Abstract:
A device for dampening the movement of a pivotally supported structural part, for example, a flap or closure within an automobile, comprises a pivot arm attached to the structural part, and a rack operatively connected to the pivot arm. A housing is rotatably supported upon a support surface or member, and a rotor is rotatably disposed within the housing along with a viscous fluid which tends to dampen rotary motion of the rotor. The rotor also comprises a pinion which is enmeshed with the rack, and the housing comprises a pair of guides for confining movement of the rack in a translational or rectilinear mode while maintaining the rack enmeshed with the rotor pinion. Consequently, when the flap or closure is either opened or closed, the flap or closure is moved in a dampened mode due to the movement of the pivot arm and the rack relative to the dampened rotor pinion. As a result of the rotary mounting of the housing, and the provision of the rack guides, the rack undergoes both rotary and translational movements while being maintained enmeshed with the rotor pinion.
Abstract:
A pivoting gear damper for use with a rotary damper includes a toothed gear rack movable between a first position and a second position corresponding to movements in first and second directions. A pivotal bracket is provided for rotation between first and second positions corresponding to movements of the gear rack in the first and second directions. The rotary damper has a toothed driven gear disposed on the pivotal bracket. One-way dampening means is disposed on the pivotal bracket for causing the toothed gear rack to be in meshed engagement with the toothed driven gear to produce a dampening force when the gear rack is moved in the first direction and for causing the toothed gear rack to be disengaged from the toothed driven gear to allow unrestricted motion when the gear rack is moved in the second direction. The one-way dampening means is comprised of a guide pin and a cam member.
Abstract:
A gear damper includes anti-ratcheting means for preventing disengagement between a gear of the damper and a mating gear rack when a sliding or rotating tray is moved or rotated in and out of a stationary housing. The gear damper further includes mounting means so as to permit the gear damper to move floatingly in a direction perpendicular to the gear rack as a toothed wheel gear follows the gear rack. As a result, the distance between the toothed gear of the damper and the gear rack is held substantially constant so as to eliminate ratcheting and gear skipping.
Abstract:
A shear viscous damped hinge uses a negator spring and a high viscosity fluid to provide a relatively slow and controlled deployment of the hinge. Shear damping of the fluid slows the angular velocity of the hinge. The invention reduces the end of travel impact loads thereby reducing the risk of damage to the hinge and the object rotated by the hinge. The hinge is particularly useful in, but not limited to, spacecraft applications.
Abstract:
In a slow-acting rotary shaft device, a shaft, which rotatably supports a second member, includes a hollow shaft body latched to a first member inrotatably, a cap member outwardly inserted on an end portion of the shaft body rotatably and latched to the second member inrotatably, a torsion bar which has one end latched with the shaft body and another end latched with a cap member, and a viscous grease enclosed between the shaft body and cap members. The hollow shaft body is divided into two portions, a body portion of which latches to one of the end portions of the torsion bar. In opposite surfaces of the two portions, a projection formed at one surface and a concave portion formed at another surface are loosely inserted and provided with a relatively rotatable race area. When this device is used, the rotative member is rotated at a slow speed by a jumping up torque of the torsion bar in a rotation area up to a neutral point, while in a rotation area past the neutral point, the rotative member can be stopped at any position.
Abstract:
The damping element for damping translatory motion of a body over a relatively stationary base includes a housing holding a viscous fluid; a friction disk in the viscous fluid in the housing coupled with a shaft extending from the housing; a rotatable drive element having an axis of rotation, connected to the shaft outside the housing, formed so that the drive element can be driven rotatably due to a translatory motion of the body over the base and provided with a cavity coaxial to the axis of rotation; and a coupling device including a free-wheel device in the cavity of the drive element and connecting the friction disk and the rotatable drive element and structured so that rotation of the drive element in one direction results in a torque transferring connection between the friction disk and the drive element, while rotation of the drive element in an opposite direction opposite results in interruption of the torque transferring connection between the friction disk and the drive element.
Abstract:
A mechanism for opening and closing an openable apparatus has a body consisting of a first body portion and a second body portion. The first body portion is rotated about a pivotal axis between the closed position and the fully opened position. An arcuated gear portion having a center falling on the pivotal axis is provided. A one-way damper mechanism is connected to the gear portion directly or via a transmission gear and comprises a rotary gear rotated in cooperation with the opening and closing movements of the first body portion and a rotational speed control device for controlling the rotational speed of the first body portion when the first body portion is closed. In cooperation with the movement of the first body portion between the closed position and the fully opened position, the rotary member is rotatable about the pivotal axis between a first position at which the first body portion is closed and a second position at which the first body portion is fully opened. The gear portion is formed on the rotary member, and the one-way damper mechanism is provided in the first body portion, or the gear portion is formed in the first body portion and the one-way damper mechanism is provided on the gear portion.
Abstract:
According to the invention, there is provided a door hinge comprising a spring that plays the role of both a torsion spring and a compression spring, wherein its resilient force is used for axially pressing a movable cam against a matching fixed cam it comprises and thereby facilitating the opening and closing motion of the door with which it is used by giving said cams such specific configurations that the spring accelerates the opening motion of the door from a given angular position of the door and locks the door at a particular open position and at a closed position. Since a door using such a hinge that comprises a spring whose resilient force constantly biases the door to open can be either opened to any desired angle or closed and sustained there under a locked condition when the rotary shaft of the hinge is firmly connected to the door, it can be used for a flap door or another vertically rotatable door such as a toilet lid to sustain the door to an open position under a locked condition even if the resilient force of the spring is nullified at that position and the door is liable to be pushed back by an obstacle such as a wire located behind the toilet assembly comprising the lid. Therefore, the door is protected against any turning effort and other forces which are unintentionally applied to the door.
Abstract:
A hydraulically damping apparatus for the door of a control part of electric and electronic goods comprises a damper body, a rotating fan having wings mounted on a shaft, a transmitting lever operatively fixed to the shaft of the rotating fan and a door integrally formed with an interlocking plate. The apparatus can shorten the opening time and maintain the safety by automatically controlling the damping oil flow.
Abstract:
A device for opening and closing a lid of a box consisting of a housing and the lid includes a first link having one end linked to the housing at the edge of the opening and the other end linked to the lid and a second link extending parallel to the first link and having one end like the aforesaid one end of the first link linked to the lid and the other end linked to the housing at the edge of the opening. The lid is supported such that it can be opened and closed in two directions about the links.