Vibration damping unit and support device for a support equipment equipped therewith that requires loosening.

Abstract

To develop a vibration control unit and a supporting device capable of providing sufficient protection while being compact, in mounting a shock absorption-requiring support implement such as a smartphone on a vehicle such as a motorcycle.SOLUTION: A vibration control unit 1 includes a support base 2, a casing 3, and vibration control elements 5. The support base 2 includes a support shaft 21 and an operation plate 22. The casing 3 is a hollow member including a bottom plate 31, a side peripheral plate 32, and a top plate 33, applying the inside as a loosely-closed operation chamber 34, and having a guide port 35 for inserting the support shaft 21 on the top plate 33. The vibration control elements 5 are respectively disposed between each of upper and lower faces of the operation plate 22 and each of inner faces of the top plate 33 and the bottom plate 31 opposed thereto and support the operation plate 22 of the support base 2 in a floating state. An effective radial dimension D of the operation plate 22 is 2-10 times of a height dimension 34h of the operation chamber 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration damping unit suitable for mounting a holding body (a shock-absorbing support device) such as a smartphone on a vehicle or the like where multi-vibration and multi-shock occur, and a support device for a shock-absorbing support device having the same.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, in order to utilize various functions of information terminal devices such as smartphones, tablets, or drive recorders (sometimes referred to as "smartphones"), examples of mounting these devices on motorcycles or bicycles have been increasing (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). While such devices are multifunctional, as precision devices, use in harsh environments, that is, in bad weather environments or multi-vibration and multi-shock environments, must be avoided except for those with special specifications for function preservation. In particular, the camera function of a smartphone or the like has an automatic focus mechanism and an anti-shake mechanism for the camera lens, and an extremely precise mechanism is adopted. Specifically, the CCD or CMOS, which is the imaging body of the camera, is supported in a suspended state by wires. Therefore, when smartphones are mounted on a motorcycle, not only the vibrations and impacts received from the road surface during touring, but also the engine vibrations during idling or running of the motorcycle are received, resulting in problems such as the camera losing focus much faster than its original performance. Therefore, placing these smartphones in a harsh usage environment must be strictly avoided.

[0003] However, while problems are unlikely to occur in automobiles, for example, when mounting smartphones on motorcycles, it is difficult to avoid harsh operating conditions. In other words, in the case of motorcycles, the occurrence of the aforementioned high levels of vibration and impact is unavoidable, and smartphones must be mounted on the handlebars or on additional mounting equipment such as extension bars near the handlebars, supporting them in an exposed state. In particular, the handlebars are attached to the handle bracket of the steering head or the front fork and have a structure that extends to the left and right, so the ends of the handlebars are more prone to vibration and have multiple unique resonance points at this position. In addition, even when riding with the handlebars held normally, the motorcycle receives shocks from the road surface, and when braking, the front fork compresses, and when accelerating suddenly, inertial forces are generated, so mounted smartphones are subjected to vibration forces from a wide range of directions. Furthermore, smartphones are mounted in an angled position that makes them easily visible to the rider, that is, in a forward-leaning position facing the rider (line of sight), and are also mounted on handlebars etc. as vertical or horizontal frames. Therefore, the direction of vibration and impact (excitation direction) that smartphones experience, as well as the amount of these vibrations, are not uniform.

[0004] Of course, it might be possible to solve these problems by protecting the smartphone itself entirely and directly with shock-absorbing and vibration-damping material. However, this would make the entire protective structure too large, and such measures would make the area around the smartphone heavier, further increasing the vibration force and requiring even larger volumes of shock-absorbing and vibration-damping material, making it impossible to create a low-cost product. Therefore, the above protective structure needed to be compact so as not to interfere with checking safety components such as the speedometer, and the mounting position had to be such that the smartphones could be easily seen by the rider, while also not reducing the visibility of the speedometer and other components. The mounting environment was extremely demanding. Incidentally, similar environments involving high levels of vibration and shock include, for example, when civil engineering workers mount smartphones on heavy machinery for work recording, or when fixed-point cameras continuously capture images of weather conditions or road conditions. In such cases, similar vibration and shock protection functions are also required. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-113047 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-97796 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This invention was made with this background in mind, and the technical challenge was to develop a vibration damping unit that can provide sufficient protection when mounting precision equipment or other equipment requiring loose support (such as smartphones) on a motorcycle. More specifically, the technical challenge was to develop a novel vibration damping unit and a support device for a support equipment that incorporates this unit, which would be extremely compact while still stably exhibiting sufficient vibration damping and cushioning functions, and which would also be able to sufficiently suppress cost increases when supplied to the actual market. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Support substrate and, A casing that houses a part of this support base, A vibration damping unit comprising a vibration damping element that supports a support base in a floating state within this casing, The support base comprises a support shaft and an operating plate provided at one end thereof. Furthermore, the casing is a flat, hollow member comprising a bottom plate, side plates, and a top plate, forming a loosely sealed working chamber inside, and having a guide opening formed in the top plate for passing the support shaft. Furthermore, the vibration damping element is disposed within the operating chamber between the upper and lower surfaces of the operating plate on the support base and the inner surfaces of the top and bottom plates of the casing facing it, thereby supporting the operating plate on the support base in a floating state. Furthermore, the effective diameter of the operating plate is 2 to 10 times the height of the operating chamber. the law of nature, Furthermore, the vibration damping element is comprised of multiple vibration damping protrusions arranged on the outer circumference of the support shaft, and the contact state between the operating plate and the inner surface of the casing, or both, is a scattered point contact due to the multiple vibration damping protrusions. Furthermore, the vibration-damping projection has a spherical top, Furthermore, the vibration damping element comprises a base sheet and vibration damping protrusions projecting from the base sheet, the base sheet is positioned on the operating plate side of the support base, and the outer peripheral end of the base sheet is in contact with the inner surface of the side plate of the casing. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] Also, claims 2 The vibration damping unit described is as described in the claim 1st article In addition to the requirements listed, The aforementioned vibration damping element is characterized in that, in its initial state of being housed within a loosely sealed casing, it is housed in a compressed state.

[0009] Also, claims 3 The vibration damping unit described is as described in claim 1 or 2 In addition to the above requirements, The inclination limit of the support shaft in the support base is characterized by being set by the diameter of the guide opening in the casing.

[0010] Also, claims 4 The vibration damping unit described is as described in claim 1 to 3 In addition to any one of the items or requirements, The vibration damping element is characterized in that, even when the operating plate, which tilts along with the tilt of the support shaft, reaches the tilt limit of the support shaft, the initial contact position between the operating plate and the inner surface of the casing facing it is maintained.

[0011] Also, claims 5 The vibration damping unit described is as described in the claim 1from 4 In addition to the requirements described in any one of the following items, The vibration damping element is composed of vibration damping element divided pieces that are divided into a plurality of pieces in a plan view, and at the vertical center in a longitudinal cross-sectional view, an actuator plate receiving portion for receiving the actuator plate of the support base is formed by upper and lower base sheets, and vibration damping protrusions are arranged vertically on both the upper and lower surfaces of these base sheets. It is characterized by this.

[0012] Also, the vibration damping unit described in claim 6 In addition to the requirements described in any one of the following items from claim 1 above 5 In addition to the requirements described in any one of the following items, One of the top plate or the bottom plate of the casing is formed in a lid shape with respect to the side peripheral plate, and the top plate or the bottom plate is integrated by screw fastening at a plurality of locations near the periphery with the side peripheral plate. It is characterized by this.

[0013] Also, the vibration damping unit described in claim 7 In addition to the requirements described in the above claim 6 In addition to the requirements described, A screw pocket for screwing and fastening the top plate or the bottom plate is formed in the side peripheral plate, and the periphery of this screw pocket is surrounded by a pocket sleeve. The pocket sleeve is characterized in that all or a part of it protrudes into the working chamber in a plan view.

[0014] Also, the vibration damping unit described in claim 8 In addition to the requirements described in the above claim 7 In addition to the requirements described, At the part of the actuator plate in the support base that corresponds to the pocket sleeve, a recess is formed in a plan view, and this is used as a relief recess, When incorporating the support base into the casing, it is characterized in that the relief recess is incorporated so as to engage with the pocket sleeve in a plan view to prevent movement of the support base in the rotational direction.

[0015] Also, the vibration damping unit described in claim 9The vibration damping unit described is as described in the claim 8 In addition to the above requirements, When the vibration damping element is composed of multiple vibration damping element segments, the dividing line of the vibration damping element segment is set on the line connecting the center of the support shaft and the relief recess.

[0016] Also, claims 10 The vibration damping unit described is as described in the claim 9 In addition to the above requirements, The casing is characterized in that screw pockets are provided at positions that divide the casing into three sections in a plan view, and correspondingly, the vibration damping element is constructed by combining three vibration damping element segments so that they are continuous in the circumferential direction.

[0017] Also, claims 11 The vibration damping unit described is as described in claim 1 to 10 In addition to any one of the items or requirements, The aforementioned vibration damping element is characterized by being made of an elastic material.

[0018] Also, claims 12 The vibration damping unit described is as described in the claim 11 In addition to the above requirements, The aforementioned vibration damping element is characterized by the application of a cross-linked viscoelastic material as the elastic material forming the vibration damping element.

[0019] Also, claims 13 The support device for the base material requiring loose support, as described above, A support device that fixes a supported object requiring loose support to a motorcycle in a loosely supported state such that the mounting position and mounting posture can be adjusted as appropriate, This support device comprises a mounting base that is directly or indirectly attached to a part of a motorcycle, a vibration damping unit supported by the mounting base, and an equipment holder supported by the vibration damping unit. The vibration damping unit is as described in claim 1. 12 It is characterized by the application of a vibration damping unit described in any one of the items. The aforementioned problems are then solved by means of the configuration of the invention described in each of these claims. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] First, claim 1 or 13 According to the invention described, the effective diameter of the operating plate is formed to be 2 to 10 times the height of the operating chamber. As a result, the vibration load generated on the support base can be absorbed by the operating plate over a wide area. This allows for a compact shape with a reduced overall height for the vibration damping unit while still providing sufficient vibration damping and cushioning effects. Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if the support base (actuating plate) is subjected to vibration or shock and shakes or tilts, the scattered contact state of the vibration-damping protrusions can be maintained almost, and the vibration-damping and cushioning characteristics of the vibration-damping element can be maintained at all times. In other words, even when subjected to vibration or shock, the contact state of the vibration-damping element with the casing can be maintained, so that the vibration-damping and cushioning characteristics of the vibration-damping element can be exerted without changing at all times. Furthermore According to the present invention, since the top of the vibration-damping projection is formed in a spherical shape, the contact state of the vibration-damping projection with the inside of the casing can be made into a point contact, and even when the support base (actuating plate) is subjected to vibration or shock and shakes or tilts, this contact state is made even easier to maintain. Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the support base is housed within the casing with the upper and lower surfaces and sides of the operating plate substantially covered by vibration damping elements, even if the support base shakes or tilts, the operating plate is prevented from directly contacting the inner surface of the casing, and vibrations and shocks transmitted to the support base from the motorcycle or the like can be efficiently absorbed by the vibration damping elements.

[0021] Also, claims 2 or 13 According to the invention described, the vibration damping element is housed in a compressed state (a so-called prestressed state) from its initial state of being contained within a loosely sealed casing. Therefore, even when a relatively light supported object is attached to a support base to dampen and cushion vibrations, the vibrations and shocks transmitted to the supported object can be effectively absorbed. Conversely, in the case of a relatively light supported object, if prestress is not applied to the vibration damping element, the weight of the supported object alone may not be sufficient to apply enough stress to the vibration damping element to obtain adequate vibration damping and cushioning effects, and the desired vibration damping and cushioning characteristics may not be obtained. In this respect, the present invention prevents such a situation by applying prestress to the vibration damping element in advance. Of course, in the case of a relatively heavy supported object, by applying prestress to the vibration damping element in advance to the extent that it does not bottom out when subjected to vibrations or shocks, vibrations and shocks applied to the supported object can be absorbed more reliably. Therefore, in this invention, where prestress is applied to the vibration damping element in advance, vibration damping and cushioning effects can be achieved more reliably even under various different usage conditions, such as the weight of the supported object, the mounting position, and the magnitude of vibrations and shocks (energy).

[0022] Also, claims 3 or13 According to the invention described, even if the support shaft tilts due to shaking or impact, the tilt of the support shaft is restricted by the diameter of the guide opening in the casing, thus reliably preventing the support shaft and, consequently, the operating plate from tilting any further.

[0023] Also, claims 4 or 13 According to the invention described, even when the support shaft reaches its inclination limit, the damping element that supports the operating plate in a floating state maintains its initial contact position with the inner surface of the casing. Therefore, it can always stably support the support base, and the damping and cushioning characteristics of the damping element can be exhibited without changing throughout the process.

[0024] Also, claims 5 or 13 According to the invention described, since the vibration damping element is divided into multiple vibration damping element segments, when attaching the vibration damping element to the operating plate, the operating plate of the support base can be fitted into the operating plate receiving portion of each divided vibration damping element segment, and the vibration damping element can be reliably attached to the operating plate without using adhesives or the like.

[0025] Also, claims 6 or 13 According to the described invention, a lid-shaped top plate or bottom plate can be securely integrated with the casing containing the operating plate and the vibration damping element, thereby securing and maintaining a predetermined housing space within the casing. Furthermore, with this structure, the vibration damping element housed within the casing can be compressed to a desired state by the top plate or bottom plate, thereby always applying a constant prestress to the vibration damping element.

[0026] Also, claims 7 or 13According to the invention described, the pocket sleeve formed on the side periphery plate so as to surround the screw pocket is formed so that at least a portion of it protrudes into the working chamber. For example, this protruding pocket sleeve can be used to prevent rotation and position the working plate or vibration damping element housed in the casing.

[0027] Also, claims 8 or 13 According to the invention described, since the operating plate of the support base has a relief recess formed in the portion corresponding to the pocket sleeve, by engaging this relief recess with the pocket sleeve in a plan view, the rotation of the operating plate housed in the casing can be reliably prevented.

[0028] Also, claims 9 or 13 According to the described invention, a dividing line for a vibration damping element specifically for a support base (actuating plate) having a relief recess is obtained.

[0029] Also, claims 10 or 13 According to the described invention, the arrangement of the screw pockets, that is, the positions for screwing the lid-shaped top or bottom plate to the side plate of the casing housing the operating plate and vibration damping element, are arranged at 120-degree intervals in three places. This allows the top or bottom plate to be fixed in a balanced manner, and the vibration damping element can be compressed evenly. Furthermore, with such well-balanced screw fastening positions, the screw fastening structure itself functions as resistance when vibration and shock are applied to the support base, further enhancing the vibration damping and cushioning effect inherent in the vibration damping element.

[0030] Also, claims 11 or 13 According to the described invention, since the vibration damping element is made of an elastic material, it is possible to protect the object being held, such as a smartphone, from vibration and shock to a high degree.

[0031] Also, claims 12 or 13According to the invention described, since a cross-linked viscoelastic material is used as the elastic material, even more superior vibration damping and cushioning effects can be obtained, even in harsh usage environments such as mounting a smartphone on a motorcycle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] [Figure 1] The first is a perspective view (a) showing a motorcycle with a smartphone or other object attached in a loosely supported state by the support device of the present invention, the second is a perspective view (b) showing a magnified view of the support device, and the third is a perspective view (c) showing the vibration damping unit, which is the main part of the support device, in a disassembled state. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view showing the mounting base material for attachment to the motorcycle side in the support device, and (b) is a bottom view and perspective view showing the bottom plate of the casing of the vibration damping unit from below. [Figure 3] Figure (a) shows a longitudinal section of the damping unit with the support base housed within the casing, Figure (b) shows a plan section along line III-III in Figure (a), Figure (c) shows the damping element before it is housed within the casing, and Figure (d) shows a perspective view of a single damping element segment independently. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (a) showing the state of the damping element (contact situation inside the casing) when the support base is not tilted inside the casing, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view (b) showing the state of the damping element when the support base is tilted. [Figure 5] This is a vertical cross-sectional view (a) and an exploded perspective view (b) showing an example configuration in which the base sheet of the vibration damping element is formed in a nearly circular shape in plan view and stretched over both the upper and lower surfaces of the operating plate of the support base. [Figure 6] This is a vertical cross-sectional view (a) and an exploded perspective view (b) showing an example configuration in which an adjustment plate is inserted between the base plate and the damping element, allowing the initial compression amount (prestress amount) of the damping element to be changed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] The present invention is as shown in the following embodiments, but these embodiments can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. [Examples]

[0034] The present invention will be described in detail below based on the illustrated embodiments. First, to give an overview of the surrounding components to which the present invention is applied, the vibration damping unit 1 of the present invention and the support device S for the support equipment that requires loosening (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "support device S") equipped therewith are attached near the handlebars H of a motorcycle MC, as shown in Figure 1 as an example. Here, the support equipment that requires loosening refers to precision equipment that should be protected from harsh environments such as vibration, shock, and bad weather, such as smartphones and drive recorders, and will be described as the supported body T in the following description. Furthermore, the object to be held, such as a smartphone, when attached to a motorcycle (MC), bicycle, etc., is supported by the support device S in such a way that the mounting position and mounting posture (viewing angle of the screen), etc., can be adjusted as appropriate (in other words, it is supported in a loosely fixed state). The "loose support" in the "loosely supported equipment" refers to this kind of support that can be adjusted as appropriate. Furthermore, the support device S is a general term for the entire device, which consists of a mounting base material 6 that is attached to a handlebar H or the like, an equipment holder 7 to which the object to be held T is directly attached, and a vibration damping unit 1 that is incorporated between the mounting base material 6 and the equipment holder 7.

[0035] The vibration damping unit 1 will be described below. Herein, the term "vibration damping" as used in this specification, such as in "vibration damping unit 1," refers not only to a unit with vibration damping function in the narrow sense, but also to a unit that also possesses a cushioning function. In other words, it primarily exhibits vibration damping function in the narrow sense when idling or driving on paved roads, and can also primarily exhibit a cushioning function when driving over bumps or off-road terrain. The vibration damping unit 1 is designed to absorb vibrations and shocks that were previously often transmitted from the vehicle side, such as a motorcycle MC, to the held object T. The main components of the vibration damping unit 1 are a support base 2 connected to the equipment holder 7, a casing 3 that houses a part of the support base 2, and a vibration damping element 5 that supports the support base 2 in a floating state within the casing 3. The support base 2 is made of a metal material, for example, to obtain the necessary strength, and is connected to the equipment holder 7 that directly supports the object to be held T, thereby protecting the object to be held T. The support base 2 also comprises a support shaft 21 positioned almost upright above it, and an operating plate 22 provided at its lower end.

[0036] The support shaft 21 is formed as a cylindrical member, for example, and has a female thread 21a at its upper center for connecting to the equipment holder 7. The upper end is shaped by partially cutting parallel sections on its side circumference to form a connecting base portion 21b that prevents rotation. On the other hand, the operating plate 22 is a plate-shaped member with a generally circular planar shape, and as an example, it has relief recesses 23 evenly distributed at three locations on its outer circumference. The effective diameter dimension D is the diameter of the operating plate 22 when viewed as a circle in plan view, without considering the relief recesses 23.

[0037] Next, the casing 3 will be described. The casing 3 houses the operating plate 22 of the support base 2 and is formed as a flat, hollow, disc-shaped member, comprising a bottom plate 31, side plates 32, and a top plate 33. The top plate 33 has an opening 35 through which the support shaft 21 of the support base 2 passes, and its diameter is formed to be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the support shaft 21. The specific configuration of this casing 3 is such that, taking into consideration the manufacturing process such as assembly, at least one of the bottom plate 31 or the top plate 33 is configured as a lid and is integrally fixed to the other members by screws 36. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 31 is configured as a lid and is fixed to a member formed by integrating the side peripheral plate 32 and the top plate 33. Furthermore, since the support shaft 21 and the guide opening 35 are formed with the dimensions described above, even after a part of the support base 2 (operating plate 22) is placed inside the casing 3 and the bottom of the casing 3 is closed (sealed) with the bottom plate 31, a gap is formed between the guide opening 35 and the support shaft 21, and the inside of the casing 3 is not completely sealed. This is referred to as a loose seal in this specification.

[0038] Furthermore, the bottom plate 31 has, for example, three screw holes 31a arranged at equal angles near its outer edge. In addition, the side plate 32 has screw pockets 32P formed near the center of its thickness, corresponding to the screw holes 31a. To accommodate these screw pockets 32P, the side plate 32 is provided with a pocket sleeve 32S that surrounds the screw pockets 32P. Furthermore, the pocket sleeve 32S is formed to protrude both to the inside of the side peripheral plate 32 (i.e., to the working chamber 34 side) and to the outside of the side peripheral plate 32 in a plan view, but it is preferable that it is formed to protrude at least to the working chamber 34 side. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(b) as an example, reinforcing ribs 31L are appropriately provided on the bottom, which is the lower outer part of the bottom plate 31. These reinforcing ribs 31L consist of a pair of parallel rail-like bodies, and three such rail-like bodies are arranged radially so as to intersect in the center, with the central intersection being discontinuous. The space between a pair of reinforcing ribs 31L arranged in a parallel, opposing state is a receiving section 31C for housing the relay bracket 65 of the mounting base material 6, which will be described later.

[0039] Next, I will explain vibration damping element 5. The vibration damping element 5 is a functional member that supports the support base 2 in a floating state and substantially absorbs and suppresses vibrations and shocks applied from motorcycles MCs, etc. Applicable materials include elastic materials (elastomers), preferably viscoelastic materials such as thermoplastic elastomers and synthetic rubber, and more preferably cross-linked viscoelastic materials such as silicone gel and silicone rubber. As an example shown in Figure 1, the vibration damping element 5 is constructed by combining three vibration damping element segmented pieces 50, each forming a nearly sector shape with a central angle of 120 degrees in a plan view, in a continuous manner in the circumferential direction, thereby creating a vibration damping element 5 that exhibits a nearly circular shape in a plan view. Each vibration damping element segmented piece 50 has multiple vibration damping protrusions 52 projecting vertically from both the upper and lower base sheets 51, and a slit-shaped actuation plate receiving portion 53 for receiving the actuation plate 22 of the support base 2 is formed between the upper and lower base sheets 51. When the vibration damping element 5 is made up of three vibration damping element segmented pieces 50 in this way, it is preferable that the dividing line be on the line connecting the center of the vibration damping element 5 (support shaft 21) and the relief recess 23 of the support base 2 (i.e., the position where the screw pocket 32P is formed).

[0040] On the other hand, the vibration damping protrusions 52 protruding from the base sheet 51 are formed, for example, with a hemispherical shape. In the three-part vibration damping element segment 50, four vibration damping protrusions 52 are formed near the outer periphery in a plan view, and three vibration damping protrusions 52 are formed inside them. At least the shape of the top of these vibration damping protrusions 52 is part of the spherical curved surface. Formed as Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(b) as an example, the base sheet 51 is formed to protrude outward to the extent that it contacts the inner surface of the side peripheral plate 32 of the casing 3, that is, the surface on the working chamber 34 side, and a relief portion 50a is formed to prevent interference with the pocket sleeve 32S of the casing 3 (see Figure 3(d)).

[0041] The vibration damping unit 1 of the present invention has been described above for each component, and the assembled state will now be described. First, the vibration damping element 5 is assembled to the operating plate 22 on the support base 2. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1 above as an example, the three divided vibration damping element pieces 50 are attached to the operating plate 22 by aligning the relief portion 50a of the three divided vibration damping element pieces 50 with the relief recess 23 of the operating plate 22, and fitting the operating plate 22 into the operating plate receiving portion 53 of the vibration damping element 5. As a result, the operating plate 22 has vibration damping protrusions 52 protruding in a scattered manner from its upper and lower surfaces. Note that, in this state attached to the operating plate 22, the total height H0 of the top of the vibration damping protrusions 52 in the vertical direction is set to be greater than the height dimension 34h of the operating chamber 34 in the casing 3 (see Figures 3(a) and (c)). Incidentally, in Figure 3(a), the symbol "H1" is also written next to "34h". This symbol "H1" indicates the height dimension after the vibration damping projection 52 is housed inside the casing 3 and the total height H0 at the top is compressed.

[0042] In this manner, the integrated member, which combines the support base 2 with the vibration damping element 5, is incorporated into the working chamber 34 of the casing 3, where the bottom plate 31 is not yet joined. At this time, the support shaft 21 of the support base 2 is inserted into the guide opening 35 made in the top plate 33 of the casing 3, and the relief portion 50a of the vibration damping element 5 (the relief recess 23 of the working plate 22) is assembled to align with the inward projection of the pocket sleeve 32S in the casing 3.

[0043] In this state, the vibration damping projection 52 of the vibration damping element 5 on the upper side of the operating plate 22 abuts against the inner surface of the top plate 33, that is, the surface on the operating chamber 34 side, and the outer edge of the base sheet 51 of the vibration damping element 5 is in contact with the inner surface of the side plate 32 (see Figure 3(a)). In this state, the lower vibration damping projection 52 protrudes from below the operating chamber 34 in a side view, because, as described above, the total height H0 of the top of the vibration damping projection 52 is set to be greater than the height dimension 34h of the operating chamber 34.

[0044] Then, from this state, the lid-shaped bottom plate 31 is placed against the lower end of the side peripheral plate 32 of the casing 3, and the screws 36 are screwed in to complete the assembly of the vibration damping unit 1. In this completed assembly state, the vibration damping element 5 is housed in a compressed state with both the upper and lower vibration damping protrusions 52 compressed from the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 3(a) as an example, and is in a state of scattered point contact within the working chamber 34 of the casing 3.

[0045] The support device S equipped with such a vibration damping unit 1 is, as an example, shown in Figures 1 and 2, first of all, installed on a motorcycle MC or the like. Specifically, the mounting base material 6 is attached to the motorcycle MC using the handlebars H of the motorcycle MC or an additional bar (not shown) placed nearby. Since it is an add-on, the clamp body 61 is attached by screwing it onto these. That is, the clamp body 61 is composed of a clamp body element having a fixed arm and an open / close arm that are connected to open and close by a hinge portion 62, and a mount portion 63 for supporting the vibration damping unit 1 is provided on a part of the fixed arm. The mounting base material 6 is configured so that the clamp diameter of both arms when attached to the handlebars H, etc. can be appropriately adjusted by the amount of tightening of the adjustment bolt 64. Furthermore, when attaching the mounting base material 6 to the handlebars H, additional bars, etc., it is preferable to first wrap a spacer or sheet around the handlebars H, etc. before clamping with the clamp body 61 in order to improve the clamping force. Furthermore, the clamp body 61 is preferably a so-called swivel clamp that allows adjustment of the viewing angle of the object to be held, such as a smartphone. Specifically, it is configured to rotate around the through bolt 65c, which will be described later, as the axis when mounted.

[0046] In most cases, the vibration damping unit 1 is installed above the mounting base material 6 attached to the motorcycle MC in this manner (see Figure 1(b)), and the aforementioned mounting portion 63 is used. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2 as an example, it is installed via a relay bracket 65, which is a gate-shaped member when viewed from the front, and is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom plate 31 of the casing 3 by fixing bolts 65a, and two leg-shaped fastening portions 65b are attached so as to be aligned with the outside of the mounting portion 63, and the two are fixed together by through bolts 65c.

[0047] Furthermore, when fixing the intermediate bracket 65 to the casing 3 (bottom plate 31) with fixing bolts 65a, for example, hexagon bolts are used, and the tightening operation is performed using an Allen key, with the bolt inserted through the female thread 21a formed on the support shaft 21 of the support base 2 (see Figure 1(c)). Of course, the fixing mechanism between the vibration damping unit 1 and the motorcycle MC is not limited to this form, and various existing or future-developed fixing mechanisms can be adopted as long as the objective can be achieved.

[0048] Next, we will describe the equipment holder 7 connected to the top of the vibration damping unit 1. The equipment holder 7 directly holds the object to be held T, such as a smartphone, and, as an example shown in Figure 1(b) above, its main components are a connecting base 71 and a holder body 73. The connecting base 71 is fixed, for example, to a connecting base portion 21b formed on the upper part of the support shaft 21 of the support base 2. For this connection, the connecting base 71 is fixed by tightening an appropriate fixing bolt into the female thread 21a of the connecting base portion 21b. At this time, the rotation prevention between the equipment holder 7 and the support shaft 21 after it has been attached to the support base 2 is handled by the opposingly cut-out connecting base portion 21b, as described above. Furthermore, it is preferable that the connecting base 71 is provided with, for example, a bayonet claw (not shown) on its upper surface, and that the holder body 73 is assembled using this bayonet claw with a so-called one-touch operation. The holder body 73 is configured to rotate 90 degrees to the left and right, allowing the holder T, such as a smartphone attached to a motorcycle MC, to be positioned in various orientations, including portrait, landscape, and 180-degree inversion.

[0049] Next, the mounting structure of the object to be held T to the holder body 73 will be described. Such mounting structures can take many forms, such as holding the four corners of the object to be held T. However, in this embodiment, we will describe a structure that holds the object to be held T at three points: both corners of one of the two opposing long sides and approximately the center of the other long side (so-called three-point holding). The members that hold both corners of one long side of the object to be held T have their spacing set in advance according to the longitudinal dimension of the object to be held T, and these are called length adjustment wings (length adjustment hooks) 73a. The member that holds approximately the center of the other long side has a width dimension set to be smaller than the width dimension of the object to be held T due to the elasticity of a spring or the like (slidable), and these are called width adjustment wings (width adjustment hooks) 73b. In order to hold the object to be held T in the holder body 73, the width adjustment wing 73b is pressed against the long side of the object to be held T and slid (to widen the width of the holding space formed by the three wings), and the object to be held T is fitted into the widened holding space, thereby fixing the object to be held T in the holder body 73. Incidentally, after the three-point holding is performed by the three wings, that is, after the object to be held T is fitted into the holding space, the lock lever 74 is rotated to lock the width adjustment wing 73b so that it does not move. Furthermore, this locking mechanism can almost certainly prevent the object to be held T from falling off during travel. However, as shown in Figure 1(a), for example, by attaching a silicone anti-detachment band 75 to the fixed object to be held T and the holder body 73, the object to be held T can be prevented from falling off during travel even more reliably.

[0050] The vibration damping unit 1 and support device S of the present invention have the above-described configuration as a preferred example, and the operation of the vibration damping unit 1 when the supported object T is supported by this support device S will be described below. First, for use, the support device S is attached to the motorcycle MC, and the object to be held, such as a smartphone, is attached to the holder body 73 of the equipment holder 7. The object to be held, thus attached, is subjected to vibrations and shocks from the motorcycle MC, which is the vehicle on which it is mounted, as well as wind pressure associated with driving. Such multiple vibrations and shocks are absorbed by the vibration damping unit 1 and are transmitted to the object to be held T in a state where they are hardly transmitted or are transmitted in an extremely suppressed state.

[0051] This effect is primarily brought about by the fact that the actuation plate 22 in the support base 2 is floatingly supported by the vibration damping element 5 inside the casing 3. In particular, the effective diameter dimension D of the actuation plate 22 is 2 to 10 times, more preferably 3 to 6 times, the height dimension 34h of the actuation chamber 34, and in the above embodiment, it is formed to be about 4 times. As a result, the actuation plate 22 with a large surface area receives the swaying load generated on the support shaft 21 in the support base 2, allowing the vibration damping unit 1 to have a compact shape while keeping the overall height dimension down, and thus providing sufficient vibration damping and cushioning functions. Furthermore, since the vibration-damping protrusions 52 of the vibration-damping element 5 are configured to contact the inner surfaces of the casing 3 (bottom plate 31 and top plate 33) in a scattered manner, there are also areas between the casing 3 and the vibration-damping element 5 where the vibration-damping element 5 does not contact the casing 3. These non-contact areas become deformation-tolerant spaces where the vibration-damping protrusions 52 can deform relatively freely without restriction when vibration or shock is applied. Moreover, such deformation-tolerant spaces allow the vibration-damping protrusions 52 to deform by an appropriate amount when vibration or shock is applied, and also allow for internal friction of the viscoelastic material. As a result of these synergistic effects, the vibration-damping and cushioning effects of the vibration-damping element 5 are exerted more effectively.

[0052] Furthermore, because the top of the vibration damping projection 52 of the vibration damping element 5 is formed in a spherical shape, the contact with the bottom plate 31 and the top plate 33 is point-like. Of course, when the bottom plate 31 is screwed to the side plate 32, prestress acts on the vibration damping element 5 as described above, and the vibration damping element 5 is compressed, so the contact area of ​​the vibration damping projection 52 is not a single point on the spherical surface, but rather a somewhat wider area. However, even during compression deformation, the contact of the vibration damping projection 52 is over a relatively small area, and this type of contact is called point contact. Therefore, in such point contact, even if the operating plate 22 tilts due to further vibration and shock in addition to prestress, the vibration damping element 5 that supports it in a floating position maintains its contact position with the bottom plate 31 and the top plate 33 almost. In other words, even if the operating plate 22 tilts and the contact area of ​​the vibration-damping projection 52 with respect to the casing 3 increases somewhat, the center position of the contact area will still be approximately the same as the initial contact position. This situation is referred to in this specification as "the initial contact position being maintained." As described above, even if the operating plate 22 is tilted, the initial contact position of the vibration-damping projection 52 with respect to the casing 3 is maintained, and therefore the vibration-damping and cushioning characteristics of the vibration-damping element 5 can be exerted without changing from time to time. In particular, since the vibration damping protrusions 52 are positioned above and below the operating plate 22, if the operating plate 22 tilts, as shown in Figure 4(b), and a large difference occurs in the space above and below the operating plate 22 (for example, the right side of Figure 4(b)), even if the vibration damping protrusion 52 positioned below the operating plate 22 weakens (or avoids) contact with the inner surface of the bottom plate 31, the vibration damping protrusion 52 positioned above it, i.e., above the operating plate 22, will act to strengthen contact with the inner surface of the top plate 33. Of course, the opposite phenomenon occurs on the opposite side, i.e., the left side of Figure 4, and as a result, the vibration damping element 5 is maintained in a well-balanced manner within the operating chamber 34. This also contributes to ensuring that the vibration damping and cushioning characteristics of the vibration damping element 5 function without changing throughout.

[0053] Furthermore, since the vibration damping element 5 itself is stored in a pre-compressed state within the casing 3 as described above, the vibration damping and cushioning characteristics of the vibration damping element 5 can be reliably exhibited whether the supported object T is relatively light or relatively heavy. In other words, in the case of a relatively light supported object T, if prestress is not applied to the damping element 5, the weight of the supported object T alone may not be sufficient to apply the required stress to the damping element 5 to obtain the damping and buffering effect, and the desired damping and buffering characteristics may not be obtained. However, if prestress is applied to the damping element 5 in advance, the desired damping and buffering characteristics can be reliably obtained even in the case of a relatively light supported object T. Of course, in the case of a relatively heavy supported object T, applying pre-stress to the vibration damping element 5 to the extent that it does not bottom out when subjected to vibration or shock can more reliably absorb vibrations and shocks applied to the supported object T. Therefore, applying pre-stress to the vibration damping element 5 in the stored state can more reliably achieve vibration damping and cushioning effects even when various usage conditions differ, such as the weight of the supported object T, the mounting position of the support device S, and the magnitude (energy) of vibrations and shocks applied to the support base 2.

[0054] Furthermore, even if the support base 2 shakes due to vibration or shock, the tilt of the support shaft 21 is prevented from becoming any more tilted by contacting the guide opening 35 in the casing 3. In addition, since the relief recess 23 provided on the operating plate 22 of the support base 2 and the relief portion 50a of the vibration damping element 5 are loosely engaged with the pocket sleeve 32S of the casing 3, overall rotational misalignment of the support base 2 is also avoided.

[0055] [Other examples] While the present invention is based on the embodiments described above as one basic technical concept, the following further modifications are conceivable. First, in the basic embodiment described above, when assembling the vibration damping element 5 to the operating plate 22 of the support base 2, vibration damping element segmented pieces 50 (central angle approximately 120 degrees), which form a roughly fan shape when viewed from above, were assembled to the operating plate 22 in a continuous manner in the circumferential direction. However, the assembly of the vibration damping element 5 to the operating plate 22 is not necessarily limited to this configuration. That is, instead of dividing the vibration damping element 5 in the circumferential direction, it is possible to configure it as a continuous circumferential state from the beginning, i.e., as shown in Figure 5, that is, as an element that is roughly circular in a plan view, and to attach (join) it to both the upper and lower surfaces of the operating plate 22 with adhesive or the like. Of course, in this case as well, the diameter of the base sheet 51 of the vibration damping element 5 is made larger than the diameter of the operating plate 22, and when the support base 2 on which the vibration damping element 5 is stretched is housed in the casing 3, it is desirable that the outer edge of the base sheet 51 contacts the inner surface of the side plate 32 of the casing 3, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5(a), and that this contact state is maintained even when the operating plate 22 is tilted. The example configuration shown in Figure 5 above can also be described as an example configuration in which the vibration damping element segment 50 is divided into two parts, upper and lower, on the operating plate 22, and is an example configuration in which the division form of the vibration damping element segment 50 is different from the basic embodiment described above.

[0056] Furthermore, in the basic embodiment described above, prestress is applied to the vibration damping element 5 housed within the casing 3 by screwing the bottom plate 31 in place, and the amount of prestress (initial compression) of the vibration damping element 5 was not specifically adjusted or changed. However, it is possible for the user to adjust the amount of prestress of the vibration damping element 5 themselves when installing it on a motorcycle MC. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, for example, when screwing the bottom plate 31 to the casing 3, the amount of prestress can be adjusted by placing an adjustment plate 38 of appropriate thickness inside the casing 3. In this case, by providing the adjustment plate 38 with a relief portion 38a similar to the relief portion 50a of the vibration damping element 5, rotational movement after being housed inside the casing 3 can be prevented. Although Figure 6 shows only one adjustment plate 38, it is possible to house two or more adjustment plates 38, for example, when it is desired to apply a greater prestress. It is also possible to prepare several adjustment plates 38 with different thicknesses in advance and select and house the adjustment plate 38 of the appropriate thickness. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the amount of prestress on the vibration damping element 5 steplessly. For example, in the basic embodiment described above, if a male thread is formed on the outer circumference of the bottom plate 31 and a female thread is formed on the lower inner surface of the side plate 32 to screw into this male thread, the amount of pressure applied to the vibration damping element 5 can be freely set by adjusting the amount of screwing in the bottom plate 31, and the amount of prestress applied to the vibration damping element 5 can be freely set steplessly. [Industrial applicability]

[0057] As described above, the vibration damping unit 1 and support device S of the present invention are suitable for mounting a device T such as a smartphone in a multi-vibration, multi-shock environment. However, they can also be used, for example, when civil engineers mount smartphones on heavy machinery for work recording, or to prevent blurring of fixed-point cameras that constantly capture images of weather and road conditions. Incidentally, the environment in which smartphones are mounted on motorcycles is an extremely harsh environment in terms of vibration and shock, as described above. Therefore, in less severe environments, it is naturally possible to protect the device T from vibration and shock at an even higher level by using the vibration damping unit 1 and support device S of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] S Support device (Support device for equipment requiring loose support) 1. Vibration damping unit 2. Support substrate 3. Casing 5. Vibration damping elements 6. Mounting base material 7. Equipment holder 21 Support Shaft 21a Female thread 21b Connection base 22 Operating plate 23 Recess 31 Bottom plate 31a Screw hole 32 Side circumferential plate 32 pages, Bispocket 32S Pocket Sleeve 31L Reinforcement Rib 31C Reception Department 33 Top plate 34 Working chamber 34h Height dimensions 35 Information Entrance 36 screws 38 Adjustment plate 38a Escape Club 50 vibration damping element division pieces 50a Escape Department 51 Base Sheet 52 Vibration-damping protrusions 53 Operating plate receiving section 61 Clamp body 62 Hinge section 63 Mounting section 64 Adjustment bolt 65 relay bracket 65a Fixing bolt 65b Clamping section 65c through bolt 71 Connection Base 73 Holder body 73a Length-adjustable wing (length-adjustable hook) 73b Width-adjustable wing (width-adjustable hook) 74 Locking Lever 75 Anti-drop band MC Motorcycle H Handlebar H0 Total height of top H1 Height Dimension D Effective diameter dimension T Object to be held

Claims

1. Support substrate and, A casing that houses a part of this support base, A vibration damping unit comprising a vibration damping element that supports a support base in a floating state within this casing, The support base comprises a support shaft and an operating plate provided at one end thereof. Furthermore, the casing is a flat, hollow member comprising a bottom plate, side plates, and a top plate, forming a loosely sealed working chamber inside, and having a guide opening formed in the top plate for passing the support shaft. Furthermore, the vibration damping element is disposed within the operating chamber between the upper and lower surfaces of the operating plate on the support base and the inner surfaces of the top and bottom plates of the casing facing it, thereby supporting the operating plate on the support base in a floating state. Furthermore, the effective diameter of the operating plate is 2 to 10 times the height of the operating chamber. Furthermore, the vibration damping element is comprised of multiple vibration damping protrusions arranged on the outer circumference of the support shaft, and the contact state between the operating plate and the inner surface of the casing, or both, is a scattered point contact due to the multiple vibration damping protrusions. Furthermore, the vibration-damping projection has a spherical top, Furthermore, the vibration damping unit is characterized in that the vibration damping element comprises a base sheet and vibration damping protrusions protruding from the base sheet, the base sheet is positioned on the operating plate side of the support base, and the outer peripheral end of the base sheet is in contact with the inner surface of the side plate of the casing.

2. The vibration damping unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration damping element is housed in a compressed state in its initial state, which is enclosed within a loosely sealed casing.

3. The vibration damping unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inclination limit of the support shaft in the support base is set by the diameter of the guide opening in the casing.

4. The vibration damping unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the initial contact position between the operating plate and the inner surface of the casing facing it is maintained even when the operating plate, which tilts with the tilt of the support shaft, reaches the tilt limit of the support shaft.

5. The vibration damping unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the vibration damping element is composed of vibration damping element segmented pieces divided into multiple pieces in a plan view, an operating plate receiving portion for receiving the operating plate of the support base is formed by upper and lower base sheets at the center in the vertical direction in a vertical cross-sectional view, and vibration damping protrusions are arranged on both the upper and lower surfaces of the base sheet facing upward and downward.

6. The vibration damping unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the casing has either a top plate or a bottom plate formed in a lid-like manner relative to the side periphery plate, and the top plate or bottom plate is integrated with the side periphery plate by fastening with screws at multiple points near the periphery.

7. The vibration damping unit according to claim 6, wherein the side periphery plate has screw pockets formed therein for fastening a top plate or bottom plate with screws, and the area around these screw pockets is surrounded by a pocket sleeve, and the pocket sleeve is formed so that, in a plan view, all or part of it protrudes into the working chamber.

8. The operating plate in the support base has a recessed portion in plan view corresponding to the pocket sleeve, and this portion serves as a relief recess. The vibration damping unit according to claim 7, characterized in that when the support base is assembled into the casing, the relief recess is assembled in such a way that it engages with the pocket sleeve in a plan view, thereby preventing movement of the support base in the rotational direction.

9. The vibration damping unit according to claim 8, characterized in that when the vibration damping element is composed of a plurality of vibration damping element segmented pieces, the segmentation line of the vibration damping element segmented piece is set on a line connecting the center of the support shaft and the relief recess.

10. The vibration damping unit according to claim 9, characterized in that the casing has screw pockets provided at positions where the casing is divided into three sections in a plan view, and correspondingly the vibration damping element is configured by combining three vibration damping element division pieces so that they are continuous in the circumferential direction.

11. The vibration damping unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the vibration damping element is formed of an elastic material.

12. The vibration damping unit according to claim 11, characterized in that a cross-linked viscoelastic material is used as the elastic material forming the vibration damping element.

13. A support device that fixes a supported object requiring loose support to a motorcycle in a loosely supported state such that the mounting position and mounting posture can be adjusted as appropriate, This support device comprises a mounting base that is directly or indirectly attached to a part of a motorcycle, a vibration damping unit supported by the mounting base, and an equipment holder supported by the vibration damping unit. The support device for a support device for a support device that requires loosening is characterized in that the vibration damping unit is the vibration damping unit described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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