Patent ID: 6789651
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: F16F,Y10T

Abstract:
A damping device used in a machine comprising a movable object and a motor moving said movable object,the damping device comprising: a vibration damper filled with an electroviscous fluid having a viscosity changing according to a value of a voltage applied to the electroviscous fluid, and movably supporting at least a part of said movable object in the electroviscous fluid; a voltage applicator applying the voltage to the electroviscous fluid in said vibration damper; a controller controlling an operation of said voltage applicator so that an optimum voltage, at which the viscosity of the electroviscous fluid absorbing a vibration of said movable object most effectively is obtained, can be applied to the electroviscous fluid in said vibration damper in accordance with a moving speed of said movable object; an indicator indicating the moving speed of said movable object; and a memory storing control information representing a relationship between the moving speed of said movable object and the optimum voltage applied to the electroviscous fluid at which the viscosity of the electroviscous fluid absorbing the vibration of the movable object most effectively at the moving speed, is obtained in advance, for each expected moving speed of the movable object, wherein: when said indicator indicates the moving speed of said movable object, said controller indicates said motor to move the movable object at the indicated moving speed, selects the optimum voltage applied to the electroviscous fluid to correspond to the indicated moving speed, and controls the operation of said voltage applicator so that the selected voltage can be applied to the electroviscous fluid in said vibration damper.