Barry Wright Corporation

Applied Power Inc.

Technical Manufacturing Corporation

Dale W Schubert

Andreas Hubertus Von Flotow

Andrew M Beard

Steven Frank Shedd

Charles M Salerno

Marion Richard Earles, Jr

Robert R Peterson

Richard S Gureghian

Harold V Hamilton

Peter N Cholakis

Henry E Hines

An active vibration isolation system (10) includes a plurality of stiff actuators, such as piezoelectric motors (12a-c; 284, 350) which support a small mass (18) inside of a case (300). A passive isolator (20) is interposed between the small mass (18) and the payload mass (M.sub.p). In the instance where the stiff actuators are piezoelectric motors, the sidewalls of the case (300) are used to provide compressive force along the variable length of each of the horizontal piezoelectric motor elements (284, 350) to prevent damage to same. Compensation circuitry (24) is connected between velocity sensors (17) and the stiff actuators to control the variable length thereof in this move-out-of-the-way system (10) and to compensate for resonating modes. Optionally, a payload mass velocity sensor (26) and associated circuitry may be used to provide additional control. Shear decouplers (282a-c; 352, 360) are used in conjunction with the piezoelectric motor elements (12a-c; 284, 350) to minimize the amount of shear force acting on the motor elements.

Stiff actuator active vibration isolation system

An active force actuated vibration isolation system uses a velocity sensor in the form of a velocity-sensitive geophone to sense payload velocity and modifies the geophone signal to control the force applied to oppose the vibration. The modified signal effectively reduces the inherent resonant frequency of the geophone and avoids instability.

Active vibration isolation system

A parametrically controlled active vibration isolation system comprises a damper having a servovalve fluidically coupling a load supporting actuator to an accumulator. The servovalve includes a variable orifice arrangement which regulates the flow therethrough of a hydraulic fluid in response to a command signal derived from response sensors. In this manner the damping coefficient is modulated so as to approximate a 'sky-hook' damper.

Parametrically controlled active vibration isolation system

An active vibration isolation system employing an electro-rheological fluid comprises a damper having a servovalve fluidically coupling a load supporting actuator to an accumulator. The servovalve includes an orificed plate arrangement, across which a voltage potential is impressed in accordance with a command signal derived from response sensors. The viscosity of an electro-rheological fluid contained within the servovalve reacts to the voltage potential so as to regulate the fluid flow. In this manner the damping coefficient is modulated to as to approximate a 'sky-hook' damper.

Active vibration isolation system employing an electro-rheological fluid

A vibration isolating and sealing device for mounting a fan having a propeller rotatably secured within a housing, said device comprising an outer, substantially square frame; an inner substantially square frame; a generally 'S' shaped flexural membrane disposed between and connecting said inner to said outer frame; said membrane being made of elastomer, and wherein the inner frame has a central bore configured to channel air to the propeller of the fan.

Vibration isolating seal for mounting fans and blowers

A tactile sensor for sensing an object in contact therewith. In its preferred form, the sensor comprises a plurality of layers disposed in a sandwich arrangement. A top layer is comprised of a flexible, electrically-insulating material and a plurality of parallel flexible conductive rods. A bottom layer is comprised of an electrically-insulating material and a plurality of parallel conductive rods that extend at right angles to the conductive rods of the top layer, thus forming a sensory array comprising a plurality of superimposed intersection points arranged in a grid pattern. An intermediate layer is comprised of a resilient, electrically-insulating material in which is disposed a plurality of parallel conductive posts that extend perpendicular to the plane of the three layers. These posts are comprised of a resilient conducting material. Each conductive post is disposed at one of the sensor's aforementioned intersection points so as to electrically couple one of the conductive rods of the top layer to one of the conductive rods of the bottom layer. The conductive rods are formed with a selected cross-section, in order that changes in the amount of pressure exerted on the sensor will produce corresponding logarithmic exchanges in the contact surface area, and hence electrical contact resistance, established between the conductive rods and those conductive posts disposed beneath the points of pressure.

Tactile sensors for robotic gripper and the like

Vibration isolators are manufactured by a co-injection molding process. Outer and inner parts of the isolators are molded first from a rigid or stiff thermoplastic material such as polystyrene and intermediate spring-like parts of the isolators are made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as copolymer of butadiene and styrene formed and bonded to the outer and inner parts in a subsequent molding step.

Method of coinjection molding of thermoplastic and thermoplastic

A caster assembly comprising an outer part for attachment of the assembly to a structure to be mobilized, said outer part having spaced parallel side walls, an inner part having spaced parallel side walls nested within the outer part with its side walls spaced from and parallel to the side walls of the outer part, wheel supporting legs to which a wheel is journaled, pins rotatably supporting the wheel supporting legs between the side walls of the inner and outer parts and elastically resilient members connecting the wheel supporting legs to the spaced parallel walls of the inner and outer parts in areas centered about the axes of the pins, said elastically resilient members being elastically deformable in torsion.

Caster assembly

Fluidic vibration isolation system which includes an isolator having a chamber, liquid and the vapor of the liquid in said chamber, heater means for heating the liquid and regulating means for controlling the heater depending upon the isolator relative height.

Fluidic vibration isolator

A self-positioning shock and vibration isolating suspension system is disclosed which incorporates one or more pneumatic mounts for supporting a load on a base. Each pneumatic mount comprises a hollow elastomer body with a diaphragm at each end, means for connecting one diaphragm to a base and the other to the load, means for pressurizing the elastomer body with a fluid so that the diaphragms and the fluid acting thereon form a pneumatic spring having a spring stiffness less than that of the hollow body, and means for varying the fluid pressure within the elastomer body in accordance with changes in the magnitude of the load.

Growing community of inventors

Sudbury, MA, United States of America

Dale W Schubert