Self-centering conical friction damper
AssigneeThe University of British Columbia
InventorsTsung Yuan Yang, Hengchao Xu, Lisa Tobber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example embodiments provide mechanical dampers. The mechanical dampers may be applied to dissipate energy in a structure that arises for example from a dynamic load such as seismic activity, vehicle impact, vibration of the structure, wind forces, an explosion, etc. The damper comprises a pair of clamping plates. A shear plate is held between the clamping plates. The shear plate is movable in transverse directions relative to the clamping plates. The damper also comprises a conical wedge coupled between one of the clamping plates and the shear plate. The conical wedge comprises a female conical element and a male conical element that projects into a conical indentation of the female conical element.
Claims20
A mechanical damper comprising:
- a pair of clamping plates;
- a shear plate located between the pair of clamping plates, the shear plate having a face frictionally engaged with a first one of the clamping plates and movable in a transverse direction relative to the pair of clamping plates, the shear plate and the first one of the clamping plates frictionally engaged with a coefficient of friction μ;
- a wedge coupled between a second one of the clamping plates and the shear plate, the wedge comprising a female element and a male element that projects into an indentation in the female element with an active surface portion of the male element in frictional contact with an active surface portion of the female element, the active surface portions of the male and female elements frictionally engaged with a coefficient of friction μ′, the active surface portion of the male elements being convex and active surface portion of the female element being concave;
- a bias mechanism operative to compress the shear plate and wedge between the clamping plates;
- a first coupling member connected to move together with the shear plate;
- a second coupling member connected to move together with the pair of clamping plates;
- and
- wherein the wedge is a conical wedge and the male and female elements are conical elements wherein the active surface portions of the male and female conical elements lie on conical surfaces and the active surface portions of the male and female conical elements have a slope angle (θ) relative to a base surface perpendicular to an axis of the male conical element.
A mechanical damper comprising:
- a pair of clamping members;
- a shear plate located between the pair of clamping members, the shear plate having a face frictionally engaged with a first one of the clamping members and movable in a transverse direction relative to the pair of clamping members;
- a wedge coupled between a second one of the clamping members and the shear plate, the wedge comprising a female element and a male element that projects into an indentation in the female element with an active surface portion of the male element in frictional contact with an active surface portion of the female element;
- a bias mechanism operative to compress the shear plate and wedge between the clamping members;
- a first coupling member connected to move together with the shear plate;
- a second coupling member connected to move together with the pair of clamping members;
- and
- wherein the wedge is a conical wedge and the male and female elements are conical elements wherein the active surface portions of the male and female conical elements lie on conical surfaces and the active surface portions of the male and female conical elements have a slope angle (θ) relative to a base surface perpendicular to an axis of the male conical element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.