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US 2025/0180092 A1Published application
Passive resettable stiffness damper
OwnerKenneth K. Walshinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described and shown are passive resettable stiffness dampers, which are of compact and simplified design, and configured to produce a damping force that varies optimally with vibration-inducing loading.
Claims20
A single-sided passive resettable stiffness damper (PRSD), the PRSD comprising:
- a cylinder having a reciprocating piston with an associated piston rod that projects from a first end of the cylinder;
- and
- a resetting mechanism associated with the cylinder and located near the first end thereof, the resetting mechanism comprising:
- a mechanically operated toggle valve having a spring return, the toggle valve located in a fluid flow path with the cylinder;
- a gear train, the gear train having a plurality of rotatable discs and configured and located such that linear displacement of the piston rod is adapted to cause a rotation of the discs of the gear train, and
- a toggle having one end pivotably coupled to the toggle valve, and an opposite free end that is in contact with the gear train;
- wherein each change in the direction of rotation of the gear train discs caused by the reciprocating movement of the piston rod in response to vibration forces is adapted to cause the toggle to change the fluid flow path through the toggle valve, thereby resetting the PRSD.
4 more elements
A double-sided passive resettable stiffness damper (PRSD), the PRSD comprising:
- a cylinder having a reciprocating piston with a pair of piston rods that project from opposite ends of the cylinder;
- and
- an individual resetting mechanism located near each of the opposite ends of the cylinder and associated with a corresponding one of the piston rods, each of the resetting mechanisms comprising:
- a mechanically operated toggle valve having a spring return, the toggle valve located in a fluid flow path with the cylinder;
- a gear train, the gear train having a plurality of rotatable discs and configured and located such that linear displacement of the corresponding one of the piston rods is adapted to cause a rotation of the discs of the gear train, and
- a toggle having one end pivotably coupled to the toggle valve, and an opposite free end that is in contact with the gear train;
- wherein each change in the direction of rotation of the gear train discs of the resetting mechanisms caused by the reciprocating movement of the piston rods in response to vibration forces is adapted to cause the toggles to change the fluid flow path through the toggle valves, thereby resetting the PRSD.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.