Control apparatus for heating and cooling systems

Claim 1

A FLUID CONTROL APPARATUS FOR USE IN HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A SOLENOID ACTUATED VALVE HAVING A VALVE BODY AND AN ARMATURE CONTAINING SLEEVE EXTENDING FROM SAID BODY, SAID VALVE BODY HAVING A WALL ADAPTED TO BE IN HEAT CONDUCTING RELATION TO FLUID IN THE VALVE AND PRESENTING AN ANNULAR SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID SLEEVE, A FRAME COMPRISING A PLATE-LIKE MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING FOR RECEIVING SAID SLEEVE THERETHROUGH, A SWITCH CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, AN EXPANSIBLE MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID SWITCH, A TUBE CONNECTED TO SAID EXPANSIBLE MEMBER AND CONTAINING A THERMALLY RESPONSIVE FLUID FOR EFFECTING EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF SAID EXPANSIBLE MEMBER, SAID TUBE BEING WOUND IN AN ANNULAR COIL COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID ANNULAR SURFACE OF SAID VALVE BODY WALL AND MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID PLATE-LIKE MEMBER AND SAID ANNULAR SURFACE, AN ANNULAR MEMBER OF RESILIENT INSULATING MATERIAL INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR COIL AND THE PLATE-LIKE FRAME MEMBER, SAID RESILIENT MEMBER HAVING A COLLAR PORTION PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID PLATE-LIKE MEMBER AND OVERLYING A PORTION OF THE LATTER, A SOLENOID COIL SURROUNDING SAID SLEEVE BEYOND SAID PLATE-LIKE MEMBER, MEANS TO REMOVABLY ATTACH SAID SOLENOID COIL TO SAID SLEEVE INCLUDING A SOLENOID COIL FRAME STRUCTURE HAVING A WALL WITH AN OPENING RECEIVING SAID SLEEVE AND ENGAGING SAID COLLAR OF SAID ANNULAR MEMBER SO AS TO URGE SAID PLATE-LIKE MEMBER AND SAID ANNULAR MEMBER TOWARD SAID VALVE BODY SO THAT SAID ANNULAR COIL IS URGED AGAINST SAID ANNULAR VALVE BODY SURFACE BY THE RESILIENT ANNULAR MEMBER.