Patent Application
20080098803
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thermal effect switches for the application technology using the thermal conductance in automatic reaction switches and warning switches etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, thermal chambers are usually used in electronic products, such as computers, etc., to be configured for conducting heat. The thermal chamber is a sealed chamber and has a little working fluid filled therein. The sealed chamber includes a vacuum chamber. A capillary construction is attached on the inner wall of the sealed chamber. If one distal end of the thermal chamber is heated, the working fluid filled therein will be vaporized and transmitted to the other distal end. In the transmitting process, the vaporized working fluid is cooled to be liquid and the heat dissipates. The conventional thermal chamber is only used to conduct heat, and have no else uses.
What is needed, is to provide a thermal effect switch using a thermal chamber.
A thermal effect switch in accordance with a preferred embodiment includes a thermal chamber and an effect switch mounted on the thermal chamber. The thermal chamber has a sealed chamber and working fluid filled therein. The sealed chamber has a vacuum chamber. The effect switch is a flexible structure configured for turning inwards and outwards, and is operated by changing inner pressure of the thermal chamber produced by heating the chamber.
A thermal effect switch in accordance with another preferred embodiment includes a thermal chamber and an effect switch mounted thereon. The thermal chamber has a sealed chamber and working fluid filled therein. The sealed chamber has a vacuum chamber. The effect switch is configured for send out an output signal produced according to the heat condition of the thermal chamber to form an open circuit or a close circuit.
The present thermal effect switch uses an effect switch operated by the heat condition of the thermal chamber, so that the thermal effect switch can sense the heat condition. Furthermore, in the present invention, an alarm device is provided, and is driven by the above thermal effect switch. The alarm device includes a circuit controlled by the effect switch. The alarm device includes a moveable plate, two electrical conductive columns passing through the moveable plate, a power supply and an alarm. The power supply and the alarm are arranged between the two electrical conductive columns. The alarm may be a light emitting element, a sound element or a shake element. The switch moves outwards controlled by the heat condition of the thermal chamber to make the moveable plate contact with the two electrical conductive columns to form a close circuit, thereby, the alarm sends out an alert.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe a preferred embodiment of the present thermal effect switch, in detail.
Referring to
The effect switch 2 is arranged at an optional place of the thermal chamber 1. The effect switch 2 includes a middle protruding portion 22, and a flexible portion 21 arranged around the periphery of the protruding portion 22. The flexible portion 21 can turn inwards or outwards to make the protruding portion 22 move downwards or upwards.
Referring to
Referring to
The component unit 3 is used to receiving the effect switch 2 of the thermal effect switch 1. The component unit 3 includes a top plate 33 and a sidewall 31 surrounding the top plate 33. A movable plate 32 is arranged under the top plate 33 and in a space defined by the sidewall 31. The movable plate 32 includes a flat plate 321 and an electric conductive protrusion 322. The flat plate 321 is arranged at the fringe of the effect switch 2.
The alarm device 9 further includes two electrical conductive columns 5 perpendicular to the top plate 33 and passing through the top plate 33. Each electrical conductive column 5 has a conductive portion 331 arranged at the bottom thereof.
The alarm unit 4 is arranged on the component unit 3 and includes a number of clapboards 41. The two electrical conductive columns 5 pass through the number of clapboards 41. The alarm unit 4 further includes a power supply 6 and an alarm 7 arranged on the clapboards 41. The power supply 6 may be a battery and the alarm 7 may be a light emitting element, such as light bulb or light emitting diode. The alarm 7 also may be a sound element, such as trumpet or buzzer. The alarm 7 may be also a shake element with a shake function. The alarm unit 4 further includes a printed circuit board (not shown).
Referring to
Referring to
The present alarm device 9 can be used not only in the spoon, but also in other product which influences by the heat, such as dishwares, or fire protections, etc.
The effect switch 2 can be arranged not only at one distal end of the thermal chamber 1, but also at a sidewall of the thermal chamber 1 as shown in
The thermal chamber 1 is a sealed chamber having any shape, length, construction, and material. The effect switch 2 may also have any shape, construction, number and material. The thermal effect switch may have different working fluid, capillary structure and vacuum pressure decided by different characters of the thermal effect switch. The thermal effect switch may have or have not a capillary structure. The alarm unit may also replace its inner component.
The switch may also be a switch sending out a signal to form an open circuit or a close circuit decided by the heat condition of the thermal chamber.
The conductive portion may also be an embedding electrode.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including configurations ways of the recessed portions and materials and/or designs of the attaching structures. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
