Chip-detector assembly having improved probe-retention features
AssigneeVibro-Meter SA
InventorPaul D. Higgins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chip-detector assembly has a housing and a probe. The probe is adapted to be coupled to the housing. The chip-detector assembly also includes a locking mechanism comprising a locking ring and a sleeve member. The locking ring is fixedly coupled the housing, and includes a plurality of elongated tangs arranged circumferentially around the ring. The sleeve member is fixedly coupled to the probe, and includes a plurality of contact surfaces that form an outer circumference of the sleeve member. The tangs engage the sleeve-member contact surfaces when the probe is coupled to the housing. The engagement of the tangs and the contact surfaces inhibits the probe from disengaging from the housing once the probe and the housing are coupled.
Claims28
A chip-detector assembly, comprising:
- a housing comprising a flange for securing the housing to a host component;
- a probe that is capable of being coaxially coupled to the housing by a torque, comprising a grip, a shaft fixedly coupled to the grip, and a permanent magnetic element fixedly coupled to the shaft for attracting and retaining magnetizable particles and chips;
- and
- a locking mechanism for controlling an amount of torque required to couple the probe to the housing, comprising a sleeve member, a locking ring, and a plurality of elongated tangs, wherein:
- (i) the sleeve member is fixedly coupled to one of the housing and the probe;
- (ii) the sleeve member has a plurality of contact surfaces disposed along a circumference of the sleeve member;
- (iii) the locking ring is fixedly coupled to the other of the housing and the probe;
- and (iv) the plurality of elongated tangs extend from a portion of the locking ring, are radially spaced from a central axis of the housing, and engage the sleeve-member contact surfaces when the probes coupled to the housing.
A chip-detector assembly, comprising:
- a housing having a threaded inner surface,
- a probe having a (i) grip, (ii) a mounting portion fixedly coupled to the grip and having a plurality of threads, the mounting portion being adapted to threadably engage the housing inner surface in response to a torque applied to the grip, and (iii) a permanent magnetic element fixedly coupled to the mounting portion for attracting and retaining magnetizable particles and chips;
- and
- a locking mechanism comprising a locking ring and a sleeve member, wherein (i) the sleeve member is fixedly coupled to one of the housing and the probe, (ii) the sleeve member has a plurality of contact surfaces disposed along a circumference of the sleeve member, (iii) the locking ring is fixedly coupled to the other of the housing and the probe, and (iv) the locking ring has a plurality of elongated tangs extending from a portion of the locking ring and being radially spaced from a central axis of the housing, the tangs engaging the sleeve-member contact surfaces when the probe mounting portion threadably engages the housing inner surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.