Patent ID: 9523650
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: G01K,G01M,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A temperature sensor assembly comprising: a temperature sensing probe having a temperature sensing portion, a terminal portion, and an intermediate portion between said temperature sensing portion and said terminal portion; a mounting element in sliding engagement along a first axis with said intermediate portion of said temperature sensing probe such that said temperature sensing probe is movable linearly relative to said mounting element in an axial direction; said mounting element configured to attach to an open tip thermowell having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than said temperature sensing probe, and such that said mounting element does not move linearly relative to said open tip thermowell, such that said temperature sensing portion of said probe is exposed to a process environment, and such that said thermowell will expand in an amount different than said temperature sensing probe in response to temperatures in said process environment; said temperature sensing probe comprising a stop configured to bear against a seat in said thermowell; and a spring element arranged between said stop and said mounting element and configured to bias said stop and said mounting element linearly away from each other in said axial direction; whereby said temperature sensing probe is movable linearly relative to said mounting element in said axial direction through a displacement range in which said spring element will compensate for said relative differences in expansion of said temperature sensing probe and said thermowell from said temperatures in said process environment.