Two-way damper

• US 7,766,044 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Val-Matic Valve & Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Val-Matic Valve & Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Makowan, Ted J., O'Shea, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivell; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCALISTER, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US11/256,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 137/845, 137/859, 137/848, 137/849
• US Class Current: 137/849
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7881 Apertured plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7885 Multiple slit

Abstract

A two-way damper is provided including a retaining member and a baffle. The baffle comprises a flexible member with a first portion secured and held in a fixed position by the retaining member and a second portion normally oriented in a first position, but free to move relative to said first position. The baffle also comprises a third portion, arranged between the first and second portions, being flexible and resilient and allowing the second portion to move to a second position relative to the first position upon the application of a pressure differential across the baffle above a threshold pressure and causing the second portion to return to the first position upon the application of a pressure differential across the baffle below the threshold pressure.

Claims

1. A two-way damper comprising:

two retaining rings, each having a first face, a second face and an open center with a centerpoint;

the open center of each ring being defined by an edge, each edge being curved in a circumferential direction such that each edge is generally circular in shape in a circumferential direction, and each edge being curved in an axial to radial direction from the first face to the second face such that a diameter of the open center is smaller at the first face than a diameter of the open center at the second face;

the two rings being arranged with their second faces facing each other;

a valve member comprising a plurality of flexible and resilient leaves formed in at least one disk of material arranged angularly around the inside of said rings and between said rings, said disk of material having a normal flat state, for each disk of material each leaf having a fixed proximal end secured by being sandwiched between said retaining rings at the second faces and a free distal end located toward said centerpoint of said rings, said leaves of each disk of material being movable relative to each other and arranged such that substantially the entire open centers of said rings are occupied by said leaves, each leaf in each disk of material is angularly positioned between two adjacent neighboring leaves at its proximal end, and each leaf in each disk has a length from its proximal end to its distal end which differs from a length of at least one adjacent neighboring leaf in the same disk from its proximal end to its distal end, and said distal ends of at least some adjacent leaves in the same disk of material as one another have radially inward termination points that are spaced from one another while said disk of material is in said normal flat state.

2. A two-way damper according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of leaves are formed in a single disk of material.

3. A two-way damper according to claim 2, wherein said single disk of material is secured and held stationary at an outer periphery thereof.

4. A two-way damper according to claim 3, wherein said single disk is secured and held stationary along the entire outer periphery thereof.

5. A two-way damper according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of leaves are formed in two overlying disks.

6. A two-way damper according to claim 5, wherein said two disks of material are secured and held stationary at an outer periphery thereof.

7. A two-way damper according to claim 6, wherein said two disks are secured and held stationary along the entire outer periphery thereof.

8. A two-way damper according to claim 1, wherein the at least one disk is made of a plastic material and said damper further including a first sheet of rubber material and a second sheet of rubber material, said at least one plastic disk being sandwiched between and in direct contact with said first and second sheets of rubber material, and said sheets of rubber material being slit along the same lines as said at least one disk.

9. A two-way damper comprising two retaining members and a baffle sandwiched between said two retaining members, said baffle comprising a flexible member with a first portion secured and held in a fixed position between said retaining members and a second portion normally oriented in a first closed position, but free to move relative to said first closed position, a third portion, arranged between said first and second portions being flexible and resilient and allowing said second portion to move to a second position relative to said first closed position upon the application of a pressure differential across said baffle above a threshold pressure and causing said second portion to return to said first closed position upon the application of a pressure differential across said baffle below said threshold pressure,

each of the retaining members having a first face, a second face and an open center with a centerpoint extending between the first face and the second face;

the open center of each retaining member being defined by an edge, each edge being curved in a circumferential direction such that each edge is generally circular in shape in a circumferential direction, and each edge being curved in an axial to radial direction from the first face to the second face such that a diameter of the open center is smaller at the first face than a diameter of the open center at the second face;

the two retaining members being arranged with their second faces facing each other;

said baffle flexible member comprising a plurality of flexible and resilient leaves formed in at least one disk of material secured between said retaining members which extend in a surrounding relationship relative to said baffle, in each disk of material, each leaf having a fixed proximal end comprising the first portion of the baffle secured between the second faces of said retaining members and a free distal end comprising the second portion of the baffle located toward the open centers of said retaining members, said leaves of each disk of material being movable relative to each other and arranged such that substantially the entire open centers of said retaining members are occupied by said leaves,

each leaf in each disk of material being angularly positioned between two adjacent neighboring leaves at its proximal end, and each leaf in each disk having a length from its proximal end to its distal end which differs from a length of at least one adjacent neighboring leaf in the same disk from its proximal end to its distal end, and said distal ends of at least some adjacent leaves in the same disk of material as one another having radially inward termination points that are spaced from one another while said second portion is oriented in said first closed position.

10. A two-way damper according to claim 9, wherein said flexible member is secured and held stationary at an outer periphery thereof.

11. A two-way damper according to claim 10, wherein said flexible member is secured and held stationary along the entire outer periphery thereof.

12. A two-way damper according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of leaves are formed in a single disk of material which is slit along lines to form said leaves.

13. A two-way damper according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of leaves are formed in two overlying disks.

14. A two-way damper according to claim 9, wherein said at least one disk is formed of a plastic material and said damper further including a first sheet of rubber material and a second sheet of rubber material, said at least one plastic disk being sandwiched between and in direct contact with said first and second sheets of rubber material, and said sheets of rubber material being slit along the same lines as said at least one disk.

15. A two-way damper comprising:

a combination of a baffle and two retaining members,

each of the retaining members having a first face, a second face and an open center with a centerpoint,

the open centers of each retaining member being defined by an edge,

each edge being curved in a circumferential direction such that each edge is generally circular in shape in a circumferential direction, and each edge being curved in an axial to radial direction from the first face to the second face such that a diameter of the open center is smaller at the first face than a diameter of the open center at the second face,

said baffle comprising a generally circular flexible member with

a first portion, at a portion of a periphery of said member, secured and held in a fixed position between said retaining members at the second faces of the retaining members,

a second portion spaced from said retaining members normally oriented in a first closed position, but free to move relative to said first closed position, and

a third portion, arranged between said first and second portions, being flexible and resilient and allowing said second portion to move to a second position relative to said first closed position upon the application of a pressure differential across said baffle above a threshold pressure and causing said second portion to return to said first closed position upon the application of a pressure differential across said baffle below said threshold pressure,

said baffle comprising a plurality of flexible and resilient leaves formed in at least one disk of material and secured between said retaining members which extend in a surrounding relationship relative to said baffle,

each leaf having a fixed proximal end comprising the first portion of the baffle secured between said retaining members and a free distal end comprising the second portion of the baffle located toward the open centers of said retaining members,

each leaf in each disk of material being angularly positioned between two adjacent neighboring leaves at its proximal end, and each leaf in each disk having a length from its proximal end to its distal end which differs from a length of at least one adjacent neighboring leaf in the same disk from its proximal end to its distal end,

said leaves being movable relative to each other and arranged such that substantially the entire open centers of said retaining members are occupied by said leaves,

the distal ends of at least some adjacent leaves in a common disk of material having radially inward termination points that are spaced from one another while said second portions are in said first closed position,

said at least one disk of material being made of a plastic material and said damper further including a first sheet of rubber material and a second sheet of rubber material, said at least one plastic disk being sandwiched between and in direct contact with said first and second sheets of rubber material, and said sheets of rubber material being slit along the same lines as said at least one disk of material.

16. A two-way damper according to claim 15, wherein said retaining member comprises a ring and said baffle is secured at its entire periphery to said ring.

17. A two-way damper according to claim 15, wherein said retaining member comprises a ring of rigid material and a mechanical fastening element extending between said ring and said baffle at two or more points around said periphery of said baffle.

18. A two-way damper according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of leaves are formed in a single disk of material which is slit along lines to form said leaves.