Protective cap for rotatably-adjustable electronic components

• US 5,039,974 A
• Filed: 03/19/1990
• Issued: 08/13/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Schaefer, Henry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Application Number:
  US07/495,800
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 338/160-175
• US Class Current: 338/163
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/32 the contact moving in an arcuate path

Abstract

A protective cap for a rotatably-adjustable electrical component mounted to a PW board in an enclosed electronic control unit. The housing of the electronic control unit has a tuning access hole axially aligned with a tapered lead-in port in the center of the protective cap. An adjustment tool is inserted into the tuning access hole and guided into a tuning slot in the adjustable electrical component by the tapered lead-in port in the cap. The cap also protects the rotatable component from damage by a poorly-aimed adjustment tool. The several caps covering the rotatable components on a board as well as the access openings of the housing may be color-coded to assist in component identification.

Claims

1. In an electrical control unit containing one or more rotatably-adjustable electrical components housed in a protective casing having at least one tuning access hole, the improvement comprising:

a protective cap covering at least one of said electrical components,

said cap including a tapered lead-in bore through said cap for allowing access to said at least one electrical component through said cap,

wherein said lead-in bore is aligned with and adjacent to one of the tuning access holes in the casing.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the cap is secured to at least one of said electrical components by a press fit.

3. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said cap is constructed of an electrically non-conductive material.

4. The improvement of claim 3, wherein said non-conductive material is acetal plastic.

5. The improvement of claims 3 or 4 wherein said cap is color coded.

6. An electrical control unit comprising in combination:

an electrical wiring board, said wiring board containing at least one rotatably-adjustable electrical component;

a housing for enclosing said wiring board, said housing including at least one access opening aligned with a rotor shaft of said electrical component;

a protective cap carried on said electrical component, said cap including a tapered, funnel-shaped lead-in bore which is aligned with said rotor shaft of said electrical component and allows access to said electrical component through said cap.

7. An electrical control unit as in claim 6 wherein said cap is carried by way of a self retaining press fit to the body of said electrical component.

8. An electrical control unit as specified in claim 6 wherein the tapered bore of the cap provides a guiding surface for a component adjustment tool entered through said access opening and said cap protects said component from damage by a misdirected adjustment tool entered through said access opening.

9. An electrical control unit as in claim 6 wherein said cap is constructed of an electrically non-conductive material.

10. An electrical control unit as in claim 9 wherein said material is acetal plastic.

11. An electrical control unit as specified in claim 6 wherein each cap and each access opening is color coded.

12. In an electrical control unit containing a plurality of adjustable electrical components, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of protective caps, each said cap secured to one of said electrical components;

each said cap including a tapered, funnel-shaped lead-in opening and bore aligned with an adjustable element of one of said components, and

each said cap having a different color for identification purposes;

whereby said tapered openings provide a guiding surface for a component adjustment tool and said caps protect said components from damage by a misdirected adjustment tool passed through said opening and bore.

13. The improvement of claim 12, wherein each cap is secured to each said electrical component by a press fit.

14. The improvement of claim 12, wherein each said cap is constructed of an electrically non-conductive material.

15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein said non-conductive material is acetal plastic.