A vibration damper that damp vibrations transmitted between a drive unit and a support body. The vibration damper comprises: an elastic member interposed between the drive unit and the support body; a rotor supported by the drive unit or the support body; and a vibration translating mechanism that rotates the rotor and reciprocates the rotor between the drive unit and the support body, in response to the vibrations acting in a vibrating direction to isolate the drive unit and the support body away from each other and bring the drive unit and the support body closer together.

A dual rack and pinion rotational inerter, configured to dampen the flutter of a flight control member of an aircraft, includes an inertial wheel and a brake member disposed on an inertial wheel. The brake member moves between a retracted position and a deployed position based on a rotational velocity of the inertial wheel. The brake member moves to the retracted position when the rotational velocity of the inertial wheel is slower than a predetermined threshold velocity to allow the rotation of the inertial wheel. When the rotational velocity of the inertial wheel is at least as fast as the predetermined threshold velocity, however, the brake member deploys to yieldingly resist the rotation of the inertial wheel. In either position, the inertial wheel causes the inerter to dampen the flutter.

A pendular tuned mass damper includes a set of hangers connected in an articulated manner to a fixed frame, a mobile frame carried by the hangers, at least one inertial mass carried by the fixed frame or the mobile frame, and a system for driving the inertial mass, the system configured to transform variation of the angle of at least one hanger relative to the fixed frame or to the mobile frame into a relative movement of the inertial mass with respect to the frame that carries it.

There is provided a dual rack and pinion rotational inerter system for damping movement of a flight control surface of an aircraft having a support structure. The system has a flexible holding structure disposed between the flight control surface and the support structure. The system has a dual rack and pinion assembly held by the flexible holding structure. The system has a first terminal and a second terminal, coupled to the dual rack and pinion assembly. The first terminal is coupled to the flight control surface. The system has a pair of inertia wheels coupled to the flexible holding structure. The system has an axle element inserted through the inertia wheels, the flexible holding structure, and the dual rack and pinion assembly, such that when the flight control surface rotates, the dual rack and pinion rotational inerter system translates and rotates, and movement of the flight control surface is dampened.

An apparatus for damping an actuator includes an inerter. The inerter includes a first terminal and a second terminal movable relative to one another and configured to be mutually exclusively coupled to a support structure and a movable device actuated by an actuator. The inerter further includes a threaded shaft coupled to and movable along the inerter axis with one of the first terminal and the second terminal. The inerter additionally includes a flywheel rotatable in proportion to movement of the threaded shaft in response to axial acceleration of the first terminal relative to the second terminal during actuation of the movable device by the actuator. The inerter reduces actuator-load-oscillatory amplitude at resonance of the actuator and movable device relative to the actuator-load-oscillatory amplitude that would otherwise occur using the same actuator without an inerter.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for energy absorption and vibrational dampening in a horizontal plane. According to a first preferred embodiment, the present invention discloses an apparatus for damping vibration of a pole which includes a housing with a horizontal floor having an inward curved surface for achieving vibration attenuation at a middle portion thereof to form an enclosed chamber. According to a further aspect of the first embodiment, at least one damping weight is preferably disposed in the inward curved surface and is preferably substantially spherical in shape. According to a further preferred embodiment, at least one dampening weight of the present may preferably include a hollow, inner cavity. According to further aspects of the present invention, the dampening weight preferably may further include a granular material located within the inner cavity.

A vehicle with 3 or more wheels includes at least two wheels aligned on the same axis. The vehicle has an intermediate centerline plane between the wheels parallel to a direction of movement, including a mass suspended in relation to the wheels defining a passenger or containment compartment, and two suspension groups kinematically connecting the suspended mass to the two aligned wheels. An anti-roll stabilizer device has at least one compensation mass kinematically connected to the suspended mass via a guide and movable in relation thereto. The anti-roll stabilizer device has a drive of the compensation mass to distance or bring the compensation mass closer to the centerline plane on the side opposite the displacement of a barycenter of the suspended mass with respect to the same centerline plane, to oppose the displacement with respect to the centerline plane of the position of the barycenter of the suspended mass.

A regenerative shock absorber having an input module for receiving input linear vibration. A transmission mechanism having an output shaft, and configured to convert relative linear motion of opposite first and second end parts of the shock absorber into rotational motion of the output shaft. A generator module having a flywheel fitted to the output shaft, and an electromagnetic generator. The output shaft may comprise a self-reversing leadscrew which is rotated in a unidirectional direction of rotation when a clutch mechanism fitted thereto is translationally moved relative to the output shaft in each of opposite first and second linear directions. Alternatively, the output shaft may comprise a single threaded leadscrew. The electromagnetic generator is driven when a clutch mechanism fitted to the output shaft is translationally moved relative to the output shaft in one linear direction, and a second electromagnetic generator fitted to the clutch mechanism is driven when the clutch mechanism is translationally moved relative to the output shaft in the opposite linear direction.

There is provided a dual rack and pinion rotational inerter system for damping movement of a flight control surface of an aircraft having a support structure. The system has a flexible holding structure disposed between the flight control surface and the support structure. The system has a dual rack and pinion assembly held by the flexible holding structure. The system has a first terminal and a second terminal, coupled to the dual rack and pinion assembly. The first terminal is coupled to the flight control surface. The system has a pair of inertia wheels coupled to the flexible holding structure. The system has an axle element inserted through the inertia wheels, the flexible holding structure, and the dual rack and pinion assembly, such that when the flight control surface rotates, the dual rack and pinion rotational inerter system translates and rotates, and movement of the flight control surface is dampened.

There is provided a translational inerter assembly for damping movement of a flight control surface of an aircraft with a support structure. The translational inerter assembly includes a press fit element rotatably disposed within the flight control surface. The translational inerter assembly further includes an inertia element disposed in the press fit element. The translational inerter assembly further includes a torsion bar coupled to the inertia element and to the support structure of the aircraft, such that when the flight control surface rotates, the inertia element translates, and movement of the flight control surface is dampened.