Rotary damper

Abstract

A rotary damper is provided. The rotary damper includes a first housing plate having a substantially flat substrate with a first plurality of windows; a rotary disc having a substantially flat substrate with a second plurality of windows, wherein the rotary disc is in rotatable communication with the first housing plate; and a motor that drives rotation of the rotary disc relative to the first housing plate such that the rotary disc rotates from a first configuration in which the second plurality of windows overlaps with the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate to at least a second configuration in which the second plurality of windows on the rotary disc and the first plurality of windows on the first housing plate do not overlap. Also provided is a refrigeration/freezer unit utilizing the rotary damper to control airflow between a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rotary damper, comprising:
 a first housing plate having a substantially flat substrate with a first plurality of windows;   a rotary disc having a substantially flat substrate with a second plurality of windows, wherein the rotary disc is in rotatable communication with the first housing plate; and   a motor that drives rotation of the rotary disc relative to the first housing plate such that the rotary disc rotates from a first configuration in which the second plurality of windows overlaps with the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate to at least a second configuration in which the second plurality of windows on the rotary disc and the first plurality of windows on the first housing plate do not overlap.   
     
     
         2 . The rotary damper of  claim 1 , further comprising a gear wheel adapted to translate rotational forces from the motor to the rotary disc. 
     
     
         3 . The rotary damper of  claim 2 , wherein the gear wheel translates rotational forces from the motor such that the rotary disc rotates at a lower speed than the motor and at a higher torque. 
     
     
         4 . The rotary damper of  claim 1 , further comprising a second housing plate having a substantially flat substrate with a third plurality of windows, wherein the rotary disc is encompassed by the first housing plate and the second housing plate and wherein the third plurality of windows of the second housing plate substantially overlap with the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate. 
     
     
         5 . The rotary damper of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is a permanent magnet synchronous motor. 
     
     
         6 . The rotary damper of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is controlled by at least one microswitch and by a thermostat. 
     
     
         7 . The rotary damper of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one circumferential ridge extending from a surface of the substantially flat substrate of the rotary disc, wherein the at least one circumferential ridge includes a plurality of breaks around a circumference of the circumferential ridge and wherein the at least one microswitch has a lever arm that contacts a circumferential ridge. 
     
     
         8 . The rotary damper of  claim 6 , wherein the microswitch is a double pole, double throw switch. 
     
     
         9 . The rotary damper of  claim 6 , comprising two microswitches and two circumferential ridges that extend from opposite surfaces of the substantially flat substrate of the rotary disc, wherein the two microswitches each have a lever arm, the lever arms of the two microswitches contacting different circumferential ridges, and wherein both circumferential ridges include a plurality of breaks around their circumferences, the plurality of breaks of one circumferential ridge being located at different positions from the plurality of breaks of the other circumferential ridge. 
     
     
         10 . The rotary damper of  claim 8 , wherein the two microswitches are single pole, single throw switches. 
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator/freezer unit, comprising:
 a refrigeration compartment;   a freezer compartment, wherein an air passage provides fluid communication between the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment; and   a rotary damper configured to regulate the amount of air flowing through the air passage, the rotary damper comprising:
 a first housing plate defined by a substantially flat substrate having a first plurality of windows; 
 a rotary disc defined by a substantially flat substrate having a second plurality of windows, wherein the rotary disc is in rotatable communication with the first housing plate; and 
 a motor that drives rotation of the rotary disc relative to the first housing plate such that the rotary disc rotates from a first configuration in which the second plurality of windows overlap with the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate to at least another configuration in which the second plurality of windows on the rotary disc and the first plurality of windows on the first housing plate do not overlap. 
   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , wherein the freezer compartment is located above the refrigeration compartment and wherein the rotary damper is located on an upper wall of the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , wherein the freezer compartment is located below the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , wherein the freezer compartment is located side-by-side with the refrigeration compartment and wherein the damper is located on a partitioning wall that separates the freezer compartment and the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , further comprising a thermostat, wherein a temperature sensed by the thermostat determines to what extent the second plurality of windows of the rotary disc overlap with first plurality of windows of the first housing plate. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 15 , wherein at least one microswitch is interposed between the thermostat and the motor and wherein the microswitch has a lever arm that contacts a circumferential ridge that extends from at least one surface of the substantially flat substrate of the rotary disc and that includes a plurality of breaks. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , wherein the second plurality of windows of the rotary disc and the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate are wider at their outermost radial extent than they are at their innermost radial extent. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 16 , wherein the second plurality of windows of the rotary disc is four windows and wherein the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate is also four windows. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , wherein the rotary damper further comprises a second housing plate defined by substantially flat substrate having a third plurality of windows, wherein the rotary disc is encompassed by the first housing plate and the second housing plate and wherein the third plurality of windows of the second housing plate substantially overlap with the first plurality of windows of the first housing plate. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator/freezer unit of  claim 11 , wherein the rotary damper further comprises a gear wheel adapted to translate rotational forces from the motor to the rotary disc.