# US 9,429,210 B2 · Device for transmitting or decoupling mechanical vibrations

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- Number: US 9,429,210 B2
- Document ID: US9429210B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/008,780
- Filed: 2011-12-30
- Published: 2014-01-16
- Granted: 2016-08-30
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-01
- Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
- Applicants: William Kaal; Tobias Melz; Björn Seipel; Roman Kraus; Jan Hansmann
- Inventors: William Kaal; Tobias Melz; Björn Seipel; Roman Kraus; Jan Hansmann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9429210B2

## CPC

- F16F 15/04: using elastic means (single elements or their attachment F16F1/00 - F16F13/00); {(F16F15/023, F16F15/03 take precedence)}
- F16F 1/32: Belleville-type springs (friction-clutch diaphragm springs F16D13/583)
- F16F 15/021: {Decoupling of vibrations by means of point-of-contact supports, e.g. ball bearings}
- F16F 15/073: using only leaf springs
- F16F: SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION

## Abstract

A device for transmitting or decoupling mechanical vibrations between a first component and a second component with at least one of the first and the second components being free to vibrate in the at least one direction including: a planar coupling element, coupling the first and second components together, having a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface, and having a variably adjustable stiffness extending in the at least one direction; the planar coupling element, having planar dimensions with the planar coupling element being dimensionally stable along the planar dimensions and being elastic in a direction perpendicular to the planar surfaces; the first and second components are rotatable relative to each other about an axis extending in the direction perpendicular to the planar surfaces and in which at least one of the components is free to vibrate for adjusting the stiffness.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for transmitting or decoupling mechanical vibrations, comprising:
a first component and a second component which are spaced apart and are rotatable about an axis of relative rotation of the first and second components and at least one of the first and the second components is free to vibrate in a direction parallel to the axis;
a planar coupling element having a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface;
at least two spaced apart first contacting agents which are attached to the first component and contact at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the planar coupling element; and
at least two spaced apart second contacting agents which are attached to the second component and contact at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the planar coupling element; and wherein
the vibrations of one of the first component and the second components which is free to vibrate acting in a direction parallel to the axis are adjusted by relative rotation of the first and second components about the axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the planar coupling element is annual shaped or is a disc.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein:
the first contacting agents abut at least against the bottom planar surface to apply a force thereto; and
the second contacting agents abut at least against the top planar surface to apply a force thereto.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein:
the first contacting agents either are releasably or unreleasably fixed to at least one of the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface; and
the second contacting agents abut against at least one of the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface to apply a force thereto, or the second contacting agents are releasably fixed to at least one of the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein:
the first and second contacting agents are rods or bars and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface in a straight line; or
the first and second contacting agents are strips and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface; and
the first and second contacting agents are disposed on the components and the first and second contacting agents extend radially from the axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein:
the contacting agents on each component are spaced equally around the axis so that an angle α is defined relative to the axis between adjacent components with α=360°/n with n being a number of contacting agents and n≧2.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, comprising:
an adjustment actuator which rotates the components relative to one another around the axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein:
the annular element or disc is divided into at least two separate, equally sized ring sectors or disc sectors, the ring sectors or the disc sectors each have two end-faces the end-faces of adjacent ring sectors or disc sectors face each other; and wherein
the first component is connected to at least two separated ring or disk sectors so that at least two separated sectors are joined to the first component at a contact point.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The device according to claim 3, wherein:
the first and second contacting agents are rods or bars and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface in a straight line; or
the first and second contacting agents are strips and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface; and
the first and second contacting agents are disposed on the components with the first and second contacting agents extending radially from the axis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 3)

The device according to claim 3, comprising:
an adjustment actuator which rotates the components relative to one another around the axis.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the first contacting agents abut at least against the bottom planar surface to apply a force thereto; and
the second contacting agents abut at least against the top planar surface to apply a force thereto.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device according to claim 11, wherein:
the first contacting agents are either releasably or unreleasably fixed to at least one of the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface; and
the second contacting agents abut against at least one of the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface to apply a force thereto, or the second contacting agents are releasably fixed to at least one of the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The device according to claim 11, wherein:
the first and second contacting agents are rods or bars and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface in a straight line; or
the first and second contacting agents are strips and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface; and
the first and second contacting agents are disposed on the components with the first and second contacting agents extending radially from to the axis.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The device according to claim 11, wherein:
the contacting agents on each component are spaced equally around to the axis and form an angle α disposed relative to the axis between adjacent components with α=360°/n with n being a number of contacting agents and n≧2.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The device according to claim 12, wherein:
the contacting agents on each component are spaced equally around the axis and form an angle α disposed relative to the axis between adjacent components with α=360°/n with n being a number of contacting agents and n≧2.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The device according to claim 11, comprising:
an adjustment actuator which rotates the components relative to one another around the axis.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the first and second contacting agents are rods or bars and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface in a straight line; or
the first and second contacting agents are strips and contact the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface; and
the first and second contacting agents are disposed on the components with the first and second contacting agents extending radially from the axis.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device according to claim 17, wherein:
the contacting agents on each component are spaced equally around the axis and form an angle α disposed relative to the axis between adjacent components with α=360°/n with n being a number of contacting agents and n≧2.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The device according to claim 17, comprising:
an adjustment actuator which rotates the components relative to one another around the axis.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the first and the second contacting agents are spaced equally around the axis so that an angle α relative to the axis between adjacent first contact agents and between adjacent second contacting agents is defined as α=360°/n with n≧2, with n being a number of the first contacting agents and the number of the second contacting agents.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The device according to claim 20, wherein
the first and second components rotate around the axis from a first rotational position, in which the planar coupling element has a lowest stiffness parallel to the axis, the first contacting agents and the second contacting agents are spaced apart from each other by a mutual spacing angle β defined as β=360°/2n with n being a number of contacting agents, and project onto the planar coupling element, to a second rotational position, in which the planar coupling element has a highest stiffness and the first contacting agents and the second contacting agents project onto the planar coupling element to at least partially overlap each other.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The device according to claim 20, comprising:
an adjustment actuator which rotates the components relative to one another around the axis.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, comprising:
an adjustment actuator which rotates the components relative to one another around the axis.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The device according to claim 23, wherein:
the adjustment actuator comprises a piezoelectric converter material which is applied to the planar coupling element or integrated therein.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the planar coupling element comprises a uniform material or a composite material.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the components comprise a housing, including an inner space, containing the planar coupling element which actively connects the components through the first and second contacting agents; and
the first and second components face away from the inner space.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The device according to claim 26, wherein:
the inner space is filled with a material which connects the components and influences vibration of at least one of the components.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The device according to claim 27, wherein:
the material is a magneto material or an electrorheological converter material.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the first and second components is part of a vibrating system.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the planar coupling element has a central opening containing the axis.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the first component is coupled to a system having the vibrations to be damped and the second component provides an absorber mass which is rotated manually or by an actuator with respect to the first component for adjusting a frequency at which the vibrations are absorbed.

### Claim 32 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the planar coupling element is annual shaped or is a disc; and
the first component is resiliently mounted by a connection to the planar coupling element along a circumferential edge of the planar coupling element and has contact points evenly distributed along a circumference of the planar coupling element.

### Claim 33 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, comprising:
a number of contact points between the first component and the planar coupling element and a number of contact points between the second component and the planar coupling element are identical in number.

### Claim 34

A device for transmitting or decoupling mechanical vibrations, comprising:
a first component and a second component which are spaced apart and are rotatable about an axis of relative rotation of the first and second components and at least one of the first and the second components is free to vibrate in a direction parallel to the axis;
a planar coupling element having a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface and being elastic in a direction parallel to the axis;
the first component is fixedly connected to the planar coupling element at at least two contact points;
at least two spaced apart contacting agents which are attached to the second component and contact at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the planar coupling element; and wherein
vibrations of one of the first component and the second component which is free to vibrate in a direction parallel to the axis are adjusted by relative rotation of the first and second components about the axis.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The device according to claim 34, wherein:
the planar coupling element is annual shaped or is a disc; and
the first component is resiliently mounted by a connection to the planar coupling element along a circumferential edge of the planar coupling element and has contact points evenly distributed along a circumference of the planar coupling element.

### Claim 36 (depends on 34)

The device according to claim 34, comprising:
a number of contact points between the first component and the planar coupling element and a number of contact points between the second component and the planar coupling element are identical in number.