JPS5810658B2 - Damper - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an air damper, and particularly to an air damper that allows air to flow in only one direction, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Previously, my U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,603 discloses a frame, one or more blades, and a pivot mechanism that allows rotational movement of the blades relative to the frame between open and closed positions. An air damper equipped with this is known.

The air damper is configured to allow air flow in only one direction by causing the blades to move between open and closed positions due to air pressure differences on either side of the damper.

Such air dampers are generally used to allow air to escape from indoors to outdoors, and to prevent wind, blowback, rain, dust, smoke, and unpleasant odors from entering indoors.

Pivotal mechanisms for allowing rotational movement of the blade relative to the frame are known in the art in various configurations, some of which are disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3.327.764, U.S. Pat. No. 3.581.350 and No. 3.605.603.

However, conventional pivot mechanisms are assembled from separate parts such as a pivot pin, bearings, hinges, etc., resulting in high manufacturing and assembly costs.

The first object of the present invention is to provide an air damper with a new structure that does not have such drawbacks, and in particular, to provide an air damper that has a small number of parts, is inexpensive, easy to manufacture and assemble, and has excellent damper characteristics. be.

The air damper according to the invention basically consists of only two elements: a frame and a blade, which are articulated with each other by respective formed hinge elements and hinge sections.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a new method for manufacturing the above-mentioned two-element air damper.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Note that the illustrated examples are selected from specific aspects of the present invention, and the following description cites specific terms to explain these aspects; They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the air damper assembly 10 is comprised of a box-shaped frame 12 and a plurality of blades 14. As shown in FIGS.

Blade 14 is described in Applicant's aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 3.60.
A seal similar to that disclosed in No. 5.603 and fitted into the dovetail groove of the hooked hinge portion 16 along the upper edge of the flat intermediate blade portion 18 and the boss 22 along the lower edge of the blade portion 18. It has a member 20.

The hinge portion 16 is integrally formed with the blade portion 18 and is offset from one side thereof.

Seal member 20 is preferably made from vinyl or a similar material.

The frame 12 has an E'-shaped cross-section and has a plurality of inward flanges.

The forward inwardly directed flange 30 lies in a plane parallel to and adjacent to one side of the flat blade portion 18 of the blade 14 in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, to provide an airtight seal between the frame and the blade. It is for.

Other inward flanges are for reinforcing the frame and attaching the frame to the building.

The front flange 30 has a plurality of hook-shaped hinge elements 32.

Each hinge element 32 projects away from one side of the flat blade portion 18 of the blade 14 and is located on an opposite side of the frame 12, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hinge portion 16 of the blade 12 and the hook-shaped hinge element of the frame 14 are formed in complementary shapes and slidingly articulate with each other such that the blade 14 is attached to the frame 12. It constitutes a pivot mechanism that allows rotational movement.

FIG. 3 shows the blade 14 in the closed position.

In this case, the offset of the hinge portion 16 from the blade portion 18 causes a gravity-based torque to act on the blade, causing the frame 12 and the blade 14 in the closed position to
There will be a good airtight condition between the two.

Then, in FIG. 3, when the air pressure on the left side of the damper becomes higher than the pressure on the right side, the blade 14 rotates in the direction of arrow rBJ and opens.

The above air damper is manufactured by the following method.

First, the blade 14 is fabricated by bending a sheet of material to form the hooked hinge portion 16 and boss 22. As shown in FIG.

Although any known suitable material can be used for the blade, lightweight aluminum is preferred in terms of strength and abrasion resistance.

The frame 12 is manufactured by first manufacturing a long frame material having a plurality of flanges, and then bending this into a box shape.

The frame material is preferably made from lightweight aluminum;
For example, it is formed by a roll forming method.

The frame material can be formed into a box shape by making IVj-shaped cuts 44, 45, 46 in the flange and bending the frame sides 40, 41, 42, 43, as shown by the imaginary lines in Fig. 2. Can be done.

Prior to forming the frame material into a box shape, hook-shaped hinge elements 32 are formed in the frame material at the desired spacing.

This can be formed by making cuts 31 in the front flange 30 to form a plurality of tabs, and then bending these tabs into a hook shape.

The distance between the hinge elements 32 may be determined so that when the frame material is formed into a box shape, the hinge elements 32 are located along parallel lines on opposite sides of the frame as shown in FIG.

Also, two hinge elements 32 are required for each blade 14.

The blade 14 and the frame material forming the hinge element are assembled into an air damper as follows.

First, one end of each blade 14 is inserted into a notch 31 in the front flange 30 of the frame material as indicated by arrow "A" in FIG. 1 to articulate one end of the hinge portion 16 to the hinge element 32.

After inserting the blade into the notch on one side of the frame (frame side 40 in FIG. 2), insert the other frame side 41, 42, 43 around the blade 14 as shown in phantom lines in FIG. Fold.

During this bending of the blade material, the other end of the blade 14 is inserted into the notch 31 in the frame side 42 and the other end of the hinge portion 16 is engaged with the hinge element 32.

Finally, close the side edges 43 of the frame and close the ends 5 of the frame material.
1.52 and weld this point to complete the assembly.

In addition, there is a "■" shaped cut 44. for bending the frame material.
4546, when the frame materials are bent into a box shape, they are butted against each other and closed.

As is clear from the above description, the air damper according to the present invention consists of only two elements, a frame and a blade, and is inexpensive, easy to manufacture and assemble, and has good airtightness, smooth operation, etc. It has excellent properties.

The manufacturing method of the invention also allows for significant savings in labor and materials.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway, partially cutaway perspective view showing the overall configuration of a preferred embodiment of the air damper according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway, reduced front view of the air damper shown in FIG. 1 during assembly. The shape of the frame is also shown with imaginary lines, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along arrow line 3--3 in FIG. In the figure, 10 is the air damper assembly, 12 is the frame, 14 is the blade, 16 is the hook-shaped hinge portion, and 18 is the air damper assembly.
is a blade portion, 20 is a seal member, 22 is a boss, 30
is the front inward flange, 31 is the notch, 32 is the hook-shaped hinge element, 40° 41. 42, 43 are the frame sides, 44
, 45° and 46 indicate the notches, and 51 and 52 indicate the ends of the frame material, respectively.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. An air damper comprising a frame, at least one blade, and a pivot mechanism that allows rotational movement of the blade relative to the frame between an open position and a closed position. a box-shaped frame, said frame being provided with at least one inwardly directed flange 30 extending in a plane parallel to and adjacent to one side of the plane of the blade 14 in the closed position, said inwardly directed flange being cut therein; at least two integral hook-shaped hinge elements 3 projecting away from one side of said blade plane and located on opposite sides of said frame;
2 and said blade 14 is also formed with a hooked hinge portion 16 along one edge of the blade projecting from the plane of the blade, said hooked hinge element 32 and said hooked hinge portion 16 being complementary to each other. An air damper characterized in that the pivot mechanism is configured by slidingly articulating the air dampers with each other in a mutually matching shape. 2. A method of manufacturing an air damper according to claim 1, comprising: (a) fabricating at least one blade having a hook-shaped hinge portion along one edge; (b) at least one blade; (c) fabricating an elongated frame member having two flanges and cutting said flanges to form at least two integral hook-shaped hinge elements having a complementary shape with said hook-shaped hinge portion; inserting and articulating one end of the hook-shaped hinge portion into one of the hook-shaped hinge elements of the frame material; d) folding the frame material around the blade; and (e) upon folding of the frame material. inserting the other end of the hook-shaped hinge portion of the blade into the other hook-shaped hinge element of the frame material to form the frame material into a box-shaped frame while simultaneously articulating the blade to the frame; Air damper manufacturing method.