Patent ID: 6142269
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: E05F,E05Y,F16F

Abstract:
A rotary damper, comprising:a housing defining a chamber having an interior peripheral wall;a rotor rotatably disposed within said housing chamber about a rotary axis; anda viscous medium disposed within said housing chamber wherein said rotor operatively cooperates with said interior peripheral wall of said housing chamber such that a damping effect is achieved upon rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing,said rotor comprising at least two rotor elements coaxially disposed within said housing chamber and operatively coupled together such that said at least two rotor elements can freely rotate relative to each other through a limited angle of rotation about said rotary axis whereby when a first one of said at least two rotor elements is rotated relative to said housing, a first damping effect having a first damping value is achieved, whereas when a second one of said at least two rotor elements is also rotated relative to said housing along with said first one of said at least two rotor elements, a second damping effect having a second damping value is achieved.