An isolator including a body having a wall with slots that extend through a thickness of the wall from an isolator exterior to an isolator interior; the isolator comprising a center of elasticity; the slots having a cut angle oriented as angled relative to a radial direction orthogonal with an axis of the isolator; and a damping material disposed within at least one of the slots.

An isolator including a body having a wall with slots that extend through a thickness of the wall from an isolator exterior to an isolator interior; the isolator comprising a center of elasticity; the slots having a cut angle oriented as angled relative to a radial direction orthogonal with an axis of the isolator; and a damping material disposed within at least one of the slots.

A vibration isolator and method of assembly utilize “flex circuits” to provide both vibration/shock isolation and integrated electrically isolated conductive paths to support lightweight devices (<100 grams) such as crystal oscillators, IC chips, MEMs devices and the like. Each flex circuit includes a least one polymer layer and at least one of the flex circuits includes at least one patterned conductive layer. The isolator may be integrally formed from a stack of polymer layers and patterned conductive layers to provide the plurality of flex circuits, platform and connectors. Most typically, flex circuits are Type 4 in which the multiple polymer layers have a loose leaf or bonded configuration. Flex circuits are easy to produce in large quantities at low cost with standardized and repeatable performance characteristics.

A vibration isolator and method of assembly utilize “flex circuits” to provide both vibration/shock isolation and integrated electrically isolated conductive paths to support lightweight devices (<100 grams) such as crystal oscillators, IC chips, MEMs devices and the like. Each flex circuit includes a least one polymer layer and at least one of the flex circuits includes at least one patterned conductive layer. The isolator may be integrally formed from a stack of polymer layers and patterned conductive layers to provide the plurality of flex circuits, platform and connectors. Most typically, flex circuits are Type 4 in which the multiple polymer layers have a loose leaf or bonded configuration. Flex circuits are easy to produce in large quantities at low cost with standardized and repeatable performance characteristics.

A tuned mass damper for reducing vibration on a component includes a shaft connector member configured to be coupled to the component and a cable termination member. The tuned mass damper also includes at least one cable coupled to the shaft connector member and to the cable termination member such that vibration of the component is transferred to the at least one cable via the shaft connector member and increased or decreased by the at least one cable.

A passive oscillation damper (8), in particular for a switch cabinet (2), includes a supporting structure (12) having a longitudinal direction (y) and a transverse direction (x) and with a central oscillating mass (14) mounted by means of spring elements (20, 22, 24, 26) so as to be able to oscillate in the longitudinal direction (y) and in the transverse direction (x). At least one peripheral oscillating mass (40, 42) is mounted on the central oscillating mass (14) so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction (y) and to be movable relative to the central oscillating mass (14). At least one peripheral oscillating mass (44, 46) is mounted on the central oscillating mass (14) so as to be slidable in the transverse direction (x) and to be movable relative to central oscillating mass (14).

A passive oscillation damper (8), in particular for a switch cabinet (2), includes a supporting structure (12) having a longitudinal direction (y) and a transverse direction (x) and with a central oscillating mass (14) mounted by means of spring elements (20, 22, 24, 26) so as to be able to oscillate in the longitudinal direction (y) and in the transverse direction (x). At least one peripheral oscillating mass (40, 42) is mounted on the central oscillating mass (14) so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction (y) and to be movable relative to the central oscillating mass (14). At least one peripheral oscillating mass (44, 46) is mounted on the central oscillating mass (14) so as to be slidable in the transverse direction (x) and to be movable relative to central oscillating mass (14).

A suspension system (22) configured to minimize transmission of acoustic and vibrational energy in a device, comprising: (i) a rigid support (24); (ii) an operative element (16) positioned within the rigid support and comprising a drive frequency when the device is in operation; and (iii) a resilient element (26) engaging the rigid support and configured to create a resilient force against one or more degrees of freedom of vibrations generated by the operative element; wherein the natural frequency in one or more of the degrees of freedom of the suspension system, in the degrees of freedom of interest, are tuned into a narrow resonant frequency range by the suspension, and wherein the resonant frequency is less than the drive frequency.

A suspension system (22) configured to minimize transmission of acoustic and vibrational energy in a device, comprising: (i) a rigid support (24); (ii) an operative element (16) positioned within the rigid support and comprising a drive frequency when the device is in operation; and (iii) a resilient element (26) engaging the rigid support and configured to create a resilient force against one or more degrees of freedom of vibrations generated by the operative element; wherein the natural frequency in one or more of the degrees of freedom of the suspension system, in the degrees of freedom of interest, are tuned into a narrow resonant frequency range by the suspension, and wherein the resonant frequency is less than the drive frequency.

An exemplary inventive subordinate oscillator array (SOA) includes two or more vibration attenuation devices (oscillators) that are sequentially arranged (e.g., via beams in the SOA) so that their respective anti-vibratory influences overlap. To design the SOA, an optimal number N of oscillators is calculated according to the equation N=ηQΔ, where η is the modal overlap, Q is the quality factor, and Δ is the desired fractional bandwidth. Each oscillator is akin to a conventional dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) and is characterized by its own mass, stiffness, damping, and geometry (e.g., length, width, and height). The respective characteristics of the oscillators are selected and the oscillators are distributed so that the SOA, when suitably attached to a vibrative structure, attenuates the vibrations of the structure so as to approximately flatten the structure's vibrations over a frequency band of interest.