Damper device for a mechanical system

• US 5,655,632 A
• Filed: 05/08/1995
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Societe Etienne Lacroix Tous Artifices
• Original Assignee: Societe Etienne Lacroix Tous Artifices
• Inventors: Valembois, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Application Number:
  US08/432,132
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 188/129, 188/166, 188/136, 188/70 R, 267/205, 267/134, 267/214, 89/42.01, 89/44.01, 89/44.02, 89/14.3, 89/198
• US Class Current: 188/136
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/32 Belleville-type springs friction-clutch diaphragm springs F16D13/583
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/046 using combinations of springs of different kinds F16F15/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/06 with metal springs with rubber springs also F16F15/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/08 with friction surfaces rectilinearly movable along each other F16F7/01 takes precedence ; one of the members being a spring F16F13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 25/06 Friction-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 25/12 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/88 mounted around the barrel

Abstract

A damper device comprising a first and second assembly suitable for guided relative displacement. The first assembly is supported stationarily with respect to a reference. The second assembly is supported for guided relative displacement with respect to the first assembly and the reference. A driving connection connects the second assembly and a system to be damped. A shoe rests against the first assembly and a resilient control that works in buckling is interposed between the shoe and the second assembly. The resilient control exerts a force on the shoe tending to urge the shoe against the first assembly during an active stage of damper device loading, corresponding to relative displacement in a first direction between the first and second assemblies and to reduce the force exerted by the shoe during a passive stage of damper device loading corresponding to relative displacement in a second direction between the first and second assemblies.

Claims

1. A damper device of the type comprising:

a first assembly (100) and a second assembly (300) guided in relative displacement, said first assembly being tied to a reference and said second assembly being movable relative to said reference;

means (113) defining a driving connection between said second assembly and a system to be damped;

a shoe (400) resting against said first assembly; and

control means (500) including buckling resilient means (510) interposed between the shoe (400) and said second assembly, said control means being adapted to exert a force on the shoe (400) tending to urge said shoe against said first assembly during an active stage of damper device loading corresponding to a first direction of relative displacement between said first and second assemblies (100,

     300), and to reduce the force exerted by the shoe (400) during a passive stage of damper device loading corresponding to a second direction of relative displacement between said first and second assemblies (100,

     300),

wherein the resilient means (510) are composed of beams which are rectilinear in a standby position, and which rest by the ends respectively on the shoe and on said second assembly.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said resilient means take up at least a portion of clearance (J) that exists between the shoe (400) and the second assembly.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said device further includes a force-limiter (140).

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the force-limiter comprises resilient members (140).

5. A device according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the force-limiter (140) comprises at least one Belleville type spring washer.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact the resilient means of the control means (500) comprise at least one spring washer.

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the resilient means of the control means (500) comprise at least one washer and provided with radial slots that open to the periphery of said washer, alternately on the inside and on the outside.

8. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the resilient means of the control means (500) comprise a plurality of stacked spring washers.

9. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the resilient means of the control means (500) comprise a piece of elastomer (530).

10. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said second assembly is guided for relative translation in regard to said first assembly.

11. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the shoe (400) and the first assembly (100, 300) are cylindrical pieces having friction surfaces, said friction surfaces having constant diameter along the lengths of said pieces.

12. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the shoe (400) and the first assembly (100, 300) have friction surfaces, wherein one of said friction surfaces is generally cylindrical while the other friction surface has a diameter which varies along its length.

13. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the shoe (400) is formed by a split ring.

14. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that an outer surface of the shoe (400) supports one of the assemblies (100).

15. A device according to claim 14, characterized by the fact that said first assembly (100) is held on the outer surface of the shoe (400) by two spring clips (600, 601).

16. A device according to claim 14, characterized by the fact that the shoe (400) is formed by a cylindrical element having an internal annular cavity (410).

17. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the shoe (400) is placed on an outside surface of said first assembly.

18. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the shoe (400) is placed on an inside surface of one of the assemblies (100, 300).

19. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an additional shoe (430), one of the two shoes (400, 430) bearing against an inside surface of one of the assemblies (300) while the other shoe bears against an outside surface of the other assembly (100), and that the control means (500) are interposed between the two shoes (400, 430), and exerting force on the shoes (400, 430) tending to urge said shoes toward said assemblies during an active stage of damper device loading corresponding to a first direction of relative displacement between said assemblies and to reduce force exerted on said shoes during a passive stage of damper device loading corresponding to a second direction of relative displacement between said assemblies.

20. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said second assembly is guided for relative translation in regard of said first assembly and that a plurality of additional shoes (400) are resting against and juxtaposed axially along the direction of translation of said second assembly with respective buckling resilient means (500) between the additional shoes resting against the second assembly and the shoe resting against said first assembly.

21. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that return means (700) are provided urging the two assemblies (100, 300) towards a rest position.

22. A device according to claim 21, characterized by the fact that the return means (700) are formed by a return spring.

23. A device according to claim 22, characterized by the fact that the return spring (700) operates in compression.

24. A device according to claim 22, characterized by the fact that the return spring (700) operates in traction.

25. A device according to claim 21, characterized by the fact that the return means (700) are formed by compressing a volume of air.

26. A device according to claim 25, characterized by the fact that the two assemblies (100, 300) define an internal airtight chamber (332).

27. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said device includes prestress means which load the resilient means (510) acting on the shoe (400) by taking up at least a part of a clearance (J) that exists between the shoe (400) and the second assembly, prior to any relative displacement between the two assemblies (100, 300).

28. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said damper device further includes a resilient abutment (800) which limits and controls displacement of the shoe (400) relative to said first assembly (100).

29. A device according to claim 28, characterized by the fact that the resilient abutment (800) is made up of Belleville type spring washers.

30. A device according to claim 28, characterized by an fact that the axial clearance defined between the shoe (400) and said second assembly (100), together with a deformation of the resilient abutment (800) enable washers constituting the buckling resilient means to switch between two stable states during the active stage.

31. A device according to claim 28, characterized by the fact that the resilient abutment (800) is adapted to control friction force so as to stabilize the force on the shoe.

32. A device according to claim 28, characterized by the fact that said device possesses two equilibrium positions, one encouraging stiffening of the device, and the other encouraging relaxing of the device.

33. A device according to claim 28, characterized by the fact that the resilient abutment (800) is adapted to cause washers constituting the buckling resilient means to return automatically into a first equilibrium state.

34. An application of the damper device according to claim 1 to damping a force exerted by a barrel of a weapon.

35. An application according to claim 34, characterized by the fact that a stationary reference is constituted by a gun stock, grip, or carriage, while a system to be damped is formed by a gun barrel that is slidable relative to the stationary reference.

36. A damper device comprising a first assembly supported stationarily with respect to a reference, a second assembly supported for guided relative displacement with respect to said first assembly and said reference, means forming a driving connection between said second assembly and a movable system to be damped, a shoe spaced from said first assembly and movably and frictionally engaging said second assembly, resilient control means interposed between said shoe and said first assembly, said resilient control means exerting a force on said shoe to urge said shoe frictionally against said second assembly to dampen movement of said second assembly during an active stage of damper device loading corresponding to a first direction of movement of the second assembly and reducing force exerted on said shoe to reduce frictional engagement of the shoe against the second assembly to reduce damping movement of the second assembly during a passive stage of damper device loading corresponding to a second direction of movement of the second assembly, said resilient control means including a buckling part engaged between said shoe and said first assembly to exert a force on the shoe toward the second assembly when the second assembly is moved in said first direction of movement.

37. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that said device further includes a force-limiter.

38. A device according to claim 37, characterized by the fact that the force-limiter comprises resilient members.

39. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that said resilient control means comprise at least one spring washer.

40. A device according to claim 39, characterized by the fact that the force-limiter comprises at least one Belleville type spring washer.

41. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that the resilient control means comprise at least one washer provided with radial slots that open to the periphery of said washer, alternately on the inside and on the outside.

42. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that the resilient control means comprise a plurality of stacked spring washers.

43. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that the resilient control means comprise a piece of elastomer.

44. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that the shoe is formed by a split ring.

45. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that the shoe is formed by a cylindrical element having an internal annular cavity.

46. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that return means are provided urging the two assemblies towards a rest position.

47. A device according to claim 46, characterized by the fact that said return means are formed by a return spring.

48. A device according to claim 36, characterized by the fact that it further includes a resilient abutment which limits and controls displacement of the shoe relative to the first assembly.

49. A device according to claim 48, characterized by the fact that the resilient abutment is made up of Belleville type spring washers.

50. A damper device comprising a first assembly supported stationarily with respect to a reference, a second assembly supported for guided relative displacement with respect to said first assembly and said reference, means forming a driving connection between said second assembly and a movable system to be damped, a shoe spaced from said second assembly and movably and frictionally engaging said first assembly, resilient control means interposed between said shoe and said second assembly, said resilient control means exerting a force on said shoe to urge said shoe frictionally against said first assembly to dampen movement of said second assembly during an active stage of damper device loading corresponding to a first direction of movement of the second assembly and reducing force exerted on said shoe to reduce frictional engagement of the shoe against the first assembly to reduce damping movement of the second assembly during a passive stage of damper device loading corresponding to a second direction of movement of the second assembly, said resilient control means including a buckling part engaged between said shoe and said second assembly to exert a force on the shoe toward the first assembly when the second assembly is moved in said first direction of movement.

51. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that said device further includes a force-limiter.

52. A device according to claim 51, characterized by the fact that the force-limiter comprises resilient members.

53. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that said resilient control means comprise at least one spring washer.

54. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the resilient control means comprise at least one washer provided with radial slots that open to the periphery of said washer, alternately on the inside and on the outside.

55. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the resilient control means comprise a plurality of stacked spring washers.

56. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the resilient control means comprise a piece of elastomer.

57. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the force-limiter comprises at least one Belleville type spring washer.

58. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the shoe is formed by a split ring.

59. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the shoe is formed by a cylindrical element having an internal annular cavity.

60. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that return means are provided urging the two assemblies towards a rest position.

61. A device according to claim 60, characterized by the fact that the return means are formed by a return spring.

62. A device according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that it further includes a resilient abutment which limits and controls displacement of the shoe relative to the second assembly.

63. A device according to claim 62, characterized by the fact that the resilient abutment is made up of Belleville type spring washers.