Hybrid Stiffness Vibration Isolation Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibration isolation systems, particularly air bearings, face challenges such as high air consumption, sensitivity to air pressure fluctuations, inherent noise, and limited ability to isolate low-frequency vibrations with horizontal components, making them unsuitable for modern semiconductor industry applications where high horizontal force vibrations are common.
Innovation Solution
A bearing system incorporating at least two vertically spaced swivel joints with spring stiffness, designed to reduce horizontal rigidity and enhance horizontal isolation, combined with a fluid bearing that has significantly higher horizontal rigidity than vertical rigidity, and featuring adjustable spring components and actuators for active regulation, allowing for effective isolation of low-frequency vibrations with reduced air consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an open air bearing is used for vibration isolation, then the load is decoupled from the base without contact, but the air consumption is high and the bearing is sensitive to air pressure fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a closed-loop control system with sensors and actuators that dynamically adjust the air bearing operation based on detected vibrations, optimizing air consumption while maintaining isolation performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses vibration sensors to detect movements and feeds this information back to control the air bearing, enabling adaptive adjustment of air supply to reduce consumption while maintaining effectiveness
2Reliability
If an open air bearing is used for vibration isolation, then the load is decoupled from the base without contact, but inherent noise prevents isolation from small low-frequency vibration amplitudes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces passive isolators as intermediary elements between the air bearing and the load, which mechanically filter out noise and vibration transmissions while the air bearing handles the primary isolation function
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple isolation mechanisms (air bearing, passive isolators, spring elements) into a composite vibration isolation system that leverages the strengths of each component to achieve superior noise and vibration isolation
3Reliability
If an open air bearing is used for vibration isolation, then the load is decoupled from the base without contact, but the bearing has significantly higher rigidity in the horizontal direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately creates asymmetric stiffness characteristics by combining the air bearing (high horizontal rigidity) with passive isolators and spring elements oriented to provide compliance in horizontal directions, achieving direction-dependent isolation properties
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the isolation function into vertical components (air bearing for vertical isolation) and horizontal components (passive isolators and spring elements for horizontal compliance), allowing independent optimization of each direction's performance
4Stability of the object's composition
If closed air bearings configured as bellows filled with compressed air are used, then mechanical connection between base and load is provided, but such bearings are not suitable for low-frequency vibration amplitudes
Solution Approach 1:
Passive isolators serve as intermediary elements that decouple the mechanical connection from the vibration transmission path, allowing the closed air bearing to provide stable support while the isolators filter out low-frequency vibrations
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines closed air bearings with passive isolators and spring elements to create a composite structure that provides both mechanical stability and low-frequency vibration isolation capabilities
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 enables efficient isolation of low-frequency vibrations with a small vibration amplitude, reduces air consumption, and provides a compact design capable of handling high horizontal force components, while maintaining effective vertical isolation, thus addressing the limitations of prior art.
Implementation Method 1
a bearing for vibration isolation, with at least one fluid bearing (2) which is designed as an air bearing
Implementation Method 2
at least two, in particular mechanically operating, swivel joints (6, 8) which are vertically spaced apart from one another. These swivel joints, which preferably have a spring stiffness
Implementation Method 3
At least one of the swivel joints, preferably a lower swivel joint, is designed as a bellows, in particular as a metal bellows
Data Source
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AI summary
A bearing for isolation of vibrations has at least one fluidic bearing, especially an air-bearing for horizontal and/or vertical mounting of a load to be isolated from vibrations. The bearing has at least two vertically mutually spaced hinge-joints/pivot joints. Independent claims sre included for he following. (1) (A) A vibrations isolation system (2) (B) A method for vibrations isolation.