Compressible liquid vibration control system
AssigneeLiquidspring Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDamon Delorenzis, Richard Meyer, Daniel Lamkin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibration control system utilizes a liquid spring filled with a compressible liquid. In its most general embodiment, the vibration control system minimizes the transmission of vibration between a first mass and a second mass, i.e vehicle frame/vehicle cabin, structure/ground, machinery/platform. The liquid spring can be either a passive or an active system. An active system utilizes a second volume of compressible fluid. A passive system only uses a single volume of fluid. Further, the liquid spring can provide either spring force or both spring and damping forces. Alternatively, a single volume liquid spring can be utilized in conjunction with a conventional damper.
Claims15
A vibration control system for use between a first mass and a second mass said system comprising:
- (a) a liquid spring operably interposed between said first and second masses,
- said liquid spring having a housing including a chamber in which a first volume of compressible liquid is disposed and restriction means slidably disposed within said housing, said restriction means having a surface in contact with said first volume of compressible liquid, said compressible liquid having a spring rate, wherein said spring rate is an inverse function of volume further wherein said liquid spring provides damping by causing said compressible liquid to flow about said restriction means;
- (b) a second volume of compressible liquid in a second chamber, said second volume removably connected to the first volume by a fluid passage;
- (c) valve means coupled to said fluid passage, said valve means selectively operable to place said second volume in communication with said first volume;
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- (d) control means for varying at least one of spring and damping forces in response to a sensed vibration by operating said valve means to place into communication said first volume with said second volume, said communication combining first and second volume into one active volume producing a change in spring rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.