Patent ID: 6141919
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
An energy absorber comprising:a pair of shear dampers mounted back to back along a common axis, each said damper comprising a pair of rigid end plates, a laminated structure of rigid plates able to slide past one another and a core of plastically deformable material in a bore through said rigid plates from the inner face of one end of said end plate to the inner face of the other said end plate,means to urge said end plates toward one another to maintain each said core at a hydrostatic pressure at least approaching the shear yield stress of said plastically deformable material,the two end plates at the distal ends of said pair of dampers being commonly attachable to a first portion of a structure,the two dampers having a common end plate at their adjacent ends, said common end plate being attachable to a second portion of a structure,the average cross-sectional area of the core in each said damper being from about 5% to about 95% of the average total cross-sectional area of each said damper,the arrangement and construction being such that in use said energy absorber, when attached to a first and second structure or portions of a structure, dampens relative motion therebetween.