Variable Spring Constant Vibration Damping Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sound reduction and vibration damping technologies face limitations in completely canceling noise due to temporal delays and complex signal processing requirements, especially when dealing with multiple frequency components.
Innovation Solution
A sound reduction or vibration damping apparatus with a mass portion and a spring portion between the mass and a structural member, where the spring constant is continuously changed by a control unit, altering the natural frequency and resonant frequency of the system to effectively reduce sound transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If active sound control is used to generate cancelling sound, then noise reduction is improved, but temporal delay occurs from microphone pickup to speaker action
Solution Approach 1:
The spring constant is made dynamically variable rather than fixed, allowing the system to adapt its natural frequency in real-time. This dynamic adjustment compensates for temporal delays by continuously optimizing the resonance characteristics to match incoming noise frequencies, ensuring the mass portion remains effective despite timing lags in active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring constant parameter is changed continuously to alter the natural frequency of the mass-spring system. By varying this parameter, the system can track and counteract noise across different frequencies, overcoming the limitation of fixed-frequency passive control and reducing the impact of temporal delays in active control response.
2Device complexity
If passive sound control is used with fixed spring constant, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different frequencies is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static spring constant to a dynamic variable spring constant, enabling the mass-spring system to adapt its natural frequency to match different noise frequencies. This maintains relative simplicity while significantly improving frequency adaptability, allowing the same device to handle multiple frequency ranges effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the spring constant parameter, the system achieves frequency adaptability without requiring multiple fixed-frequency devices. This single-parameter adjustment allows the same physical structure to be tuned for different operating conditions, balancing simplicity with versatility.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If electronic circuit is used for signal processing, then active sound control is achieved, but device complexity and difficulty of generating opposite phase signal increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic spring constant provides a mechanical means of adapting to different frequencies, reducing the burden on electronic signal processing. By allowing the physical system to naturally resonate at different frequencies through parameter changes, the electronic circuit requirements are simplified while maintaining effective noise cancellation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent partially replaces complex electronic signal processing with a mechanical parameter adjustment system. The variable spring constant mechanism provides frequency adaptation through physical means rather than purely electronic methods, simplifying the overall system architecture while achieving similar functional outcomes.
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
This approach allows for dynamic adjustment of the spring constant, fluctuating the resonant frequency of the structural member, thereby facilitating or hindering sound passage, effectively reducing noise and vibration by matching and mismatching the sound frequency with the resonant frequency.
Implementation Method 1
a spring portion (24) placed between the mass portion (23) and a structural member (13)
Implementation Method 2
the natural frequency of the sound reduction or vibration damping apparatus continues changing. When the sound reduction or vibration damping apparatus whose natural frequency continues changing is mounted on a structural member, the resonant frequency of the structural member fluctuates
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a sound reduction or vibration damping apparatus that has a new sound control principle where the sound control principle is totally different from a known passive or active sound control apparatus. A sound reduction or vibration damping apparatus 1 includes a mass portion 11, spring portions 12a and 12b placed between the mass portion 11 and a structural member 13, and a control unit 4 for causing the spring constants of the spring portions 12a and 12b to continue changing. The sound reduction or vibration damping apparatus 1 is mounted on the structural member 13 to reduce sound passing through the structural member 13 or sound generated from the structural member, or damp the vibration of the structural member 13.