Patent ID: 7717239

Claim:
A linear damper comprising: a damping assembly and a rod extending through said damping assembly, said damping assembly and said rod configured and arranged for relative axial movement therebetween, said damping assembly including a housing having a conical surface, said rod having a head and a base on opposite ends thereof, said rod extending completely through said housing such that said head is positioned on one side of said housing and said base is positioned on an opposite side of said housing, said head and said base being configured to prevent said rod from inadvertently moving out of said housing; said damping assembly including a friction member therein disposed adjacent said rod, said friction member including an outer shell and an inner liner, said inner liner including a smooth inner surface for engagement against said rod, and said outer shell disposed to engage said conical surface of said housing, said outer shell and said inner liner having only a single axial slot from one end to the other end thereof, said slot having a width; said friction member being moved by movement of said rod in one axial direction to provide clamping force against said rod such that said width of said slot only decreases as said rod moves in said one axial direction, and said friction member being moved by movement of said rod in an opposite axial direction to release clamping force applied against said rod such that said width of said slot increases; wherein said friction member has an axial length less than an axial length of a space in said housing, and said friction member axially moves in said space in said housing, such that entire outer surface of said outer shell of said friction member remains in complete engagement with said conical surface of said housing as said friction member moves back and forth within said space.