Damper assembly
AssigneeGoodman Manufacturing Company, L.P.
InventorArthur M. Deck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A damper assembly constructed of plastic for controlling airflow through a duct, wherein the blades are mounted for rotation between open and closed positions. The damper assembly includes a frame which is integrally formed with a louvered register and has a pair of spaced frame members with blade mounting portions defined therein in aligned cooperating pairs. The blade mounting portions are constructed to form a snap-in mounting for each of a series of generally rectangular blades having an axis of rotation, defined by journals at the ends of each blade, extending longitudinally and substantially centrally of the blade. The blades are operatively interconnected by intermeshing gears to be simultaneously rotated between the open and closed positions.
Claims9
A damper assembly adapted to be installed in a wall or ceiling at the opening of an air duct to control air flow therethrough, which comprises:
- a series of generally rectangular blades each having an axis of rotation extending longitudinally substantially centrally of the blade with a journal portion at each end;
- means operatively interconnecting said blades for simultaneous rotation on said axes from an open position to a closed position;
- and
- a pair of spaced frame members having blade mounts defined therein in aligned cooperating pairs, each pair of blade mounts receiving the journal portions on one of said blades to mount the same for rotation;
- each of said blade mounts having an entry channel defined by opposed surfaces leading to a bearing aperture, said channel narrowing from a width greater than the diameter of said bearing aperture to a width less than the diameter of said bearing aperture at the point of intersection of said channel and said aperture, and at least one relief opening formed adjacent said bearing aperture to permit said opposed surfaces to spread apart as said journal portion is advanced through the channel and snapped into said bearing apertures.
A damper assembly adapted to be installed in a wall or ceiling at the opening of an air duct to control air flow therethrough, which comprises:
- a generally rectangular frame including parallel spaced apart side members and oppositely disposed end cross members, said side members and said cross members being plates disposed upright and integrally molded at the ends;
- a series of blade mounts defined in said side members in aligned cooperating pairs,
- each of said blade mounts being a snap-in mounting having a bearing aperture, an entry channel inwardly tapering from the edge of the side member to said bearing aperture, and a relief opening adjacent the bearing aperture on the side thereof opposite the entry channel;
- a plurality of damper blades supported at opposite ends in the blade mounts of the frame for limited rotational movement about axes extending longitudinally and substantially centrally of the blades defined by aligned pairs of journals affixed at the ends of the blades which are adapted to be received in the bearing aperture of a corresponding blade mount;
- a series of intermeshing gears, each gear affixed to an end of one of said damper blades and rotatable in a plane inside of and alongside the corresponding side frame member;
- and
- a thumbwheel associated with one of said gears and protruding outwardly beyond said frame whereby said thumbwheel may impart rotational motion to said series of intermeshing gears.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.