Tuned mass damper
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorMing-Lai Lai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for damping dynamic response in a primary structure in one, two, or three dimensions, includes a secondary mass, and a spring and a viscoelastic element, the spring and viscoelastic element interposed between the primary structure and the secondary mass. The apparatus may include a housing for the secondary mass, the spring and the viscoelastic element, should the spring, viscoelastic element, or both the spring and viscoelastic element, be interposed between the secondary mass and the housing. A method for damping dynamic response in a primary structure in one, two, or three dimensions is also disclosed.
Claims11
A damping apparatus for controlling a dynamic response in a primary structure, the primary structure having a natural vibrational frequency, said damping apparatus comprising:
- a secondary mass;
- a support means for the secondary mass, the support means operably connecting the secondary mass and the primary structure and providing for two dimensional movement of the secondary mass relative to the primary structure;
- at least one spring interposed between the primary structure and the secondary mass;
- and
- at least one viscoelastic element interposed between the primary structure and the secondary mass;
- wherein said at least one spring and said at least one viscoelastic element are tuned to a frequency to provide said damping apparatus with a vibrational frequency of approximately said natural vibrational frequency of said primary structure;
- and
- whereby when said dynamic response is initiated in the primary structure, the dynamic response is damped by the movement of the secondary mass.
A damping apparatus for controlling a dynamic response in a primary structure, the primary structure having a natural vibrational frequency, said damping apparatus comprising:
- means for attaching to the primary structure;
- a secondary mass;
- a plurality of springs interposed between the attaching means and the secondary mass;
- a plurality of viscoelastic elements interposed between the attaching means and the secondary mass;
- the springs and viscoelastic elements interposed between the attaching means and the secondary mass such that the movement of the secondary mass is constrained to at least two dimensions;
- wherein said plurality of springs and said plurality of viscoelastic elements are tuned to a frequency to provide said damping apparatus with a vibrational frequency of approximately said natural vibrational frequency of said primary structure;
- and
- whereby when said dynamic response is initiated in the primary structure, the dynamic response is damped by the movement of the secondary mass.
A damping apparatus for controlling a dynamic response in a primary structure, the primary structure having a natural vibrational frequency, said damping apparatus comprising:
- means for attaching to the primary structure;
- a secondary mass;
- a plurality of springs interposed between the attaching means and the secondary mass, the springs being interposed between the attaching means and the secondary mass such that the movement of the secondary mass is constrained to at least two dimensions;
- and
- at least one viscoelastic element interposed between the primary structure and the secondary mass;
- wherein said plurality of springs and said at least one viscoelastic element are tuned to a frequency to provide said damping apparatus having vibrational frequency of approximately said natural vibrational frequency of said primary structure;
- and
- whereby when said dynamic response is initiated in the primary structure, the dynamic response is damped by the movement of the secondary mass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.