Patent Publication Number: US-2007114707-A1

Title: Impact resistance vibration isolator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of The Invention  
      The present invention relates to an impact resistance vibration isolator, and particularly relates to a wire rope vibration isolator adapted for insulating vibration, cushioning impact and decreasing noise in industrial engineering fields.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      In many conditions, vibration is harmful to mechanical equipment—it effects working efficiency, decreases user life, brings noise and damages the structure of the mechanical equipment. In addition, it can contribute to serious accidents. Hence, vibration level must be decreased within an allowable safe range, so that damage is decreased.  
      In actual engineering, spiral spring vibration isolators are commonly used. Its damping element is composed of a spiral spring with grinded end sides. Moreover, the grinded end sides are vertical to an axial line of the spiral spring and are directly connected with a component for supporting the component. However, the spiral spring has gaps between spiral lines of the spiral spring. Hence, the spiral spring vibration isolator has a good cushioning capability, but its damping capability is bad.  
      The shortcomings of the spiral spring vibration isolator are as follows: 1. its cushioning capability is good, but damping capability is bad; 2. its loading is relative to Hooke&#39;s Law; 3. it can eliminate the loading in a direction horizontal to the axial line of the spiral spring, but another direction vertical to the axial line of the spiral spring can not be eliminated. Hence, the application of the spiral spring vibration isolator will be restricted.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention provides a wire rope vibration isolator. The wire rope vibration isolator has a good cushioning and impact-resistant capability, and reduces noise. Moreover, the wire rope vibration isolator has a good damping effect in three-D directions to increase reliability and stability for precision machinery or products in working or moving processes.  
      A first aspect of the present invention is a wire rope vibration isolator, comprising a first fixed seat, a second fixed seat and a plurality of wire ropes. The wire ropes are separated from each other and respectively disposed between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat.  
      It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is an exposed view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the first embodiment of the present invention; perspective  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a front view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a lateral view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a lateral view of a wire rope according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the third embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a wire rope vibration isolator according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED BEST MOLDS  
      Referring to FIGS.  1  to  4 , the first embodiment of the present invention provides a wire rope vibration isolator which comprises a first fixed seat  1 , a second fixed seat  2  and a plurality of wire ropes  3  disposed between the first fixed seat  1  and the second fixed seat  2 . The first fixed seat  1  comprises a first clip board  11  and a second clip board  12 . Both the first clip board  11  and the second clip board  12  can be rectangular boards opposite to each other. However, the shape of the board is not limited. The second clip board  12  has a plurality of semi-circular grooves  121  that is formed on one surface thereof and faces the first clip board  11 , and the wire ropes  3  are correspondingly received in the semi-circular grooves  121  for increasing contact areas between the first clip board  11  and the second clip board  12 , and increase the compressive strength of the wire ropes  3 .  
      The first clip board  11  and the second clip board  12  are connected together by connected elements  13 . In the first embodiment, the connected elements  13  are screws, and the first clip board  11  and the second clip board  12  respectively have a first connected hole  111  and a second connected hole  122  corresponding to each other, and the connected elements  13  (the screws) can pass through the first connected hole  111  and the second connected hole  122  for the first clip board  11  and the second clip board  12  to connect with each other. The first clip board  11  further has a plurality of third connected holes  112  for connecting with a device or a base.  
      The second fixed seat  2  comprises a third clip board  21  and a fourth clip board  22 . Both the third clip board  21  and the fourth clip board  22  can be rectangular boards opposite to each other. However, the shape of the board is not limited. The fourth clip board  22  has a plurality of semi-circular grooves  221  formed on one surface thereof and faces the third clip board  21 . The wire ropes  3  are correspondingly received in the semi-circular grooves  221  for increasing contact areas between the third clip board  21  and the fourth clip board  22 , and increasing the compressive strength of the wire ropes  3 .  
      The third clip board  21  and the fourth clip board  22  are connected together by connected elements  23 . In the first embodiment, the connected elements  23  are screws, and the third clip board  21  and the fourth clip board  22  respectively have a fourth connected hole  211  and a fifth connected hole  222  corresponding to each other. The connected elements  23  (the screws) can pass through the fourth connected hole  211  and the fifth connected hole  222  for the third clip board  21  and the fourth clip board  22  to connect with each other. The third clip board  21  further has a plurality of sixth connected holes  212  for connecting with a device or a base.  
      The wire ropes  3  are twisted by high intensity steel wires and are separated from each other. In the first embodiment, the wire ropes  3  are ring-shaped. Moreover, each of the wire ropes  3  has two end portions  31  retained together by a retained element  32  (such as  FIG. 5 ), and the retained element  32  can increase the loading capability of the wire ropes  3 . In addition, the retained element  32  is made of aluminum material that is not easily oxidized to avoid the retained element  32  from losing its clipping effect.  
      The wire ropes  3  are wound around between the first fixed seat  1  and the second fixed seat  2 . In other words, each of the wire ropes  3  has a top edge and a bottom edge respectively clipped between two clip boards  11 ,  12  of the first fixed seat  1  and between two clip boards  21 ,  22  of the second fixed seat  2 . The wire ropes  3  are received in the semi-circular grooves  121 ,  221 . Moreover, the wire rope vibration isolator has a thin protection layer coated thereon. In other words, the protection layer is coated on the first fixed seat  1 , the second fixed seat  2  and the wire ropes  3 .  
      Furthermore, the wire ropes  3  can be vertically disposed between the first fixed seat  1  and the second fixed seat  2 . In addition, the wire ropes  3  can be obliquely disposed between the first fixed seat  1  and the second fixed seat  2 , or the wire ropes  3  can be left or right obliquely disposed between the first fixed seat  1  and the second fixed seat  2 . However, the disposition of the wire ropes  3  should not be limited by the above-mentioned descriptions. Moreover, the wire ropes  3  can be separated from each other in the same interval. In other words, a interval between each two wire ropes  3  is the same. However, the wire ropes  3  can be separated from each other by different intervals. For example, some intervals between each two wire ropes  3  are larger and some intervals between each two wire ropes  3  are smaller. However, the interval between each two wire ropes  3  cannot be limited by the above-mentioned descriptions.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , this embodiment discloses another wire rope vibration isolator that is not ring-shaped. The wire ropes  3  are strips and each of the wire ropes  3  is bent to form an arc-shape. Moreover, each of the wire ropes  3  has two end sides respectively fixed on between two clip boards  11 ,  12  of the first fixed seat  1  and between two clip boards  21 ,  22  of the second fixed seat  2 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 8 , the wire rope vibration isolators can adapt to a mobile support structure. The mobile support structure  4  comprises a support body  41 , a plurality of wheels  42  connected to a base portion of the support body  41 , at least one support platform  43  and a plurality of wire rope vibration isolators disposed between the support body  41  and the support platform  43 . Hence, the support platform  43  is suspended on the support body  41  by the wire rope vibration isolators. In this embodiment, the wire rope vibration isolators are disposed on four corners of the support platform  43 , and each of the wire rope vibration isolators has a first fixed seat  1  and a second fixed seat  2  respectively fixed on a vertical rod  411  of the support body  41  and a connected pole  431  of the support platform  43  by a screwing way or a welding way. Hence, the mobile support structure  4  can adapt to a wafer, an LCD panel or a precision instrument for protecting the wafer, the LCD panel or the precision instrument from strong vibrations. As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , wafer boxes  5  can be disposed on the support platform  43 . Hence, when vibrations are transmitted from a ground direction, the wire rope vibration isolators can effectively absorb the vibrations. If vibrations occur from a horizontal direction, the wire rope vibration isolators can function as vibration insulation and have a cushioning effect.  
      Referring to  FIG. 9 , the wire rope vibration isolators can adapt to a dual layer protection device for protection from vibrations. The protection device  6  comprises a box structure  61 , an inner frame structure  62  disposed in the box structure  61 , a plurality of wire rope vibration isolators disposed between the box structure  61  and the inner frame structure  62  and an inner structure  63  disposed in the inner frame structure  62 . The box structure  61  is made of stiffened board and has an air silica gel washer  64  and an air valve device  65 . The inner frame structure  62  is a stiffened frame structure and the inner structure  63  is a high polymer blowing material with antistatic function. Hence, the inner frame structure  62  is suspended in a box structure  61  by the wire rope vibration isolators. In this embodiment, the wire rope vibration isolators are disposed on four comers of the inner frame structure  62 , and each of the wire rope vibration isolators is fixed between the box structure  61  and the inner frame structure  62  via screws or welding. Hence, the protection device  6  can adapt to a wafer, an LCD panel or a precision instrument for protecting the wafer, the LCD panel or the precision instrument from strong vibrations. Hence, when vibrations are transmitted from a ground direction, the wire rope vibration isolators can effectively absorb the vibrations. If vibrations occur from a horizontal direction, the wire rope vibration isolators can function as vibration insulation and have a cushioning effect.  
      In conclusion, the wire rope vibration isolator can be adapted for insulating vibration, cushioning impact and decreasing noise in different fields such as the air industry, the national defense industry, the transportation machine, the light industry and other industrial engineering fields.  
      Moreover, the wire rope vibration isolator has a good cushioning and impact-resistant capability, and reduces noise. Moreover, the wire rope vibration isolator has a good damping effect in three-D directions to increase reliability and stability for precision machinery or products in working or moving processes. Furthermore, the wire rope vibration isolator is easily assembled and used  
      Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred best molds thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.