Damping apparatus
AssigneeStabilus GmbH
InventorsJames T. Kull, Patrick A. Hartman, Rodney Armstrong, Edward William Twist
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A damping apparatus (10) can be self-centering and include one or more precompressed and preloaded mechanical springs (16). A solar tracking apparatus (100) can include a solar panel (102) mounted on a rotating shaft (104), and a self-centering damping apparatus (50) operatively connected to the rotating shaft (104) to compensate for torque created when the solar panel (102) is rotated at an angle to horizontal. A steering assembly for a zero-turn riding lawn mower can include a pair of steering levers and a self-centering damping apparatus (50) operatively connected to the steering levers.
Claims5
A solar tracking apparatus comprising:
- a solar panel adapted to absorb solar energy for generating electricity or heat;
- a rotating shaft operatively connected to the solar panel to rotate the solar panel toward a solar energy source;
- and
- a self-centering damping apparatus operatively connected to the rotating shaft, wherein the self-centering damping apparatus compensates for torque induced in the rotating shaft when the rotating shaft rotates the solar panel at an angle to horizontal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.