Damping device with adjustable elastic constants

Abstract

The present invention relates to a damping device with an adjustable elastic constant, the damping device comprising a membrane spring and an adjustment system for adjusting the elastic constant of the membrane spring. The membrane spring comprises at least one circular bending crown with at least two annular bending arms, one continuous circular crown adjacent to and concentric with the circular bending crown, and one groove associated with each annular bending arm. Each groove is adjacent to and concentric with the annular bending arm along at least a portion of its length. The adjustment system further comprises a fixation element inserted into each of the grooves and configured to move along each corresponding groove to change the portion of the length of the annular bending arm adjacent the groove, which flexes to change the elastic constant of the damping device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of mechanics and more particularly to the field of damping devices for absorbing vibrations generated by any type of vibration source or transmission source. [Background technology]

[0002] Most industrial equipment, machinery, or vehicles exhibit vibrations caused by imbalances in rotating elements, misaligned couplings, wear of components, etc. Furthermore, the source or transmission of vibrations may also be external to the element or equipment being protected or isolated from the vibrations. For example, vibrations may result from natural phenomena such as earthquakes, or in the case of vehicles, vibrations may be transmitted by the road itself due to the presence of holes or irregularities in the road surface. Regardless of their source, these vibrations cause a wide range of problems, such as noise, fatigue and failure of certain components, operational impairments, etc. To prevent these problems, various types of damping devices are typically installed between the source or transmission of vibrations and the surface, element, equipment, or system to be isolated from the vibrations, thereby eliminating or at least minimizing the vibrations.

[0003] The damping devices include, among others, spring dampers, hydraulic dampers, gas dampers, rheological dampers, etc. The springs in the spring dampers can be of various types such as compression springs, torsion springs, extension springs, disc springs, membrane springs, etc. Many of the damping systems and devices available on the market today incorporate coil springs.

[0004] Additionally, these damping devices may be used for other functions such as preloading, energy storage, use as a mechanical low pass filter, obtaining a resilient response for a given load, etc.

[0005] When compactness of the designed machine is a high requirement, membrane springs may be used that have a very suitable ratio between damping performance and overall size. The more important the functional role of the spring in the machine unit, the more crucial this performance / size ratio is. Membrane springs, also known as leaf springs, are very compact and have a high elasticity that will in any case depend on the number, size, shape, etc. of the elastic arms available, as well as on the material from which they are made.

[0006] The problem with conventional damping devices lies in the fact that, regardless of their nature and type, each spring responds to a mechanical behavior defined by its characteristics according to the function "F = -K * x," where "F" is the force applied by the spring, "x" is the stretch or change in the length of the spring, and "K" is the spring's elastic constant. To measure the spring's elastic constant "K," the deformation "x" that occurs when different values ​​of force "F" are applied to the spring is measured. This means that each damping device has a fixed type of natural vibration mode, and therefore it is necessary to manufacture various damping devices with a constant "K" for each specific application. Furthermore, in applications where the magnitude of the generated vibrations varies, the damping device tends to be oversized because it cannot adapt to the variations in order to absorb or minimize vibration peaks, even if the vibrations occur very sporadically. This oversizing of the damping device can cause an inadequate response at specific times when the vibration load on the surface or device to be isolated is low, since the damping device has an elastic constant that is too high for the vibrations that it is subjected to most of the time.

[0007] Therefore, in the current state of the art, it is necessary to develop a damping device with a high performance / dimension ratio, which at the same time allows for a dynamic and very effective adjustment of the elastic constant "K" in a simple manner, not only before installation but also after installation "in situ". [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2021-0140904 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0058984 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first object of the invention relates to a damping device with adjustable elastic constants as claimed in claim 1. Particular embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0010] The damping device target with adjustable elastic constant of the present invention comprises a membrane spring and an adjustment system coupled to the membrane spring itself for adjusting the elastic constant of the membrane spring. As described herein, a membrane spring refers to a sheet made of an elastic material, preferably elastic steel or another material with elastic properties, such as a composite material, plastic, or graphene, and has at least two bending arms. The membrane spring is capable of absorbing energy generated by a vibration source or transmission source to which it is attached or in contact. The membrane spring is a flat element that can have a thickness that can be widely varied depending on the application in which it is installed. For example, their thickness (distance along the axial shaft) can vary from a few microns when they are designed for use in microelectronics to tens of centimeters or even several meters when they are installed in building foundations to absorb vibrations generated by earthquakes. Similarly, their dimensions along the transverse axis can vary from millimeters to meters depending on the application in which they are designed. In any case, the dimensions of the membrane springs will depend on the magnitude of the vibrations to be absorbed. Furthermore, they can have various shapes, such as circular, rectangular, square, elliptical, etc. The membrane springs are preferably disc-shaped and act such that when a force is applied axially to the center of the membrane spring, the spring deforms and moves axially as a result of deformation along the entire length of its bending arms.

[0011] The membrane spring of the present invention comprises at least one circularly bent crown, which in turn comprises at least two annularly bent arms (elastic arms) preferably separated from one another by radial cuts, and a continuous circular crown adjacent to and concentric with the at least one circularly bent crown. The continuous circular crown is a continuous material, i.e., a sheet without openings, deformations, or cuts. The annular bent arms are elements of the membrane spring that absorb the axial bending stress transmitted by the source or transmitting element that generates the vibration to be damped. Therefore, the sum of the behavior of these annular bent arms constitutes the overall elastic behavior of the membrane spring and, therefore, the damping device. The behavior of these annular bent arms also depends on the elastic properties of the material from which they are made and their dimensions.

[0012] The membrane spring further includes a groove associated with each annular bend arm of each circular bend crown. Each groove is adjacent to and concentric with the annular bend arm along at least a portion of its length and is located on an edge of at least one circular bend crown opposite the successive circular bend crown. Preferably, the circular bend crown defines one of the annular edges of the annular bend arm, whether it be the inner edge or the outer edge, and the groove defines at least a portion of the opposite edge of the annular bend arm.

[0013] Additionally, the adjustment system for adjusting the elastic constant includes a fixing element inserted into each of the grooves and configured to move along the corresponding groove, thereby changing the length of the portion of the annular bending arm adjacent to the groove that bends and changes the elastic constant of the damping device. In other words, depending on the position of the fixing element in the groove, it determines whether the entire arm or only a portion of the arm can bend axially. When fixed at the end of the groove located corresponding to the origin of the arm (the end of the arm that is joined to the rest of the membrane spring), the fixing element does not restrict the bending of the arm. As the fixing element moves along the groove to its opposite end, the portion of the arm that can bend becomes shorter. Only the portion of the annular bending arm between the fixing element and the free end of the arm is the portion of the arm that can bend axially.

[0014] Preferably, one end (starting point) of the groove corresponds to a portion of the annular bending arm that is joined to the rest of the membrane spring. The groove also preferably has a length that is shorter than the length of the annular bending arm with which it is associated, so that even if the fixing element is guided to the end opposite the start of the groove, there will always be a portion of the arm that is able to bend. Alternatively, the length of the groove and the length of the corresponding arm may be the same, so that the fixing element at the end opposite the start of the arm can completely prevent the annular bending arm from bending axially.

[0015] In some embodiments, the relative length of the groove to the annular bending arm of each annular bending crown may be the same or different. Furthermore, the relative length of the groove to the annular bending arm may be the same for all annular bending crowns of a membrane spring or may vary among them. Preferably, the relative length of the groove to the annular bending arm is constant for the entire membrane spring.

[0016] In some embodiments, the width of the annular bending arms corresponds to the width of the circular bending crowns and is defined between each corresponding cut made annularly in the membrane spring.

[0017] In some embodiments, the membrane spring includes a continuous circular crown between any two circular bend crowns, which is a continuous sheet of material (i.e., without cuts, deformations, or openings) that acts as a bridge to separate the bending of the annular bend arms of each circular bend crown.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fixation elements are formed by a rod having an H-shaped longitudinal cross section and inserted into the groove, and two stops coupled to each corresponding end of the rod, the width of which is greater than the width of the groove. These fixation elements create a physical bridge between the continuous material portion of the membrane spring and the annular bending arm, thereby strengthening the joint between the two and changing the portion of the arm that is bendable, and therefore changing the elastic constant "K" of the damping device.

[0019] In some embodiments, the fixing element is formed by a screw, a bushing, and a nut. This configuration of the fixing element allows for easy adjustment and fixing of the position of the fixing element at the required point within the corresponding groove.

[0020] In some embodiments, the fixation elements in the grooves associated with the annular bending arms of the same annular bending crown are joined together by an adjustment ring. The adjustment ring is configured to rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise, thereby causing the fixation elements in their corresponding grooves to undergo identical and simultaneous circular motion. In this way, the lengths of the axially bendable annular bending arms for the same annular bending crown can be changed in the same manner and in a single step. In such embodiments, the fixation elements may be threaded onto the adjustment ring or may at least partially form an integral part of the ring itself. For example, a rod or screw may form an integral part of the ring together with one of the stops, while a lower stop, e.g., a nut, may be coupled to the free end of the rod or screw when the free end is inserted into the groove. Alternatively, each of the fixation elements may be moved individually to similar or different points within the corresponding grooves associated with the same annular bending crown.

[0021] In some embodiments, the groove and corresponding fixation element include a locking mechanism for locking the position of the fixation element relative to the groove. While locking mechanisms such as the use of screws and nuts as part of the fixation element itself are described above, it is also envisioned that the groove may have an inner wavy or serrated edge such that the fixation element engages with a valley in that edge. In this way, the fixation element may engage and disengage with different valleys in the inner edge, thereby allowing for quick and easy modification of the portion of the arm that bends. Alternatively, the inner edges of the grooves may have grooves or notches at predetermined locations along their length into which the fixation element is inserted and secured.

[0022] In some embodiments, the fixation elements are configured to be moved manually or automatically along the length of their respective grooves. An operator may loosen or release the fixation elements to reposition and fix them to new positions within the grooves. Alternatively, the controller may calculate the elastic constant "K" required to minimize or eliminate the measured vibration based on measurements of the magnitude of vibration transmitted to the damping device measured by the vibration sensor, and determine the position of the fixation element along its corresponding groove to obtain the elastic constant "K." Once the position is calculated, the fixation elements are positioned in place, either manually or automatically. For example, the damping device may have a motor acting on each fixation element individually, or may have a motor acting on a set of fixation elements, e.g., acting on each adjustment ring.

[0023] In some embodiments, the membrane spring comprises a central opening for fixing a shaft that can be coupled to a vibration source. This vibration source can be a vibration-generating mass or a vibration-transmitting mass. Once inserted into the central opening of the membrane spring, the shaft can be fixed to the spring by a nut, pin, screw, or weld. The vibration-generating mass or vibration-transmitting mass can be any element, component, device, or system that generates or transmits vibrations, regardless of its nature.

[0024] In some embodiments, the membrane spring comprises a plurality of openings through which the membrane spring is fastened to a support that can be coupled to the surface to be protected from vibration. Screws, bolts, studs, pins, among other fastening elements, can be used to fasten the membrane spring to the support. The support can then be fastened to the surface to be protected using the bolts, screws, studs, or pins, or can be directly welded. The surface to be protected from vibration can be directly a floor, or the surface of an apparatus, vehicle, system, machine, etc.

[0025] A second object of the invention relates to a vibration damping system comprising a damping device as described above and a main support to which a membrane spring is connected, the main support being capable of being connected to a surface to be protected from vibrations and to a shaft which is connected to the membrane spring through a central opening in the membrane spring, the shaft being capable of being connected to a vibration-generating mass or a vibration-transmitting mass.

[0026] In some embodiments, the damping system includes a vibration measurement sensor coupled to the shaft and a controller configured to determine, based on the vibration measured by the vibration sensor, the position of the fixation element relative to each corresponding groove. In other words, the controller may calculate the elastic constant "K" required to minimize or eliminate the vibration measured at a particular time based on measurements obtained from the vibration sensor, and obtain the elastic constant "K" by determining the position of the fixation element along the corresponding groove. To that end, the system may include motors for linearly moving the fixation elements along their respective grooves, thereby moving the fixation elements individually or in groups (e.g., if they are connected by an adjustment ring). Once the positions are calculated, the fixation elements are manually or automatically positioned at the specified positions. This adjustment of the elastic constant "K" may be performed continuously or periodically. The controller may be at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or another electronic circuit suitable for performing calculations and controlling the movement and fixation of the fixation elements.

[0027] The damping device objective of the present invention has various advantages over the prior art. For example, membrane springs can be manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, and their design can easily incorporate an appropriate number of annular bending crowns, each with two or more annular bending arms, to obtain a damping device with a wide range of elastic behavior. Furthermore, by changing the position of the fixing element within the groove, the bending portion of the annular bending arm is changed to dynamically adjust the elastic constant "K." This allows for damping of a very wide range of vibrations. The elastic constant "K" of the damping device can be adjusted once the damping device is installed based on the response of the equipment to which it is installed. This adjustment can also be automated based on gradual changes in the vibration mode within the system. Membrane springs function similarly under both tension and compression. Their low-cost manufacturing ease allows for the use of a wide range of thicknesses and sizes for the sheets, which allows for the design of a wide variety of device dimensions, thereby controlling a wide range of masses. Furthermore, the ratio of the damping device's height to its working length is very small compared to other springs, such as coil springs. The working length of the membrane spring is very large in relation to the thickness of the sheet from which it is manufactured, so that the damping device occupies less space than other similar devices known in the art.

[0028] The damping device target of the present invention may be used to anchor a machine or machine component and installed in a vehicle's damping system to replace conventional coil springs or leaf springs with this damping device having an adjustable elastic constant.

[0029] To complete the description and to enhance the understanding of the invention, a series of figures are provided, which form an integral part of the description and which illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and which should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as examples of how the invention may be put into practice. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1A] 1 is a perspective view of a damping device in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 1B] 1 is an exploded view of a damping device in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the membrane spring of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a membrane spring with a single annular bent crown, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of a membrane spring with two annular bend crowns and four annular bend arms within each annular bend crown, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5A] 2A and 2B are plan and perspective views of the damping device of FIG. 1 under axial force and with fixation elements fixed at three different points in their respective grooves; [Figure 5B] 2A and 2B are plan and perspective views of the damping device of FIG. 1 under axial force and with fixation elements fixed at three different points in their respective grooves; [Figure 5C] 2A and 2B are plan and perspective views of the damping device of FIG. 1 under axial force and with fixation elements fixed at three different points in their respective grooves; [Figure 6A] 1 is a perspective view of a vibration damping system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6B] 1 is an exploded view of a vibration damping system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6C] 1 is a cutaway side view of a vibration damping system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a machine supported by four damping systems such as those shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. [Figure 8A] 10 is a perspective view of a damping device incorporating a locking mechanism for locking the position of a locking element relative to a groove, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 8B]10 is an exploded view of a damping device incorporating a locking mechanism for locking the position of a locking element relative to a groove, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] 1A and 1B are perspective and exploded views, respectively, of a damping apparatus 1 in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the damping apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B may include additional components and that some of the components described herein may be removed and / or modified without departing from the scope of the damping apparatus 1.

[0032] The damping device 1 is formed by a membrane spring 2 having a circular or disc shape and six fixing elements. The three outermost fixing elements 3a-c are inserted into three grooves 4a-c associated with the outermost annular bent crown 5a, and the three innermost fixing elements 6a-c are inserted into three grooves 7a-c associated with the innermost annular bent crown 5b. The membrane spring 2 has a plurality of openings 8 near its outer periphery through which screws, bolts, rods, studs, etc. (not shown) can be passed to fix the membrane spring to a surface (not shown) to be isolated from vibrations, either directly or via a support (not shown). The spring 2 comprises two circular bent crowns 5a-b (shown in mesh-type shading) separated from each other by a continuous circular crown 9 (shown in dotted shading). The continuous circular crown portion 9 is a circular sheet made of the same material as the rest of the membrane spring 2, with no cuts, openings or deformations, and separates the two circular bent crown portions 5a-b by a bridge portion, allowing the bending of the annular bent arms 10a-c and 11a-c of the two circular bent crown portions 5a-b to be independent of each other.

[0033] In this particular embodiment, the fixing elements 3a-c and 6a-c are formed by screws 12 (with washers) that pass through bushings 13 and are fixed at their lower ends by nuts 14 (with their respective washers), so that the bushings 13, together with the body of the screws 12, act as rods that are introduced through each corresponding groove 4a-c and 7a-c, while the heads of the screws 12 and the nuts 14 act as stops and also as physical bridges between the continuous material part of the membrane spring 2 (the outer ring 16 and inner ring 17 of the spring 2 that do not have openings, cuts or irregularities) and the annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c, thereby reinforcing the joint between them and modifying the bendable parts of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c and, consequently, the elastic constant "K" of the damping device 1.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the membrane spring 2 of FIG. 1. The spring 2 includes two circular bent crowns 5a-b, each formed by three annular bent arms 10a-c and 11a-c, separated from each other by radial cuts. The outermost circular bent crown 5a is defined at its outermost annular edge by three annular grooves 4a-c and at its innermost annular edge by a continuous circular crown 9. The innermost circular bent crown 5b is defined at its innermost annular edge by three annular grooves 7a-c and at its outermost annular edge by a continuous circular crown 9. In this embodiment, the annular bent crowns 5a-b, the continuous circular crown 9, and the grooves 4a-c and 7a-c are concentric with one another. The membrane spring 2 also has a central opening 15 through which a shaft (not shown) attached to a vibration source passes. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length of the grooves 4a-c and 7a-c is slightly less than the length of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c with which they are associated.

[0035] Figure 3 is a plan view of a membrane spring 20 with a single annular bent crown 21, in accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention. This membrane spring 20 is similar to that shown in Figure 2, but has only a single annular bent crown 21 similar to the circular bent crown 5a of Figure 2, and the continuous circular crown defines the innermost annular edge of the annular bent crown 21, which in turn is integrated with an inner portion 26 of the membrane spring 20, which defines a central opening 25. The annular bent crown 21 is further defined by grooves 24a-c at its outermost annular edge.

[0036] The spring 20 also has a circular or disc shape and has a plurality of openings 22 near the periphery for fastening to a surface to be isolated from vibration. The circular bent crown 21 is formed by three bent arms 23a-c separated from each other by radial cuts.

[0037] Figure 4 is a plan view of a membrane spring 30 with two annular bent crowns 31a-b and four annular bent arms 32a-d and 33a-d within each annular bent crown 31a-b, in accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment of membrane spring 30 is very similar to membrane spring 2 of Figures 1 and 2, except that each annular bent crown 31a-b is formed by four annular bent arms 32a-d and 33a-d, and therefore there are four grooves 34a-d and 35a-d associated with each annular bent crown 31a-b. As with the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, there is a continuous circular crown 36 between both annular bent crowns 31a-b.

[0038] While the embodiments shown in Figures 1-4 depict membrane springs with one or two circular bend crowns and three or four annular bend arms within each circular bend crown, in other embodiments, the membrane springs may have a different number of circular bend crowns and annular bend arms. Furthermore, while the embodiments shown in Figures 1-4 also depict a constant ratio between the length of the groove within each circular bend crown and the length of each of its corresponding annular bend arms, as well as a constant ratio between the circular bend crowns (if multiple) of the same membrane spring, in other embodiments, this ratio may be variable within the same annular bend crown or between the circular bend crowns (if more than one) of the same membrane spring. While the width of the annular bend crowns is always the same in the embodiments shown in Figures 1-4, in other embodiments, the width of these annular bend crowns may be different.

[0039] Figures 5A to 5C show three perspective views of the damping device 1 of Figures 1 and 1B, when the damping device is subjected to an axial force and the fixing elements 3a-c, 6a-c are fixed at three different points in their corresponding grooves 4a-c, 7a-c.

[0040] When a force F is applied to membrane spring 2 at its center corresponding to central opening 15 and its periphery is fixed, for example by a screw threaded through opening 8 into a fixed surface, membrane spring 2 will deform axially as shown in Figures 5A-5C. As shown, the axial movement results from deformation along at least a portion of the length of annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c.

[0041] 5A shows one embodiment in which the anchoring elements 3a-c and 6a-c are located at the opposite ends of the corresponding grooves 4a-c and 7a-c, i.e., at the ends of the annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c where the radial cuts separating them from the continuous annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c are located. By locating the anchoring elements 3a-c and 6a-c at these points, the bending capacity of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c is minimized, thereby minimizing the elastic constant "K" of the damping device. Given that the length of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c is longer than the length of the grooves 4a-c and 7a-c, the damping device 1 still bends slightly in the axial direction, even with the bending capacity of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c minimized.

[0042] 5B shows one embodiment in which the fixing elements 3a-c and 6a-c are located at the midpoint of each corresponding groove 4a-c and 7a-c. In this way, bending of the portions of the annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c located between the fixing elements 3a-c and 6a-c themselves and the origin of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c is restricted, while bending of the portions of the annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c located between the fixing elements 3a-c and 6a-c and the ends of the arms 10a-c and 11a-c where the radial cuts are located is permitted.

[0043] 5C shows one embodiment in which fixing elements 3a-c and 6a-c are located at the beginning of each corresponding groove 4a-c and 7a-c, i.e., at the ends of annular bending arms 10a-c and 11a-c, where they are connected to outer ring 16 and inner ring 17 of spring 2. Locating fixing elements 3a-c and 6a-c at these points maximizes the elastic constant "K" of damping device 1 by allowing arms 10a-c and 11a-c to flex to the maximum extent.

[0044] In the three embodiments of Figures 5A to 5C, the bending capacity of the damping device, i.e. its elastic constant "K", is determined from the elastic properties of the manufacturing material of the membrane spring, from the number of annular bending arms, their length (annular distance), width (radial distance) and thickness (axial distance), and from the position of the fixing elements relative to their corresponding grooves.

[0045] 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate a perspective view, an exploded view, and a cutaway side view, respectively, of a vibration-damping system 40 in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the vibration-damping system 40 illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C may include additional components, and that some of the components described herein may be removed and / or modified without departing from the scope of the vibration-damping system 40.

[0046] The damping system 40 includes the damping device 1 as shown in FIG. 1 , a support 41 to which the damping device 1 is connected by eight screws 42, and a shaft 43 inserted into the central opening 15 of the membrane spring 2. The shaft 43 is a threaded screw inserted into the central opening from below and secured there by a nut 44. The opposite end of the shaft 43 is attached to a vibration-generating or vibration-transmitting mass (not shown). The support 41 has a circular outer periphery and four flanges 45 on its side, coinciding with its lower end, for fastening to a surface (not shown) to be isolated from vibration using screws, bolts, rods, studs, or the like. As can be seen in FIGS. 6A and 6B , the body of the support 41 is a cylindrical portion having eight openings 46 through which the screws 42 are inserted and an outer flange 47 at its upper end so that the membrane spring 2 is at least partially housed within the support 41. In this embodiment, fixation elements 3a-c are joined together by an outer adjustment ring 48, and fixation elements 6a-c are joined together by an inner adjustment ring 49. These adjustment rings 48, 49 allow for the three fixation elements associated with each annular flexion coronal section to move together. In another embodiment, these rings 48, 49 may be coupled together so that all fixation elements of the damping device move together.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a machine 50, specifically a compaction device, fixed to a surface to be isolated from vibrations via four damping systems 40, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. This embodiment aims to prevent vibrations generated by the compaction device during operation from being transmitted to the floor of the industrial facility. The shafts 43 of the four damping systems 40 are fixed to the corresponding legs of the compaction device 50 by inserting the shafts 43 into the corresponding openings in the legs. For example, the shafts 43 may be fixed to the legs by screws, welding, bolts, or the like.

[0048] 8A and 8B are perspective and exploded views of a vibration-damping system 60 incorporating a locking mechanism for locking the position of locking elements 65a-d relative to their respective grooves 62a-d, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the vibration-damping system 60 shown in FIGS. 8A-8B may include additional components, and that some of the components described herein may be removed and / or modified without departing from the scope of the vibration-damping system 60.

[0049] In this embodiment, the vibration-damping system 60 includes a membrane spring 61 similar to that shown in FIG. 3, but with four grooves 62a-d and annular bending arms 68a-d instead of three, and in this case, the grooves 62a-d have serrated outer edges 63a-d and corresponding elongated holes 64a-d at their origin. If the fixing elements 65a-d are separate parts rather than a set of screws, bushings, and nuts and are integrally joined to the adjusting ring 66, the elongated holes 64a-d allow for the removal and installation of the fixing elements 65a-d relative to each corresponding groove 62a-d. The fixing elements 65a-d have an H-shaped axial cross-section and have protrusions (not shown) in their central cutouts that fit into the recesses of the outer edges 63a-d corresponding to the serrated outer edges 63a-d of the grooves 62a-d, and within which the fixing elements 65a-d are secured. In this way, the operation of adjusting and fixing the position of the fixing elements 65a-d within the grooves 62a-d is much quicker than using other measures.

[0050] The vibration damping system 60 of Figures 8A and 8B also shows a support 67, such as that shown in Figures 6A-6C, to which the membrane spring 61 is screwed, which in turn may be screwed to the surface to be isolated from vibrations.

Claims

1. 1. A damping device having an adjustable elastic constant, said damping device comprising: a membrane spring; an adjustment system coupled to the membrane spring for adjusting the elastic constant of the membrane spring; Equipped with The membrane spring is at least one circularly bent crown having at least two circularly bent arms; a continuous circular crown portion adjacent to and concentric with said at least one circular bent crown portion, said continuous circular crown portion being made of a continuous sheet of material; a groove associated with each annular bent arm of each circular bent crown, each groove being adjacent to and concentric with said annular bent arm along at least a portion of its length and located on an edge of said at least one circular bent crown opposite said continuous circular crown; Equipped with a damping device, characterized in that the adjustment system for adjusting the elastic constant comprises a fixing element configured to be inserted into each of the grooves and to move along each corresponding groove, thereby changing a portion of the length of the annular bending arm adjacent to the groove that bends to change the elastic constant of the damping device.

2. 2. The damping device of claim 1, wherein each circular bent crown is defined at one of its edges by a continuous circular crown and at its other edge by the groove associated with each of the annular bent arms of the circular bent crown.

3. 3. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the width of the annular bending arms corresponds to the width of the circular bending crowns and is defined between corresponding cuts made annularly in the membrane spring.

4. 4. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the membrane spring comprises a continuous circular crown portion between any two circular bent crown portions.

5. 5. A damping device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element is formed by a rod having an H-shaped longitudinal section and inserted into the groove, and two fasteners coupled to corresponding ends of the rod having a width greater than the width of the groove.

6. The damping device according to claim 5 , wherein the fixing element is formed by a screw, a bushing and a nut.

7. 7. A damping device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing elements of the grooves associated with the annular bending arms of the same circular bending crown are joined to one another by an adjustment ring, whereby the adjustment ring is configured to rotate to cause identical and simultaneous annular movement of the fixing elements along each corresponding groove.

8. 8. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element corresponding to the groove comprises a fixing mechanism for fixing the position of the fixing element relative to the groove.

9. 9. A damping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fixing elements are configured to be moved along the length of their respective grooves and to be fixed therein manually or automatically.

10. 10. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the membrane spring comprises a central opening for fixing a shaft which can be coupled to a vibration-generating mass and / or a vibration-transmitting mass.

11. A damping device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the membrane spring is in the shape of a disk.

12. 12. A damping device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the membrane spring comprises a plurality of openings through which the membrane spring is fixed to a support that can be coupled to a surface to be protected from vibrations.

13. Damping device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the membrane spring is made of elastic material, preferably elastic steel.

14. A damping device according to any one of claims 1 to 13; a main support to which the membrane spring is coupled, the main support being capable of being coupled to a surface to be protected from vibrations; a shaft coupled to the membrane spring through a central opening of the membrane spring, the shaft being capable of being coupled to a vibration-generating mass and / or a vibration-transmitting mass; A vibration damping system comprising:

15. at least one vibration sensor coupled to the shaft and configured to measure a magnitude of vibrations transmitted to the shaft by a vibration-generating mass and / or a vibration-transmitting mass; a controller configured to determine a position of the fixation element relative to each corresponding groove into which the fixation element is inserted based on the magnitude of the vibration measured by the at least one vibration sensor; 15. The vibration damping system of claim 14, comprising:

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