Texas Instruments Corporation

Bryan C Jansen

Henry J Boulanger

Youn H Ting

Werner Strasser

John A Haug

John T Hancock

James R Thayer

Richard T Gordon

A control device has a nested stack of dished disc elements disposed in a cup beneath a diaphragm to move toward an inverted dished configuration with snap action to perform a control function or the like in response to occurrence of a predetermined pressure applied to the discs through the diaphragm. An annulus or bolster disposed between the rim of the cup and the diaphragm has an inner diameter nested in closely spaced relation to the domed, central portion of the dished element at the top of the stack normally cooperate with the stack of elements in supporting the diaphragm against pressure applied to the diaphragm. The annulus protects the diaphragm from being damaged by being pressed against peripheral portions of the disc elements when the discs move with snap action to their inverted dished configurations. The cup configuration is selected to include an increment in the cup side wall corresponding to each dished disc element in the stack thereby to permit convenient mounting of the diaphragm in precise position relative to the elements in an inexpensive, durable, welded and sealed structure while permitting accommodation of different numbers of disc elements in the cup as desired to provide devices with predetermined different actuating pressure characteristics.

Condition-responsive device with diaphragm protection means

An electric switch is shown which is responsive separately to two different conditions, i.e. temperature and pressure. The switch includes a temperature sensing disc and a pressure sensing disc both coupled through several alternate motion transfer arrangements to the movable electrical contact of the switch. Several structures are shown for mounting a switch on a surface so that the pressure sensing disc is exposed to fluid pressure and the temperature sensing disc is thermally coupled to the surface.

Dual condition responsive switch apparatus

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Bryan C Jansen