Patent ID: 8496224

Claim:
A tunable valve assembly substantially symmetrical about a longitudinal axis, said tunable valve assembly comprising a valve body, an adjustable preload flange, and a plurality of viscoelastic elements; wherein said valve body comprises a peripheral groove spaced apart from a central longitudinal guide stem by an annular reservoir, said peripheral groove being responsive to longitudinal compressive force on said tunable valve assembly; wherein said plurality of viscoelastic elements comprises a reservoir element disposed in said annular reservoir and a groove element disposed in said peripheral groove, said groove element comprising a circumferential tubular area; and wherein said adjustable preload flange extends radially from said central guide stem to constrain an annular area of said reservoir element for achieving at least a first predetermined assembly resonant frequency substantially replicating a measured resonant frequency; wherein said circumferential tubular area comprises at least one shear-thickening material having at least a second predetermined assembly resonant frequency similar to said first predetermined assembly resonant frequency.