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US5037071A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Vibration isolating apparatus

Assignee: Bridgestone Corp
•
Filing: 1990-02-27
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Granted: 1991-08-06
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Expires: 2010-02-27
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Abstract

Abstract A vibration isolating apparatus interposed between a vibration-occurring portion and a vibration-receiving portion includes a liquid chamber partitioned into a plurality of small liquid chambers, an orifice allowing the small chambers to communicate with each other, and an electroviscous fluid filled in the liquid chamber and the orifice. Disposed in the liquid chamber are a movable plate for partitioning the liquid chamber, a groove portion for accomodating a peripheral edge of the movable plate in such a manner as to be movable in a thicknesswise direction of the movable plate by a predetermined amount, and a pair of electrodes for imparting an electric field to the electroviscous fluid in the groove portion. Hence, when the vibration isolating apparatus receives low-frequency vibrations, the pair of electrodes are energized to increase the viscosity of the electroviscous fluid between the electrodes, allowing the movable plate to be secured in the groove.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kazuya Takano
  • 👤 Hiroshi Kojima

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 18:51
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16F; F16F13/00; F16F13/04; F16F13/26; F16F13/30

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 141 words
A vibration isolating apparatus interposed between a vibration-occurring portion and a vibration-receiving portion, comprising: a liquid chamber constituted by a plurality of expandable small liquid chambers; a restraining passage allowing said small liquid chambers to communicate with each other; an electroviscous fluid which is filled in said liquid chamber and said restraining passage and whose viscosity varies in correspondence with the magnitude of an electric field applied to said electroviscous fluid; a movable body disposed in said liquid chamber independently of said vibration-occurring portion and said vibration-receiving portion in such a manner as to be movable by a small degree; a supporting member disposed in said liquid chamber to movably support said movable body; and a pair of electrodes disposed in such a manner as to sandwich said movable body and adapted to impart an electric field to said electroviscous fluid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 141 words
A vibration isolating apparatus interposed between a vibration-occurring portion and a vibration-receiving portion, comprising: a liquid chamber constituted by a plurality of expandable small liquid chambers; a restraining passage allowing said small liquid chambers to communicate with each other; an electroviscous fluid which is filled in said liquid chamber and said restraining passage and whose viscosity varies in correspondence with the magnitude of an electric field applied to said electroviscous fluid; a movable body disposed in said liquid chamber independently of said vibration-occurring portion and said vibration-receiving portion in such a manner as to be movable by a small degree; a supporting member disposed in said liquid chamber to movably support said movable body; and a pair of electrodes disposed in such a manner as to sandwich said movable body and adapted to impart an electric field to said electroviscous fluid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable body is disposed in such a manner as to partition said liquid chamber into said small liquid chambers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable body is disposed in one of said small liquid chambers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member is comprised of a restricting means for restricting the range of movement of said movable body to said movement by a small degree.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said restricting means is constituted by a groove for accommodating an edge of said movable body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said electrode is supported by mutually opposing side walls of said groove.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising another pair of electrodes disposed along inner walls of said restraining passage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 132 words
A vibration isolating apparatus interposed between a vibration-occurring portion and a vibration-receiving portion, comprising: a liquid chamber constituted a pair of small liquid chambers expanded or contracted by vibrations; an orifice allowing said pair of small liquid chambers to communicate with each other; an electroviscous fluid which is filled in said liquid chamber and said orifice and whose viscosity varies in correspondence with the magnitude of an electric field applied to said electroviscous fluid; a movable plate disposed in said liquid chamber; a groove portion for accommodating an edge portion of said movable plate in such a manner as to allow said movable plate to move by a predetermined amount in the thicknesswise direction of said movable plate; and a first pair of electrodes supported by opposing surfaces of said groove portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 132 words
A vibration isolating apparatus interposed between a vibration-occurring portion and a vibration-receiving portion, comprising: a liquid chamber constituted a pair of small liquid chambers expanded or contracted by vibrations; an orifice allowing said pair of small liquid chambers to communicate with each other; an electroviscous fluid which is filled in said liquid chamber and said orifice and whose viscosity varies in correspondence with the magnitude of an electric field applied to said electroviscous fluid; a movable plate disposed in said liquid chamber; a groove portion for accommodating an edge portion of said movable plate in such a manner as to allow said movable plate to move by a predetermined amount in the thicknesswise direction of said movable plate; and a first pair of electrodes supported by opposing surfaces of said groove portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 31 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said movable plate is disposed in such a manner as to partition said liquid chamber into said pair of small liquid chambers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 76 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said liquid chamber is interposed between a first tubular member secured to one of said vibration-generating portion and said vibration-receiving portion on the one hand, and a second tubular member secured to the other and including an axis substantially parallel with an axis of said first tubular member and an inner peripheral surface opposed to an outer peripheral surface of said first tubular member on the other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 61 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said movable plate is disposed in one of said small liquid chambers, a stopper member being interposed between said movable plate and said first tubular member for restricting relative movement of said movable plate and said first tubular member in a direction of proximity to each other more than a predetermined amount.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 29 words
A vibration isolating apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a second pair of electrodes disposed in said orifice and adapted to energize the electroviscous fluid in said orifice.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE3423698A1 Cited
JPS60113835A Cited
US4759534A Cited
US4757981A Cited
US4793599A Cited
US4720087A Cited
US4861006A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-08-05 1995-02-04 1995-08-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-08-05 1999-02-04 1999-08-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-08-05 2003-02-04 2003-08-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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