RANGE LIMITER FOR A THERMOSTAT

• US 3,670,284 A
• Filed: 03/03/1971
• Issued: 06/13/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carolina Production Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Donald P. Wrobel, Jean R. Fortier
• Inventors: Fortier, Jean R., Wrobel, Donald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilheany, Bernard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morgan, Dewitt M.
• Application Number:
  US05/120,669
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 78/363.5 74/526,553 116/133 200/38R,153LB 337/304,305,323,360,361,366,377,380,392
• US Class Current: 337/360
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/12 Means for adjustment of "on" or "off" operating temperature

Abstract

A thermostat is described having a bimetal that actuates a snapswitch for maintaining the temperature of the room at approximately a given set-point. A knob operates a cam for controlling the resting position of the bimetal to determine the temperature set-point. The knob has a series of radial fingers which can be broken away individually, and the stationary structure of the thermostat has a fixed lug that can be bent up into the path of the knob fingers. Certain fingers of the knob are broken away and the lug is bent into the space left free of fingers. The remaining fingers limit the rotation of the knob and thus limit the range of adjustment.

Claims

1. A thermostat having an ambient temperature responsive element, a switch mechanically coupled to said temperature responsive element for control thereby so as to cause reverse switch operations above and below a temperature setting, and range-limited means for controlling the relationship between the switch and the ambient temperature responsive element to establish a desired temperature setting, the last named means including a manually operable thermostat setting member having a series of teeth operable along a prescribed pathe and readily removable from said path, and said range-limited means including stationary stop means in said path of the teeth to limit the adjustment of the thermostat setting member to a range determined by cooperation of said stop means with teeth operable along said path.

2. A thermostat in accordance with claim 1, wherein said setting member is of a frangible material and wherein said removable teeth are proportioned to be readily broken away from the setting member.

3. A thermostat in accordance with claim 1, further including a fixed sheet-metal part, said stop being in the form of an upstanding lug integral with said sheet-metal part.

4. A thermostat in accordance with claim 1, wherein said thermostat setting member is a knob rotatable about an axis and said teeth are arranged in a circle whose center lies on said axis, said stationary stop being located on said circle.

5. A thermostat in accordance with claim 4 wherein, said teeth project radially from said rotatable knob.

6. A thermostat in accordance with claim 5, further including a cover largely containing said knob and having an access opening adjacent said teeth, said stop means being displaced arcuately sufficiently far from said opening so that intact teeth of the knob are present at said opening throughout the range of adjustment of the knob despite the presence oF a range-limiting gap between the teeth of said knob.