RU2806350C1 - Control device for mechanical vibrations of swing, made with the possibility of rotational movement in one plane - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: devices for swings.

SUBSTANCE: invention is related to a portable controller of mechanical vibrations, and can be used in conjunction with children's swings, garden bench swings, infant cradles, etc. In addition, the device is universal, the design allows it to be installed on any ready-made swing, there is no need for setup and calibration in the range of applicability, that is, the size and weight of the swing must be within the power range of the device (the power of the device corresponds to the specific type of swing). The device for controlling mechanical vibrations of a swing is designed to rotate in one plane, containing a housing, at the base of which, on the outer surface, means are attached for attaching the device to the movable part of the swing, and on the inner surface there is a flywheel, the axis of rotation of which connected to the shaft of an electric motor mounted on the base, the motor is connected to a control module including a microcontroller connected to an inertial motion sensor.

EFFECT: creation of a portable electromechanical device that supports and controls the vibrations of various types of swings with one axis of rotation with the ability to install the device only on the moving part of the swing.

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Description

The invention relates to devices for swings, namely to a portable controller of mechanical vibrations, and can be used in conjunction with children's swings, garden bench swings, infant cradles, etc. Hereinafter, the above-mentioned devices are designated by the term “swing” and represent a mechanical system capable of oscillating around an equilibrium position, intended for domestic use - mainly recreational. In particular, the proposed device works with a swing that has one axis of rotation in the form of a seat suspended from posts or a crossbar, or a cradle (chair, seat, various toys, for example, horses, cars, etc.) mounted on supports with arcuate runners.

The following solutions are known from the prior art.

Automated swing-carousels are known that have a complex design, where part of the swing swing mechanism system is installed on the moving part of the attraction, and the other part is on a fixed support, while the swinging mechanism is most often an integral part of the device and is supplied complete with the attraction.

For example, a drive mechanism for a children's rocking chair is known, mounted on the frame of the rocking chair and driving the rocking chair using electromagnetic control. By means of a lever connected to the rocking chair, and also by means of a drive mechanism connected to a pair of rocking arms, a certain range of oscillatory motion of the rocking chair is achieved. The drive mechanism contains a housing with a control button, a rotating shaft, a transmission system and a control device. The rotating shaft is either connected to the end of the rocking arm or directly connected to the rocker seat to drive the arm into an oscillatory or rotational motion (see US Patent Application Publication No. 2007010338 A1, published January 11, 2007).

Also known is a swing with a protective casing installed coaxially with the swing axis of the rods with the seat with the possibility of joint movement with them, covering the moving parts of the swing from the outside, equipped with two autonomous suspensions mounted on the crossbar, and stops interacting with the elements of the seat, the protective casing is equipped with two autonomous hinged suspensions mounted on the crossbar and stops installed inside the casing and interacting on both sides with the seat elements, a copier equipped with shaped grooves of different depths is installed on the crossbar, an electric motor ensures rotation of the drum with an elastic plate, a copier is installed in the guide holes on the crossbars of the swing rod , interacting with the upper end with the grooves of the copier, and the lower end with the elastic plate of the rotating drum at the moment of the seat moving “forward and down” and the maximum protrusion of the copier finger (see patent RU No. 2537876, published on January 10, 2015).

The main disadvantage of the presented solutions is the need for a mechanical connection between the moving part of the swing and the swing frame or the environment. The complexity of installation and maintenance of such a connection determines the creation of complex products containing the moving part of the swing and the frame. Thus, the swing and the swing support device are a single device. As a result, solutions known from the prior art are intended either for controlling the vibrations of very small swings (baby cots) or, on the contrary, for industrial applications in the entertainment industry (amusement rides).

The objective of the present invention is to create a compact mechanical vibration controller, manufactured and supplied separately from the swing, the design of which allows it to be installed on the seat/cradle of any swing, including children's swings, garden swings, benches, infant cradles, rocking chairs, etc. .d.

The problem is solved by the fact that all elements of the mechanism, including control and monitoring elements, are placed in one housing, and structurally there is no mechanical connection between the device and the swing frame or the external environment.

The closest analogue of the patented device is an automatic swing module installed on the lower surface of the swing seat and containing a housing with a pair of gear racks installed along the side edges of its bottom. There is also a platform with an engine installed on it. The motor rotor emerges from the sides of the platform with gears fixedly connected to it. These gears are adapted to engage with and move along the racks between the front and rear portions of the rotary assembly. A limit switch is also installed on the platform. The limit switch is necessary to make the platform move in the opposite direction when it is pressed. The platform moves only when the motor is powered by the battery, which is determined by a switch located on the rear side of the module (see US patent No. 6024648, published 02.15.2000).

The disadvantage of the described device is the unnecessary conversion of rotational motion into translational motion. The engine uses rotational motion, converting it into translational motion on the rack, which, in turn, is again translated into rotational motion of the swing.

Also a close analogue of the patented solution in terms of operating principle is a device that includes an oscillation generator, which is a mechanism installed in a housing mounted on the swing seat, and including one of the following list: a manually wound gear transmission, a piston, a pendulum, an engine, gears, pump (see publication of US patent application No. 2012119549A1, published July 22, 2014).

The above document also converts rotational motion into translational motion, and in an inefficient way: the engine does work by moving loads also along a non-working axis, perpendicular to the movement. The described mechanisms have low efficiency. Unlike known devices, in the proposed device the rotational motion of the flywheel is converted directly into the rotational motion of the swing.

The technical problem solved by the claimed invention is to provide the ability to supplement any swing with a single axis of rotation in the form of a seat suspended from posts or a crossbar, or mounted on arched runners (various types of rocking chairs or children's rocking toys) with a means that automatically , without any effort on the part of the user, maintain the specified amplitude of oscillation of the seat/cradle. The amplitude of the device can be set manually by the user; in addition, the device can be switched to the current amplitude memorization mode, while the calculated amplitude is written to the permanent memory of the device and is not reset when the device is turned off.

The problem is solved by creating a device whose mechanism is based on reactive torque, as well as the property of mass inertia and resonance.

The technical result is the creation of a portable electromechanical device that supports and controls the vibrations of various types of swings with one axis of rotation with the ability to install the device only on the moving part of the swing. In addition, the device is universal, the design allows it to be installed on any ready-made swing, there is no need for setup and calibration in the range of applicability, that is, the size and weight of the swing must be within the power range of the device (the power of the device corresponds to the specific type of swing).

The claimed technical result is achieved due to the design of a device for controlling mechanical vibrations of a swing, designed to rotate in one plane, containing a housing, at the base of which, on the outer surface, means are attached for attaching the device to the movable part of the swing, and on the inner surface there is a flywheel, the axis of rotation of which connected to the shaft of an electric motor mounted on the base, the motor is connected to a control module including a microcontroller connected to an inertial motion sensor.

In a particular case of the invention, the inertial motion sensor is a gyrosensor.

In a particular case of the invention, the inertial motion sensor is an accelerometer.

The solution is further explained by reference to the figures, which show the following.

Fig. 1 – general view of the swing on which the claimed device can be installed.

Fig. 2 – general view and installation diagram of the device on the moving part of the swing.

Fig. 3 – operating principle of the mechanical vibration control device.

In fig. Figure 1 shows a general view of the swing on which the claimed device can be installed. What the above types of swings have in common is the movable part 1, which can be a seat (with or without a backrest), a cradle, toys (horses, cars, etc.), as well as a bench with or without a backrest and other options. The specified movable part 1 can be attached through rigid or flexible suspensions 2 to the frame 3, or installed on supports with arched skids 4.

In both cases, the proposed device is installed by means of rigid fastening to any place of the movable part 1 of the swing, so that the axis of rotation of the flywheel is perpendicular to the plane of movement of the swing, preferably on the lower surface of the movable part 1. For clarity, FIG. Figure 2 schematically shows a device installed on the upper surface of the movable part 1. The device includes a housing (not shown), the base 5 of which on the outer surface includes means of fastening to the movable part, which are a rigid fastening with bolts or self-tapping screws directly to the seat. This option is used when calculating long-term operation of the device with a certain swing, since in this case the seat is damaged. In another embodiment, it is possible to fasten the body with steel cables with tensioners or tension belts to the seat. In this case, the seat is not damaged and can be used on different swings. In the case of small vibration amplitudes (for example, when used with a garden swing), the device can simply be placed on a seat, or suspended from it using non-stretchable straps.

The body can be made of plastic. For installation in public spaces, a vandal-proof steel housing is available. Also, for outdoor use, a moisture-proof version can be provided.

On the inner surface of the base 5 of the housing there is a device control module 6 connected to an electric motor 7, on the shaft of which a flywheel 8 is mounted.

The electric motor is a brushless three-phase motor that allows torque control. You can use almost any electric motor, including commutator motors, including alternating current. For engines that do not allow torque to be controlled directly, this can be done indirectly by setting the electric motor speed.

The flywheel 8 in the preferred embodiment is a thin-walled cylinder, since a body of this shape has a maximum moment of inertia relative to the cylinder axis. For practical implementation, it is possible to use thick-walled steel pipes. In particular, a piece of steel pipe with a mass of about 3.5 kg, a diameter of 159 mm, a length of 95 mm, and a thickness of 10 mm is used. Another example of a flywheel is the axisymmetric placement of several heavy weights. To reduce the size of the device, you can use a flywheel made of high-density material, for example, metal, cement, concrete, composite materials, etc.

The control module is an electrical circuit that includes a microcontroller that analyzes the readings received from the inertial motion sensor (IMS) and transmits commands to the electric motor, which converts the signals into the necessary motion parameters (torque and direction), as well as memory. The IDD is a gyrosensor (gyroscope) or accelerometer. In a particular case, both types of sensors can be installed.

The device control module is capable of:

1. Determine the profile of the current vibrations of the mechanical system using the IDD. If harmonic oscillations are detected, their amplitude, frequency and phase are calculated.

2. Maintain a given mode of swing oscillation amplitude, counteracting the attenuation of oscillations caused by friction forces in the system. Functionally, it looks like an endlessly swinging swing.

3. Change the vibration amplitude of the swing depending on the need (device settings).

The device can be powered externally or internally (battery-powered). In particular, for using the device indoors, it is preferable to use power via a network cable, and for outdoor use, for example, for garden or children's swings, battery power is preferable.

The microcontroller of the control module is connected to the control panel either wired or wirelessly. The control panel has buttons to turn the device on/off, as well as to switch the device to the amplitude setting mode. The functionality of the remote control can be expanded with buttons for changing the amplitude “on the fly”, etc. The remote control can also be supplemented or even replaced with wireless control, for example from a smartphone via Bluetooth.

Carrying out the invention

The device uses the following physical principles:

- inertia forces;

- reactive torque;

- resonance.

Instead of a mechanical connection to the swing frame or the environment, the inertial property of the mass is used to detect movement using an inertial motion sensor and to control movement using a flywheel. A torque generated by an electric motor is applied to the flywheel, causing angular acceleration of the flywheel (arrow 9, Fig. 3). The moment of inertia of the flywheel counteracts the movement, causing a reactive (reverse in direction and equal in magnitude) torque in the electric motor, which through a rigid mount transmits torque to the swing, causing its angular acceleration (arrow 10, Fig. 3). By synchronizing the generated torque with the natural frequency of vibration of the moving part of the swing, the device effectively changes the mechanical energy of the vibrations, and therefore their amplitude.

Claims (5)

1. A device for controlling mechanical vibrations of a swing, designed with the possibility of rotational movement in one plane, containing a housing, at the base of which, on the outer surface, means are fixed for attaching the device to the movable part of the swing, and on the inner surface there is a flywheel, the axis of rotation of which is connected to the electric shaft motor mounted on the base, the motor is connected to a control module including a microcontroller connected to an inertial motion sensor. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inertial motion sensor is a gyrosensor. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inertial motion sensor is an accelerometer. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flywheel is a thin-walled cylinder. 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flywheel is an axisymmetric arrangement of several heavy loads.