Explosion inhibiting potentiometer assembly and drive mechanism therefor
AssigneeBourns, Inc.
InventorsTerence Keith Rhind, Allen Howe Andrews, Warren Emil Burdine, John Matthew Hendrie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A potentiometer contained within a housing is operated from the outside by means of an operating member which extends inward through an orifice in a housing wall. The operating member engages the potentiometer drive stem with the aid of an O-ring slip clutch, and includes a flange which is spring-urged against the interior housing wall to inhibit internal explosions from propagating to the outside.
Claims3
In an electromechanical adjustment assembly which includes a housing, a potentiometer disposed internally within said housing, said potentiometer including a rotatable drive means, and an orifice in a wall of said housing aligned with said drive means, the improvement comprising an operating means for said potentiometer which comprises:
- an operating shaft extending through said orifice, said shaft including a flange on the interior of said housing and a spring retaining means on the exterior of said housing,
- spring means retained between said retaining means and an exterior wall of said housing, said spring means urging said shaft outward to bring said flange into an area contact with the interior surface of said housing wall surrounding said orifice, thereby inhibiting outward propagation of an internal explosion within said housing, and
- means carried by said shaft for engaging said potentiometer drive means and transmitting thereto rotations of said shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.