Axial retention means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10556486-B2
Application number	US-201715608197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

An air-handling system includes a housing having a passageway formed therethrough. A diverter is rotatably coupled to the housing, and includes a door disposed in the passageway for selectively opening and closing the passageway. A shaft of the door extends through a first opening of the housing, and extends outwardly therefrom, defining a first axis. A lever is coupled to the shaft of the diverter. A flexible tab is disposed axially outwardly of the lever and is positionable in a first position and a second position. In the first position, a distal end of the tab is positioned radially inwardly of an outer circumferential surface of the lever, and in the second position the distal end of the tab is positioned radially outwardly of the outer circumferential surface of the lever. The distal end is moveable about a second axis, parallel to the first axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-handling system comprising:
a housing defined by an outer sidewall, the outer sidewall having a first opening formed therein, the first opening defining a first axis of the air-handling system;
a shaft rotatably coupled to the housing and extending outwardly from the first opening of the housing;
a lever received on the shaft, wherein an end of the lever extends axially away from the outer sidewall along the first axis; and
a tab disposed axially outwardly from the end of the lever along the first axis with respect to the outer sidewall, wherein the tab includes a first end coupled to the housing and a distal second end, wherein the second end of the tab flexes between a first position to axially obstruct the lever with respect to the first axis and a second position to unobstuct the lever with respect to the first axis, and wherein the second end of the tab in the second position is disposed radially outwardly from an outer circumferential surface of a hub of the lever with respect to the first axis.

2. The air-handling system of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the tab defines a second axis parallel to the first axis, and wherein the second end of the tab is moveable in an arcuate motion about the second axis.

3. The air-handling system of claim 1 , wherein the second position is radially outwardly from the first position with respect to the first axis.

4. The air-handling system of claim 1 , wherein in the first position the second end of the tab is positioned radially inwardly of the outer circumferential surface of the first end of the lever with respect to the first axis.

5. The air-handling system of claim 1 , wherein the tab is a resilient tab, and wherein the first end of the tab is fixed and the second end of the tab is moveable by bending the tab along a length thereof.

6. The air-handling system of claim 5 , wherein the first end of the tab is fixed to the housing.

7. The air-handling system of claim 5 , wherein the first end of the tab is fixed to a mounting bracket coupled to the housing.

8. An air-handling system comprising:
a housing defined by an outer sidewall, the outer sidewall having a shaft extending outwardly therefrom, the shaft defining a first axis; and
a tab extending from the outer sidewall and disposed axially outwardly of the shaft along the first axis, wherein a distal end of the tab flexes in an arcuate motion about a second axis between a first position and a second position, the second axis parallel to the first axis, the second position radially outwardly from the first position with respect to the first axis of the shaft, wherein the tab includes a first end opposite the distal end of the tab and coupled to the housing, wherein the distal end of the tab in the first position axially obstructs the lever with respect to the first axis and in the second position unobstucts the lever with respect to the first axis, and wherein distal end of the tab in the second position is disposed radially outwardly from an outer circumferential surface of a hub of the lever with respect to the first axis.

9. The air-handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tab includes an elongate body having a fixed end at the second axis.

10. The air-handling system of claim 9 , wherein the tab further includes a beveled portion formed along an outer edge of the tab adjacent the distal end.

11. The air-handling system of claim 10 , wherein in the beveled portion a thickness of the tab progressively increases in a direction towards the housing along the first axis.

12. The air-handling system of claim 10 , wherein the distal end of the tab is tapered radially outwardly from the second axis in a direction towards the housing along the first axis.

13. The air-handling system of claim 8 , wherein an inner edge of the tab includes a recess formed therein, the recess configured to receive a portion of the housing therein when the tab is in the second position.

14. An air-handling system comprising:
a housing defined by an outer sidewall, the outer sidewall having a first opening formed therein, the first opening defining a first axis of the air-handling system;
a shaft rotatably coupled to the housing and extending outwardly from the first opening of the housing;
a protrusion extending outwardly from the outer sidewall of the housing along a direction of the first axis, the protrusion formed radially outwardly of the shaft with respect to the first axis;
a tab flexibly coupled to the housing, wherein a distal end of the tab is flexibly moveable in an arcuate motion about a second axis of the air-handling system defined by a first end of the tab, the second axis parallel to the first axis; and
a lever axially and slidingly received on the shaft, a portion of the lever disposed intermediate the outer sidewall and the tab, the distal end of the tab flexes between a first position and a second position, wherein the distal end of the tab in the first position axially obstructs the lever with respect to the first axis and in the second position unobsructs the lever with respect to the first axis.

15. The air-handling system of claim 14 , wherein in the second position the tab abuts the protrusion.

16. The air-handling system of claim 14 , wherein in the first position, the tab is spaced apart from the protrusion.

17. The air-handling system of claim 14 , further comprising a mounting bracket removably coupled to the housing, wherein the tab is unitarily formed with the mounting bracket.

18. The air-handling system of claim 1 , wherein the hub has a first end coupled to the shaft and an opposing second end, the second end extending axially away from the housing along the first axis, the second end of the hub including a cylindrical portion defined by the hub and a geared portion having a plurality of teeth projecting radially outwardly therefrom.

19. The air-handling system of claim 18 , wherein the tab includes an inner edge facing the outer sidewall of the housing and an outer edge facing away from the outer sidewall of the housing, and wherein the inner edge of the tab includes a recess formed therein to receive a portion of the housing when the distal end of the tab is in the second position.

20. The air-handling system of claim 19 , wherein the tab includes a beveled portion formed adjacent the second end thereof, intermediate the outer edge and a bottom surface of the tab.

Assignees

• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Nolta James
• Zhou Yafei

Classifications

• B60H2001/00707

  Details of pivots of damper doors · CPC title

• B60H1/00678 Primary

  the axis of rotation being in the door plane, e.g. butterfly doors · CPC title

• B60H1/00857 Primary

  characterised by the means connecting the initiating means, e.g. control lever, to the damper door · CPC title

• B60H2001/007

  Manufacturing or assembling · CPC title