Resetting semi-passive stiffness damper, triggering assembly, and method of damping
AssigneeOhio University
InventorKenneth K. Walsh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A resetting semi-passive stiffness damper (RSPSD) triggering assembly and a RSPSD and method of use for damping movement of an object. Exemplary embodiments of a RSPSD triggering assembly include, for example, a rotatable disc and a spring-loaded lever arranged between the disc and a slotted channel. A sensor is provided and communicates with a bypass valve on the cylinder. A change in the direction of movement of the disc causes reciprocation of the lever in the channel, which causes the sensor to send open and close signals to the bypass valve. In some embodiments, a single disc may be replaced with two interacting discs. A RSPSD equipped with such a triggering assembly is usable to damp movement of an object of interest.
Claims19
A triggering assembly for a resetting semi-passive stiffness damper (RSPSD) having a linearly-reciprocatable piston, comprising:
- a rotatable disc;
- a displaceable, spring-biased lever having a first end associated with the circumference of the disc and a second end movably arranged in a slotted channel;
- and
- a sensor associated with the channel and located to detect the second end of the lever when the lever resides within a sensing range of the sensor, the sensor adapted to send open and close signals to a valve of the RSPSD;
- wherein, a back-and-forth rotation of the disc will cause the first end of the lever to move along the circumference of the disc and the second end of the lever to reciprocate within the slotted channel.
A resetting semi-passive stiffness damper (RSPSD), comprising:
- a reciprocatable piston located within a cylinder;
- an actuator coupled between the piston and an object the movement of which is to be damped, so as to transfer movement of the object to the piston;
- a bypass valve in communication with the cylinder;
- a rotatable disc that is directly or indirectly rotatable by linear movement of the piston;
- and
- a triggering assembly comprising:
- a displaceable, spring-biased lever having a first end associated with the circumference of the disc and a second end movably arranged in a slotted channel, and
- a sensor associated with the channel and located to detect the lever when the second end of the lever resides within a sensing range of the sensor, the sensor configured to send open and close signals to the bypass valve;
- wherein, reciprocation of the piston will cause a back-and-forth rotation of the disc, which will resultantly cause the first end of the lever to move along the circumference of the disc and the second end of the lever to reciprocate within the slotted channel.
A method of damping the movement of an object, comprising:
- providing a resetting semi-passive stiffness damper (RSPSD), the RSPSD comprising:
- a reciprocatable piston located within a cylinder;
- an actuator for coupling the piston to the object so as to transmit movement of the object to the piston,
- a bypass valve in communication with the cylinder,
- a rotatable disc that is directly or indirectly rotatable by linear movement of the piston,
- a displaceable, spring-biased lever having a first end associated with the circumference of the disc and a second end movably arranged in a slotted channel, and
- a sensor associated with the channel and located to detect the lever when the second end of the lever resides within a sensing range of the sensor, the sensor configured to send open and close signals to the bypass valve;
- and coupling the RSPSD piston to the object with the actuator;
- wherein, movement of the object will cause a reciprocation of the RSPSD piston;
- and
- wherein, reciprocation of the piston will cause a back-and-forth rotation of the disc, which will resultantly cause the first end of the lever to move along the circumference of the disc and the second end of the lever to reciprocate within the slotted channel;
- whereby the sensor will be activated and deactivated in response to movement of the lever, thereby causing the sensor to send open and close signals to the RSPSD bypass valve as required to damp the motion of the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.