Housing for scale or load cell controller

• US 7,710,714 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bettcher Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bettcher Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Scott, Robert, Bozzi, Richard P., Seguin, Dennis R. Jr., Rapp, Geoffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai; Nidhi
• Application Number:
  US10/939,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20060054335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 177/25.12, 177180-182, 36167901-67945, 36167955-67959, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 174/50, 200/302.1, 411/383, 345/156, 345/157, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/283 Details related to a user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0204 Mounting supporting structures on the outside of casings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing

Abstract

A housing for a scale or load cell controller suitable for use in harsh environments. The housing includes a moisture-resistant front display unit coupled to a rear interface and mounting unit. The front display unit includes a front housing, a back housing, and a frame overlying a boundary or seal region between the front and back housings to provide a double moisture-resistant seal between the front and back housings. The front display unit defines an interior region including a display and a plurality of user input keys and controller circuitry. The front display unit is removably attachable to the rear interface unit. A moisture-resistant seal is also provided between the front display unit and the rear interface and mounting unit. The rear interface and mounting unit defines a recessed area supporting a battery pack, a power supply and an interface circuit board. Circuitry in the front display unit is electrically coupled to circuitry in the rear interface and mounting unit via an edge connector circuit card that extends through an opening in the front display unit and mates with an edge connector socket supported in the rear interface and mounting unit.

Claims

1. A housing for a scale or load cell controller, the housing comprising:

a) front display unit including a front housing, a back housing removably attached to the front housing with a first set of fasteners extending between the front and the back housings, and a lens affixed to the front housing, the front display unit defining an interior region housing controller electronics, and a frame overlying at least a portion of a boundary between the front and back housings, wherein the frame includes a first engagement surface that compresses a first low closure force seal between the frame and a frame enhancement surface of the front housing to form a front water resistant seal and a second enhancement surface that compresses a second low closure force seal between the frame and a frame enhancement surface of the back housing to form a back water resistant seal; and

b) a rear interface and mounting unit removably affixed to the front display unit for mounting the housing to a surface.

2. The housing of claim 1 wherein the rear interface and mounting unit includes a rear enclosure defining a recessed area which supports a battery pack, a power supply and an interface circuit board.

3. The housing of claim 2 wherein the rear interface and mounting unit includes a mounting bracket affixed to the rear enclosure and a mounting fixture releasably engagable with the mounting bracket and adapted to be mounted on a horizontal or vertical surface or on a post.

4. The housing of claim 3 wherein the mounting fixture is pivotal along two orthogonal axes.

5. The housing of claim 1 wherein the front display unit supports a display visible through the lens and a plurality of input keys actuatable by pressing predetermined regions of the lens.

6. The housing of claim 1 wherein a third low closure force seal is compressed between respective engagement surfaces of the front and back housings to form a third water resistant seal.

7. The housing of claim 6 wherein the first low closure force seal, the second low closure force seal and the third low closure force seal are tubular seals and at least one of the respective engagement surfaces of the front and back housings includes a protruding portion that contacts the third tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

8. The housing of claim 6 wherein the frame overlies the third water resistant seal.

9. The housing of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first engagement surface of the frame and the frame engagement surface of the front housing includes a protruding portion that contacts the first tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

10. The housing of claim 7 wherein at least one of the second engagement surface of the frame and the frame engagement surface of the back housing includes a protruding portion that contacts the second tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

11. The housing of claim 5 wherein controller circuitry, the display, and the plurality of input keys are supported by the back housing.

12. The housing of claim 5 wherein a front surface of the lens includes recesses corresponding to the predetermined regions of the lens.

13. The housing of claim 5 wherein the front display unit includes a lens support member disposed between the lens and the front housing and extending across at least a portion of an inward facing surface of the lens to limit inward deflection of the lens when the predetermined regions of the lens are pressed to actuate the plurality of input keys.

14. The housing of claim 6 wherein at least one fastener in the first set of fasteners includes an threaded opening, the rear interface and mounting unit being removably affixed to the front display unit by a second fastener that bears against the rear interface and mounting unit and threads into the threaded opening in the at least one fastener with the threaded opening.

15. A housing for a scale or load cell controller, the housing comprising:

a) front display unit including a front housing, a back housing removably affixed to the front housing with a first set of fasteners extending between the front and the back housings, a lens affixed to the front housing and a lens support member, the front display unit defining an interior region housing controller electronics and supporting a display visible through the lens and a plurality of input keys actuatable by pressing the predetermined regions of the lens, the lens support member disposed between the lens and the front housing and extending across at least a portion of an inward facing surface of the lens to limit inward deflection of the lens when the predetermined regions of the lens are pressed to actuate the plurality of input keys, a frame overlying at least a portion of a boundary between the front and back housings wherein the frame includes a first enhancement surface that compresses a first low closure force seal between the frame and a frame enhancement surface of the front housing to form a front water resistant seal and a second enhancement surface that compresses a second low closure force seal between the frame and a frame enhancement surface of the back housing to form a back water resistant seal; and

b) a rear interface and mounting unit removably affixed to the front display unit for mounting the housing to a surface.

16. The housing of claim 15 wherein the lens support member is t-shaped and supported by a side wall of the front housing, a flat head portion of the lens support member bearing against the lens and extending substantially across a full width of the lens.

17. The housing of claim 15 wherein the rear interface and mounting unit includes a rear enclosure defining a recessed area which supports a battery pack, a power supply and an interface circuit board.

18. The housing of claim 17 wherein the rear interface and mounting unit includes a mounting bracket affixed to the rear enclosure and a mounting fixture releasably engagable with the mounting bracket and adapted to be mounted on a horizontal or vertical surface or on a post.

19. The housing of claim 15 wherein the display includes a light emitting diode display.

20. The housing of claim 15 wherein a third low closure force seal is compressed between respective engagement surfaces of the front and back housings to form a third water resistant seal the first low closure force seal, the second low closure force seal and the third low closure force seal being tubular seals.

21. The housing of claim 20 wherein at least one of the respective engagement surfaces of the front and back housings includes a protruding portion that contacts the third tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

22. The housing of claim 20 wherein the frame overlies the third water resistant seal.

23. The housing of claim 20 wherein at least one of the first engagement surface of the frame and the frame engagement surface of the front housing includes a protruding portion that contacts the first tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

24. The housing of claim 20 wherein at least one of the second engagement surface of the frame and the frame engagement surface of the back housing includes a protruding portion that contacts the second tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

25. The housing of claim 15 wherein controller circuitry, the display, and the plurality of input keys are supported by the back housing.

26. The housing of claim 15 wherein a front surface of the lens includes recesses corresponding to the predetermined regions of the lens.

27. The housing of claim 20 wherein at least one fastener in the first set of fasteners includes an threaded opening, the rear interface and mounting unit being removably affixed to the front display unit by a second fastener that bears against the rear interface and mounting unit and threads into the threaded opening in the at least one fastener with the threaded opening.

28. The housing of claim 18 wherein the mounting fixture is pivotal along two orthogonal axes.

29. A housing for a scale or load cell controller, the housing comprising:

a) front display unit including a front housing, a back housing removably attached to the front housing and a lens affixed to the front housing, the front display unit defining an interior region housing controller electronics, a frame overlying at least a portion of a boundary between the front and back housings wherein the frame includes a first enhancement surface that compresses a first low closure force seal between the frame and a frame engagement surface of the front housing to form a front water resistant seal and a second engagement surface that compresses a second low closure force seal between the frame and a frame engagement surface of the back housing to form a back water resistant seal; and

b) a rear interface and mounting unit removably affixed to the front display unit for mounting the housing to a surface;

c) a first set of fasteners extending between the front and back housings to removably attach the front and back housings, at least one fastener in the first set of fasteners includes an threaded opening; and

d) a second fastener extending between the rear interface and mounting unit and the front display unit to removably affix the rear interface and mounting unit to the front display unit, the second fastener bearing against the rear interface and mounting unit and threading into the threaded opening in the at least one fastener with the threaded opening.

30. The housing of claim 29 wherein a third low closure force seal is compressed between respective engagement surfaces of the front and back housings to form a third first water resistant seal.

31. The housing of claim 29 wherein the rear interface and mounting unit includes a rear enclosure defining a recessed area which supports a battery pack, a power supply and an interface circuit board.

32. The housing of claim 29 wherein the rear interface and mounting unit includes a mounting bracket affixed to the rear enclosure and a mounting fixture releasably engagable with the mounting bracket and adapted to be mounted on a horizontal or vertical surface or on a post.

33. The housing of claim 29 wherein the front display unit supports a display visible through the lens and a plurality of input keys actuatable by pressing predetermined regions of the lens.

34. The housing of claim 30 wherein the first low closure force seal, the second low closure force seal and the third low closure force seal are tubular seals and at least one of the respective engagement surfaces of the front and back housings includes a protruding portion that contacts the third tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

35. The housing of claim 34 wherein the frame overlies the third water resistant seal.

36. The housing of claim 34 wherein at least one of the first engagement surface of the frame and the frame engagement surface of the front housing includes a protruding portion that contacts the first tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

37. The housing of claim 34 wherein at least one of the second engagement surface of the frame and the frame engagement surface of the back housing includes a protruding portion that contacts the second tubular seal deforming its outer surface inwardly to form a labyrinth seal.

38. The housing of claim 33 wherein controller circuitry, the display, and the plurality of input keys are supported by the back housing.

39. The housing of claim 33 wherein a front surface of the lens includes recesses corresponding to the predetermined regions of the lens.

40. The housing of claim 33 wherein the front display unit includes a lens support member disposed between the lens and the front housing and extending across at least a portion of an inward facing surface of the lens to limit inward deflection of the lens when the predetermined regions of the lens are pressed to actuate the plurality of input keys.

41. The housing of claim 32 wherein the mounting fixture is pivotal along two orthogonal axes.

42. A housing for a scale or load cell controller, the housing comprising:

a) front display unit including a front housing, a back housing removably attached to the front housing with a first set of fasteners extending between the front and the back housings, and a lens affixed to the front housing, the front display unit defining an interior region housing controller electronics and having a water resistant seal between the front and back housings, the controller electronics including a edge connector circuit card extending through an opening in the back housing, a frame overlying at least a portion of a boundary between the front and back housings wherein the frame includes a first engagement surface that compresses a first low closure force seal between the frame and a frame enhancement surface of the front housing to form a front water resistant seal and a second engagement surface that compresses a second low closure force seal between the frame and a frame engagement surface of the back housing to form a back water resistant seal;

b) a rear interface and mounting unit removably affixed to the back housing of the front display unit for mounting the housing to a surface, the rear interface and mounting unit supporting electronic circuitry including an interface circuit board having an edge connector socket adapted to receive a mating portion of the edge connector circuit card; and

c) the edge connector portion of the edge connector circuit card being received in the edge connector socket when the rear interface and mounting unit is affixed to the front display unit to provide for electrical connection between the control electronics of the front display and the electronic circuitry of the rear interface and mounting unit.

43. The housing of claim 42 wherein the electronic of the rear interface and mounting unit includes a battery pack and a power supply for supplying power to the control electronics of the front display unit.

44. The housing of claim 42 wherein the front display unit supports a plurality of input keys actuatable by pressing predetermined regions of the lens.

45. The housing of claim 44 wherein the front display unit includes a lens support member disposed between the lens and the front housing and extending across at least a portion of an inward facing surface of the lens to limit inward deflection of the lens when the predetermined regions of the lens are pressed to actuate the plurality of input keys.