Instrument Mount Linkage for Vibration Isolation and Tilt Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing instrument mounts for sensitive sensors on movable platforms, such as aerial vehicles or flexible structures, face issues with vibration transfer, instrument tilting, and contamination sensitivity due to friction in ball joint arrangements, which compromise vibration attenuation and durability.
Innovation Solution
A mount design featuring a base and instrument part connected by spring and damper arrangements with pivotable lever sets and elongate flexible members presenting internal hysteresis, allowing relative movement while counteracting undesirable orientations and absorbing vibrations without friction or wear, using materials like metal filaments and reinforced polymers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If ball joint arrangements are used for roll stabilization, then instrument tilting is counteracted, but friction is introduced that transmits vibration and reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical ball joint system with a magnetic field-based stabilization system. The magnetic compass and magnetic field generator create a magnetic moment that stabilizes the instrument orientation without physical contact, thereby eliminating friction and wear while maintaining roll stabilization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a magnetic field as an intermediary between the base part and instrument part for stabilization. Instead of direct mechanical contact through ball joints, the magnetic field acts as a non-contact mediator that provides stabilizing torque while avoiding friction and vibration transmission.
2Stability of the object's composition
If bearing and ball joint arrangements are used, then roll stabilization is achieved, but wear and contamination sensitivity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates mechanical moving parts by substituting the ball joint system with a magnetic stabilization system. This replacement removes components subject to wear and contamination, significantly improving durability and reducing maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the problematic mechanical components (bearings, ball joints, link arms) from the stabilization system, retaining only the essential function of roll stabilization through magnetic fields, thereby eliminating wear and contamination issues.
3Reliability
If friction is reduced by eliminating ball joints, then vibration attenuation improves, but roll stabilization capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical friction-based stabilization with magnetic field-based stabilization. The magnetic moment generated by the magnetic compass and field generator provides stabilizing torque without friction, simultaneously achieving both vibration attenuation and roll stabilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter used for stabilization from mechanical contact forces to magnetic field interactions. By utilizing magnetic field strength and orientation as the controlling parameter, the system achieves stabilization without the detrimental effects of friction.
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 instrument tilting and vibration transmission, maintaining orientation stability and durability by eliminating friction and wear, while being insensitive to contamination, thus enhancing the performance of sensitive sensors on movable platforms.
Implementation Method 1
a number of elastic elements, e.g. springs are used between the two
Implementation Method 2
springs are normally complemented by damper elements of some sort
Implementation Method 3
elongate flexible member presenting internal hysteresis
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a mount (1) for mounting an instrument to a movable platform. The mount comprises a base part (11), attachable to the platform, an instrument part (12), to which the instrument is attachable, and a spring and damper arrangement (14, 15) operable between the base part (11) and the instrument part (12) to allow the instrument part (12) to move relative to the base part (11). The mount further comprises first and second lever sets (13, 13a, 13b, 13c), each lever set comprising at least two parallel and spaced apart levers (131), which are rigidly connected to each other and which are pivotably connected to one of the base part (11) and the instrument part (12). The lever sets (13, 13a, 13b, 13c) are pivotable about respective first and second geometric axes, which are non-parallel with each other. The lever sets are pivotable about a respective proximal portion (131p) of the lever (131). A distal portion (131d) of each of the levers (131) is connected to the other one of the base part and the instrument part by a respective elongate flexible member (14) presenting internal hysteresis. The disclosure also provides a movable platform comprising such mount and use of such mount for mounting an instrument to a movable platform.