US 4,055,954 AGranted

Damper actuator for a ventilation system

AssigneeElsters, Inc.

InventorsRonald Aaron Marks, George Levenback, Albert Sweet

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Abstract

A damper actuator for use in a ventilation system typically used in an air conditioning system to activate the damper or damper assembly in response to an electrical signal. More particularly, a heat motor rotatably coupled at one end to a lever or lever assembly and rotatably coupled at its other end to a stationary frame. A spring may also be coupled to the lever or lever assembly and to the frame when necessary to provide a force to return the lever or lever assembly to its initial position or configuration. By means of a rotatable coupling at each end of the heat motor, stresses transverse to the longitudinal axis of the heat motor, are substantially eliminated and the operational life of the heat motor is significantly increased.

Claims10

Dependent claims

In a ventilation system, an actuator to control the flow of fluid in said ventilation system comprising:

a frame assembly;
an engine means having a first and second end, and having a piston and a body member, said piston being movable within said body member and having a seal between said body member and piston, said first end being rotatably coupled to said frame assembly, said second end being movable with respect to said frame assembly, said engine means for applying a force by displacing said second end with respect to said first end in response to a signal activating said engine means;
and
a lever means being rotatably coupled to said frame assembly, said second end of said engine means being rotatably coupled to said lever means, for delivering said force from said engine means to control flow of fluid within said ventilation system, said rotatable couplings of said first and second ends of said engine means substantially reducing stresses on said seal in a direction perpendicular to an axis extending through said first and second ends of said engine means.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.