Patent ID: 6397985
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: B61F,F16F

Abstract:
A friction dampener for interposition between separate independently movable elements which are expected to undergo relative displacements, said friction dampener comprising:a. a housing having a first connecting member for connection to a first independently movable element; b. a shaft having a first end slidably disposed in said housing and an opposite end having a second connecting member for connection to a second independently movable element; c. at least one friction element carried by said shaft in contact with and frictionally engaging said housing; and d. said housing configured to accommodate thermal expansion of said at least one friction element without a resulting increase in pressure between said at least one friction element and said housing; and e. wherein said at least one friction element frictionally engages less than an entire perimeter of said housing to provide space for said at least one friction element to expand such that pressure between said at least one friction element and said housing does not increase to permit said pressure to be generally maintained within a range of desired pressures.