Level/position sensor and related electronic circuitry for interactive toy

A sensor for use in an interactive electronic device, the sensor comprising:

• a housing having:
• a side wall defining an inner surface;
• a top plate attached to the side wall and defining an inner surface;
• a bottom plate attached to the side wall and defining an inner surface;
• the inner surfaces of the side wall and the top and bottom plates collectively defining an interior chamber;
• at least one top inner pad and at least one top outer pad disposed on the inner surface of the top plate in juxtaposed relation to each other;
• at least one bottom inner pad and at least one bottom outer pad disposed on the inner surface of the bottom plate in juxtaposed relation to each other;
• at least one switch communicating with the interior chamber;
• and
• a trigger mechanism disposed within the interior chamber and rotatably connected to the housing, the trigger mechanism being sized and configured to selectively engage the top and bottom inner and outer pads and the switch;
• the sensor being operative to generate a plurality of different states corresponding to respective positions of the housing relative to a reference plane, the states being generated by the movement of the housing relative to the reference plane and the resultant contact between the trigger mechanism and at least one of the switch, the juxtaposed top inner and outer pads, and the juxtaposed bottom inner and outer pads.

A sensor for use in an interactive electronic device, the sensor comprising:

• at least two housings attached to each other, each of the housings having:
• a side wall defining an inner surface;
• a top plate attached to the side wall and defining an inner surface;
• a bottom plate attached to the side wall and defining an inner surface;
• the inner surfaces of the side wall and the top and bottom plates collectively defining an interior chamber;
• at least one top pad disposed on the inner surface of the top plate of each of the housings;
• at least one bottom pad disposed on the inner surface of the bottom plate of each of the housings;
• at least one switch communicating with the interior chamber of each of the housings;
• and
• a trigger mechanism disposed within the interior chamber of each of the housings and rotatably connected thereto, each trigger mechanism being rotatable about a respective one of first and second axes which extend in generally perpendicular relation to each other, and sized and configured to selectively engage the top and bottom pads and the switch of a respective one of the housings;
• the sensor being operative to generate a plurality of different states corresponding to respective positions of the housings relative to a reference plane, the states being generated by the movement of the housings relative to the reference plane and the resultant contact between the trigger mechanisms and at least one of the top pads, the bottom pads, and the switches.