The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 31, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 02, 1996
Vincent Ellis, Catleh, VA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
An electromagnetically transparent fluidic operator for adapting a conventional, mechanically operated electric switch to remote, fluidic operation includes a non-metallic housing for being rigidly attached to the electric switch with a chamber in the housing aligned with a mechanical actuator of the electric switch and a non-metallic, expandable reservoir mounted by the housing. The reservoir includes a nipple rigidly attached to the housing and a deformable diaphragm forming a seal with the nipple and being disposed in the chamber close to the mechanical actuator. The reservoir is pressurized with fluid from a remote location causing the diaphragm to deform and the reservoir to expand thereby applying a positive pressure or operating force against the mechanical actuator to operate the electric switch. A method of adapting an electric switch for remote, fluidic operation includes the steps of rigidly attaching the housing to a selected electric switch such that the chamber in the housing is aligned with the mechanical actuator, positioning the diaphragm in the chamber close to the mechanical actuator, rigidly attaching the nipple to the housing, establishing a seal between the nipple and the diaphragm to form a fluid-tight reservoir and supplying fluid to the reservoir to deform the diaphragm and apply the operating force against the mechanical actuator.