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EP-4737761-A1 - A SHOCK ABSORBER AND A SYSTEM FOR SHOCK ABSORBTION

EP4737761A1EP 4737761 A1EP4737761 A1EP 4737761A1EP-4737761-A1

Abstract

A shock absorber (100) comprising: a housing (110) having an inner wall surface (112) defining a cavity (114) extending along a longitudinal axis (115) and comprising an open top end (116) and an opposing bottom end (118), the inner wall surface (112) being provided with a recess (113); a body (120) comprising a portion (122) housed in the cavity (114); a shock absorbing element (130) arranged in the cavity (114) between the portion (122) of the body (120) and the bottom end (118) of the cavity (114); and a biasing element (124) and a locking element (126) arranged in the portion (122) of the body (120), wherein the biasing element (124) is configured to press the locking element (126) with a biasing force against the inner wall surface (112) of the housing (110), wherein the portion (122) of the body (120) is displaceable against counteraction of the shock absorbing element (130), along the longitudinal axis (115) of the cavity (114), from a first position, in which the locking element (126) extends into the recess (113) of the inner wall surface (112), to a second position located between the first position and the bottom end (118) of the housing (110), and wherein the shock absorbing element (130) is configured to counteract displacement of the portion (122) of the body (120) from the first position to the second position.

Inventors

  • Radnic, Tomá

Assignees

  • Axis AB

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241104

Claims (15)

  1. A shock absorber (100) comprising: a housing (110) having an inner wall surface (112) defining a cavity (114) extending along a longitudinal axis (115) and comprising an open top end (116) and an opposing bottom end (118), the inner wall surface (112) being provided with a recess (113); a body (120) comprising a portion (122) housed in the cavity (114); a shock absorbing element (130) arranged in the cavity (114) between the portion (122) of the body (120) and the bottom end (118) of the cavity (114); and a biasing element (124) and a locking element (126) arranged in the portion (122) of the body (120), wherein the biasing element (124) is configured to press the locking element (126) with a biasing force against the inner wall surface (112) of the housing (110), wherein the portion (122) of the body (120) is displaceable along the longitudinal axis (115) of the cavity (114), from a first position, in which the locking element (126) extends into the recess (113) of the inner wall surface (112), to a second position located between the first position and the bottom end (118) of the housing (110), and wherein the shock absorbing element (130) is configured to counteract displacement of the portion (122) of the body (120) from the first position to the second position.
  2. The shock absorber according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing element has a higher compression stiffness than the biasing element.
  3. The shock absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the biasing element is configured to release the locking element from the recess in response to an external force exerted on the body, the external force having a component extending in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the cavity and exceeding a threshold value.
  4. The shock absorber according to claim 3, wherein the threshold value corresponds to a locking force resulting from the locking element being extended into the recess of the inner wall surface.
  5. The shock absorber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a width of the locking element, along the longitudinal axis of the cavity, is larger than a width of the recess along the longitudinal axis of the cavity.
  6. The shock absorber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an end of the locking element facing the inner wall surface has a curvature allowing an end portion associated with said end to be received by the recess when the portion of the body is in the first position.
  7. The shock absorber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shock absorbing element and/or biasing element is a compression spring.
  8. The shock absorber according to claim 7, wherein the shock absorbing element is a spring oriented compressible along the longitudinal axis of the cavity and/or the biasing element is a spring oriented compressible along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity.
  9. A system configured for shock absorption, the system comprising two or more shock absorbers (100) according to any one of claim 1-8.
  10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising: a first part (210), and a second part (220) attachable to the first part (210), wherein the housing (110) of the respective shock absorber (100) is attached to the first part (210), and the body (120) of the respective shock absorber (100) is attached to the second part (220).
  11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the respective shock-absorber is concealed by the first and second part.
  12. The system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the first part is a wall or a wall-mountable module such as a flush box, and/or wherein the second part is an interface module or a frame.
  13. The system according to any one of claims 9-11, wherein the system is an intercom system.
  14. A module (210, 220) having integrally formed thereon two or more housings (110) and/or bodies (120) of shock absorbers (100) according to any one of claims 1-8.
  15. The module according to claim 13, wherein the module is a frame, an interface module, a wall-mountable module, or a flush box for an intercom device.

Description

Field of the invention The present disclosure relates to shock absorbers used in various types of devices and equipment. More particularly, the disclosure relates an improved shock absorber design that enables nonlinear shock absorption. Background art There is a continuous need to enhance the durability and performance of devices subjected to rigorous testing and operational conditions. Examples of such devices include those subject to vandalism or IK testing, which is a standardized method used to assess the impact resistance of enclosures by measuring their ability to withstand mechanical shocks and impacts. These conditions can significantly reduce the lifespan and reliability of the devices if not properly managed. One way to address these challenges is through the use of shock absorbers. Shock absorbers are designed to mitigate the effects of sudden impacts and vibrations, thereby extending lifespan, and mitigating outright destruction of the devices they protect. However, an issue arises in ensuring that while the shock absorbers effectively absorb shocks, they do not compromise a user's perception of the device's structural solidity and immovability. A rigid and stable design that feels secure and unyielding, under normal usage conditions, is usually important for an adequate user experience. Therefore, there is a need for an improved shock absorber that not only enhances the durability and impact resistance of the device but also maintains the desired solid and immovable feel for the user. Summary of the invention It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a shock absorber for enabling non-linear shock absorption. It is another object to provide a shock absorber that maintains structural solidity and immovability under conditions of low or minor shocks. Yet another object is to provide a system comprising two or more shock absorbers for enabling nonlinear shock absorption. A further object is to provide a module having integrally formed thereon two or more shock absorbers for enabling integrated nonlinear shock absorption of devices. To achieve at least one of the above objects and also other objects that will be evident from the following description, a shock absorber having the features defined in claim 1 is provided according to the present invention. Preferred embodiments will be evident from the dependent claims. More specifically, there is provided according to a first aspect of the present invention a shock absorber. The shock absorber comprises: a housing having an inner wall surface defining a cavity extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising an open top end and an opposing bottom end, the inner wall surface being provided with a recess; a body comprising a portion housed in the cavity; a shock absorbing element arranged in the cavity between the portion of the body and the bottom end of the cavity; and a biasing element and a locking element arranged in the portion of the body, wherein the biasing element is configured to press the locking element with a biasing force against the inner wall surface of the housing, wherein the portion of the body is displaceable along the longitudinal axis of the cavity, from a first position, in which the locking element extends into the recess of the inner wall surface, to a second position located between the first position and the bottom end of the housing, and wherein the shock absorbing element is configured to counteract displacement of the portion of the body from the first position to the second position. Hereby, there is provided a shock absorber enabling nonlinear shock absorption. In other words, the shock absorber may handle high local loads or hits while its nonlinear response may provide a solid feeling. In particular, the nonlinearity provided by the shock absorber may be great enough to facilitate a solid feeling of a device having the shock absorber integrated therein. The nonlinear response is obtained by the combination of the biasing element which will be pushed away from, or forced out of, the recess at a certain force loading, and the shock absorbing element which is activated or engaged after the biasing element has been pushed away from the recess. The housing may be a casing or an enclosure configured to house the shock absorbing element and at least a portion of the body. The housing may in other words provide support for the internal components of the shock absorber, ensuring they are securely contained. The portion of the body may be configured to move in a piston-like manner within the housing along the longitudinal axis, i.e., guided by the inner wall surface of the housing. The piston-like movement allows for controlled linear motion of at least the portion of the body within the cavity of the housing. The longitudinal axis may refer to a primary axis along which the length of the shock absorber extends. This axis may typically be oriented parallel to the direction of the primary force or motion that the sh