Enclosure for electrical sensor

• US 4,899,586 A
• Filed: 11/16/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koneval, Donald J., Pollnow, Harold J., Molus, Richard J. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Tom
• Application Number:
  US07/271,812
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 73/866.5, 73/756, 73/431, 374/147, 374/150, 374/208
• US Class Current: 73/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/14 Housings G01L19/0007, G01L19/0084, G01L19/0092, G01L19/04, G01L19/06 take precedence

Abstract

An enclosure for a transducer includes a cylindrical housing and an end cap covering one end of the housing. A coupling ring engages an annular projection on the one end of the housing and a threaded portion of the end cap to hold the two elements in an abutting relationship. The housing has a threaded aperture therethrough. One of a series of different types of plumbing fittings, each having a common threaded projection, has the threaded projection received in the aperture of the housing. The end cap has a threaded aperture therethrough with one of a series of different types of electrical couplings received therein. Each of the couplings of the series has a common threaded projection which is adapted to mate with the end cap aperture. A set of stops is provided to prevent the end cap and the housing from rotating more than 360 degrees with respect to each other.

Claims

1. A sensor enclosure comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical portion at one end;

an end cap having a cylindrical portion abutting the one end of said housing;

a coupling ring engaging both said housing and said end cap in a manner which fastens the latter two elements together; and

means for preventing said end cap and said housing from rotating with respect to each other more than 360 degrees.

2. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 1 wherein said rotation preventing means comprises a first stop on said housing and a second stop on said end cap.

3. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 2 wherein at least one of said stops is designed to break upon a torque of a given magnitude being exerted between said housing and said end cap.

4. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 2 wherein said second stop is designed to break under rotation force before said first stop will break.

5. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 2 further comprising a seal between the abutting surfaces of said housing and said cap.

6. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 2 wherein said cap has an aperture therethrough for receiving electrical wires.

7. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 2 wherein said housing has an aperture therethrough for receiving a fluid.

8. The sensor enclosure as recited in claim 1 wherein said coupling ring engages exterior surfaces of both said housing and said end cap.