TEMPERATURE INDICATOR

TRADUCTION NON-DISPONIBLE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A luminescent tube filled with a temperature
responsive liquid which causes the tube to glow as
the liquid moves up and down the tube is encased
within an opaque expansible sleeve which is
aligned with graduations on the tube to indicate
a critical temperature to be sensed when the tube
is mounted on an object, so that if the tube glows
above the sleeve the temperature is readily discern-
able. The tube and sleeve may be permanently
mounted on the object or removably mounted by a
magnet or clip on the sleeve.

Claims

I claim:
1. A temperature indicator comprising:
a graduated electro-luminescent tube which
glows along a length in accordance with the movement of
temperature-responsive liquid up and down the tube,
an opaque expansible sleeve encasing said
tube whereby the top edge of said sleeve is alignable
with a graduation on said tube with the sleeve covering
the entire tube below said graduation, and means con-
nected to said sleeve for mounting said sleeve and tube
on an object, the temperature of which is to be sensed.
2. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said mounting
means includes a base on said sleeve adapted to be
mounted by fasteners on an object.
3. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said mounting
means is a magnet.
4. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said mounting
means is a clip.
5. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said sleeve
has a bellows-like configuration enabling it to be
expanded and compressed.
6. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said sleeve
includes indicia adjacent its top edge to indicate
the direction of movement of said sleeve.
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Description

EACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
m is invention relates to an industrial
temperature indicator constructed so as to be
easlly visible under daylight or night operating
conditions to detect a change ln the operating
temperature or a mechanical device.
A temperature indicator of this nature ~inds
use in heating and air conditioning ducts of office
buildings to spot insufficient cooling or heating
. or can be permanently installed on a motor housing
to determlne overheating, etc,
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance wlth the inventlon, a con-
ventional electro-luminescent temperature indi-
cator tube is mounted in an expansible shield.
m e shield is slid along the graduated tube to
a desired "critical 1I temperature which when
senqed will lndicate that a mechanical device is
overheating or ~hat the devlce is operatln~
properly. The shield and tube may be attached to
to the deYice permanently, by a magnet or clip.
I~ the indicator glow i_ vlslble above the shield,
the l'critlcal" temperature i9 immedlately
discernable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRdWING
Further objects and advantages of the lnvention
will become apparent from the following descri~tion
and claimq,and from the accompanying drawing,
wherein:
Figure 1 ls a perspective vie~ of the tempera-
ture indicator of the pre~ent invention permanentlymounted on a mechanical device.
F~gure 2 is a perspective view of another f`orm
of ~he indicator rern~vabl~y clipped to a mechanical
device; and
FIG~RE 3 is a perspecti~e vie~ of still anoth~r
~orm of the indicator removably rnounted b~ a r~gnet
on a mechanical device.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein
like numerals indicate like elements throughout
the several views, a conventional electro-
luminescent indicator tube 10 made of clear glass
coated with electro-luminescent particles and filled
with a conductive temperature responsive liquid
which will rise in tube 10 upon an increase in
temperature is provided. Tube 10 is calibrated and
graduated in degrees as indicated by indicia 12.
The particular details of construction of tube 10
is not part of the present invention, as it is well
known by those skilled in the state of the art.
Tube 10 may be encased in an expansible, bellows
type opaque shield 14 having a base 16 fixed by
suitable fasteners to a mechanical device such as
a motor housing 18 to sense the temperature of the
motor ln housing 18. Shield 14 includes the expan-
sible sleeve 20 which is slid along the graduatedtube 10 so that the top edge 22 of sleeve so is
aligned with a desired graduated indicia 12 which
will indicate, for example, that the motor in housing
18 is overheating. The indicator tube 10 is then
checked periodically to see if it is glowing above
edge 22, which will indicate immediately whether
the mechanical device is operating properly.
Sleeve 20 may also include a clip 24 (FIGURE 2)
or a magnet 26 (FIGURE 3) to attach the temperature
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lndlcator unlt to a blade-llke structure 28 or any
galvanized metal or 3teel surrace 30, respectlvely.
Sleeve 20 may also be provlded wlth indlcla 32 to
lndlcate the manner Or u~e or sleeve 20.
Whlle a speclric embodiment Or a temperature
lndlcator has been dlsclosed ln the foregoing
descriptlon, lt will be understood that various
modlflcatlons wlthin the 3plrit Or the lnventlon
may occur to those skllled in the art. merefore,
lt i~ lntended that no llmltatlons be placed on
the invention except as derlned by the scope or
the appended clalms.