Low-frequency vibration isolation via an elastic origami-inspired structure

This paper presents a new elastic origami-inspired structure with quasi-zero-stiffness (QZS) characteristics to provide effective low-frequency vibration isolation performance. The geometric structure of the origami mechanism is first introduced, followed by the establishment of its mechanical model through the integration of elastic joints with compression springs. The derived strong nonlinear stiffness characteristics of the elastic origami mechanism are conducive to exploring a QZS isolator with high performance. Then by using the multiscale method, the dynamic behavior of the origami-inspired isolator is obtained, and the parameter influencing investigations validate that the proposed vibration isolation system has strong design flexibility and superior vibration suppression capability. An experimental prototype was fabricated and a series of vibration testing experiments under different working conditions were carried out. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the established theoretical model. Furthermore, the comparison with typical nonlinear passive isolators verified the advantages of the developed origami-inspired vibration isolation system. This work has the potential to advance the practical applications of origami-based mechanisms and also provides a new technical candidate for high-performance vibration isolation systems.