Techniques for mitigating dominant frequency imparted to object

Abstract

A spring supported tray for mitigating a dominant frequency imparted thereto is provided. The spring supported tray includes a tray including a topside and underside, and configured to support an object on the topside, and N springs supporting the tray, N being a positive integer. A first end of each of the N springs is disposed at the underside of the tray. A second end of each of the N springs is disposed so as to receive vibrational motion imparted to the second end of each of the N springs fdom a source of the vibrational motion, the vibrational motion having a dominant undesired frequency fdom. Each of the N springs has a spring constant k defined by the equation:k=fn2⁢4⁢π2⁢wN⁢gwhere w denotes the collective weight of the tray and the object, g denotes the force of gravity, and fn denotes a natural frequency of the spring supported tray supporting the object, wherein fn is a lower frequency than the dominant undesired frequency fdom.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A spring supported tray for mitigating a dominant frequency imparted thereto, the spring supported tray comprising:
 a tray including a tray topside and a tray underside, and configured to support an object on the tray topside; and   N springs supporting the tray, N being a positive integer,   wherein a first end of each of the N springs is disposed at the tray underside,   wherein a second end of each of the N springs is disposed so as to receive vibrational motion imparted to the second end of each of the N springs f dom  a source of the vibrational motion, the vibrational motion having a dominant undesired frequency f dom  that is determined via one of a measurement by a sensor or computer modeling,   wherein each of the N springs has a spring constant k defined by an equation:   
       
         
           
             
               k 
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     f 
                     n 
                     2 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   4 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     π 
                     2 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   w 
                 
                 
                   N 
                   ⁢ 
                   g 
                 
               
             
           
         
         wherein w denotes a collective weight of the tray and the object, g denotes the force of gravity, and fn denotes a natural frequency of the spring supported tray supporting the object, and 
         wherein f n  is a frequency that is chosen to be lower than the determined dominant undesired frequency f dom . 
       
     
     
         2 . The spring supported tray of  claim 1 , wherein each of the N springs is a metal circular wave springs having substantially a same spring constant k. 
     
     
         3 . The spring supported tray of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the spring supported tray is disposed within a neonatal transport incubator, and   wherein the object is a human baby.   
     
     
         4 . The spring supported tray of  claim 3 , wherein the source of the vibrational motion is an ambulance in motion in which the neonatal transport incubator is rigidly fixed. 
     
     
         5 . The spring supported tray of  claim 1 , wherein the source of the vibrational motion is a vehicle in motion. 
     
     
         6 . The spring supported tray of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a base including a base topside and a base underside,   wherein the second end of each of the N springs is disposed at the base topside, and   wherein the base underside receives the vibrational motion f dom  the source of the vibrational motion and passes the vibrational motion to the second end of each of the N springs.