VIBRATION ISOLATION ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A vibration isolation assembly is useful with dimensional lumber such as pressure treated lumber used as dunnage for placing air conditioners and other rooftop mounted equipment. The assembly includes a support member and a rubber isolator member adapted to engage the support member.

Claims

1. A vibration isolation assembly comprising a support member having a top wall adapted to engage a piece of lumber or other dunnage material and a bottom wall having a plurality of openings, and an isolator member made of rubber having a base and a plurality of posts adapted to engage and fit into the plurality of openings of the support, wherein the isolator member is selected from rubbers having different durometers.

2. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 1 wherein the support is made of rubber.

3. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 1 wherein the support member and the isolator member are made of Santoprene?.

4. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 1 wherein the support comprises the top wall, the bottom wall, a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, and at least one flap for fastening the support to the lumber or other dunnage material.

5. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 4 wherein the support includes two flaps.

6. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of openings are in the range of three to five inches.

7. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of openings are arranged in rows and are circular and the plurality of posts are arranged in rows and are conical.

8. A vibration isolation assembly comprising a support member made of rubber having a top wall adapted to engage a piece of lumber or other dunnage material and a bottom wall having a plurality of openings and having a flap on each side of the top wall for fastening the support member to the lumber or other dunnage material, and an isolator member made of rubber having a base and a plurality of posts adapted to engage and fit into the plurality of openings of the support member, wherein the isolator member is selected from rubbers having different durometers.

9. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of openings are in the range of three to five inches.

10. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 9 wherein the support member and the isolator member are made of Santoprene?.

11. The vibration isolation assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of openings are arranged in rows and are circular and the plurality of posts are arranged in rows and are conical.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The following detailed description of the specific non-limiting embodiments of the present invention can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structures are indicated by like reference numbers.

[0012] Referring to the drawings:

[0013] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the vibration isolation assembly.

[0014] FIG. 1B is an end view of the vibration isolation assembly of FIG. 1A.

[0015] FIG. 1C is a side view of the vibration isolation assembly of FIG. 1B along line A-A.

[0016] FIG. 2A is a perspective exploded view of the vibration isolation assembly of FIG. 1A.

[0017] FIG. 2B is a side exploded view of the vibration isolation assembly of FIG. 2A.

[0018] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the support of the vibration isolation assembly of FIG. 1A.

[0019] FIG. 3B is a bottom/side perspective view of the support of FIG. 3A.

[0020] FIG. 3C is a top view of the support of FIG. 3A.

[0021] FIG. 3D is a side view of the support of FIG. 3A.

[0022] FIG. 3E is a bottom view of the support of FIG. 3A.

[0023] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the isolator of the vibration isolation assembly of FIG. 1A.

[0024] FIG. 4B is a top view of the isolator of FIG. 4A.

[0025] FIG. 4C is a side view of the isolator of FIG. 4A.

[0026] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the vibration assembly of FIG. 1A installed and holding an air conditioner.

[0027] FIG. 5B is a side view of FIG. 5A.

[0028] FIG. 5C is an end view of FIG. 5A.

[0029] FIG. 5D is a top view of FIG. 5A.

[0030] FIG. 6A is another perspective view of the vibration assembly of FIG. 1A installed and holding two air conditioners.

[0031] FIG. 6B is a side view of FIG. 6A.

[0032] FIG. 6C is an end view of FIG. 6A.

[0033] FIG. 6D is a top view of FIG. 6A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] The present invention is directed to a vibration isolation assembly 10. More particularly, the invention is directed to a vibration isolation assembly for dimensional lumber L such as pressure treated lumber used as dunnage for placing air conditioners AC and other rooftop mounted equipment as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0035] Referring to the figures, there is shown a vibration isolation assembly 10. The vibration isolation assembly includes a support 12 and an isolator 14. The support 12 may be made of a molded rubber such as Santoprene?. The isolator 14 is also made of a rubber such as Santoprene?. The isolator will be made of a rubber having different durometers depending on the weight of the equipment to be supported.

[0036] The support 12 is a universal member to be used with isolators 14 having different durometers. Referring, for example, to FIGS. 3A-3E, support 12 includes a top 20, sides 22 and 24 with flaps 26 and 28, ends 30 and 32 and a bottom 34. The flaps 26,28 include apertures 36 for fastening the support to lumber L. Bottom 34 includes a plurality of openings 38 for receiving posts of the isolator 14 as discussed hereafter. The openings 38 are preferably arranged in a plurality of rows. The openings 38 may be circular or other shapes. The openings in one embodiment may be about 0.437 inches and are circular.

[0037] Isolator 14 may be made of a molded rubber having different durometers depending on the weight of the rooftop equipment requiring support. Referring, for example, to FIGS. 4A-4C, isolator 14 includes a base 40 and posts 42. The posts 42 are sized and adapted to fit into openings 38 of support 12 by friction fit. The posts 42 are preferably arranged in a plurality of rows. The posts 42 may be conical or other shapes. The posts 42 in one preferred embodiment may be about 0.375 inches to fit into the openings. The isolator 14 when used in conjunction with support 12 will dampen lateral vibration by virtue of the posts 42 that can compress down as well as vibrate side to side all without a hard or glued connection for mating isolator 14 with support 12.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there are shown two installations for holding rooftop equipment such as air conditioners AC using multiple vibration isolator assemblies 10. The assemblies 10 are fastened to the lumber L by fasteners through apertures 36 of support 20. The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, various modifications can be made within the scope of the aforesaid description. Such modifications being within the ability of one skilled in the art form a part of the present invention and are embraced by the appended claims.