Texas Instruments Corporation

John Doherty, Jr

Youn H Ting

Makoto Wakabayashi

Jean-Pierre Chalmin

An externally threaded grounded metal housing mounting a snap acting disc at a closed end is shown to receive an electrically insulative body mounting an 'L' shaped movable contact member having an upstanding leg biased into contact with the internal surface of the housing wall and a laterally extending movable contact leg with a tongue cut and bent out from the leg and engageable with the snap acting disc. A terminal is pushed into a slot of the body and mounts at its free distal end a stationary contact. The mounting surface for the movable contact member is skewed relative to the lid terminal slot in order to obtain a longer effective movable contact arm.

Single terminal snap acting thermal switch

An improved thermally actuated valve assembly having a double throw feature comprises three ports in which two passage routes are provided through the valve; one passage route connecting ports one and two and the other passage route connecting ports two and three. A snap acting strip type bimetallic member vertically mounted in the valve serves as a thermal element and valve member to cause a change in communication from one of the passage routes to the other.

Double throw valve

A thermally responsive switch is particularly adapted to perform a plurality of electrical control functions on an automotive engine in response to changes in engine temperature. The switch is characterized by a structure permitting the switch operating temperatures to be easily matched to the requirements of specific automotive applications. The switch mounts first electrical contacts on an insulating support and incorporates spring means mounted on a carrier, second contacts mounted on the spring means, and thermally responsive, snap-acting bimetallic discs or the like which are easily disposed between the respective spring means and the carrier to move the second contacts relative to the carrier in response to temperature change. The thermally responsive discs are easily retained on the carrier between the spring means and carrier to form a thermally responsive unit having selected thermal response characteristics and the carrier is easily mounted on the insulating support so that the second contacts move between open and closed circuit positions spaced from or engaging the first contacts on the support in response to selected temperature change.

Thermally responsive switch

A thermally responsive electrical switch for a fast idle control in an automotive engine has two thermally responsive snap acting discs disposed in an open-ended well in a thermally conducting housing. A switch means having contacts movable between open and closed circuit positions is disposed in the open end of the well and the discs are arranged to snap at respective first and second temperatures. Resilient conductors are mounted on the switch means and are electrically connected to the respective contacts. A terminal member which completes the low cost assembly is secured to the housing to press terminals of different selected types against the resilient conductors to electrically connect the terminals to the respective switch contacts and to resiliently hold the switch means in place in the housing. The switch terminals are connected to a power source and to an electronic control for fast idle means and the switch housing is disposed in heat-transfer relation to the automotive engine to provide digital signals for regulating the control to actuate the fast idle means below the first temperature during engine warm-up, to deactuate the fast idle means when the engine heats above the first temperature during normal engine running, and to reactuate the fast idle means if the engine heats above the second temperature during extended standing or idling operation of the engine.

Two-temperature thermally responsive fast idle control switch

A thermally responsive electrical switch for a fast idle control in an automotive engine has two thermally responsive snap acting discs disposed in an open-ended well in a thermally conducting housing. A switch having contacts movable between open and closed circuit positions is disposed in the open end of the well and the discs are arranged to snap at respective first and second temperatures to move the contacts from one circuit position to the other and then to return to the original circuit position in sequence as the disc elements are successively heated to said first and second temperatures. Resilient conductors are mounted on the switch and are electrically connected to the respective contacts. A terminal which completes the low cost assembly is secured to the housing to press terminals of different selected types against the resilient conductors to electrically connect the terminals to the respective switch contacts and to resiliently hold the switch in place in the housing.

An improved thermally actuated valve assembly having a double throw feature comprises three ports in which two passages are provided among these three ports; one passage connecting ports one and two and the other passage connecting ports two and three. At a predetermined temperature a snap-acting bimetallic member causes a change in communication from one of the passages to the other.

Double throw thermal valve

An improved multi-function, thermal valve assembly has four ports with two passages sealingly separated one from another; the first passage connecting the first two ports and the second passage connecting the second two ports. Each of the passages has a valve seat contained therein. The valve assembly employs at least one thermally responsive actuating member which is actuable to move a valve switching means in each of the two passages simultaneously to either open or close one or both of the valve seats contained in the two passages thereby changing communication between the first two ports and between the second two ports.

Multi-function thermostatic valve

A thermally responsive valve assembly comprising a two-portion valve body, one portion of which includes two nipples each having a passage therein. One of the nipples extends generally axially of the valve body and the other nipple extends generally perpendicularly to the first nipple with the passage in one of the nipples constituting an inlet passage and with the passage in the other nipple constituting an outlet passage with communication between the passages within the first portion of the valve body, and with one of the passages having a valve seat. Valve means are provided in the valve body for movement into and out of engagement with the valve seat, thereby selectively to block communication between the passages. The valve means comprises a dish-shaped thermostatic disk which is responsive to variations in temperature and changes in curvature from a first position in which the disk is bowed away from the valve seat and a second position in which the disk is bowed toward the valve seat. Spring means bias the disk towards the valve seat when the disk is in its closed position and apply a force to the valve disk sufficient to maintain it in closed engagement with the valve seat. The first portion of the valve housing also includes an abutment against which the disk reacts to effect movement thereof from its closed to its open position. The second portion of the valve body is made of a thermally conductive material and is adapted for heat-exchange relation with an object, such as an automobile engine, for transferring heat to or from the disk to increase or decrease the temperature thereof in response to a corresponding increase or decrease in temperature of the object. In a second embodiment of this invention, the disk is modulatable for movement toward and away from the valve seat so as to smoothly vary the flow rate through the valve seat as the temperature of the disk varies.

Thermally responsive valve assembly

An improved, dual function, thermal valve assembly has three ports and two passages connecting these three ports to a common chamber. The assembly employs two thermally responsive actuating members which are actuable to move a valve plug in the chamber at different temperatures to provide a first temperature region wherein the plug seals port one so that only ports two and three are in communication, a second temperature region wherein the plug does not seal any of the ports so that ports one, two, and three are in mutual communication, and a third temperature region wherein the plug seals port three so that only ports one and two are in communication.

Dual function thermal valve

A thermally actuated valve assembly comprising a housing having a passage extending therethrough with the passage having an inlet, an outlet and a valve seat therebetween. A thermostatic dish-shaped bimetallic disk constituting a valve member is positioned in the passage and is abruptly movable over center from a first curvature position in which the outer periphery of the disk is in engagement with the valve seat thereby to block communication through the passage and a second curvature position in which the disk is clear of the valve seat to permit the flow of fluid therepast. The disk is movable from its first to its second curvature position upon being subjected to a first temperature and is returnable from its second to its first curvature position upon being subjected to a second temperature. A spring member biases the disk toward the valve seat and holds the disk in sealing engagement therewith when the disk is in its first curvature position. The housing includes an abutment engageable by the center portion of the disk as the disk moves over center from its first to its second curvature position thereby to insure that the periphery of the disk moves clear of the valve seat.

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Assonet, MA, United States of America

John Doherty, Jr