Natalie Rebecchi May 2, 2023:

Would 'temperature-sensitive cup' be an option? This feels more like plain English to me. Although I do appreciate that patents aren't supposed to be plain English.

Also, looking at images of a 'coupelle' on Google images, it seems that 'dish' or 'container' might be more appropriate:

https://www.google.com/search?q=une coupelle&tbm=isch&ved=2a...

Do you have an image of the vessel?

Bashiqa (asker) Apr 28, 2023:

@ FPC I`ve edited an awful lot of patents over the last two years, but this on seems to have more than enough "made-up items".

Conor McAuley Apr 28, 2023:

The "made-up term" idea is interesting, and what is described certainly could be called a cup...maybe other words are better to describe a situation where material expands in a metal housing to trigger something...

Cristina Serbanescu Apr 27, 2023:

Hi, I hope it helps.

I have found a classification of thermal actuators :
https://waxmotor.com/blogs/the-internal-structure-types-of-w...

"A thermal actuator combined with a source of heat such as a positive temperature coefficient thermistor is known as a wax motor, commonly used in appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers to engage locks or operate dispenser latches." (https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/motion_controls/linear_...

Also, in this description of its functioning it is mentioned "a diaphragm containing the wax" : https://insights.globalspec.com/article/12034/how-do-thermal...

Finally, this specification sheet, gives a description of its functioning that might help :
https://www.ontrium.com/get.aspx?id=356427

FPC Apr 27, 2023:

@bashiqa there's no guarantee that this term wasn't made up in the original French. So I'd have no qualms in making up an equivalent English term. Anyway by the mode of operation described in your text it looks like an "expansion thermostat (or thermostatic valve)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax_thermostatic_element
https://gms-instruments.com/product/amot-elements/
I'll put it up as a suggestion just in case

Bashiqa (asker) Apr 26, 2023:

@ Conor Thanks for the reference.

Bashiqa (asker) Apr 26, 2023:

@ Phil No, delay due to getting hoses in. Full paragragraph is:
As illustrated, the thermostatic actuator 4 is for example a cup thermostatic element. In this case, the primary portion 88 forms, for example, a thermosensitive cup, comprising a metal housing, having an opening, and a thermally expandable material contained within the metal housing.

Conor McAuley Apr 26, 2023:

https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2006114521A1/fr

https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2006114521A1/en

It's "cup" here in a patent/thermostat context, but I share your misgivings, even though this kind of thing isn't really my...cup of tea (apologies).

philgoddard Apr 26, 2023:

So you're saying "élément thermostatique à coupelle" and "coupelle thermosensible" are both translated as "cup thermostatic element"?