Patent ID: 6213454
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
A damper comprising:a damper housing including sidewalls, an open end and a closed end;said damper housing further including a latching protrusion traveling within a guide proximate to said open end, said guide being transverse to said damper housing; anda piston assembly traveling within said damper housing between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to said damper housing, said piston assembly including a piston shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end including a piston, said piston shaft including a camming wall sub-assembly for engaging said latching protrusion thereby detent engaging said piston assembly in said extended position with respect to said damper housing wherein said camming wall sub-assembly includes camming walls surrounding an island, said island including a concave detent apex, further when said piston assembly is extended, said camming walls engage said detent protrusion to a first relative position which inhibits further extension of said piston assembly; upon subsequent incremental retraction of said piston assembly from said first relative position, said camming walls urge said detent protrusion to a second relative position wherein said detent protrusion is engaged by said concave detent apex which inhibits further retraction of said piston assembly; upon subsequent incremental extension of said piston assembly from said second relative position, said camming walls urge said detent protrusion to a third relative position which inhibits further extension of said piston assembly; whereby said piston assembly can freely retract when said detent protrusion is in said third relative position.