US3793932A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air damper
Assignee: AIR BALANCE
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Filing: 1972-03-30
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Granted: 1974-02-26
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Expires: 1992-03-30
Abstract
Abstract An air damper is formed with first and second sets of extruded aluminum blades pivotally mounted in a frame formed of extruded aluminum frame members with longitudinally extending channel means of different widths along the longitudinal edges of the respective blades. The different width channel means nest in a sealing relationship with one another and seal with the frame when the blades pivot to a closed position from an open position. The method of manufacture of the air damper includes the steps of severing predetermined lengths of blades and frame members from long aluminum extrusions preshaped for the blades and frame members, partially erecting a frame from frame members, alternating and pivotally mounting the first and second blades in the partial frame, completing the frame, and interconnecting the first and second blades with a linkage means to close the narrower width channel means first with the frame and then to follow and close thereon the wider width channel means to provide the nested sealing relationship between the blades of the first and second sets.
Inventors
- 👤 S Tarnoff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:38
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24F; F24F13/00; F24F13/08; F24F13/10; F24F13/14; F24F13/15
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
394 words
An air damper comprising a frame formed of metal frame members, said frame having a top and bottom frame member extending parallel to one another and a pair of parallel side frame members extending between and joined to said top and bottom frame members and defining therewith a central air flow opening, a shelf on each of said frame members projecting inwardly from said frame members and extending longitudinally thereof, a first set of metal damper blades each supported at opposite ends on said side frame members and extending longitudinally across the air flow opening and mounted for turning about a pivot axis through a central portion thereof, a second set of metal blAdes cooperable with said first set of blades with each of said second set of blades extending longitudinally across the air flow opening and mounted for turning about a pivot axis through a central portion thereof, each of said blades of said first and second sets of blades having side edge portions for overlapping said shelves on said side frame members when the damper blades are in a closed position blocking air flow through said opening, said damper blades mounted in said frame for sealing cooperation with respective shelves of said top and bottom frame members, means interconnecting said blades of said first and second sets to turn the same in opposite directions between the closed position and open positions in which said blades of said sets are spaced from each other to allow air flow through said damper, each of said first set of blades having longitudinally extending channel means of a predetermined width along each of its longitudinally extending edges, and each of second set of blades having longitudinally extending channel means of a width wider than the width of said channel means of said first set of damper blades, said blades being positioned in said frame to overlap the channel means of respectively adjacent blades of said first and second sets to provide a sealing relationship therebetween when said blades are in the closed position, and interconnecting means pivoting said blades with narrow channel means to a closed position with said frame and then pivoting said wider channel means to close on said narrow channel means to provide a nested sealing relationship between the longitudinal edges of adjacent blades of said first and second sets of damper blades.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
394 words
An air damper comprising a frame formed of metal frame members, said frame having a top and bottom frame member extending parallel to one another and a pair of parallel side frame members extending between and joined to said top and bottom frame members and defining therewith a central air flow opening, a shelf on each of said frame members projecting inwardly from said frame members and extending longitudinally thereof, a first set of metal damper blades each supported at opposite ends on said side frame members and extending longitudinally across the air flow opening and mounted for turning about a pivot axis through a central portion thereof, a second set of metal blAdes cooperable with said first set of blades with each of said second set of blades extending longitudinally across the air flow opening and mounted for turning about a pivot axis through a central portion thereof, each of said blades of said first and second sets of blades having side edge portions for overlapping said shelves on said side frame members when the damper blades are in a closed position blocking air flow through said opening, said damper blades mounted in said frame for sealing cooperation with respective shelves of said top and bottom frame members, means interconnecting said blades of said first and second sets to turn the same in opposite directions between the closed position and open positions in which said blades of said sets are spaced from each other to allow air flow through said damper, each of said first set of blades having longitudinally extending channel means of a predetermined width along each of its longitudinally extending edges, and each of second set of blades having longitudinally extending channel means of a width wider than the width of said channel means of said first set of damper blades, said blades being positioned in said frame to overlap the channel means of respectively adjacent blades of said first and second sets to provide a sealing relationship therebetween when said blades are in the closed position, and interconnecting means pivoting said blades with narrow channel means to a closed position with said frame and then pivoting said wider channel means to close on said narrow channel means to provide a nested sealing relationship between the longitudinal edges of adjacent blades of said first and second sets of damper blades.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
88 words
An air damper in accordance with claim 1 in which said narrow and wide channels means comprise a groove and a projecting wall defining the bottom of said groove and in which resilient seals are carried in the respective narrow and wide grooves, said wider channel means having wide seals and said narrower channels having narrower seals, said projecting walls of said narrow channel means nesting in said wide grooves and abutting said wide seals when said blades of said first and second sets are in sealing engagement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
An air damper in accordance with claim 2 in which said wide and narrow seals are flat rectangular strips and are adhesively secured in their respective channel means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
An air damper in accordance with claim 3 in which each of said narrow channel means has a groove of a predetermined depth therein, and said narrow seals have a thickness greater than said groove depth to project therefrom for compression against said shelf on said top frame member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
An air damper in accordance with claim 1 in which pivot means includes slotted pivot pins pivotally mounting said blades on said side frames, a pair of oppositely directed and longitudinally extending rib means are formed on each of said blades for strengthening said blades against bowing, said rib means centering said slotted pins on said damper blades and reinforcing the same against tearing by said slotted pins.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
An air damper in accordance with claim 1 in which each of said blades except the uppermost blade is symmetrical about its pivot axis, said uppermost blade having an upper portion thereof of a width different than the width of a lower portion thereof, said upper portion of said uppermost blade extending to said upper shelf when the blades are in the closed position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
An air damper in accordance with claim 1 in which said side, top and bottom frame members have identical cross sections and in which bracket means are provided at the spaced corners of said frame to interconnect said side frame members with said top and bottom frame members and in which outer portions of said fasteners are accommodated with grooves in the exterior walls of said frame members to fasten said bracket means to said frame members.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
162 words
An extruded aluminum damper blade for use in an air damper comprising a central section at a centraL axis about which the blade will be pivoted, oppositely directed rib means projecting outwardly from said blades and spaced from said axis to reinforce the central section of the blade against bending, said central section and said rib means defining a cross-section of substantially I beam shape, longitudinally extending channel means formed on each of the longitudinally extending edges of said blade, said channel means being identical in size and shape, said blade having a first wide planar portion extending from one side of said section in a plane parallel to and spaced from the central pivot axis, and a second wide planar portion extending from the other side of said central section and in a plane parallel to and spaced from the plane of said first wide planar portion, said channel means being joined to the outer edges of said wide planar portions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
162 words
An extruded aluminum damper blade for use in an air damper comprising a central section at a centraL axis about which the blade will be pivoted, oppositely directed rib means projecting outwardly from said blades and spaced from said axis to reinforce the central section of the blade against bending, said central section and said rib means defining a cross-section of substantially I beam shape, longitudinally extending channel means formed on each of the longitudinally extending edges of said blade, said channel means being identical in size and shape, said blade having a first wide planar portion extending from one side of said section in a plane parallel to and spaced from the central pivot axis, and a second wide planar portion extending from the other side of said central section and in a plane parallel to and spaced from the plane of said first wide planar portion, said channel means being joined to the outer edges of said wide planar portions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
An air damper blade in accordance with claim 8 in which each of said channel means is substantially rectangular in cross section and comprises a pair of spaced, parallel longitudinally extending side walls defining the sides of the channel means, and a flat bottom wall substantially normal to and spanning said side walls and defining the bottom of said channel means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
348 words
An air damper comprising a metal frame and metal damper blades, said frame having parallel top and bottom frame members, parallel side frame members spacing said top and bottom members and extending therebetween and defining therewith a central air flow opening, said frame members each having a longitudinally extending shelf projecting inwardly therefrom, said damper blades including first and second sets of blades pivotally mounted in said air damper, each of said damper blades having a length longer than the distance between inner edges of said shelves on said side members, pivot means for said blades mounted in openings in said side member shelves, an offset portion at each end of said blade projecting through shelf openings, each of said blades having marginal side edges thereof in sealing engagement with opposite sides of said shelves of said side members, said first set of blades having longitudinally extending channel means therein of a predetermined width, a resilient seal carried in each of said channel means, said second set of damper blades alternating with damper blades of said first set of damper blades and pivotally mounted to said side frame members for turning in a direction opposite to direction of turning of said first set of blades, said second blades having longitudinally extending channel means of a width wider than said predetermined width for receiving in nesting relationship the channel means of the first set of blades when the blades are in a closed position blocking air flow through the opening, said narrow channel means having a projecting portion formed along one side thereof, resilient seals carried by said wide channel means for sealing engagement with a projecting portion of the narrow channel means of the first set of blades, and means interconnecting said first and second set of blades to pivot said narrow seals against said shelves on said side members and subsequently to pivot said wide seals against said projecting portions of said narrow channel means to nest said narrow and wide channel means when said blades of said first and second sets are in the closed position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
348 words
An air damper comprising a metal frame and metal damper blades, said frame having parallel top and bottom frame members, parallel side frame members spacing said top and bottom members and extending therebetween and defining therewith a central air flow opening, said frame members each having a longitudinally extending shelf projecting inwardly therefrom, said damper blades including first and second sets of blades pivotally mounted in said air damper, each of said damper blades having a length longer than the distance between inner edges of said shelves on said side members, pivot means for said blades mounted in openings in said side member shelves, an offset portion at each end of said blade projecting through shelf openings, each of said blades having marginal side edges thereof in sealing engagement with opposite sides of said shelves of said side members, said first set of blades having longitudinally extending channel means therein of a predetermined width, a resilient seal carried in each of said channel means, said second set of damper blades alternating with damper blades of said first set of damper blades and pivotally mounted to said side frame members for turning in a direction opposite to direction of turning of said first set of blades, said second blades having longitudinally extending channel means of a width wider than said predetermined width for receiving in nesting relationship the channel means of the first set of blades when the blades are in a closed position blocking air flow through the opening, said narrow channel means having a projecting portion formed along one side thereof, resilient seals carried by said wide channel means for sealing engagement with a projecting portion of the narrow channel means of the first set of blades, and means interconnecting said first and second set of blades to pivot said narrow seals against said shelves on said side members and subsequently to pivot said wide seals against said projecting portions of said narrow channel means to nest said narrow and wide channel means when said blades of said first and second sets are in the closed position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-25 | 1977-08-27 | 1978-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-25 | 1981-08-27 | 1982-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-25 | 1985-08-27 | 1986-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |