Develco, Inc.

Quantum Solutions, Inc.

John L Marsh

Louis H Rorden

Henry S More

Edward C Fraser

William H Bauer

An elastomeric body encapsulates an electronic assembly, to be protected from vibration on shock, and is confined in a closed cavity of a structure subject to the vibration and shock. The body is cast in a separate mold having a cavity corresponding in shape and size to the closed cavity. The surface of the mold has projections to form indentations in the surface of the body. With the body in the closed cavities, the indentations are effectively voids and accept elastomeric material displaced from the body when the body expands relative to the cavity. The preferred embodiment provides a strongback support with open cavities, each to receive a body. The strongback is inserted into a tube to complete the structure and close the open cavities. The strongback has wiring chambers to accept flexible leads connected to each body, and channels into which wire is potted, to extend from the leads to external circuitry. To retain the bodies in the open cavities before closing, the elastomer bodies have projections that resiliently engage cooperation surfaces in the cavities.

Vibration mount for electronic assemblies

For the directional drilling of boreholes, the orientation of accelerometer modules, magnetometer modules and gyroscopes or other directional sensing devices must be accurately known and maintained with respect to each other and to external mounting devices. This is accomplished by a self-aligning segmented cylindrical connection which accurately maintains modules in rotational alignment with each other for all three directions of rotation, even if the mating surfaces of the connection experience wear due to rough use in the drilling application or repeated calibration in a calibration fixture. Wedged surfaces on each of the male and female portions of the connection constitute the mating surfaces, and are the only surfaces at which the male and female portions contact one another. A depression between the mating surfaces defined by the female portion permits reproducible angular displacement of one portion with respect to the other even if one or both portions are worn. The connection has great ability to resist relative rotation of the two segments being connected under the application of a bending force because the connection, by its unique design, translates bending load into tensile load with respect to the screws which fasten the connection together.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

John L Marsh