Rotary damper assembly
View Patent ↗An apparatus for regulating flow of fluid received from a fluid source has an inner cylinder with inlet and outlet apertures, and an outer cylinder that also has inlet and outlet apertures. The inner cylinder is nested within the outer cylinder and rotatable with respect to the outer cylinder to control an amount of registration of the outlet apertures of the inner and outer cylinders to regulate flow of fluid through the apparatus. A motor is coupled to the inner cylinder by an axially symmetrical motor output shaft and mating recess of the inner cylinder, with crush ribs to eliminate axial play. The motor mounting arrangement is configured to mount the motor to the outer cylinder such that the motor floats within the motor mounting arrangement.
1. Apparatus for regulating flow of fluid received from a fluid source, comprising:
an inner cylinder with an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture;
an outer cylinder with an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, the inner cylinder nested within the outer cylinder and rotatable with respect to the outer cylinder to control an amount of registration of the outlet apertures of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to thereby regulate flow of fluid through the apparatus;
a motor coupled to the inner cylinder and actuable to rotate the inner cylinder with respect to the outer cylinder; and
a motor mounting arrangement configured to mount the motor to the outer cylinder in such a manner that the motor and inner cylinder float a small amount both radially and axially within the motor mounting arrangement in relation to the outer cylinder.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor mounting arrangement includes mounting elements mounted on the outer cylinder, and a flange on the motor, the flange having motor mounting holes with a first diameter.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mounting elements are snap-fit connections.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting elements are mounting bosses.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the mounting bosses include bores, and the motor mounting arrangement includes fasteners extending through the motor mounting holes of the flange into the bores of the mounting bosses to secure the motor to the outer cylinder.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fasteners have fastener heads at one axial end of the fasteners, the fasteners protruding from the bores with a clearance between the fastener head and the flange such that the motor housing is coupled to the outer cylinder with axial play.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the fasteners have a second diameter that is less than the first diameter, such that the motor housing is coupled to the outer cylinder with radial play.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the mounting bosses have an axially extending portion and a laterally extending shoulder, an interior of the axially extending portion forming part of the bore, the axially extending portion having an outer diameter that is less than the first diameter of the motor mounting holes and greater than the second diameter of the fasteners, wherein the flange is mounted with the axially extending portions of the mounting bosses within the motor mounting holes of the flange.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the axially extending portion has a height above the shoulder that is greater than a thickness of the flange, such that the clearance is created between the fastener head and the flange when the fastener is fully inserted into the bore.
10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the bores have a first length, and the fasteners have an axial portion with a second length, wherein the second length is greater than the first length and a thickness of the flange combined, such that the fasteners extend out of the bore by an amount sufficient to form the clearance between the fastener heads and the flange.
11. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the fasteners are push-in mounting screws, and wherein said screws are pushed into the bore such that the push-in mounting screws extend out of the bore by an amount sufficient to form the clearance between the fastener heads and the flange.
12. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the inner cylinder includes a recess and the motor includes a motor output shaft that is received in the recess to couple the motor to the inner cylinder and rotate the inner cylinder.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the motor output shaft and the recess have corresponding cross-sections, each cross-section being balanced about a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly and centrally through the cross- section.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the cross-section of the motor output shaft has at least one pair of parallel opposing sides disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the recess or the motor output shaft has elements that are deformable upon insertion of the motor output shaft into the recess.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the elements are crush ribs that extend along interior walls of the recess.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the elements are spring pins that extend from one end of the motor output shaft.
18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the recess or the motor output shaft has elements that are deformable upon insertion of the motor output shaft into the recess.
19. A rotary damper assembly comprising:
an inner cylinder with an inlet aperture at one axial end, a sidewall with an outlet aperture in the sidewall, and a motor coupling element at another axial end;
an outer cylinder with an inlet aperture at one axial end, and a sidewall with an outlet aperture on the sidewall, wherein the inner sidewall is nested and rotatable within the outer cylinder to control an amount of registration of the outlet apertures at the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to thereby regulate flow of fluid through the apparatus;
a motor engaged in a driving manner with the motor coupling element; and
a motor mounting arrangement that includes:
mounting bosses on the outer cylinder, each mounting boss having a bore configured to receive a fastener;
a motor housing on the motor, the motor housing having a flange with motor mounting holes with a first diameter, the motor housing being mounted on the mounting bosses; a fastener extending through the motor mounting holes and into each bore, the fasteners having a second diameter and a fastener head;
wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter such that the motor housing is coupled to the outer cylinder with radial play whereby the motor can float in a radial direction with the inner cylinder, in relation to the outer cylinder; and
wherein the fasteners protrude from the bores with a clearance between the fastener head and the flange such that the motor housing is coupled to the outer cylinder with axial play whereby the motor can float in an axial direction with the inner cylinder, in relation to the outer cylinder.
20. Apparatus for regulating flow of fluid received from a fluid source, comprising:
an inner cylinder with an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture;
an outer cylinder with an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, the inner cylinder nested within the outer cylinder and rotatable with respect to the outer cylinder to control an amount of registration of the outlet apertures of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to thereby regulate flow of fluid through the apparatus;
a motor coupled to the inner cylinder and actuable to rotate the inner cylinder with respect to the outer cylinder, wherein the inner cylinder includes a recess and the motor includes a motor output shaft that is received in the recess to couple the motor to the inner cylinder and rotate the inner cylinder, the motor output shaft and the recess having corresponding cross-sections, each cross-section being balanced about a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly and centrally through the cross-section; and
a motor mounting arrangement configured to mount the motor to the outer cylinder such that the motor and inner cylinder can float radially and axially within the outer cylinder.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the cross-section of the motor output shaft has at least one pair of parallel opposing sides disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.