US 4,069,545 A · Door control device with closure regulator

Abstract

A device for controlling the opening and closing movement of a duct seal door of an automatic ice maker which requires a regulator for slowing down the closing of the door. The movement of the door about its rotational axis is transmitted via connecting linkages to the closure regulator which comprises a rotor positioned within a stator housing. The rotor's movement is coupled to the connecting linkages via a one-way clutch which decouples the rotor when the door is being opened, and causes positive coupling therebetween when the door is being closed. Disposed within the stator housing in a fixed-volume compartment is a viscous fluid, such as silicone gum. The rotor and stator include opposed rippled surfaces between which the viscous fluid is coactively disposed. The fluid acts as an impedance to the motion of the rotor, which motion occurs only upon the closing of the door, to thereby provide a controlled slow closure thereof.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Apparatus for controlling opening and closing movement of an ice dispenser duct seal door, said apparatus comprising:

means responsive to manual actuation for opening the door;
means for biasing the door toward its closed position;
a rotatable shaft operatively linked to the door;
a device for substantially slowing and impeding rotational motion;
a one-way clutch interposed between said slowing and impeding device and said shaft, said clutch decoupling said device from said shaft to permit substantially unimpeded rotation of the shaft in a door opening sense and said clutch coupling said device to said shaft to impede rotation of said shaft in a door-closing sense;
and
said slowing and impeding device including a rotor coupled to said one-way clutch, said rotor having a rotor non-planar surface, and a viscous fluid positioned adjacent said rotor non-planar surface for impeding the rotation of said rotor.

4 more elements

Apparatus for controlling the opening and closing movement of an ice dispenser duct seal door, which comprises:

a door actuator assembly connected to and rotatable with the door;
means connected to said door actuator assembly for urging the door to rotate to its closed position;
a closure regulator for retarding the operation of said means for urging the door closed;
means for connecting said closure regulator to said means for urging the door closed;
and
an actuating link responsive to manual actuation for rotating said connecting means and for urging said door to rotate to its open position;
wherein
said closure regulator comprises means for permitting substantially unimpeded rotation of said connecting means in a first sense and means for substantially slowing and impeding the rotation thereof in a second sense opposite to said first sense, and wherein
said slowing and impeding means includes a rotor coupled to said connecting means for rotation therewith in said second sense, said rotor including a rotor non-planar surface, and viscous fluid means positioned adjacent said rotor non-planar surface for impeding the rotation thereof.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Door control device with closure regulator

Life of this patent

Door control device with closure regulator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13