CAM ACTUATED DAMPER
A damper system includes a first plate having a plurality of openings and a second plate having a plurality of openings. A cam is coupled to the first plate, and a motor is coupled to the cam. The motor turns the cam, and the cam moves the first plate in relation to the second plate, thereby aligning or offsetting the openings of the first and second plates.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/847,444, filed on Jul. 17, 2013, entitled Offset Cam Actuated Damper With Control, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates to heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and in an embodiment, but not by way of limitation, a cam actuated damper for HVAC systems.
BACKGROUNDIn a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, cooling or heating air is a valuable resource that should be minimized in spaces that do not need much of it at a particular point in time, and should be delivered in greater volume to areas that require more of it at a particular point in time. Additionally, the space demands for cooling or heating air can be dynamic based on equipment load and/or the number of people occupying different locations at different times.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments which may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present embodiments. The following description of example embodiments is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the present embodiments is defined by the appended claims.
A damper system is disclosed herein that senses demand for cooling and/or heating air, and adjusts the amount of cooling and/or heating air (measured by cubic feet per minute) provided to a particular room or area based on a dynamic profile. The damper system consequently conserves the cooling and/or heating air. The damper system may include a controller and damper assembly mounted in the raised access floor panels of a data center, a ceiling mounted diffuser, or a wall mounted diffuser. The mounting of the damper system to the floor panels, ceiling mounter diffuser, or wall mounted diffuser can employ any type of connector or connector system known to those of skill in the art such as rivets, screws, bolts, nuts, adhesives, and straps. The damper system may be configured as a single device with a localized controller or as a plurality of devices with a centralized controller.
More specifically, in an embodiment, a damper control system for a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system includes a pair of plates with a pattern of openings, holes, or slots therein. In one example, the openings are rectangular. A cam is coupled to a top plate and operates to move the top plate relative to a bottom plate such that the openings in the top and bottom plates are more fully open, less fully open, fully open, or fully closed. In another embodiment, the damper control system could be configured such that the bottom plate moves in relation to the top plate. In another embodiment, for example when the damper system is coupled to a wall-mounted diffuser, a first plate is adjacent to a second plate. The cam includes a round or oval disk with an offset (i.e., off center) rotary drive hole. The cam is driven by a motor, and in a particular embodiment, a servo motor. The servo motor is controlled thermostatically, thereby further opening or further closing the alignment of the openings of the top and bottom plates based on the sensed temperature. The thermostatic control can be local to an individual damper and temperature sensor pair, or it can be networked to a central controller with a flexible sensor to damper control scheme via a sensitivity map.
The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) and will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
In the foregoing description of the embodiments, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting that the claimed embodiments have more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Description of the Embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate example embodiment.
Claims
1. A damper system comprising:
- a bottom plate comprising a plurality of first openings;
- a top plate comprising a plurality of second openings, the top plate positioned above the bottom plate;
- a cam coupled to the top plate; and
- a motor coupled to the cam.
2. The damper system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first openings and the plurality of second openings are rectangular.
3. The damper system of claim 1, comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the motor.
4. The damper system of claim 3, wherein the motor is configured to rotate a shaft as a function of signals from the temperature sensor.
5. The damper system of claim 4, wherein a rotation of the motor shaft in a first circular direction causes the cam to move the top plate in a first direction, thereby causing the openings of the top plate to align with the openings of the bottom plate; and wherein a rotation of the motor shaft in a second circular direction causes the cam to move the top plate in a second direction, thereby causing the openings of the top plate to be offset from the openings of the bottom plate.
6. The damper system of claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to control a single damper apparatus.
7. The damper system of claim 3, comprising:
- a plurality of temperature sensors;
- a plurality of damper apparatuses, each damper apparatus comprising the top plate, the bottom plate, the cam, and the motor; and
- a central controller to which the plurality of temperature sensors and the plurality of damper apparatuses are coupled;
- wherein the central controller is configured to operate the plurality of damper apparatuses based on input from the plurality of temperature sensors.
8. The damper system of claim 1, wherein the cam comprises a round disk with a rotary drive hole that is offset from a center of the round disk, or the cam comprises an oval disk with the rotary drive hole that is offset from a center of the oval disk, wherein the offset rotary drive hole is for receiving a drive shaft of the motor; and wherein the cam comprises a flange.
9. The damper system of claim 8, wherein the top plate comprises a third opening for receiving the cam and a rectangular cam follower surface; and wherein the third opening is configured to permit insertion of the cam with the flange.
10. The damper system of claim 1, comprising connectors for attachment of the damper system to a raised access floor panel, a ceiling mounted diffuser, or a wall mounted diffuser.
11. The damper system of claim 1, wherein the motor comprises a servo motor.
12. A damper system comprising:
- a plurality of temperature sensors;
- a plurality of damper apparatuses, each damper apparatus comprising a top plate comprising a plurality of first openings, a bottom plate comprising a plurality of second openings, a cam coupled to the top plate, and a motor coupled to the cam; and
- a central controller to which the plurality of temperature sensors and the plurality of damper apparatuses are coupled;
- wherein the top plate is positioned above the bottom plate; and
- wherein the central controller is configured to operate the plurality of damper apparatuses based on input from the plurality of temperature sensors.
13. The damper system of claim 12, wherein the operation of the plurality of damper apparatuses comprises rotating a shaft of the motor as a function of signals from the temperature sensors.
14. The damper system of claim 13, wherein the rotating of the shaft of the motor in a first circular direction causes the cam to move the top plate in a first linear direction, thereby causing the openings of the top plate to align with the openings of the bottom plate; and wherein a rotation of the shaft of the motor in a second circular direction causes the cam to move the top plate in a second linear direction, thereby causing the openings of the top plate to be offset from the openings of the bottom plate.
15. The damper system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first openings and the plurality of second openings are rectangular.
16. The damper system of claim 12, wherein the cam comprises a round disk with a rotary drive hole that is offset from a center of the round disk, or the cam comprises an oval disk with the rotary drive hole that is offset from a center of the oval disk, wherein the offset rotary drive hole is for receiving a draft shaft of the motor; and wherein the cam comprises a flange.
17. The damper system of claim 16, wherein the top plate comprises a third opening for receiving the cam and the third opening comprises a cam follower surface; and wherein the third opening is configured to permit insertion of the cam with the flange.
18. The damper system of claim 12, comprising connectors for attachment of each of the damper apparatuses to a raised access floor panel, a ceiling mounted diffuser, or a wall mounted diffuser.
19. The damper system of claim 12, wherein the motor comprises a servo motor.
20. A damper system comprising:
- a controller;
- a first plate comprising a plurality of first openings;
- a second plate comprising a plurality of second openings, the first plate positioned adjacent to the second plate;
- a cam coupled to the first plate;
- a motor coupled to the controller and the cam; and
- a temperature sensor coupled to the controller.
21. The damper system of claim 20,
- wherein the motor is configured to rotate a shaft as a function of signals from the temperature sensor; and
- wherein a rotation of the motor shaft in a first circular direction causes the cam to move the first plate in a first direction, thereby causing the openings of the first plate to align with the openings of the second plate; and wherein a rotation of the motor shaft in a second circular direction causes the cam to move the first plate in a second direction, thereby causing the openings of the first plate to be offset from the openings of the second plate.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 9, 2014
Publication Date: Jan 22, 2015
Inventor: Walter E. Phelps (Merrimack, NH)
Application Number: 14/327,131
International Classification: F24F 11/00 (20060101); F24F 13/10 (20060101);