Claims
- 1. In a control device having a rod and tube temperature sensing unit for providing linear motion of a part thereof along a substantially straight linear path in relation to the temperature being sensed by said unit and having a potentiometer means provided with an electrical output producing means operatively interconnected to said part of said unit so as to produce a variable electrical signal in relation to the temperature being sensed by said unit, said electrical output means being movable along an arcuate linear path by said part of said unit, said potentiometer means having a member provided with an arcuate electrical resistance means having a wiper contacting face, said electrical output means comprising an electrical wiper means being disposed in sliding engagement with said wiper contacting face whereby said arcuate electrical resistance means defines said arcuate path, said control device having movable interconnecting means operatively interconnecting said part of said unit to said electrical output means of said potentiometer means, said movable interconnecting means comprising a pivotally mounted lever, said lever having a pivot point, said electrical output means being carried by said lever to move in unison therewith whereby said arcuate path is defined by a radius extending from said pivot point of said lever to said electrical output means of said potentiometer means, the improvement wherein said linear path of said electrical output means and said linear path of said part of said unit are substantially coplanar and said wiper contacting face of said potentiometer means is convex and is also defined by a radius extending from said pivot point of said lever to said wiper contacting surface of said potentiometer means and wherein said member is movable relative to said device along an arcuate path that is substantially concentric to said arcuate path of said electrical output means for calibrating said device.
- 2. A control device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control device has guide means, said member of said potentiometer means having means operatively associated with said guide means to provide for said arcuate path of movement thereof.
- 3. A control device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said member of said potentiometer means has biasing means operatively associated with said guide means to tend to hold said member in its adjusted relation on said guide means.
- 4. A control device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said guide means defines a slot means, said member having a substantially H-shape with the cross member thereof being disposed in said slot means.
- 5. A control device as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of the parallel parts of said H-shaped member defines said biasing means thereof.
- 6. A control device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said member has a convex outer surface, said electrical resistance means comprising a resistance film secured to said convex outer surface to define said convex wiper contacting face of said member.
- 7. In a method of making a control device, said method comprising the steps of forming said device to have a rod and tube temperature sensing unit for providing linear motion of a part thereof along a substantially straight linear path in relation to the temperature being sensed by said unit and to have a potentiometer means provided with an electrical output producing means operatively interconnected to said part of said unit so as to produce a variable electrical signal in relation to the temperature being sensed by said unit, forming said electrical output means to be movable along an arcuate linear path by said part of said unit, forming said potentiometer means to have a member provided with an arcuate electrical resistance means having a wiper contacting face, disposing an electrical wiper means of said electrical output means in sliding engagement with said wiper contacting face whereby said arcuate electrical resistance means defines said arcuate path, forming said control device to have a movable interconnecting means operatively interconnecting said part of said unit to said electrical output means of said potentiometer means, forming said movable interconnecting means to comprise a pivotally mounted lever, forming said lever to have a pivot point, and forming said electrical output means to be carried by said lever to move in unison therewith whereby said arcuate path is defined by a radius extending from said pivot point of said lever to said electrical output means of said potentiometer means, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said control device so that said linear path of said electrical output means and said linear path of said part of said unit are substantially coplanar and said wiper contacting face of said potentiometer means is convex and is also defined by a radius extending from said pivot point of said lever to said wiper contacting surface of said potentiometer means, and forming said member to be movable relative to said device along an arcuate path that is substantially concentric to said arcuate path of said electrical output means for calibrating said device.
- 8. A method of making a control device as set forth in claim 7 and including the steps of forming said control device to have guide means, and operatively associating said member of said potentiometer means with said guide means to provide for said arcuate path of movement thereof.
- 9. A method of making a control device as set forth in claim 8 and including the step of forming said member of said potentiometer means with biasing means that is operatively associated with said guide means to tend to hold said member in its adjusted relation on said guide means.
- 10. A method of making a control device as set forth in claim 9 and including the step of forming one of the parallel parts of said H-shaped member to define said biasing means thereof.
- 11. A method of making a control device as set forth in claim 7 and including the step of forming said surface means of said member of said potentiometer means to comprise an electrical resistance means carried by said member.
- 12. A method of making a control device as set forth in claim 7 and including the steps of forming said member to have a convex outer surface, forming said electrical resistance means to comprise a resistance film, and securing said film to said convex outer surface of said member to define said convex wiper contacting face of said member.
- 13. In a control system for a heating means that has control means for comparing a variable electrical signal that has a value in relation to the output temperature of said heating means and a selected electrical signal that has a value in relation to a selected temperature setting to control the operation of said heating means to tend to produce an output temperature substantially equal to said selected temperature, said control means comprising a control device having a rod and tube temperature sensing unit for providing linear motion of a part thereof along a substantially straight linear path in relation to the output temperature of said heating means and having a potentiometer means provided with an electrical output producing means operatively interconnected to said part of said unit so as to produce a variable electrical signal in relation to the output temperature of said heating means, said electrical output means being movable along an arcuate linear path by said part of said unit, said potentiometer means having a member provided with an arcuate electrical resistance means having a wiper contacting face, said electrical output means comprising an electrical wiper means being disposed in sliding engagement with said wiper contacting face whereby said arcuate electrical resistance means defines said arcuate path, said control device having a movable interconnecting means operatively interconnecting said part of said unit to said electrical output means of said potentiometer means, said movable interconnecting means comprising a pivotally mounted lever, said lever having a pivot point, said electrical output means being carried by said lever to move in unison therewith whereby said arcuate path is defined by a radius extending from said pivot point of said lever to said electrical output means of said potentiometer means, the improvement wherein said linear path of said electrical output means and said linear path of said part of said unit are substantially coplanar and said wiper contacting face of said potentiometer means is convex and is also defined by a radius extending from said pivot point of said lever to said wiper contacting surface of said potentiometer means and wherein said member is movable relative to said device along an arcuate path that is substantially concentric to said arcuate path of said electrical output means for calibrating said device.
- 14. A control system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said control device has guide means, said member of said potentiometer means having means operatively associated with said guide means to provide for said arcuate path of movement thereof.
- 15. A control system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said member of said potentiometer means has biasing means operatively associated with said guide means to tend to hold said member in its adjusted relation on said guide means.
- 16. A control system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said guide means defines a slot means, said member having a substantially H-shape with the cross member thereof being disposed in said slot means.
- 17. A control system as set forth in claim 16 wherein one of the parallel parts of said H-shaped member defines said biasing means thereof.
- 18. A control system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said member has a convex outer surface, said electrical resistance means comprising a resistance film secured to said convex outer surface to define said convex wiper contacting face of said member.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation patent application of its copending parent patent application, Ser. No. 534,340, filed Sept. 21, 1983, and now abandoned in favor of this continuation patent application.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
534340 |
Sep 1983 |
|