Abstract:
A device for attenuating movement of a door includes a housing having a first surface spaced apart from a second surface for defining a sliding path for an elongated sliding member. The elongated sliding member engages with at least one of the first and second surfaces when the elongated member slides in a first direction. A connecting member having a first end connected to the door and the other end to the elongated sliding member is provided so that opening of the door moves the sliding member in the first direction. Damping material is disposed between the elongated sliding member and at least one of the first and second surfaces. The damping material applies surface tension forces to the elongated sliding member when sliding in the first direction such that movement of the door attenuates or dampens the movement of the door.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119, this application is related to and claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of provisional application having Ser. No. 61/503,390, filed on Jun. 30, 2011, and entitled “Door Dampening Device and System,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to doors and door closure apparatus and, more particularly, to a device for dampening the swinging open of a door using a linear slider. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Doors or access covers, particularly those that are vertically mounted, typically lend themselves to being opened rapidly due to their weight and gravity. For example, when a user opens the door to access the interior of a machine and the user does not support the door through its rotation to the fully opened position, the tendency is for the door to swing open quickly. This may cause a shock load that can damage the hinge and/or the door itself. Also, an abruptly opening door gives an undesirable impression to the user that the product is cheap or of poor quality. Consequently, various damping devices have been constructed for attenuating the swinging open of a door. Some of the more common devices used to attenuate the rotational movement of a door use a torsional spring that is connected to the hinge and that provides a damping force when the door is opened or closed. Another common door damping device is a door engaging with a rack gear that attenuates the rotational movement of the door. However, such devices do not lend themselves especially useful in applications that have a small space to accommodate the damping device. If they are to be used, the footprint size of the product would increase which consequently contributes to additional cost to make the product. 
     Based upon the foregoing, there is a need to provide a reliable damping device for attenuating the swinging motion of a door that is compact, simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY 
     Example embodiments of the disclosure provide a device for attenuating movement of a door from a closed position to an open position. According to example embodiments, a housing having a first surface spaced apart from a second surface is provided to define a sliding path for an elongated sliding member. The elongated sliding member engages, such as frictionally engages, with at least one of the first surface and the second surface when the elongated member undergoes sliding movement in a first direction. A connecting member having one end thereof connected to the door and the other end to the elongated sliding member is provided so that opening of the door moves the sliding member in the first direction. Damping material is disposed between the at least one of the first surface and the second surface and the elongated sliding member. The damping material applies surface tension forces to the elongated sliding member when sliding in the first direction such that movement of the door from the closed position to the open position is attenuated or dampened. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the various embodiments of the invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an imaging device with its access door in the closed position; 
         FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the embodiment of an imaging device of  FIG. 1B  with the access door in the open position; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective underside view of a corner, front portion of the imaging device of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective underside view of a corner, front portion of the imaging device of  FIG. 1B  with the slide cover and the biasing member removed; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the dampening assembly of  FIGS. 2A and 2B ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly of the imaging device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  with the access door in the closed position; 
         FIG. 5  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly of the imaging device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  with the access door in the open position; 
         FIG. 6A  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  with the access door rotated about 75 degrees from the closed position; 
         FIG. 6B  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  with the access door rotated about 90 degrees from the closed position; 
         FIG. 7A  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly with the access door rotated about 15 degrees from the open position; 
         FIG. 7B  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly with the access door rotated to the closed position; and 
         FIG. 8  is a side section view of a portion of the access door and base frame assembly of the imaging device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  with the access door in the closed position, according to another example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Further, the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the example embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a perspective view of an imaging device  10  embodying an example embodiment. Imaging device  10 , which may be a standalone imaging device, includes a housing  15  having an upper front portion  20  including an image capture window  25 . Image capture window  25  may be constructed from a rigid, transparent and/or translucent material, such as glass. Lid  30  may be pivotably connected along a bottom edge  35  thereof to the housing  15  via hinges or the like (not shown) to allow the lid  30  to swing relative to the image capture window  25  so that the lid  30  may cover the image capture window  25  in a closed position and uncover the image capture window  25  in an open position.  FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate lid  30  disposed in the closed position. 
     As shown, imaging device  10  may include an access cover  50  pivotably connected to a lower front portion  40  of the housing  15 . The access cover  50  may be pivotably connected along a bottom edge  45  thereof to the lower front portion  40  of the housing  15  via hinges  55 ,  56 , or the like to allow the access cover  50  to swing relative to the lower front portion  40  so that the access cover  50  may cover an interior  70  in a closed position and uncover the interior  70  in an open position.  FIG. 1A  illustrates the access cover  50  disposed in the closed position and  FIG. 1B  illustrates the access cover  50  in the open position. 
     According to an example embodiment, upper and lower front portions  20 ,  40  may be disposed in an inclined position at an acute angle relative to the horizontal. The back portion of the imaging device  10  may have an input media tray  80  that may retain one or more print media sheets therein. A media output area  85  may be positioned along a lower part of lower front portion  40 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , according to an example embodiment the access cover  50  may be opened to access a tank install area  71  and to access a secondary cover  78  for removing jammed sheets of media and removing and installing a printhead. An ink tank assembly  72  having a plurality of ink cartridges as well as a printhead assembly (not shown) may be in tank install area  71 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show perspective underside views of a lower, corner portion of the access cover  50  and the base frame assembly  100  of the imaging device  10 . Base frame assembly  100  includes a housing  112  and an attenuating device  110  for dampening the rotational movement of the access cover  50  as it moves from the closed position (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) to the open position (as shown in  FIG. 1B ). Attenuating device  110  may include elongated sliding member  130  ( FIG. 2B ) disposed within housing  112  and operatively coupled to the access cover  50  so as to undergo substantially linear sliding movement in a forward direction (i.e., towards the front of imaging device  10 ) during movement of the access cover  50  from the closed position to the open position, and movement in a direction opposite the first direction when access cover  50  is moved from the open position to the closed position. Housing  112  may include a floor portion  106  (shown in  FIG. 2A , whereas  FIG. 2B  shows base frame assembly without floor portion  106  so as to illustrate the positioning of sliding member  130 ) having an inner surface for engaging with sliding member  130 , creating surface tension forces acting thereon and resisting movement of sliding member  130  in the forward direction. 
     Attenuating device  110  may further include a biasing member  120  which may further resist the forward movement of the elongated sliding member  130 . In one example embodiment as depicted in  FIG. 2A , the biasing member  120  may be a compression spring having a first end  122  ( FIG. 5 ) receivably mounted to a post  103  ( FIG. 2B , which shows post  103  with biasing member  120  removed) extending from a wall  102  positioned forwardly of sliding member  130 , and a second end  124  ( FIG. 5 ) receivably mounted to a post  133  on a front end  132  of the elongated sliding member  130  (best seen in  FIG. 3 ). In another contemplated embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , the biasing member  120  may be a tension spring positioned rearwardly of the sliding member  130 , having one end connected to a rear end  134  of the elongated sliding member  130  and a second end to a wall  102 . Like biasing member  120 , the tension spring provides resistance against the movement of the elongated sliding member  130  in the forward direction. 
     Housing  112 , which may form an enclosure at least partly around sliding member  130 , may include the floor portion  106  fixably mounted by appropriate fastening means such as screws, on the base frame assembly  100 . Housing  112  provides a space between the floor portion  106  and the base frame assembly  100  to accommodate the elongated sliding member  130  at least partly therein. Elongated sliding member  130  of attenuating device  110  may be positioned above floor portion  106 , as indicated in  FIG. 4 . 
     Attenuating device  110  may further include connecting member  150  having a front end  152  coupled to front end  132  of elongated sliding member  130  and a rear end  154  coupled to the access cover  50  ( FIG. 4 ). In one example embodiment, the connecting member  150  may be a substantially rigid wire form made of stainless steel material or like material. Each end  152 ,  154  of the connecting member  150  may have a hook portion. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the hook portion of front end  152  may be received in the aperture at front end  132  of the elongated sliding member  130  such that the hook portion of front end  152  straddles and prevents withdrawal of the connecting member  150  and disconnection from the aperture of the front end  132  of the elongated sliding member  130 . Similarly, the hook portion of rear end  154  is received in an arcuate slot  52  at the pivoting end  54  of the access cover  50  ( FIGS. 4  and  5 ) such that the hook portion of rear end  154  prevents withdrawal of the connecting member  150  and disconnection from the arcuate slot  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a layer of damping grease  115  may be provided in the gap between the engaging surface of the ceiling portion  113  of housing  112  and the upper contacting surface  138  of the elongated sliding member  130 , and/or in the gap between the lower contacting surface  140  of the elongated sliding member  130  and the floor portion  106 . In an example embodiment, damping grease  115  is a fluorocarbon gel, such as fluorocarbon gel 868VH made by Nye Lubricants, Inc. of Fairhaven, Mass. It is understood, however, that damping grease  115  may be other lubricants or fluorocarbon gels. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the elongated sliding member  130 , in one embodiment, may have a plurality of grooves  145  formed laterally across the upper contacting surface  138  and/or the lower contacting surface  140  of sliding member  130 . Grooves  145  serve to retain damping grease  115  therein. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of grooves (not shown) may be formed laterally across the engaging surface of the floor portion  106  and/or the engaging surface of the base frame assembly  100 . Though grooves  145  are depicted in  FIG. 3  as being substantially linear and laterally disposed across upper contacting surface  138 , it is understood that grooves  145  may have any of a number of different shapes so long as such shaped grooves serve to retain damping grease  115 . 
     It will be understood that, when the access cover  50  moves from the closed position (shown in  FIG. 4 ) to the open position ( FIG. 5 ), the rotation of cover  50  substantially about axis  58  pulls connecting member  150  forwardly toward a front of imaging device  10  such that the elongated sliding member  130  advances in the forward direction indicated by arrow A (shown in  FIG. 4 ). However, the surface tension forces applied to sliding member  130  by floor portion  106  and/or base frame assembly  100 , at least partly due to the presence of damping grease  115  as explained above, are sufficient to slow down or otherwise dampen the forward movement of the elongated sliding member  130 , thereby damping or attenuating rotational movement of the access cover  50  to effectuate smooth and non-abrupt opening movement thereof. Further, as mentioned above, the biasing member  120  may also provide a force resisting the forward movement of elongated sliding member  130  which also serves to attenuate the forward movement of the elongated sliding member  130  and opening movement of access cover  50  in a substantially constant, non-abrupt, and smooth motion. 
     In one example embodiment, a breakaway feature is provided to at least partly relieve the stress at the pivoting member  57  of base frame assembly  100  when access cover  50  is fully opened. As can readily seen from comparing  FIGS. 6A and 7B , the position of the hook portion of rear end  154  is in a first portion  53 A of the arcuate slot  52  of the access cover  50 . It will be understood, therefore, that from the closed position (shown in  FIG. 7B ) up to the time when the access cover  50  is rotated about 75 degrees from the vertical, the torque on the hinges  55 ,  56  ( FIG. 1B ) increases due to the unsupported weight of the access cover  50  and the spring force exerted by the biasing member  120 . Furthermore, a user may accidentally force the access cover  50  to rotate beyond its intended operating window and/or beyond its intended, fully open position and could damage the hinges  55 ,  56  as a result. 
     The breakaway feature enables the access cover  50  to release at least some of the stress experienced by hinges  55 ,  56 . As shown in  FIG. 6A , when the door is opened about 75 degrees from the closed or substantially vertical position, the hook portion of rear end  154  of connecting member  150  is positioned to engage the first portion  53 A of the arcuate slot  52 . Access cover  50  is provided with a claw member  60  for engaging a wall portion  107  of base frame assembly  100 . At an opening of about 75 degrees, the claw member  60  flexes as it moves against the wall portion  107  from the rear side  108  until the claw member  60  eases out of the front side  109  of wall portion  107  at an opening of about 90 degrees ( FIG. 6B ). As the claw member  60  eases out of engagement with the wall portion  107 , the claw member  60  springs back or otherwise resiliently returns to its original form such that an edge surface  62  of the claw member  60  abuts against the front side  109  of wall portion  107 . The springing, resilient action of the claw member  60  causes movement of the hook portion  156  of rear end  154  to move from the first portion  53 A to the second portion  53 B of the arcuate slot  52  as shown in  FIG. 6B . As a result, some of the stress on the hinges  55 ,  56  is released by allowing the biasing member  120  to decompress. 
     To return the access cover  50  back to the closed position, the user applies a force to rotate the access cover  50 , allowing the hook portion of rear end  154  to move from second portion  53 B, as shown in  FIG. 7A , back to the first portion  53 A of the arcuate slot  52 , as shown in  FIG. 7B . Claw member  60  flexes back into engagement and then out of engagement with the wall  107  from the front side  109  to the rear side  108  until it reaches its original position. The rotational movement of the access cover  50  back to the closed position allows the biasing member  120  to decompress and to push the elongated sliding member  130  in the direction opposite arrow A. In an example embodiment, magnets (not shown) may be used to secure the access cover  50  in the closed position although latches or other mechanisms may be used. 
     The foregoing description of several methods and embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise acts and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.