Quick connect thermocouple mounting device and associated method of use
AssigneeRobertshaw Controls Company
InventorCan Trong Nguyen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermocouple mounting assembly is provided. A plurality of retainers includes portions that are interengageable, some portions carried by a body and some portions carried by a thermocouple assembly to effect releasable mounting of a thermocouple assembly to a body. The retainers are constructed and shaped to provide for their formation by a molding process such as die-casting or investment casting, eliminating or substantially eliminating the need for machining of the retainer components. Preferably, there is an audible sound, e.g., click, present to signify when the retainers are interengaged.
Claims18
A thermocouple contact mounting arrangement comprising:
- a body;
- a first retainer removably mounted to the body, said first retainer having an internal chamber and a first opening providing a first access to the chamber and a second opening providing a second access to the chamber;
- a thermocouple assembly includes a portion thereof in the chamber and extending through the second opening;
- a second retainer disposed around a portion of the thermocouple assembly and includes a portion extending through the second opening and into the chamber;
- a resilient member disposed between a free end of the thermocouple assembly and the second retainer;
- a bayonet mounting arrangement associated with the first retainer and the second retainer for securing the second retainer to the first retainer by relative rotation, the bayonet mounting arrangement including an ear having a shoulder mounted to one of the first retainer and the second retainer and a cam defined on the other of the first retainer and the second retainer and interengageable with the shoulder of the ear to releasably mount the second retainer to the first retainer, the ear and the shoulder being positioned in the chamber when the second retainer is mounted to the first retainer, and the cam having an ear retaining indentation, wherein the ear is disposed within the ear retaining indentation when the second retainer is mounted to the first retainer to prevent rotation of the first retainer relative to the second retainer, and wherein the resilient member biases the ear towards the ear retaining indentation.
A method for utilizing a thermocouple contact mounting arrangement comprising:
- removably mounting a first retainer to a body, wherein the first retainer includes an internal chamber and a first opening providing a first access to the chamber and a second opening providing a second access to the chamber;
- positioning a portion of a thermocouple assembly in the chamber;
- extending the thermocouple assembly through the second opening;
- and
- providing a resilient member disposed between a free end of the thermocouple assembly and a second retainer, the second retainer disposed around a portion of the thermocouple assembly;
- securing the second retainer to the first retainer by relative rotation, wherein the second retainer is associated with the thermocouple assembly and includes a portion extending through the second opening and into the chamber and there is a bayonet mounting arrangement associated with the first retainer, wherein the bayonet mounting arrangement includes an ear having a shoulder mounted to one of the first retainer and the second retainer and a cam defined on the other of the first retainer and the second retainer and interengageable with the shoulder of the ear to releasably mount the second retainer to the first retainer, the ear and the shoulder being positioned in the chamber when the second retainer is mounted to the first retainer, and the cam having an ear retaining indentation, wherein the ear is disposed within the ear retaining indentation to prevent counter rotation between the first and second retainers, and wherein the resilient member biases the ear towards the ear retaining indentation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.