Thermometer device for a water tap

• US 4,773,767 A
• Filed: 04/01/1987
• Issued: 09/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alain Coll
• Original Assignee: Alain Coll
• Inventors: Coll, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): YASICH, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US07/032,673
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 374/147, 374/191, 374/162, 350/331 T, 350/114, 116/276
• US Class Current: 374/147
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0418 having temperature indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0058 Optical means, e.g. light transmission, observation ports F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/165 of organic liquid crystals

Abstract

The thermometer device enables the temperature of hot water or mixed hot and cold water to be read directly from the outlet of a tap or faucet or mixing tap or shower head. The thermometer device comprises a cylinder (1) including a conventional nozzle-type device (2) such as an anti-splash nozzle, a spray nozzle, an aerating nozzle, or a flow rate restricting nozzle. The outer circumference of the thermometer device is fitted with a liquid crystal temperature-sensitive sheet (3). This temperature-sensitive sheet is protected from ingress of water by a transparent resin envelope (4) which is sealed by a sealing ring (5). When water runs through the tap, its temperature is communicated to the temperature-sensitive sheet by conduction through the cylinder, and is then displayed thereon.

Claims

1. A thermometer device suitable for fitting to a tap or faucet, including taps for mixing hot and cold water, and shower heads, or the like, said thermometer device being constituted by a cylindrical element having one end adapted for fitting to such a tap for receiving nozzle means such as an anti-splash nozzle, a spray nozzle, an aerating nozzle, a flow rate restricting nozzle, or the like, the thermometer device including the improvement of a temperature-sensitive liquid crystal sheet applied around the outer cylindrical wall of said cylindrical element, with said sheet being covered by a protective transparent cylindrical outer envelope, an upstream end of the cylindrical element including a threaded portion for fitting to the tap, the liquid crystal sheet being sealingly retained in place on the cylindrical element by the threaded engagement of the transparent envelope with the threaded portion of the cylindrical element.

2. A thermometer device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent outer envelope has a curved face giving a magnifying glass effect for reading the temperature-sensitive steet.

3. A thermometer device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent outer envelope has a facetted face providing a reflector effect enabling reading at a more vertical angle.

4. A thermometer device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent outer envelope is glued or welded over the cylindrical element.

5. A thermometer device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-sensitive sheet is included within the transparent outer envelope.