Indicator device

• US 5,734,109 A
• Filed: 06/26/1997
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ute Thanscheidt Itm
• Original Assignee: Ute Thanscheidt Itm
• Inventors: Thanscheidt, Gunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dombroske, George M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FELBER, JOSEPH LEON
• Application Number:
  US08/883,280
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.8, 73/744, 73/715, 116/34 R
• US Class Current: 73/744
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/10 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/166 with mechanical transmitting or indicating means

Abstract

The invention relates to an indicator device 1, especially for use as a manometer, with a housing 2 provided with an inlet for the pressurized medium to be measured and a spring-loaded piston 13 which can come into contact with the pressurized medium. The precision of the pressures indicated can be increased and the size can be made especially compact when the piston is designed as a control piston 13 and is in a working connection with an indicator element 5 via a groove and projection combination 39, 40 which translates the stroke of the control piston 13 into a rotating movement of the indicator element 5.

Claims

1. An indicator device for use as a manometer, comprising:

a housing having an inlet opening for a pressure medium to be measured and a pressurized space within the housing;

a spring-loaded control piston having an outer surface and arranged within said housing, said control piston being adapted to receive the pressure medium;

an indicator element mounted within said housing and having an inner surface;

a valve seal arranged within said housing and adapted to seal the pressurized space;

a regulating button located on the opposite side of the pressurized space from the inlet opening, said regulating button being co-planar with said housing on the opposite side of the pressurized space from the inlet opening and being axially movable and adapted to selectively ventilate the housing;

at least one projection located on one of the outer surface of the piston or the inner surface of the indicating element;

a groove located on the other of the outer surface of the piston or the inner surface of the indicating element; and

means for connecting the indicator device to a pump so that pressure can be measured during operation of the pump;

wherein the groove engages the projection and converts the stroke movement of the piston into a rotating movement of the indicator element.

2. An indicator device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the control piston is provided with at least one ring-shaped projection which extends over at least a part of the outer surface and which is guided into a spiral-shaped groove in the indicator element.

3. An indicator device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the control piston is provided with at least one spiral-shaped groove into which at least one ring-shaped projection on the indicator element, which extends over at least a part of the inner surface of the indicator element, is guided.

4. An indicator device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the shape of the ring-shaped projection on the control piston is adapted to the pitch of the spiral-shaped groove.

5. An indicator device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the housing comprises a ring-shaped outer housing part having a front face and at least one opening and a coaxial internal housing insert having at least one opening and wherein said at least one opening in the housing part and said at least one opening in the housing insert overlap to form a window.

6. An indicator device as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the outer housing part is transparent and the housing insert is provided with at least one opening as a window.

7. An indicator device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising

an opening for receiving the regulating button located in the front face of the outer housing part, and a spring attached to the regulating button, wherein the regulating button can be moved in an axial direction and is pressed outward in an extreme position by the spring.

8. An indicator device as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the regulating button seals off the pressurized space of the control piston in its outer extreme position, and wherein a connection is created between the pressurized space and the open air when the regulating butting is shifted inward in an axial direction.

9. An indicator device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing insert has an opposing front face located on the opposite side of the housing from said front face of said outer housing part, and wherein a valve connection is located in the center of the opposing front face of the housing insert and is provided with an inlet or bored hole which is sealed off by the valve seal as a one-way valve and which is connected to the pressurized space.

10. An indicator device as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the forward front face of the valve connection is provided with at least one peg.

11. An indicator device as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the valve connection is adapted for being received in an adapter device.