Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-12
2001-06-12
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
C267S196000, C267S207000, C267S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244577
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a double acting shock isolator and in particular, to a double acting shock isolator that relies upon mechanical components to isolate a body from multidirectional forces.
Many types of equipment such as computers and the like, can be exposed to outside forces, such as earthquakes which can adversely effect the operation of the equipment. Shock absorbing devices have been devised to isolate this type of equipment from vibratory forces, however, for the most part these isolators relied on liquid spring technology to attain the desired results. Liquid springs do not exhibit long life because the fluids employed can break down over a period of time and are generally adversely effected by temperature. In addition, liquid springs require the use of seals which degrade and develop leaks over a period of time again reducing the usual life of the isolator. Liquid spring devices, thus do not lend themselves to applications where the isolator is required to operate for a long period of time, maintenance free in a remote location.
Although mechanical spring devices have been used for some time to isolate various types of equipment, the response of most of these springs are unidirectional and thus generally do not lend themselves to double acting applications where the spring is required to react uniformly to both compressive and tensile forces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve shock isolators and, in particular, double acting shock isolators.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a double acting shock isolator that exhibits long life.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical double acting shock isolator that is relatively insensitive to temperature changes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical double acting shock isolator that exhibits a uniform response to both tensile and compressive forces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to eliminate the use of a hydraulic component from a double acting shock isolator.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a double acting mechanical shock isolator that includes a cylindrical housing that is closed at one end and opened at the other end and which contains a radially expanded inner chamber. A stack of friction rings are mounted between the end walls of the expanded chamber in a preload condition. An actuating rod enters the housing through the open end and is arranged to pass through the stack of friction rings. Raised spaced apart flanges are mounted upon the actuator rods and are arranged to seat against both ends of the stack when the stack is preloaded between the end walls of the expanded chamber. A first connector is mounted upon the housing at its closed end while a second connector is mounted upon the distal end of the actuator rod outside of the housing. Applying either a tensile or compressive load to the connectors will cause the friction spring stack to further compress, thus absorbing the energy of the applied load through the interaction of the friction rings and the stress energy will return the spring and thus the isolator to a neutral position when the externally applied load returns to zero.
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Ringfeder Friction Springs Deform Plus—Supplement to Ringfeder VBG GmbH Catalog Supplement Feb. 17, 1999.
Burch Melody M.
Butler Douglas C.
Enidine Incorporated
Wall Marjama & Bilinski
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