Vibration dampening apparatus

• US 20020069731A1
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alan J. Soucy
• Original Assignee: Alan J. Soucy
• Inventors: Soucy, Alan J.
• Application Number:
  US09/953,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069731A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 82/163
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 13/00 Units comprising springs of the non-fluid type as well as vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or fluid springs F16F5/00, F16F6/00, F16F9/003 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/0436 characterised by being contained in a generally closed space
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/30 with solid or semi-solid material, e.g. pasty masses, as damping medium in devices where rotary elements are damped by viscous shear effect only, any throttling effect being immaterial F16F9/12; where members moving with a rotating system are being damped F16F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/2595 with noise or vibration dampener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/30 Miscellaneous

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods used to reduce or eliminate vibration during material removal processes, such as high-speed machining. The apparatus and method are particularly useful in the machining of thin-wall or oddly-shaped structures. The apparatus includes a self-contained flexible, expandable bladder, which is surrounded by a gel-like material which is in turn enclosed in a flexible, expandable bag-like enclosure. The flexible bag material provides structural support to prevent disturbance of the work piece when influenced by material removal forces. The bladder is capable of expanding and contracting within the enclosure. The expansion of the bladder displaces the gel-like material and expands the bag-like enclosure, thereby ensuring adequate contact between the bag-like enclosure and both the holding fixture and the work piece.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dampening vibrations, comprising:

an enclosure containing a gel-like material; and

a bladder disposed within the enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bladder is expandable.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an expansion assembly in fluid communication with the bladder.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the expansion assembly includes a pressure indicator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is configured to fit within a machining fixture.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is made of flexible material.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure shape is selected from the group consisting of polygonal, arcuate, tubular, and combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gel-like material is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, hydrogel, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, superabsorbant polymer compositions, polyacrylamide, polyols, gelatin, and combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bladder shape is selected from the group consisting of X-like, Y-like, T-like, V-like, polygonal, arcuate, and combinations thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bladder shape is selected from the group consisting of X-like, Y-like, T-like, V-like, polygonal, arcuate, and combinations thereof.

10. An apparatus for dampening vibrations, comprising:

an enclosure including at least two compartments, each compartment containing a gellike material; and

a bladder disposed within each of the at least two compartments of the enclosure.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the bladders are expandable.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one expansion assembly in fluid communication with the bladders.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one expansion assembly includes a pressure indicator.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the enclosure is configured to fit within a machining fixture.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the enclosure is made of flexible material.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the enclosure shape is selected from the group consisting of polygonal, arcuate, tubular, and combinations thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gel-like material is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, hydrogel, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, superabsorbant polymer compositions, polyacrylamide, polyols, gelatin, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the vibration dampening apparatus includes an enclosure containing a gel-like material and a bladder disposed within the enclosure.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein biasing the apparatus comprises the step of at least one of expanding and contracting the bladder.

19. A method of attenuating vibration, the method comprising the steps of:

disposing a vibration dampening apparatus in a fixture;

disposing a work piece on the fixture; and

biasing the apparatus against at least a portion of one of the work piece and the fixture to change the frequency characteristics thereof.