Abstract:
A vibrator with resilience comprised of two or more spring leafs which are jointed between a base and a bearing object, in which the respective leaf spring folds at connecting ends are parallely disposed to each other, the joint form of which might be triangle or parallelogram etc., and various completed configurations deriving from foregoing basic forms are available according to acquirement. The advantage of said vibrator is its handy structure, lower cost and easy maintenance, which can be widely used as a damper in the cases of suitable vibration scope.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a device, which, under the influence of a restoration force, undergoes an oscillatory or vibration motion. The “oscillatory motion” here is well defined but may be irregular in time, such as those found in shock absorbing systems.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Various kinds of shock-absorbing devices used in vehicles generally include a bearing ( 37 ) and a spring system ( 38 ), in which most of the shock-absorbing objects such as wheel axles ( 8 ) make up-and-down movements around the bearing axis with the help of springs thus realizing the aim of shock absorption. FIG. 1 illustrates a shock-absorbing device for the rear wheel of a bicycle. These shock-absorbing devices involve a lot of parts, resulting in high costs, heavy weights, bearing abrasion, inconvenient maintenance and high requirements for rust prevention.  
         AIM OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The aim of this invention is to provide a vibrator with resilience that is of simple structure, low cost, convenient maintenance, and without special rust prevention processes.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    This invention comprises at least two leaf springs, both ends of each of which are connected separately to the base and the supporting member, and the effective connecting edges thereof are parallel to one another.  
           [0005]    In operation, the leaf springs will curve flexibly, allowing the supporting member to make movements within a certain freedom of space relative to the base, so as to realize the aim of shock absorption or oscillation. As the invention is simple, light-weight, low-cost, convenient to maintain, and requiring no complicated rust prevention processes, it can be widely used in shock-absorbing systems for vehicles, planes, snowmobiles and saddles. It can also be used for devices that need small angular or lateral oscillations. For example, the invention can be used for some optical mirrors, in which the resilience of the leaf springs can be configured according to different needs such as in resonance vibration so comparatively steady oscillations can be induced by only a small periodic load.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 illustrates a shock-absorbing device currently used for bicycles;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of this invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 10 illustrates application of this invention where it is arranged for front and rear wheel shafts and cushion;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 11 illustrates another form of application of this invention where it is used on a saddle;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 12 illustrates another form of application of this invention where it is used on a handlebar;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 13 illustrates a third form of application of this invention where it is used on a saddle;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 14 illustrates application of this invention where it is used for an optic mirror for oscillating a beam over a certain angle;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 15 illustrates application of this invention where it is used for optic mirror for scanning a beam laterally. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    Embodiment 1  
         [0022]    As illustrated in FIG. 2 of this invention, both ends of the two leaf springs  1  are secured separately to the base  2  and the supporting member  3  by means of welding, the spring  1  and the base  2  forming a structural unit of triangle section  12 , where the included angle between two springs is preferred to be of 90°. Under the influence of external forces, the springs will curve flexibly, so that the supporting member  3  will rotate around the intersection  11  of the two leaf springs. As long as the leaf springs are not bent beyond the point of submission, the intersection point  11  becomes a center of rotation with restoration forces. Although there is no real physical axis here, the intersecting line  11  is a virtual axis of rotation, which, along with the leaf springs, forms a basic structure for shock-absorbing devices. In practical applications, a wheel shaft, etc. can be fixed directly onto the supporting member, or, a fork can be fixed onto the supporting member, and then connected to the wheel shaft. Of course, when the springs  1 , the base  2  and the supporting member  3  form a section of triangular structure, it will have the same effect.  
         [0023]    Embodiment 2  
         [0024]    The springs  1  can be connected with the base  2  or the supporting member  3  by corresponding coupling surfaces, such as tooth-to-tooth coupling, tooth-to-slot coupling, etc. Being pressed, these coupling surfaces will have strong coupling and inter-locking effect. For example, the connection of the springs  1  with the base  2  and the supporting member  3  can adopt the means shown in FIG. 3, where base  2  and the supporting member  3  respectively have surfaces  21  and  31 , with position-limiting flanges  22  and  32  on both sides of surfaces  21  and  31  respectively, and springs  1  have coupling surfaces  13  on them which are extending outwards and can be coupled with the position-limiting flanges, and they are pressed closely and secured with screws or bolts.  
         [0025]    Embodiment 3  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 4, two springs  1  along with the base  2 , the supporting member  3 , form a structural unit of parallelogram section  12 ′.  
         [0027]    In order to distribute stress more evenly so that the stress will not concentrate on portions of the leaf springs adjacent to the supporting member, the springs are arranged in a form with different widths such as an echelon (or something like an echelon), in which the wider side of the spring  1  is connected to the supporting member  3  and the smaller side in connected to base  2 . A strengthening piece  35  can also be added to the supporting member, or the thickness of the spring adjacent to the supporting member can be increased as shown in FIG. 3. Of course, the same can also be applied to the connection between the springs and the base. All of the above measures will increase the lifespan of this invention. Besides, additional springs  36  can be arranged for the system in order to give different flexural strengths as required, as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0028]    Embodiment 4  
         [0029]    As shown in FIG. 5, each leaf spring can be pre-curved so as to increase structural rigidity in the other 5 degrees of freedom when loading straightens the spring. Other structures of this embodiment are similar to those in Embodiment 1.  
         [0030]    The number of leaf springs shall of course not necessarily be limited to two. But they must be arranged so that their flexing will not interfere with each other in operation. In practical applications, various complicated structures formed with structural unit  12  or  12 ′ mentioned above can be adopted as in the following embodiments.  
         [0031]    Embodiment 5  
         [0032]    As shown in FIG. 6, there are two triangle structural units  12  transversely paralleled on base  2 ; each spring  1  is connected to the same supporting member  3  so as to increase rigidity of the whole structure.  
         [0033]    Embodiment 6  
         [0034]    As shown in FIG. 7, base  2  is of two layers of coaxing cylinders, the supporting member  3  is the axis of the cylinders, and the springs are connected between the base  2  and the supporting member  3  in radiating form.  
         [0035]    Embodiment 7  
         [0036]    As shown in FIG. 8, two triangle structural units  12  are abutted to form component  4  with one supporting member  3  and one of the bases  2  becomes a mobile platform  2 ′. This kind of mobile platform has bigger turning range.  
         [0037]    Embodiment 8  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 9 is a more complicated structure, where the supporting member  3  of the component  4  is in the shape of a rod, and there are two parallel components  4  connecting base  2  and the mobile platform  2 ′, one end of which is connected to working platform  5  through the triangular structural units  12 , and the working platform forms the base of the triangle structural unit. In practical applications, working platform  5  is the blade of the sled or snowmobile, and the base is the frame of the vehicle.  
         [0039]    In the structure as shown in FIG. 9, there is another component  4 ′ connecting the supporting member  3  of one of the components  4  and the working platform  5 . Component  4 ′ is parallel to the mobile platform  2 ′ keeping the blade horizontal while absorbing vertical shocks.  
         [0040]    In practical applications of this invention, the base  2  and the supporting member  3  can be evolved into suitable and specific structures. The following are examples of various shock-absorbing applications of this invention in bicycles.  
         [0041]    Embodiment 9  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 10 illustrates an application of a triangular structural unit  12  in bicycles, in which the bottom tube  6  of the frame is the base  2 , one end of the fork  8  is connected to spring  1 , and the other end to the rear axle  9 .  
         [0043]    Embodiment 10  
         [0044]    As shown in FIG. 10, the front axle  9 ′ is secured indirectly to the traditional front fork  10  as the base and the level fork  8 ′ as the supporting member, one end of which is connected to the spring system  12 ′ and the other end is connected to front axis  9 ′. The same structure can be used on one or both sides of the front wheel.  
         [0045]    There are also many ways of shock absorption with the saddles.  
         [0046]    Embodiment 11  
         [0047]    As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom tube  6  of bicycle frame is used as the base, cross bar  14  as the supporting member. Leaf springs  1  are connected to one end of the cross bar and to the top of bottom tube. Cushion  15  is secured on cross bar  14 .  
         [0048]    Embodiment 12  
         [0049]    As shown in FIG. 11, a connecting tube  16  is secured at the rear end of bottom tube  6  which extend backwards and used as the base. Cross bar  14  on which the cushion  15  is secured is the supporting member, and the leaf springs are connected to the rear end of the cross bar and the rear end of the connecting tube.  
         [0050]    Embodiment 13  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 12 illustrates another application of this invention, in which the triangular structural unit is used on a shock-absorbing handle bar, with the stem tube  17  serve as the base and the fixed tube  19  of the handlebar  18  as the supporting member. There is a position-limiting device on the tube  17 , screw thread  7 ′ is matched with position-adjusting nuts  20 , which limits the range of travel of the end of the fixed tube  19 , An overall shock-absorbing device is thus accomplished.  
         [0052]    Embodiment 14  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 13 illustrates another application of this invention, in which the parallelogram structural unit  12 ′ is used for the saddle. An oval tube  23  is secured on top of the bicycle frame in parallel with cushion tube  7 ; Leaf springs  1  is connected in parallel between the oval tube  23  and saddle tube  7  so that the saddle has the effect of up and down shock suspension.  
         [0054]    Embodiment 15  
         [0055]    As shown in FIG. 14, in the triangular structural unit  12 , a mirror  33  is secured on the supporting member  3 , the intersecting point  11  of the spring  1  is located on the reflecting surface of the mirror  33 , the vibration of the mirror can be controlled by a motor or resonance vibration, so that when the light beam is reflected from the mirror, it will have an angular vibration.  
         [0056]    Embodiment 16  
         [0057]    As shown in FIG. 15, a parallelogram structural unit  12 ′ is adopted so that when the light beam  34  is reflected from the mirror, it will have a lateral vibration:  
         [0058]    In order to meet various practical requirements, as in many traditional shock-absorbing systems, movement-limiting devices, damping devices, or other shock-absorbing devices can be added to this invention for better comfort or safety.