Tilt switch

Details Tilt switch Tilt switch

2001-11-13

2003-02-11

Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Special application

Change of inclination or of rate of motion responsive

C200S06145M, C200S061510, C340S566000, C340S546000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06518523

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tilt switch, more particularly to a tilt switch which is adapted to be mounted on a support and which has an electrically conductive ball rollable to make or break an electrical connection between two electric contact terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional tilt switch
10
is shown to include a rectangular insulating housing
11
with an accommodation chamber therein for receiving rollably an electrically conductive ball
12
. Two pairs of first and second electric contact terminals
13
are press-fitted to a bottom plug
14
, and have upper tip ends
131
extending into the accommodation chamber of the housing
11
when the bottom plug
14
is secured to a bottom opening
111
of the housing
11
by virtue of engagement between protrusions
112
and recesses
142
. A seal member
114
is disposed to seal a clearance
113
between the housing
11
and the bottom plug
14
. Lower tip ends
132
of the terminals
13
are soldered on an electric contact member of a support (not shown). When the tilt switch
10
is mounted on the support, which stands on a horizontal plane
20
, the ball
12
contacts the upper tip ends
131
to make an electrical connection between the first and second electric contact terminals
13
. Once the support is tilted, the ball
12
will roll away from the terminals
13
to break the electrical connection.
The housing
11
has an inner peripheral wall surface
115
extending uprightly to confine the elongated accommodating chamber such that the ball
12
is rollable thereon. It is noted that the movement of the ball
12
is somewhat difficult away from the terminals
13
in the state that the housing
11
is not tilted down completely, thereby resulting in lack of safety during use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a tilt switch which can provide adequate protection to an electrical appliance.
According to this invention, the tilt switch includes an insulating housing adapted to be mounted on a support in an upright direction. The housing has an inner bottom wall surface, and an inner peripheral wall surface which extends upwardly from a periphery of the inner bottom wall surface and which confines an accommodating chamber therein. The inner peripheral wall surface includes a lower segment which is proximate to the periphery of the inner bottom wall surface and which defines a first diameter, an upper segment which is disposed opposite to the lower segment in the upright direction and which defines a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and an annular shoulder segment which extends between and which interconnects the upper and lower segments so as to define an annular juncture between the lower and shoulder segments. First and second electric contact terminals are secured in the housing at middle portions thereof. Each of the first and second electric contact terminals has an upper end portion which extends upwardly from the middle portion into the accommodation chamber through the inner bottom wall surface to form a contact surface spaced apart from the bottom wall surface, and a lower end portion which extends downwardly from the middle portion and outwardly of the housing to be adapted to establish electrical connection with the support. The contact surfaces of the first and second electric contact terminals are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction relative to the upright direction. An electrically conductive ball is received rollably in the accommodation chamber, and is of such a dimension as to contact the contact surfaces when the housing stands in an upright position, thereby making an electrical connection between the first and second electric contact terminals. The ball defines a first horizontal plane at which a center of the ball is located. The annular juncture is located at a second horizontal plane lower than the first horizontal plane such that once the housing is tilted from an upright position, the ball will move over the annular juncture to the shoulder segment so as to break the electrical connection between the first and second electric contact terminals.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3769472 (1973-10-01), Bell et al.
patent: 3927286 (1975-12-01), Fohl
patent: 5597066 (1997-01-01), Burmester
patent: 5808254 (1998-09-01), Wu
patent: 6005205 (1999-12-01), Chou
patent: 6028275 (2000-02-01), Jou
patent: 6087936 (2000-07-01), Woods

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