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US 5,471,021 AGranted
Acceleration sensor with laterally-supported beam contacts
AssigneeAutomotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
InventorMichael W. Malesko
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAutomotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
InventorMichael W. Malesko
Estimating the term…
An improved acceleration sensor (10) includes a housing (12) having an internal passage (14) defined therein, a sensing mass (18) located within the passage which moves from a first position within the passage towards a second position therein in response to acceleration inputs to the sensor housing, and a pair of electrical contacts (22) projecting into the passage so as to be bridged by the sensing mass when it reaches its second position within the passage, thereby closing an electrical circuit. The supported end (28) of each of the contacts includes diametrical arms (32) which are themselves secured to the housing only at their outboard ends (36). The arms are thus free to rotate elastically when the sensing mass deflects the contact's cantilevered free end (30), thereby permitting greater elastic travel of the contact's free end, with its enhanced reliability and an attendant increase in contact dwell.
In an acceleration sensor having:
An improved electrical contact for use in an electromechanical transducer, said transducer having a housing and an element which moves from a first position relative to said housing towards a second position relative to said housing in response to an input to said transducer, said element having an electrically-conductive surface, said contact comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.