Polymeric apparatus and method of making the same
AssigneeMiner Enterprises, Inc.
InventorDavid G. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of producing useful hollow bodies and the resulting products. The hollow bodies are formed by providing a block of thermoplastic elastomer material having a selected initial axial height and providing the block with a selected axial core opening. An axial force is applied to said block sufficient to compress said block a substantial extent to reduce the free height of the block and expand the core opening transversely outwardly to define sidewalls for the hollow body. The axial force is removed, and the hollow body is prepared for use as a compression spring or other useful device.
Claims34
A method of producing a hollow body from a copolyester polymer elastomer material comprising the steps of:
- providing a block of said copolyester polymer elastomer having a selected initial axial length and transverse shape and further having an initial core opening extending axially substantially through said block, said material and said opening being uniform in cross-sections perpendicular to a central axis, said material being such that upon being axially compressed at least 30% of said initial axial length the material will permanently retain a substantial portion of the length reduction after being compressed;
- applying to said block having said cross-sections an axial force sufficient to compress said block at least 30% of its initial axial length to change the transverse shape of said block such that the configuration of said core opening is permanently expanded transversely outwardly to define sidewalls for the hollow body of a selected configuration;
- and
- removing said axial force from said block.
A method of making a compression spring member comprising the steps of:
- providing a block of thermoplastic elastomer material having a selected initial axial length and transverse shape and further having an initial core opening extending substantially through said block, the material and said opening being uniform in cross-sections perpendicular to a central axis,
- said material being such that upon being axially compressed at least 30% of said initial axial length the material will permanently retain a substantial portion of the length reduction after being compressed;
- applying an axial force sufficient to compress said block, having said uniform cross-sections, at least 30% of its initial axial length to change the transverse shape of said block such that the configuration of said core opening is permanently expanded transversely outwardly to thereby provide a hollow compression spring member having sidewalls of a selected configuration;
- and
- removing said axial force from said block.
A compression spring member comprising a body of thermoplastic elastomeric material having a selected transverse configuration and axial free height and transversely expanded hollow central core opening extending substantially therethrough, the material and said opening being uniform in cross-sections perpendicular to a central axis, said material being such that upon being axially compressed at least 30% of said initial axial length the material will permanently retain a substantial portion of the length reduction after being compressed, defined by axially compressing said body having the uniform said core opening, by an extent equal to at least thirty percent of the initial height of he uncompressed elastomeric material such that the configuration of the core opening is permanently expended transversely outwardly.
A method of producing an elastomeric compression spring having a selected spring rate comprising the steps of:
- providing a block of copolyester polymer elastomer material having a selected initial axial height and transverse configuration, said material being such that upon being axially compressed at least 30% of said initial axial length the material will permanently retain a substantial portion of the length reduction after being compressed
- forming a core opening in said block extending axially substantially therethrough and having a transverse size selected to define sidewalls which provide said selected spring rate, the material and said opening being uniform in cross-sections perpendicular to a central axis;
- applying to said block having said core opening an axial force sufficient to compress said block at least 30% of said initial axial height such that the configuration of said core opening is permanently expanded transversely outwardly to define said sidewalls;
- and
- removing said axial force from said block to thereby provide said compression spring.
A vibration dampening system for use as a motor mount or the like comprising:
- first mounting means defining a relatively rigid frame structure;
- second mounting means defining a relatively movable frame structure adapted to be connected to the source of vibration energy to be dampened;
- and
- a pair of hollow compression spring members positioned between said first and second mounting means and arranged to be compressed to thereby dampen the vibratory motion between said mounting means;
- each of said hollow spring members comprising a body of thermoplastic material having a hollow central core opening extending substantially therethrough, said material and said opening being uniform in cross-sections perpendicular to a central axis, said material being such that upon being axially compressed at least 30% of said initial axial length the material will permanently retain a substantial portion of the length reduction after being compressed, and defined by axially compressing said body with the uniform core opening of an initial configuration by an extent equal to at least 30% of the initial uncompressed height of said body to permanently set the body and to permanently change the hollow central core opening from its initial configuration to a permanent expanded configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.