Thermal responsive switch device

Claim 2

A thermal responsive switch device comprising electrical contact means for controlling a circuit, means forming a chamber, a charge of gas in the chamber, a quantity of porous adsorbent carbonaceous material including a decomposed synthetic polymer selected from the group consisting of decomposed polyvinylidene chloride and decomposed polyvinylidene fluoride in the chamber capable of adsorbing a quantity of the charge of gas, which quantity of adsorbed gas varies inversely with the temperature of the adsorbent material, and movable means responsive to a gas pressure within the chamber equal to atmospheric pressure for operating the contact means, said movable means being in an unoperated position when gas pressure within the chamber is less than a predetermined pressure which is less than atmospheric pressure, and said charge of gas at temperatures below a predetermined temperature of operation having a pressure which is sufficiently less than atmospheric pressure to normally maintain the movable means in the unoperated position.

Claim 3

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous material is formed by removing the hydrogen and halogen components to form a carbonaceous skeletal structure having cavities of sufficient size to receive and adsorb the gas.

Claim 4

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material has cavities with substantially uniform inlets of a size large enough to allow entrance and adsorption of monatomic gas in the cavities but small enough to retain substantial quantities of adsorbed gas, and the charge of gas includes a noble gas.

Claim 5

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the average width of the inlets of the cavities in the adsorbent material is within the range from 9.2 angstroms to 17 angstroms.

Claim 6

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the decomposed synthetic polymer is formed by a process including the steps of subjecting a synthetic polymer to a purifying atmosphere, and heating the synthetic polymer while subjected to the purifying atmosphere to a temperature above its decomposition temperature but below its melting temperature to form cavities at sites of volatilized components of sufficient size to receive and adsorb molecules of the gas.

Claim 7

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the synthetic polymer includes polyvinylidene chloride, and the synthetic polymer is subjected to a temperature in the range from 138* to 177*C to substantially completely carbonize the synthetic polymer.

Claim 8

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the charge of gas includes a noble gas selected from helium, neon, argon, krypton and xenon.

Claim 9

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the noble gas is selected from argon, krypton and xenon.

Claim 10

A thermal responsive switch device comprising electrical contact means for opening and closing the circuit with spring means normally biasing the contact means closed, a support member, a flexible diaphragm secured to the support member to form a first chamber on a first side of the diaphragm, the other side of the diaphragm being exposed to atmospheric pressure, a tube communicating with the first chamber, a temperature sensing bulb having a second chamber communicating with the tube, a quantity of adsorbent carbon material in the second chamber, said adsorbent carbon material formed by decomposing a synthetic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene chloride and polyvinylidene fluoride, a charge of gas within the first chamber, the tube, and the second chamber having a pressure which at temperatures below a predetermined limit temperature is sufficiently lesser than atmospheric pressure to normally deflect the diaphragm and close the contact means, and means on the diaphragm for engaging the contact means to open the contact means when the first side of the diaphragm is subjected to a pressure equal to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 11

A thermal responsive switch device comprising electrical contact means for opening and closing the circuit with spring means normally biasing the contact means closed, a support member, a flexible diaphragm secured to the support member to form a first chamber on a first side of the diaphragm, the other side of the diaphragm being exposed to atmospheric pressure, a tube communicating with the first chamber, a temperature sensing bulb having a second chamber communicating with the tube, a quantity of adsorbent carbon material in the second chamber, said adsorbent carbon material formed by decomposing a synthetic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene chloride and polyvinylidene fluoride, a charge of gas within the first chamber, the tube, and the second chamber having a pressure which at temperatures below a predetermined limit temperature is sufficiently lesser than atmospheric pressure to normally deflect the diaphragm and close the contact means, and means on the diaphragm for engaging the contact means to open the contact means when the first side of the diaphragm is subjected to a pressure equal to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 12

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the adsorbent carbon material includes decomposed polyvinylidene chloride.

Claim 13

A thermal responsive switch device comprising electrical contact means for controlling a circuit, means forming a chamber, a charge of gas in the chamber, a quantity of adsorbent material having cavities with an average width in the range of about 9.2 to 17 angstroms in the chamber, and movable means responsive to a gas pressure within the chamber equal to atmospheric pressure for operating the contact means, said movable means being in an unoperated position when gas pressure within the chamber is less than a predetermined pressure which is less than atmospheric pressure, said charge of gas including gas molecules having widths which are readily adsorbed in the cavities, and said charge of gas at temperatures below a predetermined temperature of operation having a pressure which is sufficiently less than atmospheric pressure to normally maintain the movable means in the unoperated position.

Claim 14

A thermal responsive switch device comprising electrical contact means for controlling a circuit, means forming a chamber, a charge of gas in the chamber, a quantity of adsorbent material having cavities with an average width in the range of about 9.2 to 17 angstroms in the chamber, and movable means responsive to a gas pressure within the chamber equal to atmospheric pressure for operating the contact means, said movable means being in an unoperated position when gas pressure within the chamber is less than a predetermined pressure which is less than atmospheric pressure, said charge of gas including gas molecules having widths which are readily adsorbed in the cavities, and said charge of gas at temperatures below a predetermined temperature of operation having a pressure which is sufficiently less than atmospheric pressure to normally maintain the movable means in the unoperated position.

Claim 15

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the adsorbent material is a carbonaceous material formed by the decomposition of a synthetic polymer, the cavities have substantially uniform widths throughout portions of the depths of the cavities, and the charge of gas includes a noble gas.

Claim 16

A thermal responsive switch device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the cavities have an average width in the range of about 12 to 15 angstroms.