Damper with adjustable resistance to blade motion
AssigneeResearch Products Corporation
InventorsPeter J. Davis, Thomas J. Anoszko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A damper regulator for controlling the opening/closing characteristics of an HVAC damper has a swing arm coupled to the shaft on which the damper pivots. The swing arm has an arm carriage mounted to translate on the swing arm as the swing arm pivots, and a biasing spring connects the arm carriage to the damper regulator's housing, or to another suitable anchor. The translation of the arm carriage effectively adapts the characteristics of the biasing spring so that the damper need not be subjected to ever-increasing pressure to achieve greater airflow, or so that other damper opening characteristics can be achieved.
Claims20
A damper regulator including:
- a. a swing arm having a length extending from a pivot about which the swing arm rotates,
- b. an airflow passage shell adjacent the swing arm, the airflow passage shell surrounding an airflow path,
- c. a rotatable shaft extending from the pivot into the airflow passage shell,
- d. a damper affixed to the shaft within the airflow passage shell, the damper having opposing damper sides extending toward opposing sides of the airflow passage shell, wherein the opposing damper sides travel in opposite directions within the airflow path when the shaft rotates,
- e. an arm carriage which translates along the length of the swing arm when the swing arm rotates about the pivot, and
- f. a biasing spring in connection with the arm carriage, wherein the biasing spring exerts a biasing force on the arm carriage when the swing arm rotates about the pivot.
A damper regulator including:
- a. a regulator housing,
- b. a swing arm having a length rotatable with respect to the regulator housing,
- c. an arm carriage affixed to move along the length of the swing arm,
- d. a biasing spring exerting a biasing force on the arm carriage when the swing arm rotates with respect to the regulator housing, and
- e. an adjustment assembly movably engaged to the regulator housing, wherein moving the adjustment assembly adjusts the biasing force exerted on the arm carriage by the biasing spring,
- d. an airflow passage shell adjacent the regulator housing, the airflow passage shell defining a conduit surrounding an airflow path,
- c. a rotatable shaft extending from the pivot into the airflow passage shell, wherein the length of the swing arm rotates with the shaft,
- d. a damper within the airflow passage shell, the damper having opposing damper sides extending from the shaft toward opposing sides of the airflow passage shell, wherein the opposing damper sides travel in opposite directions within the airflow path when the shaft rotates.
A damper regulator including:
- a. a regulator housing,
- b. a rotatable shaft extending from the regulator housing,
- c. a swing arm which rotates on the shaft relative to the regulator housing, the swing arm having a length extending away from the shaft,
- d. a biasing spring in connection with the swing arm and the regulator housing, wherein the biasing spring travels along the length of the swing arm when the swing arm rotates relative to the regulator housing,
- e. an airflow passage shell adjacent the regulator housing, the airflow passage shell defining a conduit surrounding an airflow path,
- f. a damper within the airflow passage shell, the damper:
- (1) having opposing damper sides extending toward opposing sides of the airflow passage shell, and
- (2) being configured to move, when the shaft rotates, between:
- i. a closed position wherein the opposing damper sides are closely adjacent the opposing sides of the airflow passage shell, whereby the damper at least substantially obstructs the airflow path, and
- ii. an open position wherein the opposing damper sides are further spaced from the opposing sides of the airflow passage shell than when in the closed position, whereby the damper provides lesser obstruction of the airflow path than when in the closed position, with the opposing damper sides travelling in opposite directions within the airflow path when the shaft rotates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.