Damper With Broken Surfaces For Foam Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing damping apparatuses for machine tools and tool holders struggle to effectively adapt to increased length-to-diameter ratios, leading to reduced dynamic stiffness and requiring lower spring constants or greater mass in the damping body, while also failing to utilize foaming to achieve good damping with small forces and prevent sticking due to suction.

Innovation Solution

A damper design featuring a damping body with broken surfaces to promote foam formation in a fluid mixture of liquid and gas, including axial and transversal holes, grooves, and recesses, which creates air pockets for elasticity and prevents sticking by allowing gas to be drawn into the damping fluid from both ends of the damping body.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the length-to-diameter ratio of tool holders is increased, then the reach and working range are improved, but the dynamic stiffness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelength-to-diameter ratioVSAvoiddynamic stiffness
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state and composition parameters of the damping fluid by incorporating gas bubbles in addition to liquid, creating a two-phase damping system. This allows the damping apparatus to maintain effective damping performance with adapted parameters suitable for long overhang tools with increased length-to-diameter ratios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The damping fluid is designed as a composite system combining liquid and gas phases. The gas bubbles dispersed in the liquid create a composite damping medium that provides both viscous damping from the liquid and compressibility from the gas, enabling effective damping in tools with high length-to-diameter ratios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If resilient elements with lower spring constant or greater mass are used, then the damping frequency is reduced to adapt to increased length-to-diameter ratios, but the device complexity and mass increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamping frequency adaptationVSAvoiddamping apparatus complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of changing the mechanical structure with different spring constants or masses, the patent changes the physical parameters of the damping fluid itself by adding gas bubbles. This allows frequency adaptation through fluid composition rather than structural modification, simplifying the overall device design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs pneumatic principles by introducing gas bubbles into the liquid damping fluid. The compressibility of the gas phase provides the necessary frequency adaptation without requiring complex mechanical spring elements or mass adjustments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Strength

If high viscosity oil is used for damping, then the damping performance is improved, but the damping body may stick due to suction in the adjoining cavity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamping performanceVSAvoidsticking due to suction
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state of the damping medium by incorporating gas bubbles, which reduces the effective viscosity and prevents the damping body from sticking to the cavity wall while maintaining damping effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The damping fluid acts as a porous-like medium with dispersed gas bubbles that allow the damping body to move freely without sticking. The gas-liquid mixture creates micro-channels and reduces surface adhesion, preventing suction-related sticking

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

4Use of energy by moving object

If small forces are applied for damping, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the damping effectiveness is insufficient without foaming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoiddamping effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the phase transition and interaction between liquid and gas phases. The gas bubbles in the liquid damping fluid provide compressibility and enhance the damping effect, allowing small forces to achieve effective damping through the phase-change characteristics of the two-phase medium

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design enhances damping performance by combining high viscosity oil with gas pockets, maintaining effective damping with small forces and preventing the damping body from sticking, thus improving dynamic stiffness and vibration reduction in machine tools.

Implementation Method 1

The damping fluid includes a portion of liquid and a portion of gas and at least one of the cavity surfaces or the damping body surface is broken to effect the foam formation in the damper fluid when in use

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFoam formation: Foam

Implementation Method 2

promotes a mixing of gas and liquid such that it is formed bubbles or foam in the liquid

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir entrainment: Air Entrainment

Implementation Method 3

at least one of the cavity surfaces or the damping body surface is broken to effect the foam formation in the damper fluid when in use

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Implementation Method 4

prevent that the damping body sticks due to suction in the adjoining cavity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP2114597B1Damper for damping vibrations with a damping body promoting formation of foam
Publication Date: 2020.02.19 TEENESS AS
  • EP2114597B1 patent drawingFigure 1~7
  • EP2114597B1 patent drawingFigure 8~13
  • EP2114597B1 patent drawingFigure 14~15

AI summary

The present invention concerns a damper for damping vibrations. The damper includes at least one substantially longitudinal damping body (1) with two end surfaces (21, 22) and one substantially longitudinal surface (20) between these. The damping body (1) includes a longitudinal direction (a) and a transversal direction (t) and is places in a substantially longitudinal cavity (15) with a damping fluid, wherein the cavity (15) defines at least one cavity surface (14) and the damping body (1) defines at least one damping surface. The damping fluid includes a proportion of liquid and a proportion of gas and either the cavity surface (14) or the damping body surface or both are broken to promote formation of foam in the damping fluid in operation.