Claims
- 1. A fluid controlled switch assembly comprising:
- a first housing portion;
- a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm and diaphragm stud received in the first housing portion with the stud extending through an aperture in the first housing portion;
- a calibration means for adjustably moving the diaphragm stud axially in the housing aperture, the calibration means being connected with the first housing portion and the diaphragm assembly;
- an electrically conductive spring blade member having an elongated spring portion and a control spring portion, the spring blade member being mounted to the first housing portion adjacent one end of the spring member and including a control member connected with the control spring portion, the control member being operatively connected with the diaphragm such that the connecting spring portion is moved with movement of the diaphragm;
- a stationary electrical contact supported by one of the housing portions, the spring portion supporting an electrical contact on a free end thereof for selectively at least breaking electrical contact with the stationary electrical contact in response to movement of the control member;
- a reset means for selectively urging the contacts to close, the reset means being connected with the control member.
- 2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the reset means includes a reset member for selectively applying an urging force to the control member and a force limiting means connected between the reset member and the control member for limiting the urging force.
- 3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 further including an emergency shut off member for selectively applying an urging force directly to the spring portion for flexing the spring portion such that the contacts open.
- 4. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including an emergency shut off member for selectively applying an urging force directly to the spring portion for flexing the spring portion such that the contacts open.
- 5. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a sealed capillary tube and bulb containing a fluid which expands with temperature such that movement of the diaphragm is controlled by a temperature of the bulb.
- 6. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a second electrical contact portion supported on the spring blade member and a second stationary contact supported by one of the housing portions such that the second electrical contacts make electrical connection when the first electrical contacts break electrical connection.
- 7. A fluid controlled switch assembly comprising:
- a first housing portion;
- a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm and diaphragm stud received in the first housing portion with the stud extending through an aperture in the first housing portion;
- a calibration means for adjustably moving the diaphragm stud axially in the housing aperture, the calibration means being connected with the first housing portion and the diaphragm assembly;
- an electrically conductive spring blade member having an elongated spring portion and a control spring portion, the spring blade member being mounted to the first housing portion adjacent one end of the spring member and including a control member connected with the control spring portion, the control member being operatively connected with the diaphragm such that the connecting spring portion is moved with movement of the diaphragm;
- the spring portion having first and second spring electrical contact portions mounted on opposite sides thereof;
- a first stationary electrical contact supported by the housing opposite the first spring electrical contact portion for making and breaking electrical contact therewith in response to movement of the control member;
- a second stationary electrical contact supported by the housing opposite the second spring electrical contact portion for making and breaking electrical contact therewith in response to movement of the control member.
- 8. The assembly as set forth in claim 7 further including an adjustment means which engages the elongated spring member on a surface opposite the diaphragm for adjustably biasing the elongated spring portion.
- 9. The assembly as set forth in claim 7 further including a sealed capillary tube and bulb containing a fluid which expands with temperature such that movement of the diaphragm is controlled by a temperature of the bulb.
- 10. The assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the calibrating means includes:
- a cam surface disposed on an exterior of the first housing portion adjacent the stud aperture;
- a sliding member which slidably engages the diaphragm stud and which is mounted for sliding movement transverse to a central axis thereof for controlling axial movement of the diaphragm assembly.
- 11. The assembly as set forth in claim 7 further including a second housing portion which closes the first housing portion well, the second housing portion integrally defining a member which abuts the spring portion adjacent the control member to cause the first and second spring contact portions do one of (i) snap between the first and second stationary contacts and (ii) move slowly between the first and second stationary contacts with movement of the diaphragm.
- 12. A fluid controlled switch assembly comprising:
- a first housing portion;
- a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm and diaphragm stud received in the first housing portion with the stud extending through an aperture in the first housing portion;
- a calibration means for adjustably moving the diaphragm stud axially in the housing aperture, the calibration means being connected with the first housing portion and the diaphragm assembly;
- an electrically conductive spring blade member having an elongated spring portion and a control spring portion, the spring blade member being mounted to the first housing portion adjacent one end of the spring member and including a control member connected with the control spring portion, the control member being operatively connected with the diaphragm such that the connecting spring portion is moved with movement of the diaphragm;
- a stationary electrical contact supported by one of the housing portions, the elongated spring portion supporting an electrical contact on a free end thereof for selectively making and breaking electrical contact with the stationary electrical contact in response to movement of the control member;
- a second housing portion mounted to the first housing portion, the second housing portion integrally defining a member which abuts the elongated spring portion adjacent the control member to control whether the spring portion snaps the spring mounted electrical contact into and out of electrical contact with the stationary electrical contact.
- 13. The assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein the second housing portion defines a detent member for supporting one end of a return spring which applies a biasing force to the diaphragm.
- 14. The assembly as set forth in claim 12 further including a second stationary electrical contact supported by the first housing portion opposite to the first stationary electrical contact such that the spring electrical contact portion is movable between the first and second stationary electrical contacts.
- 15. A temperature controlled switch assembly comprising:
- a sealed bulb connected by a tube with a diaphragm assembly such that as a temperature of the bulb changes, a fluid contained therein expands and contracts flexing a diaphragm of the diaphragm assembly, the diaphragm assembly being mounted in a housing;
- an electrically conductive spring blade member having an elongated spring portion and a control spring portion, the spring blade member being mounted to the housing adjacent one end thereof and having at least a first electrical contact mounted adjacent a second end thereof;
- a control member connected between the diaphragm and the control spring portion such that movement of the diaphragm causes the elongated spring portion second end and first electrical contact to move between first and second positions;
- a stationary second contact which is engaged by the first electrical contact at the first position;
- a reset member for selectively applying an urging force to the control member which urging force urges the control member to cause the elongated spring portion second end and the first electrical contact to move to the first position and a force limiting means connected between the reset member and the control member for limiting the urging force.
- 16. The assembly as set forth in claim 15 further including an emergency member connected with a central portion of the elongated spring portion for applying a biasing force directly thereto, which directly applied biasing force causes the first electrical contact to move to the second position regardless of the temperature sensed by the sealed bulb.
- 17. The assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the control member snaps the first electrical contact between the first and second positions and wherein the force limiting means includes a spring means connected between the reset member and the control member for limiting the urging force such that the urging force can only move the diaphragm and control member sufficiently to snap the spring portion electrical contact to the first position when the bulb member is below a set point temperature.
- 18. The assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein the force limiting spring means is a spiral, coil spring and wherein the reset member includes a threaded portion which is threadedly received into the coil spring.
- 19. The assembly as set forth in claim 18 further including an emergency member connected with a central portion of the elongated spring portion for applying a biasing force directly thereto, which directly applied biasing force causes the first electrical contact to move to the second position regardless of the temperature sensed by the sealed bulb, the emergency member including a central bore therein, the reset member and the coil spring being slidably received in the emergency member central bore.
- 20. The assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein the emergency member is slidably received through an aperture in the housing and further including a projecting means which permits sliding movement of the emergency member relative to the housing while preventing the emergency member from being removed from the housing and further including a means for preventing the reset member from being removed from the emergency member central bore.
- 21. A switch assembly comprising:
- an electrically conductive spring blade member having an elongated spring portion and a control spring portion, the spring blade member being mounted adjacent one end thereof and having at least a first electrical contact mounted adjacent a second end thereof;
- a stationary second electrical contact disposed adjacent the first electrical contact for selective electrical connection therewith;
- a control member connected between a diaphragm and the control spring portion such that movement of the diaphragm causes movement of the elongated spring portion second end such that the first and second electrical contacts move between open and closed positions;
- a linearly sliding emergency member in mechanical interconnection with the elongated spring portion such that linearly sliding movement of the emergency member applies force directly on the elongated spring portion which causes the elongated spring portion to flex tripping and retaining the first and second contacts in the open position regardless of the position of the control member and the diaphragm;
- a reset means connected with the control member to release the first and second contacts from the tripped, open position allowing the first and second contacts to move to the closed position.
- 22. The assembly as set forth in claim 21 further including:
- a bulb connected by a tube with the diaphragm such that as a temperature of the bulb changes the diaphragm moves moving the control member causing the first and second contacts to move between the open and closed positions;
- a spring means connected between the reset means and the control member for transferring a force applied to the reset means to the control member, the spring means limiting the transferred force such that the transferred force can only move the diaphragm and control member sufficiently to move the first and second contacts to the closed position when the bulb member is below a set point temperature;
- an emergency member mechanically connected with the elongated spring portion to move the first and second contacts to the open position regardless of the position of the control member and the diaphragm.
- 23. The assembly as set forth in claim 22 wherein the emergency member and the reset member are mounted in a concentric, slidable relationship.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/977,576, filed Nov. 17, 1992, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/841,592, filed Feb. 25, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,679.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
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977576 |
Nov 1992 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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841592 |
Feb 1992 |
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