Patent ID: 7048098

Claim:
Toroidal rotary damper apparatus comprising, in combination: a housing defining a housing interior for containing damper fluid, said housing interior at least partially formed by a toroidal inner housing surface disposed at least partially about and uniformly spaced from a central axis; a piston in said housing interior having a substantially circular outer peripheral piston surface extending at least substantially completely about said at least one piston in substantially fluid-tight engagement with said toroidal inner housing surface, said piston being spaced from said axis and said piston being movable relative to said housing within said housing interior along at least a portion of a circular path orthogonal to said axis and surrounding said axis with said substantially circular outer peripheral surface thereof always disposed co-planar with said axis and always uniformly spaced from said axis; a fluid barrier attached to said housing and positioned in said housing interior; a flow control passageway defined by either said piston or said fluid barrier for permitting controlled passage of damper fluid therethrough responsive to relative rotational movement between said piston and said housing to dampen forces applied to the toroidal damper apparatus causing said relative rotational movement, said housing interior along the length thereof having a uniform, substantially circular cross-section in the plane occupied by said substantially circular outer peripheral piston surface and said axis, and said housing substantially surrounding and engaging said substantially circular outer peripheral piston surface; and shaft co-axial with said axis extending through said housing interior along said axis orthogonal to said circular path, said shaft including a radially outwardly protruding member disposed within the housing engaging said piston, said shaft and said piston being jointly rotatably movable about said axis relative to said housing.