US 4,287,398 A · Inertia switches

Abstract

An inertia switch resettably breaks an electrical contact upon a change in the momentum of the switch body above a predetermined level or upon inversion of the switch body. An inertia sensing pendulum detects momentum changes upon the switch body and upwardly moves an actuator shaft upon a momentum change above a level determined by a biasing mechanism. The actuator shaft is coupled to an electric contact mechanism, which resettably interrupts an electrical connection upon the upward movement of the actuator shaft. A moveable mass in a cylindrical cavity is coupled to the contact mechanism and causes the electrical connection to be broken in response to an inversion of the body. A reset mechanism coupled to the contact mechanism, reestablishes the interrupted electrical connection when manual force is applied to the reset means.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An inertia switch having a switch body, comprising:

(a) inertia sensing pendulum means, mounted to said body, for detecting momentum changes of said body said pendulum means comprising:
(1) a generally hollow and cylindrical tiltable mass;
(2) actuator shaft means, passing centrally through said tiltable mass and moveable linearly upward relative to said mass;
and
(3) cam means, disposed within said pendulum means, for moving said shaft means linearly upward when a change in momentum of said switch body causes movement of said mass relative to said shaft means;
(b) electrical switch means including a pair of resilient elements establishing an electrical contact, attached to said body and contacting said shaft means, for resettably interrupting said electrical contact upon said upward movement of said shaft means;
and
(c) electrical contact biasing means, disposed between said body and said contact means, for preventing said shaft means from interrupting said electrical contact unless said change in momentum exceeds a predetermined level.

5 more elements

An inertia switch having a switch body, comprising

(a) inertia sensing pendulum means, mounted to said body, for detecting momentum changes of said body, said pendulum means comprising:
(1) a generally hollow and cylindrical tiltable mass;
(2) actuator shaft means, passing centrally through said tiltable mass and moveable linearly upward relative to said mass;
and
(3) cam means, disposed within said pendulum means, for moving said shaft means linearly upward when a change in momentum of said switch body causes said movement of said mass relative to said shaft means;
(b) electrical switch including a pair of resilient elements establishing an electrical contact, attached to said body and contacting said shaft means, for resettably interrupting said electrical contact upon said upward movement of said shaft means;
(c) electrical contact biasing means, disposed between said body and said switch means, for preventing said shaft means from interrupting said electrical contact unless said change in momentum exceeds a predetermined level;
(d) reset means, operably engaging said switch means, for reestablishing said interrupted electrical contact, said reset means including:
(1) a plunger slidably mounted said body for movement against switch means upon the application of manual pressure upon said plunger, thereby reestablishing said electrical contact;
and
(2) plunger biasing means for biasing said plunger away from said switch means until said manual pressure is applied to said plunger, whereupon said plunger is moved against said switch means;
(e) a moveable spheroidal mass;
(f) cylindrical cavity means, containing said spheroidal mass and coupled to said contact means, for guiding said mass to said switch means to interrupt said electrical contact in response to an inversion of said switch body, whereby said electrical contact is interrupted when said body is inverted and when said predetermined level of momentum change is exceeded when said body is upright, said cylindrical cavity means being disposed beneath said shaft means with said spheroidal mass urging said shaft means upwardly when said body is inverted;
and
(g) said switch means comprising a first curved resilient member of electrically conductive material disposed above said shaft means, said first member being biased by said electrical contact biasing means against the interior of said body to snap between an upward curvilinear disposition and a downward curvilinear disposition;
and a second member of electrically conductive material adjacent said first member and contacting said first member when said first member is in said downward disposition, with first said first member being oriented in said downward disposition until said upward movement of said shaft means, whereupon said first member snaps to said upward disposition and breaks said electrical contact with said second member until said reset means repositions said first member in said downward disposition.

13 more elements

An inertia switch having a switch body comprising:

(a) electric switch contact means, disposed within said body in non-contacting relation, for establishing an interruptable electrical contact when urged into contacting relation, said contact means comprising a pair of elongated resilient members of electrically conductive material passing through said body and having free ends disposed interiorly within said body and defining a pair spaced contacts, said resilience of said members positioning said contacts apart unless said lever means urges said members into contacting relation, whereupon said electrical contact is established;
(b) lever means, journalled to said body, for maintaining said contact means in contacting relation to establish said electrical contact, said lever means comprising a lever member journalled to said body for rotative movement between a first position at which said contact means is maintained in contacting relation, and a second position at which said contact means is in noncontacting relation;
(c) inertia sensing pendulum means, positioned within said body and in abutting relation with said lever member, for moving said lever member to said second position upon a momentum change of said switch body above a predetermined level, thereby interrupting said electrical contact;
(d) biasing means, connected between said lever member and said switch body;
for urging said lever member against said pendulum means and toward said first position, thereby determining said level of momentum above which said inertia sensing pendulum means moves said lever member to said second position to interrupt said electrical contact;
(e) reset means, manually positionable against said contact means, to reposition said contact means in contacting relation to reestablish said interrupted electrical contact, said repositioning of said contact means allowing said biasing means to move said lever member to said first position to maintain said contact means in contacting relation to maintain said electrical contact;
(f) a moveable mass;
(g) cylindrical cavity means, containing said mass, for guiding said mass to contact said lever member in response to an inversion of said body, whereby said electrical contact is interrupted when said body is inverted or when said predetermined level of momentum is exceeded when said body is upright;
and
(h) said contact means further comprising:
a pair of control arms diverging outwardly from one of said conductive members, with one of said control arms abuttingly engaging said lever member to cause contact between said conductive members when said lever member is in said first position, and to maintain said lever member in said second position when said predetermined level of momentum has been exceeded and upon contact between said mass and said lever member, and with said second control arm positioned to engage reset means upon manual activation thereof to move said one of said conductive members to a position allowing said lever member to return to said first position, whereupon electrical contact is reestablished between said electrically conductive members, with the first of said control arms maintaining said conductive members in contacting relation.

8 more elements

An inertia switch having a switch body comprising:

(a) electrical switch contact means, disposed within said body and noncontacting relation, for establishing an interruptable electrical contact when positioned in contacting relation, said contact means comprising a pair of elongated resilient members of electrically conductive material passing through said body and having free ends disposed interiorly within said body to define a pair of spaced contacts, said resilience of said members positioning said contacts apart unless said members are urged into contacting relation, whereupon said electrical contact is established;
(b) lever means, journalled to said body, for maintaining said members in contacting relation to establish said electrical contact;
(c) inertia sensing pendulum means, in abutting engagement with said lever means, for moving said lever means to a position, upon a momentum change of said body above a predetermined level, to allow the resilience of said conductive members to position said members in noncontacting relation to innterrupt said electrical contact, said interia sensing pendulum means comprising:
(1) a tiltable mass including a pendulum body including a lightweight apertured base of cup-like configuration and having an interorly formed actuator camming surface means, a hollow cylindrical inertia sensing mass of a material relatively heavier than said base, and means for securely attaching said mass to said base with said hollow mass and said apertured base providing a vertical axial bore therethrough;
and
(2) actuator shaft means, disposed in said axial bore of said pendulum body and including a thrust flange intermediate its upper and lower ends, with said flange being contained within said pendulum body and normally resting on said actuator camming surface means and with said upper end extending outwardly of said mass, whereby a change in momentum on said body causes movement of said pendulum body relative to said actuator shaft means, with said actuator shaft means being moved vertically upward to said lever means by engagement between said thrust flange and said camming surface means
(d) biasing means, coupling said lever means to said switch body, for determining said level of momentum above which said actuator shaft means moves said lever means upwardly to allow the resilience of said conductive members to position said contacts apart to interrupt said electrical contact;
(e) reset means, coupled to said conductive members, for reestablishing said interrupted electrical contact upon the application of manual pressure to said reset means;
(f) a moveable mass;
and
(g) cylindrical cavity means, containing said mass and operatively engaging said lever means, for guiding said mass to contact said lever means in response to an inversion of said body, whereby said electrical contact is selectively interrupted when said body is inverted or when said predetermined level of momentum is exceeded when said body is upright.

8 more elements

An inertia switch having a switch body and a pair of switch contacts within said body forming an interruptable electrical contact:

(a) tiltable mass means, mounted to said body, for detecting momentum changes of said body above a predetermined level;
(b) vertically moveable actuator means, associated with said tiltable mass means, for producing an upward movement when said momentum level has been exceeded;
(c) lever arm means, operably engaging said actuator means and said switch contacts, for resettably interrupting said electrical contact upon said upward movement said actuator means;
(d) biasing means, engaging said lever means, for determining said predetermined level of momentum;
(e) reset means, coupled to said lever means, for reestablishing said interrupted electrical contact;
(f) a moveable mass;
(g) cylindrical cavity means, containing said mass and coupled to said lever arm means, for guiding said mass to contact said lever arm means in response to an inversion of said body, whereby said lever arm means selectively interrupts said electrical contact when said body is inverted and when said predetermined level of momentum change is exceeded when said body is upright;
(h) said lever means comprising a lever member, journaled to said body for rotative movement between a first position and a second position, with said biasing means urging said lever member toward said first position until occurrence of said upward movement of said actuator means or until occurrence of said contact between said mass and said lever member, whereupon said lever member moves to said second position;
and
(i) said switch contacts comprising:
(1) a pair of elongated resilient members of electrically conductive material passing through said body and having free ends disposed interiorly within said body and defining a pair of spaced contacts, said resilience of said members positioning said contacts apart when said lever member is in said second position, and said members establishing an electrical contact when said lever member is in said first position;
and
(2) control arm means, integral with one of said conductive members and operatively engaging said lever member and said reset means, for positioning said conductive members to establish said electrical contact when said lever member is in said first position and to interrupt said contact when said lever member is in said second position, and for maintaining said lever member in said second position after said upward movement of said actuator means or said contact with said mass until said reset means reestablishes said contact.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Inertia switches

Life of this patent

Inertia switches

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24