Systems and devices for motion control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867252-B2
Application number	US-202217570509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2022
Priority date	Jan 8, 2021
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Systems and devices to control linear, rotational, and/or arcuate motion are provided herein. In some examples, a pin system is configured for insertion in a door and/or door jamb, and to control motion of the door, such as a speed with which the door closes. In some examples, a hinge pin is configured to replace a conventional hinge pin and to control motion of the door. In some examples, a hinge system is configured to replace a conventional door hinge and to control motion of the door.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for controlling the motion of a door, comprising:
a body that includes a chamber filled at least in part with a shear thickening fluid, the body including at least one protrusion extending therefrom and that is configured to engage a first hinge leaf of a door hinge, wherein the body includes a piston and a cam in the chamber and at least one dowel extends from the cam and is configured to engage a second hinge leaf of the door hinge, and
a pin that is configured to be inserted into a knuckle of the first hinge leaf and a knuckle of the second hinge leaf and that is connected to the cam, and
wherein when one of the first and second hinge leaves is rotated with respect to the other, one of the cam and the body rotates such that the cam pushes the piston to move axially in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of the cam and exert pressure against the shear thickening fluid.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piston includes a piston head.

3. The device of claim 2 , further including a shim, wherein both the shim and the piston head include one or more slots and wherein the shim is mounted on a plug that is mounted to the piston head and wherein the plug includes a shoulder such that the shim can move axially along the plug between the piston head and the shoulder.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more slots of the shim have a shape and size approximately equal to the one or more slots of the of the piston head.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the shim is configured to rotate with respect to the piston head thereby adjusting the amount of resistance experienced by the piston.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein rotation of the shim to a first position substantially aligns the one or more slots of the shim with the one or more slots of the of the piston head, and rotation of the shim to a second position substantially misaligns the one or more slots of the shim with the one or more slots of the of the piston head.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cam follower arranged in the chamber and connected to the cam on a first end and connected to the piston on a second end, wherein the cam includes a raised portion to move the cam follower axially as the cam rotates.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein rotating the second hinge leaf toward the first hinge leaf causes the second hinge leaf to engage the dowel and rotate the cam in a first direction causing the cam follower to push the piston away from the cam, wherein the at least one protrusion includes two protrusions that receive the first hinge leaf therebetween to prevent the body from rotating as the second hinge leaf rotates.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein rotating the second hinge leaf away from the first hinge leaf causes the second hinge leaf to engage the dowel and rotate the cam in a second direction allowing the cam follower to move the piston toward the cam.

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a spring to bias the cam follower toward the cam, thereby forcing the cam follower toward the cam as the second hinge leaf rotates toward the first hinge leaf.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shear thickening fluid is configured to have a decreasing viscosity in response to a first range of shear rates and an increasing viscosity in response to a second range of shear rates, wherein the second range of shear rates is greater than the first range of shear rates.

12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cam follower and a spring, and wherein the piston includes a piston head secured around a plunger shaft, the cam follower is connected to the cam and to the plunger shaft, and the spring is positioned around the plunger shaft and between the cam follower and the piston head.

13. The device of claim 3 , wherein the plug extends into a counterbore in the piston head and rotates within the counterbore.

14. A device for controlling the motion of a door, comprising:
a body that includes a first chamber filled at least in part with a shear thickening fluid, and a second chamber fluidly isolated from the first chamber, the body being configured to be connected to a first hinge leaf of a door hinge,
a cam arranged in the second chamber and connected to a second hinge leaf of the door hinge,
a cam follower arranged in the second chamber and connected to a piston, wherein the piston is arranged in the first chamber, the piston including a plunger shaft and a piston head, wherein the piston head is arranged in the first chamber and includes one or more slots,
a shim including one or more slots arranged in the first chamber, wherein the shim is mounted on a plug that is mounted to the piston head and wherein the plug includes a shoulder such that the shim can move axially along the plug between the piston head and the shoulder, and
wherein, when one of the first and second hinge leaves is rotated with respect to the other, one of the cam and the body rotates, which causes the cam follower to move axially and push the piston to move axially in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of the cam and exert pressure against the shear thickening fluid.

15. The device of claim 14 ,
wherein rotation of the plug causes the shim to rotate with respect to the piston head to adjust alignment between the one or more slots of the shim and the one or more slots of the piston head.

16. The device of claim 15 , further comprising a cap adjuster that includes a rod extending into the chamber, wherein the plug has a slot that is configured to receive the rod.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the rod is configured to mate with the slot of the plug such that rotation of the cap adjuster causes rotation of the plug and the shim, thereby adjusting the amount of alignment between the shim and the piston head.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more slots of the shim have a shape and size approximately equal to the one or more slots of the of the piston head.

19. The device of clam 14 , wherein the cam includes a dowel extending therefrom and that is configured to engage the second hinge leaf and the body includes a protrusion extending therefrom and that is configured to engage the first hinge leaf, wherein when the second hinge leaf is rotated toward the first hinge leaf, the protrusion prevents the body from rotating and the second hinge leaf engages the dowel such that the cam rotates in a first direction causing the cam follower to push the piston away from the cam.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein when the second hinge leaf is rotated away from the first hinge leaf, the protrusion prevents the body from rotating and the second hinge leaf engages the dowel such that the cam rotates in a second direction causing the cam follower to move the piston toward the cam.

21. The device of claim 20 , further comprising a spring to bias the cam follower toward the cam, thereby forcing the cam follower toward the cam as the second hinge leaf rotates toward the first hinge leaf.

22. The device of claim 11 , wherein when the piston exerts pressure against the shear thickening fluid, the motion of the door transitions from a first velocity to a second velocity when the shear thickening fluid correspondingly responds to transitioning from the first range of shear rates to the second range of shear rates, wherein the second velocity is less than the first velocity.

23. The device of claim 14 , wherein the shear thickening fluid is configured to

Assignees

• Moshun Llc

Inventors

• Boundy Timothy John
• Lang Richard Michael

Classifications

• F16F9/19 Primary

  with a single cylinder {and of single-tube type} · CPC title

• E05D3/02

  with one pin · CPC title

• E05F5/02

  specially for preventing the slamming of {swinging} wings {during final closing movement, e.g. jamb stops} · CPC title

• F16F9/30

  with solid or semi-solid material, e.g. pasty masses, as damping medium {(in devices where rotary elements are damped by viscous shear effect only, any throttling effect being immaterial F16F9/12; where members moving with a rotating system are being damped F16F15/16)} · CPC title

• F16F9/53

  Means for adjusting damping characteristics by varying fluid viscosity, e.g. electromagnetically {(F16F13/30 takes precedence; brakes comprising a medium with electrically or magnetically controlled friction F16D57/002; electrorheological fluids per se C10M171/001; magnetorheological fluids per se H01F1/447)} · CPC title