Pressure operated switch including an expandable flat tube
First Claim
1. Apparatus in fluid communication with a selected environment of varying pressure, said apparatus responsive to a predetermined pressure change in said environment and causing a controlled, consistent relative movement between a flat tube support surface of said apparatus and a tube compression member of said apparatus comprising:
- a tube having a segment of deformable material adapted to expand and contract in response to a varying pressure condition, said tube disposed in fluid communication with said environment and inserted between a flat tube support surface and the tube compression member;
said tube support surface in juxtaposition to said tube compression member, said tube support surface contacting a surface of said tube segment; and
said tube compression member contacting another elongated surface of said tube segment in an unpressurized condition so that there is relative movement between said support surface and said tube compression member upon expansion or contraction of said segment of said tube lying between said support surface and said tube compression member;
said tube segment lying between said support surface and said tube compression member being flat on at least said entire elongated surface of said tube segment in contact with the tube compression member when said tube is in an unpressurized condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method are disclosed for actuating a desired device, such as a switch controlling a pump, in response to a predetermined pressure condition in a selected environment of varying pressure, such as closed vessel. A tube having a flattened segment of deformable material is disposed in fluid communication with the selected environment and a flattened segment of the tube is inserted between a tube support surface and a movable tube segment compression member. When the flattened tube segment expands in response to an increased pressure condition within the monitored environment, the tube segment compression member moves to actuate the device.
The flattened tube segment unexpectedly improves the precision and consistency in actuating the device exactly at the predetermined pressure condition.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Apparatus in fluid communication with a selected environment of varying pressure, said apparatus responsive to a predetermined pressure change in said environment and causing a controlled, consistent relative movement between a flat tube support surface of said apparatus and a tube compression member of said apparatus comprising:
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a tube having a segment of deformable material adapted to expand and contract in response to a varying pressure condition, said tube disposed in fluid communication with said environment and inserted between a flat tube support surface and the tube compression member; said tube support surface in juxtaposition to said tube compression member, said tube support surface contacting a surface of said tube segment; and said tube compression member contacting another elongated surface of said tube segment in an unpressurized condition so that there is relative movement between said support surface and said tube compression member upon expansion or contraction of said segment of said tube lying between said support surface and said tube compression member; said tube segment lying between said support surface and said tube compression member being flat on at least said entire elongated surface of said tube segment in contact with the tube compression member when said tube is in an unpressurized condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A pressure operated device for providing an output signal in response to a predetermined pressure condition, said device comprising:
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a tube having a segment of deformable material adapted to communicate with a source of varying pressure; housing means; a switch supported by the housing means; said housing means defining a supporting surface for said tube; a movable member supported by said housing means; means releasably retaining said tube segment between said supporting surface and said movable member; said movable member being coupled to said switch for operating the switch to provide an output signal in response to tube segment deformation resulting from the predetermined pressure condition; and the improvement characterized by; said tube segment lying between said supporting surface and said movable member being flat on at least an entire elongated surface of said tube segment in contact with said movable member when said tube is in an unpressurized condition. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification