Composite Isolation Bearings
AssigneeWorksafe Technologies
InventorsGil A. Moreno, Don A. Hubbard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved isolation bearings, platforms, and tracks are disclosed for protecting a payload, such as delicate equipment, from damage due to vibrations, such as seismic vibrations. The isolation platforms and bearings combine a plurality of shapes on their load bearing surfaces to increase stability of the payload even when subjected to vibrations of high velocity or intensity.
Claims20
1) A rolling ball isolation bearing for supporting a payload comprising:
- a) a lower plate comprising a first recess comprising a lower bearing surface and having a substantially central depression, and
- b) an upper plate upon which at least a portion of the payload is supported comprising a second recess comprising an upper bearing surface and having a substantially central depression, wherein said first and second recess oppose one another to form a cavity, and
- c) a rigid rolling ball located within said cavity, said ball having a diameter wider than the combined depth of said first and second recesses and supporting the upper plate upon the load bearing surface of the lower plate;
- said rolling ball isolation bearing structured so that if a vibration causes the lower plate to move, the inertia of said payload and upper plate causes said rolling ball to roll upwards from the central depression of the first recess, and wherein a cross-section passing through the center of either or both said first or second recess defines a line along the surface of said recess comprising a combination of shapes selected from the group consisting of:
- i) a straight line and a curve,
- ii) a first curve and a second curve different from the first curve, and
- iii) a first straight line and a second straight line having a different slope than said first straight line.
10) An extendable isolation track comprising at least two linked isolation platforms, each such isolation platform comprising:
- a) a substantially flat, rectangular and generally planar lower pan segment comprising a first side and a second side opposite said first side having at least two upward facing recesses;
- b) a substantially flat, rectangular and generally planar upper pan segment comprising a first side and a second side opposite said first side having at least two downward-facing recesses structured to oppose said upward-facing recesses;
- wherein said opposing recesses are aligned to define at least two cavities therebetween, each cavity containing at least one rigid ball rollably supporting the upper pan segment upon the lower pan segment;
- wherein a cross-section passing through the center of at least one recess defines a line along the surface of said recess comprising a combination of shapes selected from the group consisting of:
- i) a straight line and a curve,
- ii) a first curve and a second curve different from the first curve, and
- iii) a first straight line and a second straight line having a different slope than said first straight line,
- and wherein each such isolation platform is structured to be linked to at least one additional, substantially identical, isolation platform using a plurality of rigid connecting members linking contiguous upper pan segments and contiguous lower pan segments.
20) A method of optimizing the capacity of an isolation bearing having a load-bearing surface of a given area to protect a payload supported thereby from damage due to a seismic vibration comprising combining an approximately spherical central portion of said load-bearing surface with an annular region of said load-bearing surface having a substantially constant slope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.