Vibration damped apparatus
First Claim
1. A mechanically damped apparatus, comprisinga member;
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a volume of elastic material; and
a plurality of submasses, distributed in said volume of elastic material such that (i) said damping mass exhibits plural submasses in each of three mutually orthogonal intersecting planes and (ii) plural ones of said submasses are in close proximity to other submasses so as to interfere with each other upon compression of said damping mass, the volume of the interfering submasses greater than the volume of elastic material filling intersticies between the interfering submasses, said elastic material being comprised of a material which is more easily deformed than said submasses by said oscillations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vibration damped apparatus comprising a damping mass which is mechanically coupled to a member subject to vibration. The damping mass is formed from a elastic material throughout which a plurality of sub-masses are distributed. The sub-masses are relatively positioned so that the damping mass has different moduli of elasticity in tension and compression, so as to quickly dampen a broad frequency range of vibrations in the vibrating member. In a preferred embodiment, the vibrating member is a tubular post upon which vibration-sensitive optical components are mounted, the damping mass being disposed within a cavity in the post to damp vibrations of the post and optical components thereon.
101 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A mechanically damped apparatus, comprising
a member; - and
a damping mass, mechanically coupled to said member for damping oscillation of said member, said damping mass comprising; a volume of elastic material; and a plurality of submasses, distributed in said volume of elastic material such that (i) said damping mass exhibits plural submasses in each of three mutually orthogonal intersecting planes and (ii) plural ones of said submasses are in close proximity to other submasses so as to interfere with each other upon compression of said damping mass, the volume of the interfering submasses greater than the volume of elastic material filling intersticies between the interfering submasses, said elastic material being comprised of a material which is more easily deformed than said submasses by said oscillations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A damping mass for damping mechanical oscillations in a mechanical member, comprising:
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an elastic material; and an agglomeration of submasses distributed in said elastic material, said submasses being formed of a material which deforms less easily than said elastic material, the relative proportions of said submasses and elastic material selected such that the total volume of said submasses in said elastic material is greater than the volume of elastic material in which said submasses agglomerate, so that said submasses are disposed in close proximity to cause some of said submasses to spatially interfere with other of said submasses during compression of said damping mass. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. In a mechanically damped apparatus comprising a member which exhibits oscillations upon exposure to an excitation force, the improvement comprising:
a damping mass having a modulus of elasticity in compression, a modulus of elasticity in tension, and a shear modulus, said damping mass comprising a plurality of submasses disposed in and retained by a material such that (1) the modulus of elasticity in compression is significantly higher than the modulus of elasticity in tension, and (2) said shear modulus is significantly higher when said damping mass is in compression than the shear modulus when said damping mass is in tension, said submasses being sufficiently small and closely spaced such that said damping mass cross-sectionally exhibits plural submasses in each of three orthogonal mutually intersecting planes which have a point of mutual intersection within said damping mass. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A damping mass for damping mechanical oscillations in a mechanical member, comprising:
a volume of submasses disposed in a volume of elastic material such that said elastic material film interstices between said submasses, said elastic material comprised of a material which deforms more easily than said submasses, the volume of said submasses greater than the interstitial volume filled by the elastic material, said submasses sufficiently small and closely spaced such that said damping mass cross-sectionally exhibits plural submasses in each of three orthogonal mutually intersecting planes which have a point of mutual intersection within said damping mass.
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23. A method of manufacturing a damping mass for a member which exhibits oscillations at a natural resonant frequency upon exposure to an excitation force, said method comprising:
homogeneously distributing plural submasses throughout at least a portion of the volume of an elastic material comprised of a material which is more easily deformable than the submasses to form an agglomeration such that said submasses in said portion of said volume (i) are in close proximity with said elastic material filling intersticies between said submasses, and (ii) have a combined volume which is greater than the volume of elastic material filling the intersticies.
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24. A method of manufacturing a damping mass for mechanically damping the vibration of a vibrating member, comprising:
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combining a liquid elastomer and a plurality of submasses so as to coat each submass with said elastomer; selecting the proportion of said liquid elastomer and said submasses such that said submasses agglomerate in substantially touching relationship in said liquid; and solidifying the elastomer to form a solid damping mass with the submasses substantially uniformly distributed throughout the elastomer. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A method of manufacturing a damping mass, comprising:
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coating a plurality of submasses with a liquid elastic material that is capable of solidification, and which when solidified is more easily deformable than said submasses; solidifying said liquid elastic material to form a solid damping mass with said submasses in close proximity such that (i) said damping mass exhibits plural submasses in each of three mutually orthogonal intersecting planes, and (ii) at least a substantial portion of submasses are distributed in substantially touching relationship so as to cause interference between submasses upon compression of the damping mass. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method of manufacturing a damping mass for damping vibrations in a member, said method comprising:
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introducing a plurality of submasses and a liquid elastic material into a cavity in a member such that said submasses are in substantially touching relationship, and said liquid elastic material fills interstices between said submasses; solidifying said liquid elastic material to form a solid material to retain said submasses in substantially touching relationship, such that said submasses interfere with other submasses during said vibrations to damp said member; and selecting the submasses to have higher resistance to deformation than the solid elastic material. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A damping mass, comprising:
a plurality of submasses distributed in a solid material which is flexible so as to deform upon compression of said damping mass, and which is more pliant than said submasses so as to deform more easily than said submasses upon compression of said damping mass, said submasses distributed in said volume of solid material such that (i) said damping mass exhibits plural submasses in each of three mutually orthogonal intersecting planes, and (ii) plural ones of said submasses are in substantially touching relationship so as to interfere with each other upon compression of said damping mass to provide damping.
Specification