Nested Elastomer Rocker Damper for Two-Stage Impact Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seesaw dampers have a short service life due to excessive stress and deformation, leading to cracking and a decrease in damping effectiveness over time.
Innovation Solution
A rocker damper design featuring a second elastomeric band arranged in a hollow space surrounded by the first elastomeric band, which supports the damping effect and reduces stress on the first band by engaging only when necessary, allowing for two-stage damping and stress reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single elastomeric band is used for damping, then the damping effect is sufficient for initial use, but the service life is short due to excessive stress and deformation leading to cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The single elastomeric band is divided into two separate elastomeric bands (first and second bands) that work together. The first band provides initial damping with lower stress, while the second band engages only when deformation exceeds a threshold, distributing the overall stress and preventing any single band from experiencing excessive deformation that would lead to cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The second elastomeric band is positioned within the cavity formed by the first elastomeric band and the base. When the first band deforms beyond its initial curvature, it contacts and compresses the second band, creating a nested arrangement where the inner band (second) provides additional damping support only when needed, reducing the stress burden on the outer band (first).
2Force
If the elastomeric band is highly deformable to increase damping effect, then impact absorption is improved, but cracking occurs more easily reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system uses partial action by having the second elastomeric band engage only when the deformation of the first band exceeds a certain threshold. The second band remains inactive during normal operation and only becomes active when additional damping force is required, allowing the system to provide high damping effect when needed while preventing excessive deformation that would cause cracking.
3Device complexity
If the rocker damper is designed with a simple single-band structure, then the device complexity is low, but the stress concentration on the single band reduces its durability
Solution Approach 1:
The second elastomeric band is positioned within the cavity formed by the first elastomeric band and the base, creating a nested structure. This nested design adds minimal structural complexity while effectively distributing stress between the two bands, significantly improving service life compared to a simple single-band structure.
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 extends the service life of the rocker damper by distributing the damping load, reducing stress on the first elastomeric band and preventing cracking, while maintaining effective impact absorption across a wide impact spectrum.
Implementation Method 1
the first elastomer band is curved in the longitudinal direction, so that it forms a first contact area projecting from the base... the curvature of the elastomer band in the contact area decreases in a first step. The contact area of the elastomer band deforms and is pressed into the cavity... the damping effect increases with increasing deformation of the elastomer band
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Rocker damper, having a base (8) and a first elastomer strap, wherein the first elastomer strap (1) is fastened to the base (8), wherein the first elastomer strap (1) runs in a curved manner in the longitudinal direction, with the result that it configures a first contact region (21) which projects from the base (8), wherein a second elastomer strap (15) is fastened to the base (8), which second elastomer strap (15) runs in a curved manner in the longitudinal direction, with the result that it configures a second contact region (22) which projects from the base (8), wherein the first elastomer strap (1) runs around the second elastomer strap (15).