Patent ID: 7766044

Claim:
A two-way damper comprising: two retaining rings, each having a first face, a second face and an open center with a centerpoint; the open center of each ring being defined by an edge, each edge being curved in a circumferential direction such that each edge is generally circular in shape in a circumferential direction, and each edge being curved in an axial to radial direction from the first face to the second face such that a diameter of the open center is smaller at the first face than a diameter of the open center at the second face; the two rings being arranged with their second faces facing each other; a valve member comprising a plurality of flexible and resilient leaves formed in at least one disk of material arranged angularly around the inside of said rings and between said rings, said disk of material having a normal flat state, for each disk of material each leaf having a fixed proximal end secured by being sandwiched between said retaining rings at the second faces and a free distal end located toward said centerpoint of said rings, said leaves of each disk of material being movable relative to each other and arranged such that substantially the entire open centers of said rings are occupied by said leaves, each leaf in each disk of material is angularly positioned between two adjacent neighboring leaves at its proximal end, and each leaf in each disk has a length from its proximal end to its distal end which differs from a length of at least one adjacent neighboring leaf in the same disk from its proximal end to its distal end, and said distal ends of at least some adjacent leaves in the same disk of material as one another have radially inward termination points that are spaced from one another while said disk of material is in said normal flat state.