Force amplified low pressure depth activated switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10510504-B2
Application number	US-201715835664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

Systems ( 100 ) and methods ( 2400 ) for operating a submersible switch positioned below a body of water's surface. The methods comprise: deflecting a semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap towards a center of the switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto; directly applying a pushing force by the submersible switch's cap onto an actuator of an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch; and causing an operational state change of the submersible switch in response to the pushing force being applied directly to the actuator of the internal switch.

First claim

We claim:

1. A submersible switch, comprising:
an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch;
a cap rotatably coupled to the body and having a semi-rigid top wall that
deflects towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto, and

directly applies a pushing force onto an actuator of the internal switch so as to cause an operational state change of the submersible switch;
wherein the body comprises a protruding portion located in proximity to the semi-rigid top wall of the cap; and
wherein a distance between the protruding portion of the body and the semi-rigid top wall of the cap is selected so that the semi-rigid top wall remains exclusively in an elastic region of a curve representing the semi-rigid top walls stress-strain relationship while the submersible switch is in use at any given depth.

2. A submersible switch, comprising:
an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch;
a cap rotatably coupled to the body and having a semi-rigid top wall that
deflects towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto, and
directly applies a pushing force onto an actuator of the internal switch so as to cause an operational state change of the submersible switch;

wherein a trigger depth of the submersible switch is selectable by rotating the cap which threadingly engages the body.

3. The submersible switch according to claim 2 , wherein the trigger depth is decreased by rotating the submersible switch's cap clockwise, and increased by rotating the submersible switch's cap counter clockwise.

4. The submersible switch according to claim 2 , further comprising a mechanical coupler engaging a flat engagement surface formed on the body such that a desired rotated position of the cap is maintained during use of the submersible switch.

5. A submersible switch, comprising:
an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch;
a cap rotatably coupled to the body and having a semi-rigid top wall that
bends towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto, and
directly applies a pushing force onto an actuator of the internal switch so as to cause an operational state change of the submersible switch;

wherein an amount of deflection experienced by the semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap is limited using a protruding portion of the body of the submersible switch; and
wherein a trigger depth for the submersible switch is selected by rotating the cap in a given direction.

6. The submersible switch according to claim 5 , wherein the submersible switch is repeatably operable in shallow depths of less than 100 feet.

7. The submersible switch according to claim 5 , further comprising a water tight seal between the body and the cap.

8. The submersible switch according to claim 5 , further comprising an internal component that controls an amount of moisture inside the submersible switch.

9. The submersible switch according to claim 5 , wherein the body comprises a protruding portion located in proximity to the semi-rigid top wall of the cap.

10. The submersible switch according to claim 9 , wherein the protruding portion of the body limits the deflection and the stress in the cap caused by hydrostatic pressure existing at a depth greater than 100 feet below the body of water's surface.

11. A method of operating a submersible switch positioned below a body of water's surface, comprising:
deflecting a semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto;
directly applying a pushing force by the submersible switch's cap onto an actuator of an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch;
causing an operational state change of the submersible switch in response to the pushing force being applied directly to the actuator of the internal switch; and
placing a protruding portion the submersible switch's body in proximity to the semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap;
wherein a distance between the protruding portion of the submersible switch's body and the semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap is selected so that the semi-rigid top wall remains exclusively in an elastic region of a curve representing the semi-rigid top walls stress-strain relationship while the submersible switch is in use at any given depth.

12. A method of operating a submersible switch positioned below a body of water's surface, comprising:
deflecting a semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto;
directly applying a pushing force by the submersible switch's cap onto an actuator of an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch;
causing an operational state change of the submersible switch in response to the pushing force being applied directly to the actuator of the internal switch; and
placing a protruding portion the submersible switch's body in proximity to the semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap;
wherein the protruding portion of the submersible switch's body limits the deflection and the stress realized in the submersible switch's cap caused by hydrostatic pressure having a value equal to or greater than an amount of hydrostatic pressure at which a stress-strain relationship of the semi-rigid top wall transitions from an elastic region of a curve to a plastic region of the curve.

13. A method of operating a submersible switch positioned below a body of water's surface, comprising:
deflecting a semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto;
directly applying a pushing force by the submersible switch's cap onto an actuator of an internal switch disposed in a body of the submersible switch;
causing an operational state change of the submersible switch in response to the pushing force being applied directly to the actuator of the internal switch; and
selecting a trigger depth for the submersible switch by rotating the submersible switch's cap which threadingly engages the submersible switch's body.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the submersible switch has a trigger depth tolerance of ±1 foot.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the trigger depth is decreased by rotating the submersible switch's cap clockwise, and increased by rotating the submersible switch's cap counter clockwise.

16. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising causing a mechanical coupler to engage a flat engagement surface formed on the submersible switch's body such that a desired rotated position of the submersible switch's cap is maintained during use of the submersible switch.

17. A method of operating a submersible switch positioned below a body of water's surface, comprising:
selecting a trigger depth for the submersible switch by rotating the submersible switch's cap in a given direction;
deflecting a semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap towards a center of the submersible switch when hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto, where the semi-rigid top wall bends in a direction towards a center of the submersible switch during said deflecting;
limiting an amount of deflection experienced by the semi-rigid top wall of the submersible switch's cap using a protruding portion of a body of the submersible switch;
directly applying a pushing force by the subme

Assignees

• Eagle Tech Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Brannen L
• Straley G Randell
• Rhein Jeffrey M
• Marikle Sean P

Classifications

• H01H35/24

  Switches operated by change of fluid pressure, by fluid pressure waves, or by change of fluid flow (wherein the change of pressure is caused by change of temperature H01H37/36) · CPC title

• H01H35/245

  actuated by the deformation of a body of elastic material · CPC title

• H01H35/2628

  by varying the relative position of switch-casing and pressure sensitive element · CPC title

• H01H35/34

  actuated by diaphragm · CPC title

• H01H9/04 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings · CPC title