Door control device

Claim 2

A door control device comprising: a housing having a cylindrical shaped interior; a rotor mounted in the housing the outside diameter of which approximates the inside diameter of the housing, the rotor having a hollow interior and at least one longitudinal recess extending inward from the outside surface; a viscous fluid between the rotor and the housing; a torsion spring located inside the rotor; means for adjustably fastening a first end of the spring to the housing; means for fastening the second end of the spring to a rotatable drive shaft; means for linking the drive shaft to a door; and means for engaging the rotor to the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in one direction and for disengaging when the shaft counterrotates.

Claim 3

A door control device as in claim 1, wherein the viscous liquid is a silicone fluid having a viscosity of about 50,000 to 100,000 centistokes.

Claim 4

A door control device as in claim 1, wherein the means for adjustably fastening the first end of the spring to the housing comprises: a tang extending transversely at the end of the spring; a bolt extending through a hole in the end of the housing said bolt comprising: a transverse slot on the inner end to engage the tang of the spring, at least one laterally extending pin, and means for engaging the bolt to impart longitudinal and rotational movement to the bolt; a series of slots inside the housing to accept the pin from the bolt to vary the rotary loading of the spring.

Claim 5

A door control device as in claim 3, wherein the slots in the housing have alternating vertical and tapered sides to allow adjustment of the spring by exerting a rotating force in one direction.

Claim 6

A door control device comprising: a housing having a cylindrical shaped interior; a rotor mounted in the housing the outside diameter of which approximates the inside diameter of the housing, the rotor having a hollow interior and at least one longitudinal recess extending inward from the outside surface; a viscous fluid betweeen the rotor and the housing; a torsion spring located inside the rotor; means for adjustably fastening a first end of the spring to the housing; means for fastening the second end of the spring to a rotatable drive shaft; a lever arm fastened to and pivoted by the drive shaft, and further the door control device includes an adjustable cam mounted to the housing to limit the travel of the lever arm; and means for engaging the rotor to the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in one direction and for disengaging when the shaft counterrotates.

Claim 7

A door control device comprising: a housing having a cylindrical shaped interior; a rotor mounted in the housing the outside diameter of which approximates the inside diameter of the housing, the rotor having a hollow interior and at least one longitudinal recess extending inward from the outside surface; a viscous fluid betweeen the rotor and the housing; a torsion spring located inside the rotor; means for adjustably fastening a first end of the spring to the housing; means for fastening the second end of the spring to a rotatable drive shaft; a lever arm fastened to and pivoted by the drive shaft, and further the door control device includes an adjustable cam mounted to the housing to limit the travel of the lever arm; and means for engaging the rotor to the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in one direction and for disengaging when the shaft counterrotates.

Claim 8

A door opening device for a stowage compartment in an airplane comprising: a housing having an essentially cylindrical inside diameter, means for mounting the housing to airplane structure, a torsion spring extending longitudinally inside the housing, means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing, means for fastening a second end of the spring to a drive shaft, means for linking the drive shaft to a stowage compartment door to open an unlatched door due to spring pressure and to reset the spring due to closing the door, a hollow cylindrical shaped rotor inside the housing encircling the tension spring and having an outside diameter approximating the inside diameter of the housing and also having at least one longitudinal recess extending from the outside diameter, means for engaging the rotor to the drive shaft when the drive shaft rotates to open the stowage door and to disengage the rotor from the drive shaft when the drive shaft counterrotates said means comprising a clutch assembly fastened to the rotor having a clutch to engage the drive shaft when it rotates in response to the spring and disengages when the drive shaft counterrotates, and a viscous fluid contained in a space between the housing and the rotor to dampen the door opening due to the shear of the fluid.

Claim 9

A door opening device for a stowage compartment in an airplane comprising: a housing having an essentially cylindrical inside diameter, means for mounting the housing to airplane structure, a torsion spring extending longitudinally inside the housing, means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing, means for fastening a second end of the spring to a drive shaft, means for linking the drive shaft to a stowage compartment door to open an unlatched door due to spring pressure and to reset the spring due to closing the door, a hollow cylindrical shaped rotor inside the housing encircling the tension spring and having an outside diameter approximating the inside diameter of the housing and also having at least one longitudinal recess extending from the outside diameter, means for engaging the rotor to the drive shaft when the drive shaft rotates to open the stowage door and to disengage the rotor from the drive shaft when the drive shaft counterrotates said means comprising a clutch assembly fastened to the rotor having a clutch to engage the drive shaft when it rotates in response to the spring and disengages when the drive shaft counterrotates, and a viscous fluid contained in a space between the housing and the rotor to dampen the door opening due to the shear of the fluid.

Claim 10

A door opening as in claim 6, wherein the viscous fluid is a silicone having a viscosity of from about 50,000 to 100,000 centistokes.

Claim 11

A door opening device as in claim 6, in which the means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing comprises: a series of radially extending slots in the inside end of the housing, a bolt extending through the end of the housing, means for fastening the inside end of the bolt to the tension spring, means for connecting to the outside end of the bolt to impart inward and rotational force to the bolt, and at least one laterally extending pin from the bolt to engage one of the slots in the housing.

Claim 12

A door opening device as in claim 8, wherein the radially extending slots each further comprise: one side of the slot essentially perpendicular to the end of the housing and the other side of the slot tapered outwardly to allow movement of the lateral projection from one slot to the next by rotating the bolt; so that the projection climbs the tapered side.

Claim 13

A door opening device as in claim 6, in which means for linking the drive shaft to a door includes a lever arm fastened to the drive shaft and means for linking the lever arm to the door, and in which the means for limiting travel comprises an adjustable cam located to contact the lever arm to limit its travel and means for fastening the cam to the housing.

Claim 14

A door control device comprising: a housing having an essentially cylindrical inside surface; means for mounting the housing to a structure; a torsion spring extending longitudinally inside the housing; means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing, said means comprising a series of radially extending slots in the inside end of the housing, a bolt extending through the end of the housing, means for fastening the inside end of the bolt to the tension spring, means for connecting to the outside end of the bolt to impart inward and rotational force to the bolt, and at least one lateral projection from the bolt to engage one of the slots in the housing; means for fastening a second end of the spring to a drive shaft; a clutch assembly mounted upon the drive shaft to effect engagement between the clutch and the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in response to the spring and disengagement when the drive shaft counterrotates; a rotor which encircles the spring having an outside diameter approximating the inside diameter of the housing, said rotor having at least one longitudinal recess adjacent the housing; means for joining the rotor to the clutch assembly to impart clutch housing movement to the rotor; a viscous fluid between the rotor and the housing to dampen the spring actuated rotation of the drive shaft; and means for linking the drive shaft to a door to control the movement of the door in one direction of travel.

Claim 15

A door control device comprising: a housing having an essentially cylindrical inside surface; means for mounting the housing to a structure; a torsion spring extending longitudinally inside the housing; means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing, said means comprising a series of radially extending slots in the inside end of the housing, a bolt extending through the end of the housing, means for fastening the inside end of the bolt to the tension spring, means for connecting to the outside end of the bolt to impart inward and rotational force to the bolt, and at least one lateral projection from the bolt to engage one of the slots in the housing; means for fastening a second end of the spring to a drive shaft; a clutch assembly mounted upon the drive shaft to effect engagement between the clutch and the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in response to the spring and disengagement when the drive shaft counterrotates; a rotor which encircles the spring having an outside diameter approximating the inside diameter of the housing, said rotor having at least one longitudinal recess adjacent the housing; means for joining the rotor to the clutch assembly to impart clutch housing movement to the rotor; a viscous fluid between the rotor and the housing to dampen the spring actuated rotation of the drive shaft; and means for linking the drive shaft to a door to control the movement of the door in one direction of travel.

Claim 16

A door control device as in claim 11, wherein the viscous fluid is a silicone fluid having a viscosity of about 50,000 to 100,000 centistokes.

Claim 17

A door control device comprising: a housing having an essentially cylindrical inside surface; means for mounting the housing to a structure; a torsion spring extending longitudinally inside the housing; means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing, said means comprising a series of radially extending slots in the inside end of the housing, a bolt extending through the end of the housing, means for fastening the inside end of the bolt to the tension spring, means for connecting to the outside end of the bolt to impart inward and rotational force to the bolt, and at least one lateral projection from the bolt to engage one of the slots in the housing; means for fastening a second end of the spring to a drive shaft; a clutch assembly mounted upon the drive shaft to effect engagement between the clutch and the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in response to the spring and disengagement when the drive shaft counterrotates; a rotor which encircles the spring having an outside diameter approximating the inside diameter of the housing, said rotor having at Least one longitudinal recess adjacent the housing; means for joining the rotor to the clutch assembly to impart clutch housing movement to the rotor; a viscous silicone fluid having a viscosity of about 50,000 to 100,000 centistokes between the rotor and the housing to dampen the spring actuated rotation of the drive shaft; and means for linking the drive shaft to a door to control the movement of the door in one direction of travel, said means comprises; a lever arm fastened to and pivoted by the drive shaft, and the door control device includes an adjustable cam mounted to the housing located to limit the travel of the lever arm.

Claim 18

A door control device comprising: a housing having an essentially cylindrical inside surface; means for mounting the housing to a structure; a torsion spring extending longitudinally inside the housing; means for adjustably mounting a first end of the spring to an end of the housing, said means comprising a series of radially extending slots in the inside end of the housing, a bolt extending through the end of the housing, means for fastening the inside end of the bolt to the tension spring, means for connecting to the outside end of the bolt to impart inward and rotational force to the bolt, and at least one lateral projection from the bolt to engage one of the slots in the housing; means for fastening a second end of the spring to a drive shaft; a clutch assembly mounted upon the drive shaft to effect engagement between the clutch and the drive shaft when the shaft rotates in response to the spring and disengagement when the drive shaft counterrotates; a rotor which encircles the spring having an outside diameter approximating the inside diameter of the housing, said rotor having at Least one longitudinal recess adjacent the housing; means for joining the rotor to the clutch assembly to impart clutch housing movement to the rotor; a viscous silicone fluid having a viscosity of about 50,000 to 100,000 centistokes between the rotor and the housing to dampen the spring actuated rotation of the drive shaft; and means for linking the drive shaft to a door to control the movement of the door in one direction of travel, said means comprises; a lever arm fastened to and pivoted by the drive shaft, and the door control device includes an adjustable cam mounted to the housing located to limit the travel of the lever arm.