Vibration absorbing metamaterial apparatus and associated methods

A vibration absorbing apparatus configured for functioning as a practical mechanical metamaterial for anisotropic vibration control, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of rail units positioned in a side-by-side arrangement so as to form an at least one rail unit layer, each rail unit comprising:
• a first plate providing an at least one substantially linear slide rail extending therefrom;
• an opposing second plate slidably engaged with the first plate, the second plate providing a corresponding at least one substantially linear slot sized for slidably receiving the corresponding at least one slide rail of the first plate, such that the at least one slide rail rides within the corresponding at least one slot;
• and
• an at least one resilient connector extending between the first and second plates and configured for resiliently flexing in at least one of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction so as to maintain slidable engagement between the first and second plates;
• wherein, the at least one slot of each rail unit of the at least one rail unit layer is oriented in substantially the same direction;
• a first fabrication grid and an opposing second fabrication grid positioned and configured for sandwiching the at least one rail unit layer therebetween, each of the first fabrication grid and second fabrication constructed out of a relatively resilient, flexible material;
• wherein, the first and second plates of each rail unit of the at least one rail unit layer are flexibly connected to or otherwise spaced apart from the respective first and second plates of the at least one adjacent rail unit, thereby enabling the apparatus to fold or otherwise roll up on itself;
• and
• wherein, the at least one resilient connector of each rail unit is shared with one or more of the immediately adjacent rail units.

A vibration absorbing apparatus configured for functioning as a practical mechanical metamaterial for anisotropic vibration control, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of rail layers positioned in a vertically stacked arrangement, each rail unit layer comprising a plurality of rail units positioned in a side-by-side arrangement, each rail unit comprising:
• a first plate providing an at least one substantially linear slide rail extending therefrom;
• an opposing second plate slidably engaged with the first plate, the second plate providing a corresponding at least one substantially linear slot sized for slidably receiving the corresponding at least one slide rail of the first plate, such that the at least one slide rail rides within the corresponding at least one slot;
• and
• an at least one resilient connector extending directly between the first and second plates and configured for resiliently flexing in at least one of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction so as to maintain slidable engagement between the first and second plates;
• wherein, the at least one slot of each rail unit of the at least one rail unit layer is oriented in substantially the same direction;
• wherein, the at least one resilient connector of each rail unit is shared with one or more of the immediately adjacent rail units, thereby securing each rail unit with one or more of the immediately adjacent rail units;
• wherein, the resilient connectors of the rail units of each rail unit layer are vertically aligned from one rail unit layer to the next;
• and
• wherein, the resilient connectors extend through each of the rail unit layers via corresponding linearly aligned connection apertures provided by each of the first and second plates of each of the rail units of each of the rail unit layers.