Door closer

A door closer includes a damping device having a cylindrical housing which has a compartment formed by an inclined inner peripheral surface and which includes a greater inner diameter at one end than the other end, a cap attached to the cylindrical housing and having an air perforation for an air to flow into and out of the cylindrical housing, a piston rod slidably engaged in the cylindrical housing, and a sleeve attached to the piston rod and having an outer diameter for engaging with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing at one end of the cylindrical housing, but not engaged with the inner peripheral surface at the other end of the cylindrical housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an air damper or door closer, and more particularly to an air damper or door closer including a simplified structure for reducing the manufacturing cost for the air damper or door closer and for allowing the air damper or door closer to be easily and quickly manufactured or assembled.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical air dampers or door closers or door shutting devices comprise a barrel or cylindrical housing, and a sliding rod or piston rod slidably received or engaged in the barrel or cylindrical housing and slidable between an outwardly extended working or extending position and an inwardly received storing position, and one or more spring biasing members disposed or attached or mounted or engaged into the cylindrical housing and secured or coupled between the cylindrical housing and the piston rod for recovering the piston rod back to the original position.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,806 to Wartian, U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,7065 to Bivens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,739 to Nelson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,708 to Lynch, U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,606 to Lin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,508 to DeBower et al. disclose several of the typical air dampers or door closers or door shutting devices each also comprising a sliding rod or piston rod slidably received or engaged in a barrel or cylindrical housing for damping or resisting the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing and the piston rod, and one or more spring biasing members disposed or engaged into the cylindrical housing and secured or coupled between the cylindrical housing and the piston rod for recovering the piston rod back to the original position.

However, the typical air dampers or door closers or door shutting devices include a complicated structure that may not be easily and quickly manufactured or assembled.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional air dampers or door closers or door shutting devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a door closer including a simplified structure for reducing the manufacturing cost for the air damper or door closer and for allowing the air damper or door closer to be easily and quickly manufactured or assembled.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a door closer comprising a damping device including a cylindrical housing having a compartment formed in the cylindrical housing and defined by an inclined inner peripheral surface, the cylindrical housing including a first end and a second end, and including a greater inner diameter at the first end of the cylindrical housing and a smaller inner diameter at the other end of the cylindrical housing, a cap attached to the first end of the cylindrical housing and including an air perforation formed therein for allowing an air to flow through the air perforation of the cap and to flow into and out of the cylindrical housing, a piston rod slidably received and engaged in the compartment of the cylindrical housing, and including a first end extendible out of the second end of the cylindrical housing, and including a second end located and engaged in the compartment of the cylindrical housing, and a sleeve attached to the second end of the piston rod, and including an outer peripheral surface for engaging with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing, and including an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter at the first end of the cylindrical housing and greater than the inner diameter at the second end of the cylindrical housing for allowing the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve to be engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing at the second end of the cylindrical housing, but not engaged with the inner peripheral surface at the first end of the cylindrical housing.

The cap includes at least one recess formed therein for containing a lubricating oil therein and for retaining the lubricating oil within the compartment of the cylindrical housing. The sleeve includes at least one groove formed therein for containing a lubricating oil therein and for retaining the lubricating oil within the compartment of the cylindrical housing.

The piston rod includes at least one slot formed in the second end of the piston rod, and the sleeve includes at least one flange for engaging with the slot of the piston rod and for anchoring the sleeve to the piston rod and for preventing the sleeve from being disengaged from the piston rod.

A first member may further be provided and coupled to the cylindrical housing, and a second member may further be provided and coupled to the piston rod. One or more spring biasing members may further be provided and coupled between the first member and the second member for recovering the two members.

A filter member may further be provided and attached to the first end of the cylindrical housing for filtering the particles or dirt or containment and for preventing the dirt or containment or the particles from entering into the air perforation of the cap and for preventing the air perforation of the cap from being blocked by the dirt or containment or the particles inadvertently.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially toFIGS. 1-3, a door closer in accordance with the present invention comprises two elements or members10,20, such as a first member10and a second member20slidable or movable relative to each other, and an air cushioning or damping device3disposed or attached or mounted or secured or coupled between the two members10,20for cushioning or damping or resisting the sliding movement between the two members10,20. For example, the first member10may be the door frame10or the like, and the second member20may be the door panel20or the like; or the air cushioning or damping device3may be directly disposed or attached or mounted or secured or coupled between the door frame10and the door panel20for cushioning or damping or resisting the sliding movement between the door frame10and the door panel20.

For example, the first member10includes a chamber11formed therein for receiving or attaching or mounting or securing or engaging with a barrel or cylindrical housing30of the air cushioning or damping device3which includes a bore or compartment31formed in the cylindrical housing30for slidably receiving or engaging with a primary shaft or piston rod35, and the piston rod35includes one end36attached or mounted or secured or coupled to the second member or door panel20with one or more fasteners or latches21for allowing the piston rod35to be pulled or moved relative to the cylindrical housing30by the second member or door panel20, and the relative sliding movement between the piston rod35and the cylindrical housing30may be used for cushioning or damping or resisting the sliding movement between the door frame10and the door panel20. One or more spring biasing members12,13may further be provided and attached or mounted or secured or coupled between the two members10,20for biasing or recovering the two members10,20back to the original position, for example.

As shown inFIGS. 4-9, a lid or cap40is attached or mounted or engaged or secured to one end or first end32of the cylindrical housing30, and includes an air perforation41formed therein for allowing the air to flow through the air perforation41of the cap40and to flow into or out of the cylindrical housing30. The cap40includes one or more peripheral recesses42formed therein for containing or retaining the grease or lubricating oil therein, and the peripheral recesses42of the cap40are communicative with the compartment31of the cylindrical housing30for supplying or retaining the grease or lubricating oil within the compartment31of the cylindrical housing30and for facilitating the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35. The one end36or the piston rod35is extendible out of the other end or the second end33of the cylindrical housing30for coupling to the door panel20.

A soft or resilient piston or sealing member or follower or gasket or sleeve50is attached or mounted or engaged or secured to the other end37of the piston rod35that is disposed or located or engaged in the compartment31of the cylindrical housing30, and includes one or more outer peripheral grooves51,52formed therein for containing or retaining the grease or lubricating oil therein and for supplying or containing or retaining the grease or lubricating oil between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35and also for facilitating the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35. The sleeve50includes an outer peripheral portion or surface53for engaging with the inner peripheral portion or surface34of the cylindrical housing30, and includes one or more peripheral ribs or flanges55extended radially and inwardly therefrom for engaging with the corresponding outer peripheral slots38that is formed in the other end37of the piston rod35and for anchoring or securing or retaining or coupling or positioning the sleeve50to the piston rod35.

The inner peripheral portion or surface34of the cylindrical housing30includes a changing inner diameter gradually reduced from the one end32of the cylindrical housing30to the other end33of the cylindrical housing30, or gradually increased from the other end33of the cylindrical housing30to the one end32of the cylindrical housing30, or the cylindrical housing30includes a tapered or tilted or inclined inner peripheral portion or surface34having a narrower or reduced inner diameter at the other end33of the cylindrical housing30than the inner diameter at the one end32of the cylindrical housing30. The sleeve50includes an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter at the one end32of the cylindrical housing30, but greater than the inner diameter at the other end33of the cylindrical housing30for allowing the outer peripheral portion or surface53of the sleeve50to be engaged with the inner peripheral portion or surface34of the cylindrical housing30at the other end33of the cylindrical housing30, but not engaged with the inner peripheral portion or surface34at the one end32of the cylindrical housing30.

In operation, as shown inFIGS. 6-7, when the piston rod35is pulled or moved out of the other end33of the cylindrical housing30or moved away from the cap40, the outer peripheral portion or surface53of the sleeve50may be forced or caused to engage with the inner peripheral portion or surface34of the cylindrical housing30at the other end33of the cylindrical housing30for cushioning or damping or resisting the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35, and at this moment, the air at the outer environment of the cylindrical housing30may be drawn or forced to flow through the air perforation41of the cap40and then to flow into the compartment31of the cylindrical housing30.

As shown inFIG. 8, when the piston rod35is forced or moved toward the cap40or the one end32of the cylindrical housing30, the air contained in the compartment31of the cylindrical housing30may be forced to move or flow out through the air perforation41of the cap40and may also be used to cushion or damp or resist the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35. As shown inFIG. 9, a filter screen or cover or member43may further be provided and attached or mounted or secured to the cap40or the one end32of the cylindrical housing30for filtering the particles or dirt or containment and for preventing the dirt or containment or the particles from entering into the air perforation41of the cap40and for preventing the air perforation41of the cap40from being blocked by the dirt or containment or the particles inadvertently.

It is to be noted that the sleeve50may be easily and quickly manufactured and may be easily and quickly assembled onto the other end37of the piston rod35, and the cap40may also be easily and quickly manufactured and may be easily and quickly assembled or engaged onto the one end32of the cylindrical housing30, and the flowing or the air from the compartment31of the cylindrical housing30through the air perforation41of the cap40may be used to cushion or damp or resist the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35, and the sliding engagement between the outer peripheral portion or surface53of the sleeve50and the inner peripheral portion or surface34of the cylindrical housing30at the other end33of the cylindrical housing30may also be used to cushion or damp or resist the sliding movement between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35. No spring biasing members are required to be disposed or attached or mounted or engaged into the cylindrical housing30and secured or connected or coupled between the cylindrical housing30and the piston rod35.

Accordingly, the door closer in accordance with the present invention includes a simplified structure for reducing the manufacturing cost for the air damper or door closer and for allowing the air damper or door closer to be easily and quickly manufactured or assembled.