Back to results
US 6,045,328 AGranted
Fluid damper including flexible damping plate
AssigneeLord Corporation
InventorPeter J. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid and elastomer damper includes a first and second members and an elastomer section flexibly mounting the second member to the first member and allowing lateral movement therebetween. The elastomer section includes an inner wall forming a portion of a cavity defined within the damper and a damping fluid disposed within the cavity. A flexible damping plate separates the cavity into first and second chambers. At least one passageway is formed between the damping plate and the inner wall, the passageway exhibiting a gap dimension between the wall and the damping plate. When lateral movement occurs between the first and second members, the gap dimension is maintained substantially constant by flexing of the damping plate along the lateral direction.
Claims22
A fluid and elastomer damper, comprising:
- (a) a first member;
- (b) a second member;
- (c) an elastomer section flexibly mounting said second member to said first member, said elastomer section having an inner wall;
- (d) said first member, said second member and said elastomer section defining a cavity;
- (e) a damping fluid disposed within said cavity;
- and
- (f) a flexible damping plate separating said cavity into first and second chambers and forming at least one passageway between said damping plate and said inner wall, said passageway having a gap dimension, whereby, when movement occurs between said first and second members in a first lateral direction, said gap dimension is maintained substantially constant by flexing of said damping plate.
4 more elements
A fluid and elastomer damper, comprising:
- (a) a first member;
- (b) a second member;
- (c) an elastomer section flexibly mounting said second member to said first member and allowing lateral movement therebetween, said elastomer section including an inner wall;
- (d) said first member, said second member and said elastomer section at least partially defining a cavity;
- (e) a damping fluid disposed within said cavity;
- and
- (f) a flexible damping plate separating said cavity into first and second chambers, said flexible damping plate including a side edge cooperating with said inner wall to form a fluid passageway having a gap dimension therebetween, wherein, when said inner wall is displaced along said first lateral direction, said damping plate is flexed along said first lateral direction a corresponding distance thereby maintaining said gap dimension substantially constant.
4 more elements
A fluid and elastomer damper, comprising:
- (a) a first member;
- (b) a second member;
- (c) an elastomer section flexibly mounting said second member to said first member and allowing lateral movement therebetween, said elastomer section having an inner wall;
- (d) said first member, said second member and said elastomer section at least partially defining a cavity;
- (e) a damping fluid disposed within said cavity;
- and
- (f) a flexible damping plate separating said cavity into first and second variable volume chambers and forming at least one passageway between said damping plate and said inner wall, said at least one passageway including a gap dimension, wherein, when lateral movement occurs between said first and second members in a first lateral direction, said gap dimension is maintained substantially constant by flexing of said damping plate along said first lateral direction, said flexible damping plate being mounted for movement with at least one of said first member and said second member in a second lateral direction transverse to said first lateral direction whereby said damping plate displaces a portion of said fluid between said first and second chambers to provide a damping force in said second lateral direction.
4 more elements
A fluid and clastomer damper, comprising:
- (a) a first member;
- (b) a second member;
- (c) an elastomer section flexibly mounting said second member to said first member and allowing lateral movement therebetween, said clastomer section having an inner wall;
- (d) said first member, said second member and said elastomer section at least partially defining a cavity;
- (e) a damping fluid disposed within said cavity;
- and
- (f) a flexible damping plate including rigid upper and lower portions immovably mounted to said first and second members in a first lateral direction, said flexible damping plate separating said cavity into first and second variable volume chambers and forming at least one passageway between said damping plate and said inner wall, said passageway having a gap dimension, wherein, when lateral movement occurs between said first and second members in said first lateral direction, said gap dimension is maintained substantially constant by flexing of said damping plate along said first lateral direction between said rigid upper and lower portions whereby said damping plate displaces a portion of said fluid between said first and second chambers to provide a damping force in a second lateral direction.
4 more elements
A damped helicopter rotor system, comprising:
- (a) a rotor flexure adapted to be connected to a helicopter blade;
- (b) a rotor cuff adjacent and spaced apart from said rotor flexure;
- and
- (c) a damper including:
- (i) a first member connected to said rotor cuff;
- (ii) a second member connected to said rotor flexure;
- (iii) an elastomer section flexibly mounting said second member to said first member and allowing lateral movement therebetween, said elastomer section including an inner wall displaceable along a lateral direction;
- (iv) said first member, said second member and said elastomer section defining a cavity;
- (v) a damping fluid disposed within said cavity;
- and
- (vi) a flexible damping plate separating said cavity into first and second chambers and having a side edge, said damping plate being flexible along said lateral direction, said side edge and said inner wall forming a fluid passageway having a gap dimension therebetween, wherein, when said inner wall is displaced along said lateral direction, said damping plate is flexed along said lateral direction a corresponding distance thereby maintaining said gap dimension substantially constant.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.