Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Panduit Corporation

Calvin H Derr

Jerry A Wiltjer

John G Dalton

Steven L Bivens

Joseph Wach

Chad K Zeilenga

A fiber-optic adapter with enhanced alignment is described. The adapter has two opposing housing halves and two opposing floating connector latches. Each housing half has a channel. The channels are configured to align when the two housing halves are secured together. The channels of the housing halves also have pockets which are configured to utilize a clearance fit, allowing the connector latches to float when the housing halves are secured together.

Fiber optic adapter with enhanced alignment

A rotary damper includes a housing and a rotor rotatable in the housing. A clutch is movable toward and away from the housing when said rotor is rotated in first and second directions.

Rotary damper

The viscous damper is formed with a body with a cylindrical wall presenting an edge with a circular tongue element thereon. A cap with a corresponding circular groove element is placed thereon so that the tongue and groove elements align with each other. The resulting tongue and groove configuration is ultrasonically welded thereby forming a hermetic seal. This particularly results in a very precise damper height which is important for small or miniature dampers.

Small viscous precision damper

The damper includes a piston assembly which travels within a cylindrical damper housing between an extended position and a retracted position. A transverse channel is formed proximate to the open end of the damper housing. A latching diamond travels within the transverse channel. The piston assembly includes a piston shaft with a camming wall sub-assembly formed thereon which engages the latching diamond so that the piston assembly is latched in a &ldquo;push-push&rdquo; configuration in the extended position. In this latched configuration, the latching diamond is detent engaged by a concave detent apex formed on an island which includes a longitudinally chamfered portion. Additionally, the flexibility of the island in which the concave detent apex is formed may be increased by transverse passageways or &ldquo;cored-out&rdquo; areas in the piston shaft immediately adjacent to the island. While the open latched configuration is normally released by incrementally extending and then releasing the piston assembly, it is possible that a user will attempt to release the open latched configuration by urging the piston assembly toward the retracted position. In this case, the island flexes and the latch diamond travels over a longitudinally chamfered portion of the concave detent apex free of damage to the island, the latch diamond, and other portions of the damper.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Calvin H Derr