Patent ID: 7117758

Claim:
A vibration generator for a soil compacting device, comprising: a first imbalance mass assembly including a first imbalance shaft that is driven rotationally in a first direction, a first imbalance mass fixedly connected to the first imbalance shaft, a second imbalance mass held on the first imbalance shaft so as to be capable of rotation relative to the first imbalance shaft in such a way that the second imbalance mass can be rotated between at least between two extreme position in which its imbalance effect increases or reduces that of the first imbalance mass; a second imbalance mass assembly including a second imbalance shaft that is coupled in positively locking fashion with the first imbalance shaft so as to rotate in a second, opposite direction, an additional first imbalance mass fixedly connected to the second imbalance shaft, an additional second imbalance mass held on the second imbalance shaft so as to be capable of rotation relative to the second imbalance shaft in such a way that the additional second imbalance mass can be rotated between at least two extreme positions in which its imbalance effect increases or reduces that of the additional first imbalance mass; and an imbalance adjustment device that couples the second imbalance masses of the first and second imbalance mass assemblies in a positively locking fashion so that the second imbalance masses rotate in opposite directions in a coordinated maimer, wherein the positions of the second imbalance masses can be adjusted, using the imbalance adjustment device, such that, when the imbalance effects of the first and the second imbalance masses on the first imbalance shaft compensate to form a minimal imbalance value of the first imbalance mass assembly, the imbalance effects of the additional first and the second imbalance masses on the second imbalance shaft combine to form a maximum imbalance value of the second imbalance mass assembly, and vice versa.