Vibration isolator

• US 10,569,931 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Hirose, Shingo, Fukuta, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M
• Application Number:
  US15/674,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20180065777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0224 Auxiliary removable stacking elements other than covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/02 specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage containers of polygonal cross-section provided with internal protecting elements for contents B65D5/50; devices to locate articles in containers B65D25/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/06 with metal springs with rubber springs also F16F15/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/085 Use of both rubber and metal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/045 adapted to left-right translation movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/048 adapted to forward-backward translation movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base

Abstract

A vibration isolator includes an upper member, a lower member, moving mechanisms, and an elastic member. The upper member has a first storage container placed thereon. The lower member is placed on a floor surface or on an upper side of a second storage container. The moving mechanisms make the upper member movable relative to the lower member from a position of origin in a horizontal direction. The elastic member makes the upper member return to the position of origin by an elastic force responsive to a moving amount of the upper member from the position of origin in the movement of the upper member relative to the lower member.

Claims

1. A vibration isolator capable of being stacked together with stackable storage containers in which luggage is placed, the vibration isolator comprising:

an upper member on which a first storage container is placed;

a lower member placed on a floor surface or on an upper side of a second storage container;

a moving mechanism which makes the upper member movable relative to the lower member from a position of origin in a horizontal direction parallel or substantially parallel to a surface of the upper member and a surface of the lower member; and

an elastic member which makes the upper member return to the position of origin by an elastic force responsive to a moving amount of the upper member from the position of origin in the movement of the upper member relative to the lower member;

wherein

the moving mechanism includes;

a first rail member which is fixed to one of the upper member or the lower member, and extends in a longitudinal direction;

a second rail member which is fixed to the other of the upper member or the lower member, and extends in a lateral direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and

a slide member which supports the first rail member and the second rail member in a slidable manner to make the upper member movable relative to the lower member in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction while connecting the upper member and the lower member to each other;

wherein

a first end of the elastic member is fixed to a center position of one of the upper member or the lower member to which the first rail member is fixed; and

a second end of the elastic member is fixed to the other of the upper member or the lower member to which the second rail member is fixed such that the second end of the elastic member is located at a position different from a position of the first rail member in a height direction.

2. The vibration isolator according to claim 1, wherein a sum of a height of the lower member and a height of the upper member is smaller than a height of the storage container.

3. The vibration isolator according to claim 1, wherein each of the upper member and the lower member includes a plate member to mount the moving mechanism and the elastic member.

4. The vibration isolator according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the elastic member is fixed to the other of the upper member or the lower member to which the second rail member is fixed, at a position farther from the center position than a position which corresponds to an arrangement position of the first rail member.

5. The vibration isolator according to claim 1, wherein

the first rail member includes four first rail members, the second rail member includes four second rail members, and the slide member includes four slide members, and

the moving mechanism includes:

the four first rail members fixed to four corners of one of the upper member or the lower member;

the four second rail members fixed to four corners of the other of the upper member or the lower member; and

the four slide members which make the upper member movable relative to the lower member in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction while connecting the upper member and the lower member to each other by supporting one of the first rail members and one of the second rail members which corresponds to the one first rail member and which intersects with the one first rail member in a slidable manner.

6. The vibration isolator according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member generates the elastic force in a length direction of the elastic member.

7. A vibration isolator capable of being stacked together with stackable storage containers in which luggage is placed, the vibration isolator comprising:

an upper member on which a first storage container is placed;

a lower member placed on a floor surface or on an upper side of a second storage container;

a moving mechanism which makes the upper member movable relative to the lower member from a position of origin in a horizontal direction parallel or substantially parallel to a surface of the upper member and a surface of the lower member; and

an elastic member which makes the upper member return to the position of origin by an elastic force responsive to a moving amount of the upper member from the position of origin in the movement of the upper member relative to the lower member;

wherein

the elastic member includes a spiral spring with a spiral shape where a radius of the spiral shape is increased from a center at which a first end of the elastic member is disposed toward an outer periphery at which a second end of the elastic member is disposed.

8. The vibration isolator according to claim 7, wherein the spiral spring has a predetermined thickness and a planar shape parallel or substantially parallel to a radial direction of the spiral shape before the spiral spring is mounted on the upper member and the lower member.

9. The vibration isolator according to claim 7, wherein the second end of the elastic member on an outer peripheral side of the spiral spring includes a circular member.

10. A vibration isolator capable of being stacked together with stackable storage containers in which luggage is placed, the vibration isolator comprising:

an upper member on which a first storage container is placed;

a lower member placed on a floor surface or on an upper side of a second storage container;

a moving mechanism which makes the upper member movable relative to the lower member from a position of origin in a horizontal direction parallel or substantially parallel to a surface of the upper member and a surface of the lower member; and

an elastic member which makes the upper member return to the position of origin by an elastic force responsive to a moving amount of the upper member from the position of origin in the movement of the upper member relative to the lower member;

wherein

the upper member includes a projection that is configured to conform to a bottom portion of the first storage container;

the lower member includes a recess that is configured to conform to an upper portion of the second storage container; and

the upper member and the lower member are a same size when viewed from above.

11. The vibration isolator according to claim 10, wherein

the elastic member includes four elastic members;

and

each of the four elastic members has a first end thereof in a length direction fixed to one point at a center position of the upper member or the lower member.

12. The vibration isolator according to claim 11, wherein the elastic member is arranged such that the length direction of the elastic member is directed radially in a surface direction of the upper member or the lower member.

13. The vibration isolator according to claim 10, further comprising a mounting member by which the elastic member is mounted such that a length direction of the elastic member is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper member or the lower member.

14. The vibration isolator according to claim 10, wherein the elastic member is arranged in point symmetry with respect to a center position of the upper member and the lower member.