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US 12,474,081 B2Granted
Damper for HVAC system
AssigneeAir Distribution Technologies IP, LLC
InventorsCody Christopher Thompson, Brian Gerard Bellerive, Jeffrey Scott Beneke, Kent Steven Maune
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A damper assembly includes a frame, a damper blade coupled to the frame and configured to transition between an open position and a closed position, and a latch configured to be secured within the damper assembly via a clip portion of the latch. The latch is configured to deform to facilitate transitioning of the damper blade from the open position to the closed position and then to expand to capture and retain the damper blade in the closed position.
Claims20
A damper assembly, comprising:
- a frame;
- a damper blade coupled to the frame, wherein the damper blade is configured to transition between an open position and a closed position;
- and
- a latch configured to be secured within the damper assembly via a clip portion of the latch, wherein the latch is configured to deform to facilitate transitioning of the damper blade from the open position to the closed position and then to expand to capture and retain the damper blade in the closed position,
- wherein the latch comprises
- a crown portion configured to compress towards the frame as the damper blade transitions from the open position to the closed position, and
- a recess defined by a segment of the crown portion and a segment of the clip portion, the recess configured to capture the damper blade in the closed position, and
- wherein the segment of the crown portion is positioned at an acute angle relative to the segment of the clip portion such that when the damper blade is in the closed position, a threshold force exerted on the damper blade on a surface opposite the crown portion releases the damper blade from the latch.
5 more elements
A damper assembly, comprising:
- a frame;
- a first damper blade and a second damper blade rotatably coupled to the frame, wherein the first damper blade and the second damper blade are configured to rotate relative to one another to transition the damper assembly between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
- and
- a latch coupled to the frame via a clip portion of the latch, wherein the latch is configured to capture and retain one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade in the closed configuration of the damper assembly,
- wherein the latch is configured to capture and retain the one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade in the closed configuration of the damper assembly, the latch comprising a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment, the first segment and the second segment are oriented relative to one another to form a recess configured to capture and retain the one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade in the closed configuration of the of the damper assembly, and the second segment and the third segment are oriented relative to one another to form a crown portion configured to compress to facilitate passage of the one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade into the recess, and
- wherein the second segment forms a first acute angle relative to a vertical axis, the third segment forms a second acute angle relative to the vertical axis, and the first acute angle is greater than the second acute angle, such that when the one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade is in the closed position, a threshold force exerted on the one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade on a surface opposite the crown portion releases the one of the first damper blade or the second damper blade from the latch.
3 more elements
A damper assembly, comprising:
- a frame forming an opening, wherein the frame comprises a protrusion extending radially inward into the opening;
- a damper blade coupled to the frame, wherein the damper blade is configured to transition between an open position and a closed position;
- and
- a latch comprising a clip portion configured to capture the protrusion to couple the latch to the frame, wherein the latch comprises a recess configured to capture and retain the damper blade in the closed position, and the latch is configured to deform to facilitate passage of the damper blade into and out of the recess,
- wherein the latch comprises
- a crown portion configured to compress towards an inner surface of the frame as the damper blade passes into the recess, and
- a vertical segment configured to abut the inner surface of frame portion, the vertical segment extending from the crown portion toward the clip portion, and
- wherein when the crown portion compresses, the vertical segment to translates along the inner surface the frame.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.