Vibration isolating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9234561-B2
Application number	US-201113988844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2011
Priority date	Nov 23, 2010
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

A vibration isolation device designed to be positioned between a structure ( 10 ) and an equipment anchor plate ( 11 ), includes a lattice made of bars, with each bar including at least one axial actuator ( 25 ), the lattice being an active hexapod including six identical isolation bars ( 12 ) positioned according to a regular geometry, the six bars ( 12 ) being arranged such that the control of the tension-compression forces in each of the six bars ( 12 ) makes possible the force and torque control of six separate degrees of freedom at the interface between the structure and the equipment, so as to produce effective isolation along all the system's degrees of freedom. At least one end-fitting of each bar consists of an element ( 16 ) made of elastomeric material (called “elastomeric element”).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vibration isolation device designed to be positioned between a structure ( 10 ) and an equipment anchor plate ( 11 ), said device comprising:
a lattice made of isolation bars, with each isolation bar comprising at least one axial actuator ( 25 ),
the lattice being an active hexapod comprising six identical isolation bars ( 12 ) positioned according to a regular geometry,
the isolation six bars ( 12 ) being arranged such that the control of tension-compression forces in each of the six isolation bars ( 12 ) makes force and torque control of six separate degrees of freedom at an interface between the structure and the equipment, so as to produce effective isolation along all six degrees of freedom,
wherein at least one end-fitting of each isolation bar consists of an elastomeric element ( 16 ) made of elastomeric material, wherein each actuator is an actively-controllable piezoelectric translator, thereby the six actuators being actively-controllable on all six degrees of freedom,
in combination with the structure ( 10 ) and the equipment anchor plate ( 11 ), wherein,
each end of each isolation bar includes the elastomeric element,
each elastomeric element is an elastomeric block that provides a passive filtering function within a predefined frequency band, and
a first elastomeric block of each isolation bar is attached to an upper supporting block and a second elastomeric block of each isolation bar is attached to a lower supporting block, the lower blocks being positioned on a lower first circle on the structure, and the upper blocks being positioned on a second circle on the equipment anchor plate, the upper blocks being angularly offset in relation to the lower blocks.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation bars have only one elastomer end-fitting and all the end-fittings are positioned on the same side, as close as possible to the structure ( 10 ) or as close as possible to the anchor plate ( 11 ).

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the two end-fittings of each isolation bar consist of elastomeric elements ( 16 ).

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material, shape and size of each elastomeric element ( 16 ) of each isolation bar ( 12 ) are calculated such that their bending stiffness is significantly weaker than the corresponding stiffness of the rigid portion of said isolation bars.

5. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor ( 17 ) that measures effects of disruptive forces transmitted to the structure ( 10 ).

6. The device according to claim 5 , suitable for cases wherein the structure ( 10 ) is designed to carry a disruptive piece of equipment, and further comprising at least one sensor ( 17 ) measuring the effects of disruptive forces is positioned in series in the transmission path of the vibrations, between the actuator ( 25 ) of the isolation bars ( 12 ) and the structure ( 10 ).

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one sensor ( 17 ) is a load cell.

8. The device according to claim 5 , suitable for cases wherein the structure ( 10 ) is designed to carry a piece of equipment sensitive to vibrations, wherein the at least one sensor ( 17 ) measuring the effects of disruptive forces is positioned on the anchor plate ( 11 ).

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one sensor ( 17 ) is an accelerometer.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising means of limiting the travel of the equipment in relation to the structure ( 10 ) in translation and in rotation, with these means working in parallel with the hexapod.

11. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an active control device that feeds back the information measured by at least one sensor ( 17 ) regarding the command of the axial actuators ( 25 ) of the isolation bars ( 12 ).

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material, shape and size of each elastomeric element ( 16 ) of each isolation bar ( 12 ) have a bending stiffness weaker by at least one order of magnitude than the corresponding stiffness of the rigid portion of said isolation bars.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each actuator is controllable piezoelectric actuator.

14. A vibration isolation device designed to be positioned between a structure ( 10 ) and an equipment anchor plate ( 11 ), said device comprising:
a lattice made of isolation bars, with each isolation bar comprising at least one axial actuator ( 25 ),
the lattice being an active hexapod comprising six identical isolation bars ( 12 ) positioned according to a regular geometry,
the isolation six bars ( 12 ) being arranged such that the control of tension-compression forces in each of the six isolation bars ( 12 ) makes force and torque control of six separate degrees of freedom at an interface between the structure and the equipment, so as to produce effective isolation along all six degrees of freedom,
wherein at least one end-fitting of each isolation bar consists of an elastomeric element ( 16 ) made of elastomeric material, wherein each actuator is an actively-controllable piezoelectric translator, thereby the six actuators being actively-controllable on all six degrees of freedom, and
wherein each end of each isolation bar includes the elastomeric element, and each elastomeric element is an elastomeric spherical cap membrane that provides a passive filtering function within a predefined frequency band.

Assignees

• Laurens Philippe
• Airbus Defence & Space Sas

Inventors

• Laurens Philippe

Classifications

• B64G1/66

  Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F16F15/08 Primary

  with rubber springs {(grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38); with springs made of rubber and metal (arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604)} · CPC title

• B64G1/38

  damping of oscillations, e.g. nutation dampers · CPC title

• B64G1/6425

  arrangements for damping vibrations · CPC title

• B64G2001/228

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic