Electric resistance heating devices – Heating devices – Immersion heater details
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-14
2003-12-02
Campbell, Thor (Department: 3742)
Electric resistance heating devices
Heating devices
Immersion heater details
C392S503000, C392S497000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658205
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting temperature variation value correction of an aquarium heating tube and particularly an apparatus for adjusting temperature variation value correction of an aquarium heating tube according to use condition of the aquarium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional aquarium
10
as shown in
FIG. 1
usually includes a thermometer
11
to measure and display water temperature and a heating tube
20
which has capability to adjust the setting value of heating temperature and can automatically perform heating when the temperature is below the setting temperature value.
Refer to
FIG. 2
for the conventional heating tube
20
. It mainly includes a head
21
located on the top end of the heating tube with a turning knob
22
located on the head
21
to directly turn a lifting screw rod
23
. The screw rod presses an adjusting strip
24
to change the distance between the adjusting strip
24
and another fixed strip
25
. The adjusting strip
24
and the fixed strip
25
bond respectively to a magnet
26
and a metal member
27
. One of the strips is connected to a heating coil
28
. When heated, the fixed strip
25
deforms because of the heat. Thus the magnet
26
and the metal member
27
bonded to the two strips gradually move towards each other and are attracted to form an electric contact for heating or breaking off to stop heating, therefore control functions are established.
Based on previous discussion, it is clear that by rotating the turning knob
22
, the interval between the two strips may be changed. Hence such a phenomenon may be used to indicate the heating temperature. It is not based on the actual water temperature in the aquarium. In designing the general heating tubes, the design of the adjustment of the interval is based on the volume and normal water temperature of the standard aquariums.
However from users' standpoint, the real problem is that the heating tube does not necessary match the aquarium. For instance, the specification of the heating tube may be for 50 liters, while user's aquarium may have the capacity of 55 liters. In addition, variation of water temperature often is affected by the ambient temperature, such as snowy winter and sweltering summer have great impact on water temperature in the aquarium. In such a circumstance, it could happen that while the heating temperature is set at 85° F. for the heating tube, but the actual temperature being heated in the aquarium
10
may be merely 81° F. In other words, though the heating tube
20
is set to stop heating when the temperature reaches 85° F., because of the factors such as the volume of the aquarium and ambient temperature, the water temperature in the aquarium never reaches 85° F. (with the actual temperature reaches only 81° F., there is a variation of 4° F. between the setting water temperature to be heated and the actual water temperature). Hence users have to bear in mind this temperature variation of 4° F., and to adjust the heating temperature of the heating tube to 89° F. so that the actual temperature may reach 85° F. in the heating process. However, users do not always remember the temperature variation value like this. In the event that users forget such a variation value and mistakenly adjust the variation setting, fish in the aquarium could perish. Moreover the conventional heating tubes use the turning knob
22
to directly lift or lower the screw rod
23
to push the strip. Adjusting displacement is rough and not accurate. It also could cause troubles. In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, to develop an improved adjusting apparatus to overcome the temperature variation occurred to the heating tube of the aquarium and the actual water temperature is the focus of this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for adjusting temperature variation value correction of an aquarium heating tube that is easy to operate and can rapidly correct the temperature variation to enable the heating temperature to coincide with the actual water temperature.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for adjusting temperature variation value correction of an aquarium heating tube that can fine tune the temperature setting to achieve more accurate temperature adjustment.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, the invention mainly includes an adjusting dock which has a lower end connecting to a heating coil and is coupled with a duct set which is extended upwards to house a screw rod. The screw rod has an upper end fastening to a squared turning rod which is extended outside an outer lid for coupling with a round spline opening of a turning knob. Turning the turning knob, the screw rod will be driven to push a movable strip to adjust the distance between the movable strip and the electric contact of an electrode. The movable strip is connected to the heating coil. When heated, the strip deforms due to the heat so that the electric contact of the movable strip may contact with or separate from the electric contact of the electrode thereby to control heating or stop heating. The screw rod has a lower section located in a hollow section of the adjusting dock to engage with a longitudinal screw hole of a transverse sleeve. The transverse sleeve is moved up or down by the screw rod to push a biased member which moves in a diagonal manner along two opposing transverse slots on the side walls to generate a miniature displacement. Therefore the movable strip may be pushed and moved more accurately. The turning knob may be pulled away from the turning rod to turn and correct the temperature variation value in a simple operation thereby to enable the heating temperature to coincide with the actual water temperature.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3560707 (1971-02-01), Kolfertz
patent: 4072847 (1978-02-01), Craven
patent: 4152263 (1979-05-01), Goldman et al.
patent: 4156128 (1979-05-01), Craven
patent: 4315143 (1982-02-01), Willinger et al.
patent: 4327281 (1982-04-01), Jager et al.
patent: 5568587 (1996-10-01), Marioni
Campbell Thor
Meiko Pet Corporation
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
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