Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Patent
1996-09-19
1998-05-05
Poon, Peter M.
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
188381, 188371, 267158, F16M 100
Patent
active
057464189
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a retardation system for adjustably reducing the speed of an object moving relative to the retardation system, which retardation system comprises a retardation mechanism for transferring to this retardation mechanism the kinetic energy of the object when the speed of the object is being reduced by the retardation mechanism, and a computing device for computing the kinetic energy to be transferred to the retardation mechanism in the form of retardation forces, calculated over time, of the object during its retardation process.
JP-A-209-5951 describes such a retardation system for retarding a moving object by means of hydraulic shock absorbers. Also other specific constructions for this purpose are known. Thus, for instance, in impact tests with cars or in testing car components, retardation systems are used in the form of, for instance, crushable elements which deform plastically. Also used frequently are linear and non-linear spring systems. All these known retardation systems have certain drawbacks.
When crushable elements are used, for instance in testing cars or parts of the body/chassis, these crushable elements have to be replaced after each impact event, which requires time and material. Moreover, the reproducibility of crushable elements is generally poor. This means that several impact tests are needed to produce the desired retardation characteristic of braking power versus time, and is therefore time-consuming. Also, the composition of the crushable elements plays a role. If so-called "honeycomb" crushable elements are used, it happens that as a result of the manufacturing process of the "honeycomb" the deformation force or the energy absorption varies strongly among from one manufactured product to another, which makes it very difficult to establish the retardation characteristic.
Another drawback of crushable elements is that highly variable, i.e. rapidly increasing and decreasing, retardation forces cannot be realized, because in principal crushable elements can only be compressed. A strong decrease in the retardation force implies that the deformation force must suddenly become lower, which is unusual for crushable elements because they produce a more or less constant force along the path of deformation.
Yet another drawback is that the crushable elements are generally based on the buckling behavior of the material used and the design thereof. As a consequence, in particular the height or length of such a crushable element is limited and so a great retardation force of long duration is very difficult to realize, if at all.
A number of the above-mentioned drawbacks can be obviated by using controlled or non-controlled hydraulic shock absorbers, since these shock absorbers make it possible to generate within certain limits a varying force or retardation characteristic, which changes with the distance traveled or with time. However, a number of drawbacks are associated with this hydraulic system.
For instance, the adjustability there of is difficult and limited and mostly requires empirical determination. Moreover, for different retardation characteristics, different shock absorbers have to be used or the control must be adjusted. Further, controlled hydraulic dampers are typically too slow for short-lasting highly varying shock loads. In particular for large masses, hydraulic dampers become too slow, too heavy and expensive.
Linear and nonlinear spring systems are relatively simple and are therefore frequently employed for braking cranes and trains, for instance, or for wheel suspension or automobiles in combination with a shock absorber. However, these simple spring systems also have a number of drawbacks.
One of these drawbacks is that a spring system, upon impact of an object, stores a part of the impact energy and, upon compression and/or extension of the spring system, restores part of it to the object. As a result, the velocity of motion of the object increases again, but now in the direction opposite to its original direction. Although there are spring systems w
REFERENCES:
patent: 4014565 (1977-03-01), Fieni
patent: 4515845 (1985-05-01), Annis
patent: 5382008 (1995-01-01), Tyutinman
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