Thermally actuated device and door latch means utilizing the same or the like

Claim 2

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said heater comprising a member of electrical insulating material having a conductive coating on the exterior surface thereof that provides an electrical resistance heater means when electrical current passes through the same.

Claim 3

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said heater comprising a cylindrical member of electrical insulating material having a conductive coating on the exterior surface thereof that provides an electrical resistance heater means when electrical current passes through the same.

Claim 4

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said heater comprising a cylindrical member of electrical insulating material having a conductive coating on the exterior surface thereof that provides an electrical resistance heater means when electrical current passes through the same.

Claim 5

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 2, said cylindrical member being tubular and having opposed ends with said conductive coating extending substantially to said ends.

Claim 6

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 3, a pair of electrical leads carried by said housing means and respectively being electrically interconnected to said conductive coating at said ends of said cylindrical member.

Claim 7

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in calim 4, one of sAid leads extending through said tubular member from one end thereof to the other end thereof and being electrically interconnected to its respective end of said conductive coating exterior of the respective end of said tubular member.

Claim 8

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in calim 4, one of sAid leads extending through said tubular member from one end thereof to the other end thereof and being electrically interconnected to its respective end of said conductive coating exterior of the respective end of said tubular member.

Claim 9

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said motion transmitting member comprising a flexible diaphragm of the rolling type, said housing means comprising a tubular member having opposed open ends, said diaphragm closing off said tubular member between said ends thereof and having a tubular portion extending along the inside surface of said tubular member to one end thereof, and a closure member closing said one end of said tubular member and cooperating with said tubular portion of said diaphragm to seal said closure member to said one end of said tubular member whereby said chamber is defined by and substantially completely bordered by said diaphragm and said closure member.

Claim 10

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said motion transmitting member comprising a flexible diaphragm of the rolling type, said housing means comprising a tubular member having opposed open ends, said diaphragm closing off said tubular member between said ends thereof and having a tubular portion extending along the inside surface of said tubular member to one end thereof, and a closure member closing said one end of said tubular member and cooperating with said tubular portion of said diaphragm to seal said closure member to said one end of said tubular member whereby said chamber is defined by and substantially completely bordered by said diaphragm and said closure member.

Claim 11

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing meanas having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said motion transmitting member comprising a flexible diaphragm of the rolling type, said housing means comprising a tubular member having opposed open ends, said diaphragm closing off said tubular member between said ends thereof and having a tubular portion extending along the inside surface of said tubular member to one end thereof, and a closure member closing said one end of said tubular member and cooperating with said tubular portion of said diaphragm to seal said closure member of said one end of said tubular member whereby said chamber is defined by said diaphragm and said closure member, said closure member and said diaphragm being formed of electrically insulating material whereby said chamber is completely bordered by electrically insulating material.

Claim 12

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing meanas having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means, the improvement of an electrical heater means disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, said heater providing substantially a uniform thermal flux to said thermally responsive means throughout substantially the entire surface area of said heater, said motion transmitting member comprising a flexible diaphragm of the rolling type, said housing means comprising a tubular member having opposed open ends, said diaphragm closing off said tubular member between said ends thereof and having a tubular portion extending along the inside surface of said tubular member to one end thereof, and a closure member closing said one end of said tubular member and cooperating with said tubular portion of said diaphragm to seal said closure member of said one end of said tubular member whereby said chamber is defined by said diaphragm and said closure member, said closure member and said diaphragm being formed of electrically insulating material whereby said chamber is completely bordered by electrically insulating material.

Claim 13

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 7, a piston member disposed in said tubular member and having opposed ends, one end of said piston member being engageable with said diaphragm and the other end thereof projecting out of the other end of said tubular member.

Claim 14

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 8, said heater comprising a cylindrical member having a longitudinal axis extending generally in the same direction as the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and said piston member.

Claim 15

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means that is adapted to be heated by an electrical heater means that is disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, the improvement wherein said chamber is substantially completely bordered by solid electrically insulating material the majority of which comprises a rolling diaphragm that compriSes said motion transmitting member.

Claim 16

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means that is adapted to be heated by an electrical heater means that is disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, the improvement wherein said chamber is substantially completely bordered by solid electrically insulating material the majority of which comprises a rolling diaphragm that compriSes said motion transmitting member.

Claim 17

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means that is adapted to be heated by an electrical heater means that is disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, the improvement wherein said chamber is substantially completely bordered by electrically insulating material, said motion transmitting member comprising a flexible diaphragm of the rolling type and formed of electrically insulating material, said housing means comprising a tubular member having opposed open ends, said diaphragm closing off said tubular member between said ends thereof and having a tubular portion extending along the inside surface of said tubular member to one end thereof, and a closure member of electrically insulating material closing said one end of said tubular member and cooperating with said tubular portion of said diaphragm to seal said closure member to said one end of said tubular member whereby said chamber is defined by said diaphragm and said closure member and is thereby substantially completely bordered by electrically insulating material.

Claim 18

In a thermally actuated device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means that is adapted to be heated by an electrical heater means that is disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is energized, the improvement wherein said chamber is substantially completely bordered by electrically insulating material, said motion transmitting member comprising a flexible diaphragm of the rolling type and formed of electrically insulating material, said housing means comprising a tubular member having opposed open ends, said diaphragm closing off said tubular member between said ends thereof and having a tubular portion extending along the inside surface of said tubular member to one end thereof, and a closure member of electrically insulating material closing said one end of said tubular member and cooperating with said tubular portion of said diaphragm to seal said closure member to said one end of said tubular member whereby said chamber is defined by said diaphragm and said closure member and is thereby substantially completely bordered by electrically insulating material.

Claim 19

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 11, a piston member disposed in said tubular member and having opposed ends, one end of said piston member being engageable with said diaphragm and the other end thereof projecting out of the other end of said tubular member.

Claim 20

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 12, said heater comprising a cylindrical member having a longitudinal axis extending generally in the same direction as the longitudinal axis of tubular member and said piston member.

Claim 21

In a thermally actuated device as set forth in claim 11, said heater means having a pair of leads extending between said tubular portion of said diaphragm and said closure member to the exterior of said housing means for lead attachment purposes.

Claim 22

In a remote controlled door latching arrangement for a vehicle and the like wherein a latch member is to be moved between a locking position thereof and unlocking position thereof, the improvement comprising a pair of thermally actuated devices respectively and operatively associated with said latch member, one of said devices when thermally actuated causing movement of said latch member to its locking position, the other of said devices when thermally actuated causing movement of said latch member to its unlocking position, each device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means that is adapted to be heated by an electrical heater means that is disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is eneragized, said motion transmitting member being operatively associated with said latch member, and an electrical system for said devices, said system having means for permitting only said one device to be thermally actuated by energizing said heater thereof when said latch member is in its unlocking position and said other device to be thermally actuated by energizing said heater thereof when said latch member is in its locking position, said means of said system causing only the energizing of said heater of said one device when said latch member is in its unlocking position and only during part of the movement of said latch member to its locking position and causing only the energizing of said heater of said other device when said latch member is in its locking position and only during part of the movement of said latch member to its unlocking position.

Claim 23

In a remote controlled door latching arrangement for a vehicle and the like wherein a latch member is to be moved between a locking position thereof and unlocking position thereof, the improvement comprising a pair of thermally actuated devices respectively and operatively associated with said latch member, one of said devices when thermally actuated causing movement of said latch member to its locking position, the other of said devices when thermally actuated causing movement of said latch member to its unlocking position, each device comprising a housing means having a chamber provided with a thermally responsive means and being defined in part by a motion transmitting member movable relative to said housing means in response to expansion or contraction of said thermally responsive means that is adapted to be heated by an electrical heater means that is disposed in said chamber for heating said thermally responsive means when said heater is eneragized, said motion transmitting member being operatively associated with said latch member, and an electrical system for said devices, said system having means for permitting only said one device to be thermally actuated by energizing said heater thereof when said latch member is in its unlocking position and said other device to be thermally actuated by energizing said heater thereof when said latch member is in its locking position, said means of said system causing only the energizing of said heater of said one device when said latch member is in its unlocking position and only during part of the movement of said latch member to its locking position and causing only the energizing of said heater of said other device when said latch member is in its locking position and only during part of the movement of said latch member to its unlocking position.