AU607902B2 - Adaptor for a control adjustment - Google Patents

Description

A U S T R A L I A Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 7F m2

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. C1 61T~1S-|j' Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Pri ori ty: o oO o o ao 0 0o 0 0 0 00 0 o oo o oo 0 0 0 000 00 o 0 0 0 00 0 060 0 0 0 000 0 0 0 0 0 a0 0 0 0 0 4 Related Art: SThis document contains the amendmetnts made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: 00 0 0 00 o 0 0ooooo Actual Inventors: 0 0 Rheem Australia Limited Level 26 Westpac Plaza 60 Margaret Street Sydney NSW 2000 John BRICKNELL and Paul Martin SCHREMMER Mr A W Tilley Rheem Auetralia Limited Brodie Street Rydalmere Address for Service: NSW 2116 Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "ADAPTOR FOR A CONTROL ADJUSTMENT" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: A66A ~"~;-"YFYXsru~rii*i -I(I1C ~Cil~llFIY(X Yli 1 This invention relates to a device which adapts an adjustable but not readily accessible clontrol device within a protective enclosure to an accessible adjustment knob outside of that enclosure. It applies where the control device is provided with an adjustment means in the form of a rotatable shaft protruding from the surface of the control device toward the protective enclosure. It particularly applies where it is desired to preserve weather resistance of the enclosure. The invention is applicable to appliances such as storage hot water tanks where outdoor installation is an option.

0oo 0 The need for this invention arises because the o ooo .0 manufacturers of hot water systems in compliance with o0o 0 o 1~5 Australian Standard number 1056.1-1985 are required, under an 0 0 0 0° amendment of that Standard to take effect June 1986, to at 0 {)0 00 0 0.00 least make 'vailable for purchase, a user accessible thermostat adjustment which can be fitted to such hot water 00 0 0 0 00 systems. This is referred to in AS1056.1-1985 Section 3.2.2.

0 0 C 0 0 4 The perceived need for provision of the user-accessibility is "o 4, to enable users to effect energy saving by selecting a temperature set point appropriate to their own individual use o 0 patterns, season of the year, demand with respect to the o.oo storage capacity of the heater and other variables.

To provide for user accessibility by an adapting device to enable a user to alter the temperature of water in electrically powered storage hot water systems in particular, it is necessary to avoid consequent unacceptable reduction to integrity against water ingress possessed by the enclosure 2 before modification. Further, it is ,,,cessary to provide the adaptor with protection against the possibility that the uninformed user might attempt to rotate the adjustment knob forcibly beyond the desired stops, thereby rendering incorrect the temperature indication of the pointer on the knob.

It is also necessary to provide a rapid means for assemrbly of the adaptor and enclosure during manufacture enabling correction of minor misalignment of the parts of the adaptor when the enclosure is assembled to the appliance.

The invention consists of an adaptor for enabling the adjustability 15 of a control device on an appliance to be extended to the exterior :0 of an enclosure containing said control device wherein said adaptor 000 0 comprises a yoke member attached in a predetermined radial alignment 0 00 oo o dj 0000to a rotatable adjustment shaft protruding from said control device a oo 0 and a knob accessible to the outside of said enclosure and having an 0 20 inwardly directed stern member, the inner end of the stem member being in torque transmitting inter-relationship with the yoke member, the knob providing a seal to an opening in the enclosure to 0000 receive said adaptor.

oooo o. 0 o o0 0 o Preferably the adaptor has the knob rotatable between fixed stops .0 000 provided to prevent adjustment of the control device beyond a 0 predetermined advisable range.

ooooe oo~o 00 000a0 00000 0 0 One embodiment of a preferred form of an adaptor 1 according to the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective view, having an exploded inter-relationship between the component parts, and partial cutting away and sectioning of components for clarity, of an adaptor for enabling externally available adjustment means of a temperature control device mounted within an enclosure.

With reference to Fig 1, firstly to distinguish past practice in the field relating to the illustrated embodiment, thermostat 11 mounted to an appliance (not shown) has not 04 been readily accessible for adjustment by a user, being 000 mounted behind either a wall of the appliance protective 00 S1 5-o jacket or behind a separate enclosure itself mounted in 00 00 0 0 0 0 o contact with the protective jacket, in either case 0 00 0 0 0 0000 represented on the drawing by numeral 18. One common form of thermostat as illustrated is provided with a protruding shaft 0 0 12 which upon calibration of the thermostat is fitted with a 00 6 020 pointer 13 which is a tight push-on fit on the shaft. The thermostat may be adjusted (when access is available) by using a screwdriver blade (for example) in the slot provided o 1° on the end of the shaft. The permissible limit of angular 0 4 0oooo rotation of the shaft is set by at least one stop protruding from the face of the thermostat (not shown), the stop being intended to limit shaft rotation by contact with the pointer, but a problem with this arrangement can be that an unskilled person attempting to make an adjustment who rotates the shaft 12 too hard against the fixed stop can rotate the shaft with respect to the pointer, thereby invalidating the factory set -4- LL r~-i~d-rr~l' .i lir---ii- i 1 calibration.

Still with reference to Fig 1, according to the present invention the existing type of therr t is modified by dispensing with the presently used pointer 13 and replacing it with the pointer-with-yoke device 15 which is installed as a tight fit on shaft 12 in an angular position as determined by a calibration test such that the pointer indicates on the marked face 14 the thermostat switching temperature. The sheet material 18 covering the control device is provided with a hole 19 having a slot 27 to engage with a key 22 on flanged bush 20 to prevent relative rotation 00 0 0 of the bush when inserted in the hole. The flanged end of the 0 00, 0o o0 flanged bush abuts the inside face of the enclosure defined 0o0 o 1,5. by the sheet material 18. Knob 17 is installed in contact 00 0 0 00 with the flanged bush by inserting the resilient retainers 21 a 00 0 0 0 0000 through the hole 26 passing right through the bush until the barbs on the end of each retainer spring outwardly to retain 00o 0 0 the knob 17 and bush 20 against the sheet material 18 The °2b' outwardly directed face of the flange is provided with key 22 0a which extends radially outwardly suficiently to provide a fixed stop to limit the angular rotation of knob 17 within o0 the desired limit or limits. Provision of key 22 co-operating oooo6 with two stops (not shown) moulded inside the body of the knob prevents the possibility of excessive torque from being applied at the connection between the pointer-with-yoke 15 to thermostat adjustment shaft 12, so overcoming one of the disadvantages of the known thermostat adjustment. The knob 17 is made such that the inside diameter of the knob is a sliding fit over the cylindrical portion of the bush which 5 1 protrudes through the sheet material. This provides a seal to the assembled arrangement giving the required weather resistance for outdoor installation of appropriate appliances to which the invention can be applicable. The term seal as used here and elsewhere in this document means a substantially wet weather proof seal.

The pointer knob 17 and flanged bush 20 can be pre-assembled to the sheet material 18 as a sub-assembly so avoiding time consuming assembly operations on the appliance as it nears completion of assembly. When the control device cover is then brought into assembly alignment with the 00 0oo thermostat the stem 16 is quickly aligned with the arms of o 00 0 Q" S the yoke 15. Small mis-alignment at this stage is readily o 5 corrected since relative movement of the stem and yoke o o 0 0 0 Soo0 axially upon assembly cause the pointer knob to rotate to the 0 1 00 0 0oo correct angular position as set by the position of the thermostat shaft.

o 00 00 0 00 The external face of the enclosure 18 is provided with 04 S a marked decal 24 whereby the arrow 23 on the knob 17 can indicate the temperature setting to the user.

00 04 00 0 1 o Variations and modifications may be made in the invention as above described and as claimed in the accompanying claims.

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Claims (3)

1. An adaptor for enabling the adjustability of a control device on an appliance to be extended to the exterior of an enclosure containing said control device wherein said adaptor comprisec a yoke member attached in a predetermined radial alignment to a rotatable adjustment shaft protruding from said control device and a knob accessible to the outside of said enclosure and having an inwardly directed stem member, the inner end of the stem member being in torque transmitting inter-relationship with the yoke member, the knob providing a seal to an opening in the enclosure to receive said adaptor. 0 f 0

2. An adaptor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said knob is 0 00. rotatable between fixed stops provided to prevent adjustment °00°00 of the control device beyond a pre-determined advisable range. 0 0 0 0 00 o o 4)o

3. An adaptor for enabling the adjustability of a control device substantially as described in the accompanying specification and with reference to the accompanying Figure 1. 0 0 0 00 00 0 GOOG DATED this 30th day of November 1990 j RHEEM AUSTRALIA LIMITED <050894 S-7- -z L. -3L ~1