This invention relates to a support pad formed of a shock absorbing material capable of absorbing energy resulting from vibration and gravitational forces acting on a battery disposed in engagement with the support pad and, correspondingly, transferring gravitational forces that occur along a z-axis resulting from up and down movement of the battery and dispersing these gravitation forces along an x-axis, a y-axis and the z-axis so as to reduce the impact shock on the battery by between about 65% to about 80% and, in doing so, prolonging the performance and life-cycle of the battery.

A method of making a carbon fiber wave spring includes forming a disc-shaped ring from prepreg carbon fibers. The disc-shaped ring is then formed into a desired wave shape. The disc-shaped ring in the wave shape is then cured to form a wave spring.

A system and method that pertain to a rotating vehicle display unit that can automatically or manually rotate between landscape and portrait orientations, depending on the particular display format or media being shown to the vehicle occupants. The rotating vehicle display unit uses an electro-mechanical rotating and locking mechanism with smart fluid, such as magnetorheological fluid (MR), to facilitate easy and precise rotational movement between different display orientations. The rotating vehicle display unit may be coupled to a corresponding human-machine interface (HMI) that responds to the different display orientations and helps facilitate easy transition from one orientation to another in order to optimize the particular display format or media being shown at that time.

A torsional vibration damper includes an input part for introducing a torque, a first cam mechanism, an intermediate element, a compression spring engaged with the intermediate element, a second cam mechanism for discharging a vibration-damped torque, and a frictional element for friction damping. The intermediate element is coupled to the input part via the first cam mechanism such that a relative rotation between the input part and the intermediate element is converted into a linear movement of the intermediate element radially inward or radially outward. The output part is coupled to the intermediate element via the second cam mechanism such that a linear movement of the intermediate element is converted into a relative rotation between the output part and the intermediate element. The frictional element is pressed against the intermediate element or the output part. The frictional element may be movement-coupled to the intermediate element or the output part.

A coupling device including two support members; a joint connecting the two support members and allowing relative rotation between the support members about at least one rotational axis; and at least one damping element connecting the two support members in parallel with the joint; wherein the at least one damping element is configured to deform plastically by a relative rotation between the support members about the at least one rotational axis. A support structure for supporting a mass, a method for adjusting the stiffness of a coupling device and a method for providing stiffness to a coupling device are also provided.

A disc spring assembly comprises a disc spring support having a radially outer surface and a plurality of annular disc springs arranged in a stack over the radially outer surface of the disc spring support. Each annular disc spring comprises a substantially frusto-conical or dished shape and has a radially inner edge region mounted on the radially outer surface of the disc spring support and a radially outer edge region. At least one separator disc is arranged between two axially adjacent disc springs and has a radially outer portion having opposed axially facing surfaces for receiving the radially outer edge regions of the two axially adjacent disc springs. The radially outer portion of the separator disc have at least one drainage passage for allowing drainage of a liquid from a cavity between the disc springs.

An additively manufactured lattice structure includes (a) a first three-dimensional lattice including a repeating interconnected array of a first lattice unit cell, (b) a second three-dimensional lattice including a repeating interconnected array of a second lattice unit cell, wherein said second lattice unit cell is different from said first lattice unit cell, and (c) a first transition segment interconnecting said first three-dimensional lattice and said second three-dimensional lattice. The first transition segment includes (i) a first three-dimensional transitional lattice including a repeating array of said first lattice unit cell and (ii) interleaved with and interconnected to said first three-dimensional transitional lattice, a second three-dimensional transitional lattice including a repeating array of said second lattice unit cell.

A motor and a personal-care device having the motor. The motor has a motor carrier made at least partially from a sheet metal material, a movable motor part, and a spring element that couples the movable motor part with the motor carrier. The sheet metal material comprises at least one coupling area where the sheet metal material is folded so that its two layers are facing each other while each of the two layers comprises a slot, the slots being aligned with one another. A connection extension of the spring element extends through the aligned slots.

A laundry treating apparatus is provided. The laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a drum accommodated in the cabinet, and a dynamic absorber provided to absorb oscillation of the cabinet. The dynamic absorber includes a first moving mass movably provided on the support plate to absorb oscillation transmitted to the cabinet and a second moving mass movably provided on the support plate to absorb oscillation transmitted to the cabinet. Each of the first and second moving masses includes a single mass made of a metal material or a mass in which a plurality of thin metal plates are coupled to overlap each other, and the first moving mass has a mass greater than that of the second moving mass.

A self-centring and energy dissipating seismic isolation device of the elastomeric frictional-type for structures and industrial equipment comprises: first and second metal plates respectively joined, one to the structure or equipment and the other to its foundations, the first metal plate being fixed thereto and the second metal plate being rotatably joined thereto by a column; at least one elastomeric ring between the plates; and a central restrictive bar orthogonally joined to the first plate and extending through the elastomeric ring and through a central through-hole in the second plate, a nut being screwed to the free end of the bar and having a spherical curved-convex bottom in sliding contact and corresponding with a spherical curved-concave inner surface part of the central through-hole. An isolation system can comprise several of these devices and columns or just one pair of devices at the ends of a central column in combination with sliding support pillars.