Thermal actuated plant protection device with internal air-flow control mechanism
OwnerCarl R. Frounfelker, Marina A. Frounfelkerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plant protection device having a ventilation opening shield that may be protectedly positioned between a housing and a mounting socket. A temperature sensitive actuator may be provided in the socket and the shield may pivotally move about the socket between a position impeding airflow through the ventilation opening and a position facilitating airflow through the ventilation opening. Various embodiments and features are disclosed including a reinforced housing, multi-part housing construction, and a shield mounting structure provided through the shield, among other features.
Claims18
A plant protector device, comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of ventilation openings located towards a top thereof;
- a ventilation opening shield located within the housing that has surface area portions at least substantially as large as and positioned in a corresponding arrangement with the ventilation openings;
- and
- a temperature-sensitive actuator provided within the housing and coupled to the shield for temperature based movement of the shield;
- wherein the shield is moveable by the actuator between a first position in which the shield substantially impedes air flow through the ventilation openings and a second position in which the shield does not substantially impede air flow through the ventilation openings.
A plant protection device, comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of ventilation openings;
- a ventilation opening shield located within the housing, the shield being moveably coupled to the housing for movement between a first position in which the shield substantially impedes air flow through the ventilation openings and a second position in which the shield does not substantially impede air flow through the ventilation openings;
- a temperature-sensitive actuator provided within the housing and coupled to the shield for temperature based movement of the shield;
- and
- a socket extending inwardly from the housing and coupled thereto in a non-rotatable manner, wherein the actuator is located in the socket and is anchored at a first part to the socket and coupled at a second part to the ventilation opening shield;
- wherein the actuator is seated in the socket such that the socket forms an interiorly disposed physical barrier to the actuator and the housing forms an exteriorly disposed physical barrier to the actuator;
- and
- wherein the housing is configured to resist horizontal compressive forces proximate the outer edge of the shield by at least one of a reinforced rim proximate the outer edge of the shield and a top portion that is characterized as being substantially non-domed in shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.