A shock mount or isolation mount is a mechanical

fastener A fastener (US English) or fastening (UK English) is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together. In general, fasteners are used to create non-permanent joints; that is, joints that can be removed or disman ...

that connects two parts elastically to provide

shock Shock may refer to: Common uses Healthcare * Acute stress reaction, also known as psychological or mental shock ** Shell shock, soldiers' reaction to battle trauma * Circulatory shock, a medical emergency ** Cardiogenic shock, resulting from ...

and

vibration isolation ''Vibration isolation'' is the prevention of transmission of vibration from one component of a system to others parts of the same system, as in Building, buildings or mechanical systems. Vibration is undesirable in many domains, primarily engineere ...

. Isolation mounts allow equipment to be securely mounted to a foundation and/or frame and, at the same time, allow it to float independently from it.

Uses

Shock mounts are found in a wide variety of applications. They can be used to isolate the foundation or substrate from the dynamics of the mounted equipment. This is vital on submarines where silence is critical to mission success. Yachts also use shock mounts to dampen mechanical noise (mainly transmitted throughout the structure) and increase comfort. This is usually done through elastic supports and transmission couplings. Other common examples are the motor and transmission mounts used in virtually every automobile manufactured today. Without isolation mounts, interior noise and comfort levels would be significantly different. Such shock and vibration-isolation mounts are often chosen by the nature of the dynamics produced by the equipment and the weight of the equipment. Shock mounts can isolate sensitive equipment from undesirable dynamics of the foundation or substrate. Sensitive laboratory equipment most be isolated from shock from handling and ambient vibration. Military equipment and ships must be able to withstand nearby explosions. Shock mounts are found in some disc drives and

compact disc player A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or audi ...

s, where the disc and rainy agreement are held by soft bushings that isolate them from outside vibration and other outside forces, such as torsion. In this case, isolation mounts are often chosen by the sensitivity of the equipment to shock (fragility) and vibration (natural frequency) and the weight of the equipment. For shock mounting to be effective, the input shock and vibration must be matched. A shock pulse is characterised by its peak acceleration, duration, and shape (half sine, triangular, trapezoidal, etc.). The

shock response spectrum A Shock Response Spectrum (SRS)Acronym
Acronym is a graphical representation of a

base isolators. A similar idea, also known as a shock mount, is found in furniture design, introduced by

Charles and Ray Eames Charles Eames ( Charles Eames, Jr) and Ray Eames ( Ray-Bernice Eames) were an American married couple of industrial designers who made significant historical contributions to the development of modern architecture and furniture through the work of ...

. It provides some shock absorption and operates as a

living hinge A living hinge or integral hinge is a thin flexible hinge (flexure bearing) made from the same material as the two rigid pieces it connects. Description A living hinge or integral hinge is a thin flexible hinge (flexure bearing). It is made fr ...

, allowing the seat back to pivot. Shock mounts are also sometimes used in bicycle saddles, handlebars and chassis.

Design

Maxwell and Kelvin–Voigt models of viscoelasticity use springs and dashpots in series and parallel circuits respectively. Hydraulic and pneumatic components can be included, depending on the use.

Laminated pads

One common type of isolation mounts is laminated pads. Generally, these pads consist of a cork or polymeric foam core which has been laminated between two pieces of ribbed neoprene sheet.

Molded rubber isolation mounts

Molded rubber isolation mounts are typically manufactured for specific applications. The best example of this is automotive engine and transmission mounts.

Rubber bushing A bushing or rubber bushing is a type of vibration isolator. It provides an interface between two parts, damping the energy transmitted through the bushing. A common application is in vehicle suspension systems, where a bushing made of rubber ...

s compress

synthetic rubber A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About of rubber is produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubber, just like natural ru ...

rings on bolts to provide some isolation – operating temperature is sometimes a factor. Other shock mounts have mechanical

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

s or an

elastomer An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (i.e. both viscosity and elasticity) and with weak intermolecular forces, generally low Young's modulus (E) and high failure strain compared with other materials. The term, a portmanteau of ''ela ...

(in tension or compression) engineered to isolate an item from specified

mechanical shock In mechanics and physics, shock is a sudden acceleration caused, for example, by impact (mechanics), impact, drop, kick, earthquake, or explosion. Shock is a transient physical excitation. Shock describes matter subject to extreme rates of for ...

and

vibration Vibration () is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. Vibration may be deterministic if the oscillations can be characterised precisely (e.g. the periodic motion of a pendulum), or random if the os ...

. Some form of

dashpot A dashpot, also known as a damper, is a mechanical device that resists motion via viscous damping. The resulting force is proportional to the velocity, but acts in the opposite direction, slowing the motion and absorbing energy. It is commonly us ...

is usually used with a spring to provide viscous damping.

Viscoelastic In materials science and continuum mechanics, viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both Viscosity, viscous and Elasticity (physics), elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation (engineering), deformation. Viscous mate ...

materials are common. Temperature is a factor in the dynamic response of rubber. Generally, a molded rubber mount is best suited for heavy loads producing higher frequency vibrations. Isolation_Mount_-_Coiled_Cable

Cable isolation mounts

Cable mounts are based around a coil of wire rope fixed to an upper and lower mounting bar. When properly matched to the load, these mounts provide isolation over a broad frequency range. They are typically applied to high performance applications, such as mounting sensitive instrumentation into off-road vehicles and shipboard.

Coil spring isolation mounts

Coil spring isolation mounts generally provide the greatest degree of movement and the best low frequency performance. They are particularly popular for mounting equipment in buildings such as air handlers, filtration units, air conditioning and refrigeration systems and large pipes. Their degree of movement makes them ideal for applications where high flexure and/or expansion and contraction are a consideration.

Microphone mounts

AKG Perception 120 USB condenser microphone with SH 100 shock mount

Shock mounts for microphones can provide basic protection from damage, but their prime use is to isolate microphones from mechanically transmitted noise. This can originate as floor vibrations transmitted through a floor stand, or on boom poles. All microphones behave to some extent as accelerometers, with the most sensitive axis being perpendicular to the diaphragm. Additionally, some microphones contain internal elements such as vacuum tubes and transformers which can be inherently microphonic. These are often cushioned by resilient internal methods, in addition to the employment of external isolation mounts. Astatic crystal mic

Early microphones used a 'ring and spring' mount, where a single rigid ring was mounted and carried the microphone between a number of coil springs, usually four or eight. When early microphones were heavy and omnidirectional, this was adequate. However the single plane of suspension allowed the microphone to twist very easily; once microphones started to become directional, this twisting caused fading of the signal. A more three-dimensional and less planar suspension would be required. Large side-address studio microphone are generally strung in "cat's cradle" mounts, using fabric-wound rubber elastic elements to provide isolation. While the elastic elements can deteriorate and sag over time, the low price of the mount and ease of replacing the elastic elements mean they remain a mainstay despite introduction of elastomer-based designs less sensible to degradation over time. The same occurs for end-fire microphones, most often employed for location work, however positioning consistency issues in mobile contexts means elastomer-based alternatives have made more inroads: they offer more displacement (positional flexibility) along the prime axis, but better restrict movement along other axis, and have less tendency to keep oscillating after movements, which provide for better control of the microphone's precise position.

References

* DeSilva, C. W., "Vibration and Shock Handbook", CRC, 2005, * Harris, C. M., and Peirsol, A. G. "Shock and Vibration Handbook", 2001, McGraw Hill,

External links

*Shock and vibration testing of shock mount

{{Authority control Microphones Mechanical vibrations Fasteners