Thermostat apparatus

An apparatus wherein a thermostat is mounted within a sleeve, with the sleeve positionable as a junction between a plurality of hoses, or alternatively, the sleeve formed with a sealing boss, with the sealing boss extending radially beyond the sleeve, and including an "O" ring to effect sealing of the organization within a single unitary fluid conducting hose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of invention relates to thermostat apparatus, and more 
particularly pertains to a new and improved thermostat apparatus wherein 
the same is arranged for convenience of mounting and replacement within 
fluid conduits, particularly within automotive enviroments. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The advent of thermostats to enhance initial warming of circulatory cooling 
fluid about a water-cooled engine includes drawbacks in servicing of such 
units. The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the 
prior art wherein a unitary thermostat unit may be readily retrofitted and 
serviced within existing circulatory fluid conduits. Examples of the prior 
art include U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,133 to Roberson, Sr. wherein a thermostat 
organization is mounted between the engine block and the radiator within a 
rigid, fluid conduit. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,972 to Calkins sets forth a thermostat valve mounted 
within a conduit mounted within a fuel system of an internal combustion 
engine. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,104 to Nagumo, et al. sets forth a thermostat 
organization mounted in a cooling passageway leading to a radiator of a 
generally rigid construction. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,346 to Duperz sets forth an oil-flow control apparatus 
of temperature sensitive construction utilizing a thermostat mounted 
within rigid conduit. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,750 to Edelmann sets forth a further example of a 
thermostat mounted within a rigid extension of an associated cooling 
system of an internal combustion engine. 
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new 
and improved thermostat apparatus as set forth by the instant invention 
which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness 
in construction and in this respect, the present invention substantially 
fulfills this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
thermostat apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a thermostat apparatus wherein the same sets forth a unitary 
thermostat organization conveniently retrofitted to an existing flexible 
conduit of an associated cooling passageway of an internal combustion 
engine. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will 
be described subsequently in greater details, is to provide a new and 
improved thermostat apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior 
art thermostat apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention provides an apparatus wherein a 
thermostat is mounted within a sleeve, with the sleeve positionable as a 
junction between a plurality of hoses, or alternatively, the sleeve formed 
with a sealing boss, with the sealing boss extending radially beyond the 
sleeve, and including an "O" ring to effect sealing of the organization 
within a single unitary fluid conducting hose. 
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in 
the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed and 
it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of 
all of its structures for the functions specified. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which 
this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved thermostat apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior 
art thermostat apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
thermostat apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved thermostat apparatus which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved thermostat apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such thermostat apparatus economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved thermostat apparatus which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved thermostat apparatus wherein the same sets forth ease and 
convenience of retrofit mounting to an existing flexible conduit of a 
coolant system of a water-cooled internal combustion engine. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 9 
thereof, a new improved thermostat apparatus embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numerals 10 and 10a will be described. 
FIG. 1 is a prior art thermostat apparatus, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,459,972, and indicated by numeral 1, wherein a conduit 4 of rigid 
construction, including an inlet 2 and outlet 3, mounts a thermostat 
member therewithin for use in liquid propane fuel systems. 
More specifically, the thermostat apparatus 10 of the instant invention 
essentially comprises a rigid, tubular sleeve 11, including a cylindrical 
thermostat housing 12 fixedly mounted within the sleeve 11 coaxially 
aligned therewithin. The thermostat housing 12 includes a conical seat 13 
formed at a lower therminal end of the housing 12 and coaxially aligned 
therewith. The conical seat 13 complementarily receives a conical valve 
seat 15 formed at an upper terminal end of the cylindrical valve body 14. 
The head body 14 includes a head body bore 14a coaxially directed 
therethrough and slidably mounted about a guide rod 16 that is axially 
aligned relative to the thermostat housing 12 and sleeve 11 and fixedly 
mounted at its upper terminal end to a semi-spherical guide plate 17 that 
includes an array of guide plate windows 18 annularly arrayed about the 
cylindrical guide plate 17 coaxially thereof utilizing an upper fastener 
25 to coaxially mounted the rod 16 interiorly of the guide plate 17. A 
mounting plate 19 is fixedly mounted to an interior surface of the housing 
11 and includes an annular array of openings 20 annularly directed through 
the mounting plate 19. The mounting plate 19 including a mounting plate 
boss 21 integrally and coaxially aligned relative to the mounting plate 
and extending upwardly thereof, with a guide cylinder 23 coaxially aligned 
and positioned between the valve head body 14 and the mounting plate boss 
21. A coil spring 22 is captured between a bottom surface of valve head 
body 14 and an upper surface of the mounting plate 19. The coil spring 22 
is formed of conventional bi-metallic material to effect contraction of 
the coil spring that is mounted to a bottom surface of the head body 14 to 
retract the head body 14 relative to the conical seat 13 during passage of 
fluid at an elevated temperature through the openings 20. It is noted that 
a lower fastener 24 coaxially directed through the mounting plate 19 
fixedly secures a lower terminal end of the guide rod 16 to the mounting 
plate 19 to effect coaxial alignment of the valve head body 14 and 
associated guide cylinder 23. The guide cylinder 23 further includes a 
guide cylinder bore 23a to permit reciprocation of the guide cylinder 23 
and associated head body 14 along the guide rod 16. 
FIG. 5 illustrates the use of the apparatus 10 mounted within a flexible 
fluid conduit, wherein the fluid conduit is severed to form a respective 
first and second hose member 26 and 27 that are spaced with the tubular 
sleeve 11 mounted therebetween, utilizing a first hose member clamp 26a 
mounted about the first hose member, and a second hose member clamp 27a 
mounted about the second hose member to capture and secure the sleeve 11 
between the first and second hose members as illustrated. 
FIGS. 7-9 illustrate a modified thermostat apparatus 10a, wherein a 
modified tubular sleeve 11a mounts the thermostat apparatus, as described 
above, therewithin, but further includes a sealing, cylindrical boss 28 
surroundingly and fixedly mounted coaxially of the sleeve 11a adjacent its 
upper terminal end. A polymeric "O" ring 29 circumferentially is mounted 
to the sealing cylindrical boss 28 and projects radially outwardly 
thereof, whereupon projection of the modified thermostat apparatus 10a 
within a unitary flexible fluid conveying hose 30 effects sealing of the 
apparatus 10a therewithin by virtue of the polymeric "O" ring 29 defining 
a predetermined diameter substantially equal to or less than an internal 
diameter defined by the fluid conveying hose 30. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant 
invention shall be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.