Coaxial spring damper device and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566681-B2
Application number	US-201816222938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	Dec 17, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A spring damper device comprising a directional spring (e.g., coil) having first and second ends, and defining an inner diameter region. A damper (e.g., viscoelastic polymer slug) comprising an element of elasticity configured to be situated within the inner diameter region of the directional spring. In response to a load on the spring damper device, the directional spring operates to compress, and the damper operates to dampen vibration associated with the load. The damper can comprise a viscoelastic damper comprising both an element of viscosity and the element of elasticity. The damper can be substantially coaxially aligned with the directional spring. Spring damper device(s) can be preloaded in a micro adjustment mechanism to account for positional adjustments between two structures (e.g., between a scope and a firearm), such that the spring(s) attenuate a shock impulse event (e.g., when firing), while the damper(s) attenuate vibration (e.g., to prevent damage the scope).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spring damper device, comprising:
a single directional spring having first and second ends, and defining an inner diameter region; and
a viscoelastic damper comprising a viscoelastic polymer comprising both an element of viscosity and an element of elasticity, and configured to extend from the first end to the second end of the single directional spring and to be situated within the inner diameter region of the single directional spring, the viscoelastic polymer comprising an absorption property where over 50 percent of vibration energy is absorbed at frequencies from 10 to 30,000 Hz, the viscoelastic damper further comprising a first section having a first diameter, a second section having a second diameter, and a third section having a third diameter, wherein the first and third diameters are substantially the same and are each less than the second diameter,
wherein, in response to a load on the spring damper device, the single directional spring operates to compress to absorb the load and any impact shock associated with the load, and the viscoelastic damper operates to dampen vibration associated with the load,
wherein the viscoelastic damper is sized and configured such that, upon a maximum compression of the single directional spring, the viscoelastic damper is maintained within the inner diameter region of the single directional spring so as to not interfere with the operation of the single directional spring,
wherein an entirety of the viscoelastic damper is situated between the first and second ends of the single directional spring, and
wherein, during compression of the spring and the viscoelastic damper, the viscoelastic damper operates independently of the spring, such that the spring rate of the single directional spring is substantially unaffected by the viscoelastic damper.

2. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic damper is coaxially aligned with the single directional spring.

3. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the first and third sections are each formed on opposing sides of the second section.

4. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the first and third sections have an uncompressed profile when the viscoelastic damper is in an uncompressed state, and where the first and third sections have an compressed profile when the viscoelastic damper is in a compressed state, the compressed profile being substantially the same as a profile of the second section in the uncompressed and compressed states.

5. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the single directional spring comprises a coil spring and the inner diameter region is defined by an inner diameter of the coil spring, and wherein the viscoelastic damper is sized to be entirely situated within the inner diameter region of the coil spring.

6. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic damper comprises a non-uniform outer surface and cross-sectional area along a longitudinal axis when in an uncompressed state, and a substantially uniform outer surface and cross-sectional area along the longitudinal axis when in a compressed state.

7. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the single directional spring comprises a height when uncompressed, and wherein the viscoelastic damper comprises a height when uncompressed, wherein the height of the spring is greater than the height of the viscoelastic damper, such that the viscoelastic damper is contained with a working range of the single directional spring.

8. The spring damper device of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic damper is substantially coaxially aligned with the single directional spring.

9. A system for absorbing shock and damping vibration, comprising:
a first structure having a spring seat;
a second structure having a spring seat, the second structure being positioned opposite the first structure;
at least one spring damper device situated between the first and second structures, the at least one spring damper device comprising:
a single directional spring having a first end positioned against the spring seat of the first structure, and a second end positioned against the spring seat of the second structure, the single directional spring defining an inner diameter region; and
a viscoelastic damper situated within the inner diameter region of the single directional spring, and comprising a viscoelastic polymer comprising both an element of viscosity and an element of elasticity, the viscoelastic polymer comprising an absorption property where over 50 percent of vibration energy is absorbed at frequencies from 10 to 30,000 Hz, the viscoelastic damper further comprising a first section having a first diameter, a second section having a second diameter, and a third section having a third diameter, wherein the first and third diameters are substantially the same and are each less than the second diameter,
wherein, in response to a load on the single directional spring from the second structure, the single directional spring operates to compress to absorb the load and an impact shock associated with the load, and the viscoelastic damper operates to dampen at least one of shock or vibration associated with the load,
wherein the viscoelastic damper is sized and configured such that, upon a maximum compression of the single directional spring, the viscoelastic damper is maintained within the inner diameter region of the single directional spring so as to not interfere with the operation of the single directional spring, and
wherein an entirety of the viscoelastic damper is situated between the first and second ends of the single directional spring, and
wherein, during compression of the spring and the viscoelastic damper, the viscoelastic damper operates independently of the spring, such that the spring rate of the single directional spring is substantially unaffected by the viscoelastic damper.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the single directional spring and the viscoelastic damper are at least partially compressed to comprise a pre-load between the first and second structures, such that the single directional spring operates to absorb an impulse shock event while the viscoelastic damper operates to attenuate vibration.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the spring seat of the first structure comprises a bore sized and shaped corresponding to the single directional spring, wherein the first end of the single directional spring and at least part of the viscoelastic damper are received and situated within the bore, such that the single directional spring and the bore cooperatively operate as structural support for the single directional spring.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of spring damper devices situated between the first and second structures, each of the plurality of spring damper devices comprising a single directional spring and a viscoelastic damper situated within the single directional spring, respectively, to define a plurality of spring damper devices, wherein the plurality of spring damper devices are at least partially compressed to comprise a pre-load between the first and second structures.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first structure comprises a sight mount of a projectile firing mechanism, and wherein the second structure comprises a sight device mounted to the projectile firing mechanism via the sight mount, the plurality of single directional springs operable to account for positional adjustments of the sight device relative to the projectile firing mechanism, and the plurality of viscoelastic dampers operable to attenuate vibration to the sight device in response to a firing eve

Assignees

• Raytheon Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Wagner Kevin B
• Connolly John M

Classifications

• F41G1/38

  Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance (telescopic sights in general G02B); Supports or mountings therefor · CPC title

• F16F15/022

  using dampers and springs in combination · CPC title

• F16F2226/04

  Assembly or fixing methods; methods to form or fashion parts · CPC title

• F16F13/005 Primary

  comprising both a wound spring and a damper, e.g. a friction damper · CPC title

• F16F15/12353

  Combinations of dampers, e.g. with multiple plates, multiple spring sets, i.e. complex configurations · CPC title