Vibration mechanism

• US 6,325,365 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujita, Etsunori, Kawasaki, Seiji, Kojima, Shigeyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIVINE, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US09/577,139
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 188/267, 188/161, 267/140.14, 267/140.15
• US Class Current: 267/140.15
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 6/005 using permanent magnets only

Abstract

A vibration mechanism includes a repulsive magneto-spring made up of at least two permanent magnets 22, 24, 36, 38. In this vibration mechanism, the spring constant of the magneto-spring is set to approximately zero by appropriately selecting the relationship of one of the permanent magnets 22, 24, 36, 38 relative to the other.

Claims

1. A vibration mechanism comprising:

a stationary frame;

a first permanent magnet secured to said stationary frame, wherein said first permanent magnet has a first face, a first magnetic pole of a first polarity on said first face, and a second magnetic pole of a second polarity on said first face;

a movable frame movably mounted with one degree of freedom on said stationary frame; and

a second permanent magnet secured to said moveable frame, wherein said second permanent magnet has a second face, a third magnetic pole of the first polarity on said second face, and a fourth magnetic pole of the second polarity on said second face, wherein

said first permanent magnet and said second permanent magnet are spaced from each other and oriented such that said first face of said first permanent magnet is opposed to said second face of said second permanent magnet, thereby forming a magneto-spring having a spring constant, and said first and second permanent magnets are inclined with respect to the one degree of freedom of said moveable frame with respect to said stationary frame so that magnetic energy accumulated in the magneto-spring is kept substantially constant and the spring constant is kept substantially zero during movement of said moveable frame with respect to said stationary frame.

2. The vibration mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an opposing area between said first face of said first permanent magnet and said second face of said second permanent magnet is changed when a distance between said first face of said first permanent magnet and said second face of said second permanent magnet is changed.

4. The vibration mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an opposing area between said first face of said first permanent magnet and said second face of said second permanent magnet is changed when a distance between said first face of said first permanent magnet and said second face of said second permanent magnet is changed.

3. A vibration mechanism comprising:

a stationary frame;

a first permanent magnet secured to said stationary frame, wherein said first permanent magnet has a first face, a first magnetic pole of a first polarity on said first face, and a second magnetic pole of a second polarity on said first face;

a movable frame;

a second permanent magnet secured to said moveable frame, wherein said second permanent magnet has a second face, a third magnetic pole of the first polarity on said second face, and a fourth magnetic pole of the second polarity on said second face; and

a plurality of crank shafts mounting said moveable frame to said stationary frame such that said moveable frame is rotatable with respect to said stationary frame, wherein

said first permanent magnet and said second permanent magnet are spaced from each other and oriented such that said first face of said first permanent magnet is opposed to said second face of said second permanent magnet, thereby forming a magneto-spring having a spring constant such that magnetic energy accumulated in the magneto-spring is kept substantially constant and the spring constant is kept substantially zero during rotational movement of said moveable frame with respect to said stationary frame.