Fluid flow control damper assembly

• US 6,817,378 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abco Consulting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Abco Consulting, Inc.
• Inventors: Zelczer, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US10/116,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20020179159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 137/601.08, 137/601.09 I, 137/601.11, 137/601.13, 922/23, 922/48, 251/58, 251/62, 251/305, 251/306, 454/325, 454/326, 454/330
• US Class Current: 137/601.09
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/1428 Cylinders F15B15/1438 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/1447 Pistons; Piston to piston rod assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/221 specially adapted operating means therefor operating means per se F16K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/122 the fluid acting on a piston F16K31/143, F16K31/163, F16K31/363, F16K31/383 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87475 Adjacent plate valves always parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87499 Fluid actuated or retarded

Abstract

A fluid flow control damper assembly having a damper vane and a piston actuator is relatively easy to install when the outer surface of a duct is inaccessible. The piston actuator includes a powder metal piston, lacking an elastomeric (for example, rubber) seal, that is closely received within a glass cylinder. The glass cylinder has a fitting that closes one end of the cylinder and is connectable to a pneumatic control system. A drive rod is connected between the piston and the damper vane to move the damper vane between an open position and a closed position.

Claims

1. A damper assembly comprising;

a housing mountable at a terminal end of a duct, the housing having a passage therethrough from an inlet end to an outlet end, a pair of vanes mounted in the housing that are movable between an open position and a closed position, and an actuator assembly mounted in the housing and connected to the vanes to move the vanes between the open and closed positions, the actuator assembly including an actuator and a linkage connected to the vanes such that movement of the actuator causes movement of both vanes, and the housing having a diffuser mounted to the outlet end and the inlet end is adapted to engage the terminal end of the duct.

2. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein in the closed position each vane closes half the width of the passage.

3. A damper assembly as set forth In claim 2, wherein the vanes are pivotally mounted to the housing about pivot lines extending near the center of the housing.

4. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein in the open position, the vanes are substantially contained within the housing.

5. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes an actuator having a piston movable within a cylinder and the linkage interconnects the vanes and the piston such that movement of the piston in the cylinder causes movement of the vanes.

6. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the actuator includes a piston-cylinder actuator connected to the linkage;

the piston-cylinder actuator including the piston and the cylinder that have cooperating nonelastomeric sliding sealing surfaces which provide essentially friction-free axial movement of the piston relative to the cylinder.

7. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the cooperating sealing surfaces include a substantially continuous inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, and a substantially continuous outer circumferential surface of the piston.

8. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the piston is formed of a material selected from the group including metal, powdered metal, resin, glass, and polymer.

9. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein the sealing surface of the piston has a friction-reducing coating.

10. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the cylinder is formed of a material selected from the group including metal, powdered metal, resin, glass, and polymer.

11. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein the sealing surface of the cylinder has a friction-reducing coating.

12. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the piston-cylinder actuator is a pneumatic piston-cylinder actuators.

13. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein the piston-cylinder actuator includes a fitting at one end of the cylinder to connect the actuator to a pneumatic control system.

14. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a bracket that supports the piston-cylinder actuator.

15. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein the piston-cylinder actuator includes a fitting at one end of the cylinder that has a threaded portion for mounting the actuator relative to the bracket.

16. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the damper vanes lie in substantially parallel planes when both damper vanes are in the open position.

17. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein each vane has a gasket about a peripheral portion thereof.

18. A damper assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the vanes rotate in the same direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, as they move between the open and closed positions.