Simple concepts to damp vibration

Through research into existing products, I have found that for a vibration damping member to be successful, wherein the transmissibility of vibration is reduced between two points, two factors are critical:

• Surface contact area
• Contact pressure

Existing products that claim to suppress vibrations, such as the Specialized Roubaix, feature viscoelastic vibration dampers that sit within carbon fibre moldings in the seat stay or fork of a bicycle. These are places at which vibrations are transmitted to the rider and including the damping members inside of a carbon molding in this way, generates surface contact area and pressure.

The following concept addresses these desirable properties to damp vibrations but at a much lower cost and with greater simplicity. Moving damping members to the outside of a seat post for example allows for interchanging of densities, to allow riders to customize the rate of damping to suit conditions or weight. 

Another element that this concept deals with is the perception of vibration, with dampers being spaced at progressively closer distances that suggest vibrations are being reduced.