Damping structure

• US 9,121,466 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Klaus Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Kobe Steel Limited
• Inventors: Tsugihashi, Kazuki, Sugimoto, Akio, Yamaguchi, Zenzo, Masuda, Kyoko, Yano, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, BRADLEY T
• Application Number:
  US13/138,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20120024645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 188/268, 188/378
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/363 using rolling bodies, e.g. balls free to move in a circumferential direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/015 the particles being spherical, cylindrical or the like

Abstract

According to the invention, there is provided a damping structure capable of obtaining a sufficient damping effect even against vibrations of small amplitudes, by promoting movements of powder/particle materials inside a hollow body. In the damping structure of the invention, a damping member 2 is provided on a structure 1 to be damped. The damping member 2 includes a hollow body 5 which is filled with powder/particle materials 3, partially leaving a space 4. A vibration wall face part 7 which vibrates more violently than the structure 1, on receiving vibration, is formed in at least a part of wall face parts 6 of the hollow body 5. The vibration wall face part 7 is preferably formed of a material having a lower elastic modulus and/or a lower density than the other parts.

Claims

1. A damping structure comprising

a damping member having a rectangular solid shape configured to be provided on a structure to be damped,

the damping member including a hollow body partially filled with a powder/particle material, partially leaving a space, and

a vibration wall face part of the hollow body, the vibration wall face part forming only a part of a surrounding, enclosure of the powder/particle material defined by the hollow body, the vibration wall face part vibrates more violently than the structure to be damped on receiving vibration, and other wall face parts of the hollow body defining a remainder of the surrounding enclosure of the powder/particle material defined by the hollow body, the vibration wall face part being formed of a material having at least one of a lower elastic modulus than the other parts of the hollow body, a lower density than the other parts of the hollow body, and a wall thickness thinner than other wall face parts of the hollow body, wherein the other wall face parts of the hollow body are of a rigid material and the powder/particle material is in contact with at least some of the other wall face parts, and

wherein an amount of movement of the powder/particle material is amplified by vibration of the vibration wall face part above an amount of movement of the powder/particle material by vibration of the other parts of the hollow body.

2. The damping structure according to claim 1, wherein the powder/particle material is in contact with the vibration wall face part when the structure is not vibrating.

3. The damping structure according to claim 1, wherein the vibration wall face part and a rigid wall face part of the other all face parts of the hollow body vibrates with substantially a same amplitude as the structure to be damped, and

the powder/particle material is in contact with both the vibration wall face part and the rigid wall face part when the structure is not vibrating.

4. The damping structure according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body has a rigid wall face part of the other wall face parts which vibrates with substantially a same amplitude as the structure to be damped, and

the hollow body is mounted with the rigid wall face part in contact with a surface of the structure to be damped.

5. The damping structure according to claim 1, wherein the vibration wall face part is formed in a wall face part which is not in parallel with a vibration direction of the structure to be damped, out of the wall face parts of the hollow body.