Gimbal Compressor Mount for Vibration Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable oxygen concentrators face challenges in minimizing vibration transmission from compressors, which leads to increased size, noise, and potential damage due to the compressor knocking against the housing during movement.
Innovation Solution
A compressor vibration isolation mount using a gimbal mechanism with elastomeric materials that allows the compressor and motor assembly to rotate in two perpendicular axes, providing nonlinear stiffness to minimize vibration transmission and prevent knocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If low-rate springs with large travel are used to isolate compressor vibration, then vibration isolation effectiveness is improved, but the space required for compressor installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the spring mounts by pre-compressing them and positioning the compressor at the optimal point in its vibration cycle. This allows the use of shorter-travel springs that still provide effective vibration isolation, thereby reducing the required installation space while maintaining isolation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor is pre-positioned at the optimal point in its vibration cycle before operation begins. The spring mounts are pre-compressed to the optimal level. This preliminary positioning allows the system to achieve maximum vibration isolation with reduced travel requirements, solving the space contradiction.
2Reliability
If low-rate springs with large travel are used to isolate compressor vibration, then vibration isolation effectiveness is improved, but the compressor may knock against the interior of the housing creating noise and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the spring rate and pre-compression parameters to provide sufficient isolation while maintaining the compressor within safe movement boundaries. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system achieves vibration isolation without allowing the compressor to knock against the housing, eliminating noise and damage risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor is pre-positioned at the optimal point in its vibration cycle where the amplitude of motion is minimized. This preliminary positioning, combined with optimized spring pre-compression, ensures that during operation the compressor remains within safe boundaries and does not knock against the housing, preventing noise and damage.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the compressor is allowed to move freely to reduce vibration transmission, then vibration isolation is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the spring mount parameters including rate and pre-compression to achieve effective vibration isolation with minimal compressor travel. This allows the system to reduce vibration transmission while maintaining a compact device size suitable for portable applications.
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 solution effectively reduces the space required for vibration isolation, minimizes noise, and prevents damage by allowing limited rotation of the compressor, thus enhancing the portability and reliability of portable oxygen concentrators.
Implementation Method 1
The elastomeric mounts get stiffer as the compressor is twisted in either axis in a nonlinear manner
Implementation Method 2
The elastomeric material to keep the compressor from moving more than a few degrees
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor vibration isolation mount for isolating the vibrations of a compressor from the rest of a structure includes at least one frame; and at least one gimbal coupling the compressor to the at least one frame for partial rotation about at least one primary axis of rotation.