
High Rigid Body for Reducing Noise and Vibration
The features listed below have been adopted on the '04 Camry Solara in order to ensure a high level of body rigidity against torsion, thus reducing noise and vibration.
(1) A frame material that connects the floor tunnel reinforcement and the cowl reinforcement has been adopted in the center of the dash panel on the cabin side, in order to reduce noise and vibration.
(2) A member has been adopted at the bottom of the dash panel, and a bulkhead has been adopted at the connection to reduce noise and vibration.
(3) To prevent the windshield glass from vibrating, a reinforcement has been adopted in the cowl, and the joining of the front header and the roof side rail has been made more rigid.
(4) A large size sheet metal panel has been used in the area that connects the front suspension support plate with the cowl panel in order to increase the rigidity of the front suspension support plate and reduce noise and vibration.
(5) A curved panel has been adopted to most of the front floor panel in order to ensure a high level of rigidity. The frame and beads that separate the floor surface help prevent the floor panel from vibrating.
(6) Gussets connect the front floor panel, center floor panel, and the center floor cross member in order to reduce the torsion of the front floor and the center floor and suppress vibration.
(7) A gusset has been provided in front of the spare wheel house in order to suppress the vibration of the spare tire.
(8) The joining rigidity of the front side member and the front cross member has been increased in order to enhance drivability.
(9) Perpendicular frames that connect the front mount of the front sub-frame with the front end of the apron upper member have been newly adopted. They ensure a high level of torsional rigidity, reduce noise and vibration, and improve drivability.
(10) Two reinforcements have been adopted in order to reduce noise and vibration.
(11) A flat plate has been adopted on the front surface of the rear spring support in order to increase the rigidity of the rear spring support, minimize noise and vibration.
(12) The cross-sectional area of the rocker has been increased in order to ensure a high level of rigidity.
3. Sound Absorbing and Vibration Damping Materials
Dash Panel Silencers
^ Silencers have been provided on the sides of the dash panel facing the cabin interior and exterior to reduce engine noise.
^ Instead of urethane, a lightweight double-felt pad material with enhanced sound absorption characteristics has been adopted for the inner silencer facing the cabin interior and the front floor tunnel silencer, in order to reduce noise in the vehicle interior.
4. Acoustic Sealing Materials
Acoustic sealing materials have been provided in various areas of the body to achieve excellent sound insulation performance.
5. Weather Strips
The opening of the door is doubly sealed with door weather strips to enhance sound insulation performance.
6. Sub-frame Structure
Double rubber element
The engine and the transaxle are mounted on the front suspension, and the lower arms and the steering rack are mounted via the front suspension member. These double vibration isolation measures on the body have been taken to reduce engine and road noise.
Dynamic Damper
A dynamic damper has been provided on the front suspension member to reduce the booming noise created by the engine.
7. Wind Noise
Windshield Molding
^ A flush-type windshield molding is used to prevent wind noise.
^ Windshield wiper is hidden by hood to keep out of airflow to improve wind-noise.