VELOCITY CONTROL OF FALLING MASS

Machine designs commonly require damping a falling mass to prevent damage, noise, or shock, or to impart a desired time delay to the action. Airpot dashpots are a simple mechanical means of obtaining repeatable controlled velocity and easy fine tuning ability.

Application Examples

In vending machines (as shown below) a pull damping Airpot slows the descent of the protective access door after the coffee cup has been removed. This prevents potential injury to the user and eliminates repeated impact that could damage the door. The low friction and low mass of the Airpot’s moving parts allow the door to be raised by hand easily and then freely descend by gravity when released.

In precision testing equipment the Airpot is used to slow the descent of test probes and sensors, preventing damage to the probes and the test sample.

In assembly fixtures the Airpot controls the lowering of sensitive subassemblies as their carriers settle on hard mating surfaces.