The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 20, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1997
Donald C Bailey, McCall, ID (US);
Chan Park, Granada Hills, CA (US);
Andreas H von Flotow, Hood River, OR (US);
William Jensen, Apex, NC (US);
Applied Power Inc., Butler, WI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for reducing vibration has a mount for attaching to a vibrating body, such as the frame of an aircraft. A plate is spaced from the mount with a mass there between. A first elastomeric ring is compressed between the mass and the mount, and a second elastomeric ring is compressed between the mass and the plate. The rings act as a spring having a stiffness that defines a resonant frequency at which the mass oscillates. Vibration in the body is reduced by the mass movement absorbing vibrational energy and the energy absorption is maximized when the mass resonates at the vibration frequency. A controller senses body vibration and operates a mechanism that alters the spacing between the mount and the plate thereby adjusting the spring stiffness. The stiffness of the spring is changed until the resonant frequency of the mass is tuned to the vibration frequency of the body.