Fluid handling – Systems – Plural noncommunicating flow paths
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2001-12-18
Hepperle, Stephen (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
Plural noncommunicating flow paths
C137S601050, C137S870000, C137S871000, C062S187000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330891
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a double-damper apparatus for operating opening/closing plates such as baffles for two openings using a driving source such as a motor, and more particularly to a double-damper apparatus suited to control intake of cool air in a refrigerator.
A duct (passage) for supplying cool air in a freezer compartment into a refrigerator compartment or a crisper is provided on the rear of a refrigerator. Conventionally, in order to adjust the temperature in a chamber such as a refrigerator compartment, within the duct, a damper apparatus is provided for passing/interrupting the cool air in the freezer compartment for the refrigerator compartment. Further, a double-damper apparatus capable of passing/interrupting the cool air for two chambers by a single apparatus has been also disclosed (JP-A-10-306970). These damper apparatus are driven under the control by a microcomputer arranged in the freezer compartment.
The double-damper apparatus disclosed in JP-A-10-306970, which is a prior art for the present invention, as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, includes a driving portion
51
incorporating a motor (not shown), two frame portions
52
and
53
arranged on both sides of the driving portion
51
, and two open/close members
54
and
55
which are coupled with the driving portion
51
and rotated by the driving force of the driving portion
51
. The frame portions
52
and
53
have openings
56
and
57
, respectively, which are inlets of fluid channels to other chambers (e.g. refrigerator compartment and crisper). The one open/close member
54
individually opens/closes the opening
56
whereas the other open/close member
55
individually opens/closes the opening
57
. Thus, the cool air is passed to or interrupted from each chamber.
However, if the fitting of the damper apparatus built in each fluid channel in the heat-insulating member
60
is loosened slightly, the sealing property of the abutting portion &agr; on the heat-insulating member
60
(
FIG. 9
) will be deteriorated. Specifically, since the heat-insulating member
60
is formed of Styrofoam, the size of the slot for fitting the double-damper cannot be defined so precisely. As a result, a gap g is generated between the damper apparatus and heat-insulating member. This gap g connects both fluid channels linearly. As a result, the cool air on the one fluid channel is likely to leak into the other fluid channel (direction of arrow X-X′ in FIG.
8
), thus proving a problem for managing the temperature in each chamber.
However, if the fitting of the damper apparatus built in each fluid channel in the heat-insulating member
60
is loosened slightly, the sealing property of the abutting portion &agr; on the heat-insulating member
60
(
FIG. 9
) will be deteriorated. Specifically, since the heat-insulating member
60
is formed of Styrofoam, the size of the slot for fitting the double-damper cannot be defined so precisely. As a result, a gap g is generated between the damper apparatus and heat-insulating member. This gap g connects both fluid channels linearly. As a result, the cool air on the one fluid channel is likely to leak into the other fluid channel (direction of arrow X-X′ in FIG.
8
), thus proving a hitch of managing the temperature in each chamber.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a double-damper apparatus operative to interrupt leakage of cool air which is apt to occur when being built in a duct of a refrigerator together with a heat-insulating member, i.e., leakage (flow) of the cool air from the one fluid channel to the other passage is prevented, and hence respective chambers are cooled with good energy efficiency and the temperature of each of the chambers is managed.
In order to attain the above object, in the present invention, in a double-damper apparatus comprising a driving portion, two cylindrical frame portions arranged on both sides of the driving portion, and two open/close members which are coupled with the driving portion and perform the operation of opening/closing openings formed in the frame portions, respectively by the driving force of the driving portion, a step is formed between the flat portions of the two frame portions.
Because of the step formed between the flat portions of the two frame portions, the faces of both frame portions constitute a kind of labyrinth structure. Therefore, even in if a gap is formed between the double-damper apparatus and heat-insulating member, the creeping distance of the gap is increased. As a result, cool air is hindered from leaking from the one fluid channel to the other fluid channel to the other fluid channel through the gap between the double-damper and the heat-insulating member fit therein.
In addition to the above invention, in another invention, the step is provided at two positions at the boundaries between the driving portion and the two frame portions so that the one face of the driving portion is convex or concave from flat portions of the two frame portions. Because of this configuration, it is possible to fit the heat-insulating member for sectioning the two fluid channels in the double-damper apparatus surely and intimately using the convex or concave portion. Incidentally, where the step is convex, the heat-insulating member of material having small strength such as Styrofoam can be made concave. The heat-insulating member having the concave shape is more difficult to break than that having the convex shape.
In addition to each of the above inventions, in still another invention, the step is formed in a plane in parallel to the direction of the fluid flowing through the openings. By providing the step in the flowing direction of fluid, the leakage of the fluid from the one fluid channel to the other fluid channel is surely interrupted over a prescribed fluid channel length so that the fluid can be passed effectively.
In addition to each of the above aspects of the invention, in still another invention, the step is formed in a plane in parallel to the concave or convex portion formed by the step and is engaged with a heat-insulating member for sectioning two passages which the two openings enter. Because of such a structure, the heat-insulating member can be surely fit in the concave or convex portion so that the leakage of fluid can be surely interrupted.
In addition to each of the above aspects of the invention, in a further aspect, the driving portion is arranged between the two frame portions so that the one face of the driving portion is convex from the flat portions of the frame portions, and the convex portion of the driving portion is a hollow portion where no mechanical component for driving is arranged. Because of such structure, in addition to the function of preventing the leakage of fluid and breakage of the heat-insulating member, the hollow portion can be employed to make wiring for power supply and can be employed as a part of the heat-insulating portion.
In addition to each of the above aspects, in a further aspect of the invention, the driving portion is arranged between the two frame portions so that the one face of the driving portion is concave from the flat portion of the frame portions, and a power supplying member to the driving portion is arranged in the concave portion of the driving portion. Because of such a structure, in addition to the function of preventing the leakage of fluid, the concave portion (recessed portion) can be employed to route the wiring.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2699106 (1955-01-01), Hoyer
patent: 3248893 (1966-05-01), McLean
patent: 3486347 (1969-12-01), Gidseg
patent: 5048577 (1991-09-01), Kuusisto
patent: 6058726 (2000-05-01), Noritake
patent: 6069466 (2000-05-01), Noritake et al.
patent: 10-306970 (1998-11-01), None
Hepperle Stephen
Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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