Patent ID: 6098966
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
Apparatus for isolating vibrations and mitigating the effects of shock upon a mass that includes:a hydraulic shock absorber having a cylinder that is closed at one end and having a piston rod slidably contained in the other end, said piston rod being coaxially aligned along the axis of the cylinder and extended outwardly from the other end of said cylinder,an elongated shaft stationarily mounted at one end in the closed end of said cylinder said shaft being coaxially aligned with the axis of the cylinder and the opposite end of the shaft being slidably received in said piston rod,a shock tube surrounding said shaft, said shock tube having a proximal end slidably mounted on said shaft and a distal end secured to said piston rod for movement therewith,a compression spring mounted inside said cylinder in a preloaded neutral condition between the piston rod and the shock tube, said spring being further loaded as the piston rod moves into or out of said cylinder,a piston stationarily mounted on said shaft for dividing the shock tube into a first chamber on one side of the piston and a second chamber on the other side of the piston and orificing means for metering fluid contained in said chambers around said piston, as said piston rod moves into and out of said cylinder,a first connector means mounted upon the closed end of said cylinder and a second connector mounted upon the extended end of the piston rod so that one connector can be secured to a mass and the other to a mass supporting structure, anda vibration isolator associated with at least one of said connectors for attenuating vibrations acting on the mass,said at least one isolator being arranged to respond to vibratory loads up to the spring preload and thereafter change its spring rate wherein higher loads are absorbed by said shock absorber.