Patent US3614702A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3614702A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Terminal-contact rivet construction and method of assembly thereof
Assignee: Elmwood Sensors Inc
•
Filing: 1969-09-08
•
Granted: 1971-10-19
•
Expires: 1989-09-08
Abstract
Abstract A terminal contact rivet construction for use in a thermostatic switch and including a sleeve that cooperates with a rivet for securing a terminal strip and contact element to the housing of said switch, said sleeve and rivet further acting to prevent loosening of the terminal strip and contact element upon expansion or contraction of the switch housing due to temperature differentials experienced in the operation of said switch.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter S Vargas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:19
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H1/00; H01H1/58; F; F16; F16B; F16B5/00; F16B5/04; H01R; H01R9/00; H01R9/16; H01R9/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
229 words
A thermostatic switch construction, comprising a housing having a body portion formed of a nonconducting material and in which an interior chamber is formed, at least on opening formed in said body portion that communicates with said interior chamber, a terminal strip located at the outer end of said opening exteriorly of said body portion and a contact element located at the inner end of said opening in said chamber, a metallic sleeve fixed in said opening, and a rivet projecting through said contact element, said sleeve and said terminal strip, and having an inner end located in said chamber and an outer end located at the outer end of said opening, the outer end of said rivet being free from engagement with any externally applied fastener, said sleeve and rivet being deformable at their outer ends for engaging relation with said terminal strips on opposite sides thereof and cooperating together at their outer ends to anchor said terminal strip therebetween exteriorly of said body portion, said sleeve having an outwardly extending flange at its inner end cooperating with the inner end of said rivet to fix said contact element therebetween within said chamber, wherein said termInal strip and contact element are permanently and securely fixed in position regardless of the expansion or contraction of said body portion due to temperature differentials in the operation of said switch construction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
229 words
A thermostatic switch construction, comprising a housing having a body portion formed of a nonconducting material and in which an interior chamber is formed, at least on opening formed in said body portion that communicates with said interior chamber, a terminal strip located at the outer end of said opening exteriorly of said body portion and a contact element located at the inner end of said opening in said chamber, a metallic sleeve fixed in said opening, and a rivet projecting through said contact element, said sleeve and said terminal strip, and having an inner end located in said chamber and an outer end located at the outer end of said opening, the outer end of said rivet being free from engagement with any externally applied fastener, said sleeve and rivet being deformable at their outer ends for engaging relation with said terminal strips on opposite sides thereof and cooperating together at their outer ends to anchor said terminal strip therebetween exteriorly of said body portion, said sleeve having an outwardly extending flange at its inner end cooperating with the inner end of said rivet to fix said contact element therebetween within said chamber, wherein said termInal strip and contact element are permanently and securely fixed in position regardless of the expansion or contraction of said body portion due to temperature differentials in the operation of said switch construction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
In a thermostatic switch construction as set forth in claim 1, said sleeve having a flange formed on the inner end thereof and said rivet including a head, said contact element being captured between the head of said rivet and the flange of said sleeve.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
In a thermostatic switch construction as set forth in claim 1, the outer end of said sleeve being flared outwardly and the outer end of said rivet being turned over, wherein said terminal strip is anchored between the flared outer end of said sleeve and the turned over end of said rivet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
209 words
In a thermostatic switch construction, a housing having a body portion formed of a nonconducting material and in which an interior chamber is formed, at least one opening formed in said body portion that communicates with said interior chamber, a terminal strip located at the outer end of said opening exteriorly of said body portion and a contact element located at the inner end of said opening in said chamber, a metallic sleeve fixed in said opening, and a river projecting through said sleeve and cooperating therewith to anchor said terminal strip exteriorly of said body portion and to fix said contact element within said chamber, wherein said terminal strip and contact element are permanently and securely fixed in position regardless of the expansion or contraction of said body portion due to temperature differentials in the operation of said switch construction, the outer end of said sleeve being flared outwardly and the outer end of said rivet being turned over, wherein said terminal strip is anchored between the flared outer end of said sleeve and the turned-over end of said rivet, the body portion being countersunk at the outer end of said opening, the flared portion of said sleeve being received in the countersunk area of said body portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
209 words
In a thermostatic switch construction, a housing having a body portion formed of a nonconducting material and in which an interior chamber is formed, at least one opening formed in said body portion that communicates with said interior chamber, a terminal strip located at the outer end of said opening exteriorly of said body portion and a contact element located at the inner end of said opening in said chamber, a metallic sleeve fixed in said opening, and a river projecting through said sleeve and cooperating therewith to anchor said terminal strip exteriorly of said body portion and to fix said contact element within said chamber, wherein said terminal strip and contact element are permanently and securely fixed in position regardless of the expansion or contraction of said body portion due to temperature differentials in the operation of said switch construction, the outer end of said sleeve being flared outwardly and the outer end of said rivet being turned over, wherein said terminal strip is anchored between the flared outer end of said sleeve and the turned-over end of said rivet, the body portion being countersunk at the outer end of said opening, the flared portion of said sleeve being received in the countersunk area of said body portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
100 words
In a method of securing a terminal strip in a thermostatic switch construction, wherein the terminal strip is interlocked between a sleeve and a rivet that extend through an opening formed in the body portion of said switch construction, comprising the steps of locating a pin in said opening, mounting said terminal strip on said pin exteriorly of said body portion, inserting said sleeve around said pin in said opening, and feeding said rivet through said sleeve simultaneously displacing the pin from said opening and deforming the outer ends of said rivet and sleeve to anchor said terminal strip therebetween.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
100 words
In a method of securing a terminal strip in a thermostatic switch construction, wherein the terminal strip is interlocked between a sleeve and a rivet that extend through an opening formed in the body portion of said switch construction, comprising the steps of locating a pin in said opening, mounting said terminal strip on said pin exteriorly of said body portion, inserting said sleeve around said pin in said opening, and feeding said rivet through said sleeve simultaneously displacing the pin from said opening and deforming the outer ends of said rivet and sleeve to anchor said terminal strip therebetween.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
In a method as set forth in claim 5, said sleeve being deformed by flaring the outer end thereof, and said rivet being deformed by turning over the outer end thereof wherein said terminal strip is captured between the flared end and turned over end as said rivet displaces said pin from said opening.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-18 | 1975-04-19 | 1975-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-18 | 1979-04-19 | 1979-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-18 | 1983-04-19 | 1983-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |