ISOLATION SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140061424A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinetic Systems Incorporated (Kinetics Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Kinetic Systems Incorporated (Kinetics Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Chao, Darren, Shaidani, Hamid, Krishnan, Ramkumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,353,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/550
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/98 against vibrations or shocks on foundations E02D31/08; against mechanical destruction, e.g. by air-raids against incendiary damage only E04B1/94; finishing work therefor E04F; buildings withstanding earthquake or the like, shelters, arrangements of splintercatching walls E04H9/00
• 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 15/0275 Control of stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/0472 characterised by comprising a damping device with plastic deformation of members F16F7/12; delay devices or arrangements F15B21/10

Abstract

An isolation system includes a platform, a plurality of isolators for the platform electronically switchable between a soft mode of isolation resulting in a first natural frequency and a stiff mode of isolation resulting in a second natural frequency, and a controller responsive to a signal representing the frequency of a machine on the platform and configured to switch the isolator to the stiff mode of operation when the frequency of the machine approaches or reaches, the first natural frequency to avoid resonance magnification, and otherwise switch the isolation to the soft mode of operation.

Claims

1. An isolation system comprising:

a platform;

a plurality of isolators for the platform electronically switchable between a soft mode of isolation resulting in a first natural frequency and a stiff mode of isolation resulting in a second natural frequency; and

a controller responsive to a signal representing the frequency of a machine on the platform and configured to;

switch the isolator to the stiff mode of operation when the frequency of the machine approaches or reaches, the first natural frequency to avoid resonance magnification, and

otherwise switch the isolation to the soft mode of operation.

2. The system of claim 1 further including one or more actuator subsystems positioned to rigidly support the platform.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the controller is further configured to activate the actuator subsystem in response to a predetermined machine frequency.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the controller subsystem is configured to process a machine control input frequency and an integrated machine frequency signal from an integration circuit.

5. The system of claim 1 in which an isolator includes:

a flexible diaphragm for an isolation piston,

a first chamber supporting the flexible diaphragm,

a second chamber serving as a reservoir, and

a valve connected to a supply, to the first chamber, and to the second chamber and operable to by-pass the second chamber to more quickly direct the supply to the first chamber.

6. An isolation method comprising:

determining the frequency of a machine on an isolation platform subsystem;

switching the isolation subsystem to a stiff mode of operation when the frequency of the machine approaches, or reaches, the natural frequency of the isolation subsystem in the soft mode of operation to avoid resonance magnification; and

otherwise switching the isolation subsystem to a soft mode of operation.

7. The method of claim 6 further including activating an actuator subsystem in response to a predetermined machine frequency to rigidly support the platform.