Bi-directional air flow damper having uni-directional synchronous motor
AssigneeRobertshaw Controls Company
InventorsJames Pearson, Robert Van der Linde, Thomas Davern
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A damper assembly that produces bi-directional damper door movement from a single-direction motor is provided. Bi-directional rotation of the damper door is enabled by a cam slot on an end of the damper door that is engaged by a motor-driven drive cam having a drive pin extending into the cam slot. As the single-direction motor collectively rotates the drive cam and the drive pin, the drive pin reciprocates within the cam slot. This causes sealing flanges and the damper from the damper door to alternatively engage under a positive pressure and disengage from one another as the damper door is rotated bi-directionally.
Claims20
A damper assembly for use in refrigeration systems, the damper assembly comprising:
- a housing having sealing flanges;
- a rotatable damper door insertable in the housing, the rotatable damper door having:
- a damper sealably engagable with the sealing flanges;
- and
- a cam slot on an end of the rotatable damper door;
- and
- a single-direction motor having a drive cam with a drive pin, the drive pin engagable with the cam slot;
- wherein the single-direction motor collectively rotates the drive cam and the drive pin and the drive pin reciprocates within the cam slot such that the sealing flanges and the damper alternatively engage under a positive pressure and disengage from one another.
A damper assembly for use in refrigeration systems, the damper assembly comprising:
- a housing having sealing flanges;
- a rotatable damper door insertable in the housing, the rotatable damper door having:
- a damper sealably engagable with the sealing flanges;
- and
- a cam slot on an end of the rotatable damper door;
- and
- a single-direction motor having a drive cam with a drive pin, the drive pin engagable with the cam slot;
- wherein the single-direction motor rotates the drive cam, causing the drive pin on the drive cam to rectilinearly slide within the cam slot, such that the damper on the damper door alternatively engages with the sealing flanges and disengages from the sealing flanges.
A method of sealing a damper assembly in an appliance, the damper assembly including sealing flanges, a damper, and a single-direction motor, the method comprising:
- permitting the single-direction motor to rotate;
- translating rotation of the single-direction motor to rectilinear motion;
- and
- using the rectilinear motion to engage the sealing flanges and the damper under a positive pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.