Rotation flexure with temperature controlled modal frequency
| DWPI Title: Flexure bearing for use in precision pointing systems, has blades coupled between inner and outer races with blades comprising thickness that is thinner than thickness of inner and outer races, where inner and outer races comprise height |
| Abstract: A flexure bearing includes an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of substantially planar radially extending blades coupled between the inner and outer race. The blades have a thickness that is thinner than a thickness of the inner and outer races. The inner race, outer race, and blades have substantially the same height. At least one heating element is coupled to the inner race and/or the outer race. The heating element is configured to apply heat to the race that it is coupled to in order to tune the flexure bearing. |
| Use: Flexure bearing for use in precision pointing systems being mounted to moving platforms, synthetic aperture radar systems and isolation tables in optical systems. Can also be used for tuned vibration absorbers of structural systems e.g. automobiles and aircrafts. |
| Advantage: The bearing changes frequencies that allow isolation systems to be easily tuned for particular base disturbances. The bearing can be used in context of changing rotational direction in order to avoid or minimize effects of stiction in telescope movement as the flexure bearings comprise a very linear characteristic. |
| Novelty: The bearing (10) has a set of planar radially extending blades (18) coupled between inner race (14) and outer race (16) with the blades comprising a thickness that is thinner than a thickness of the inner and outer races, where the inner race, the outer race and the blades comprise same height. A heating element (26) is coupled to the inner race and the outer race, where the heating element applies heat to the race that is associated to tune the bearing. A temperature differential develops across the blades to change stiffness or frequency of the blades. |
| Filed: 8/2/2017 |
| Application Number: US15667524A |
| Tech ID: SD 13025.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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