Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Special application – Change of inclination or of rate of motion responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2003-11-19
2004-08-31
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Special application
Change of inclination or of rate of motion responsive
C200S061480
Reexamination Certificate
active
06784386
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vibration switch, more particularly to a vibration switch with an axially extending deflectable electric contact body which has two ends anchoring on two side walls of a housing and an intermediate portion that is deflectable so as to make an electrical connection between two electric contact terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1
to
3
show a vibration switch
1
, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,235 B1 granted to the applicant of the present invention. The vibration switch
1
includes an electrically conductive housing
11
, a coil spring
12
, and first and second electric contact terminals
114
,
14
. The housing
11
defines an accommodation chamber
112
therein. The first electric contact terminal
114
extends downwardly from a side wall
1122
of the housing
11
. The second electric contact terminal
14
passes through an insulating plug member
13
fitted in an open end
1121
of the housing
11
so as to extend into the accommodation chamber
112
. The coil spring
12
has an anchoring end
121
which anchors on a stem portion
113
secured on the side wall
1122
, and a deflectable segment
123
which extends from the anchoring end
121
towards the second electric contact terminal
14
to terminate at a contact terminal end
122
. By virtue of the biasing force of the deflectable segment
123
that acts against the weight thereof, the contact terminal end
122
is held in such a manner as to surround the second electric contact terminal
14
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, once the housing
11
is jerked by means of a force (F), the contact terminal end
122
is deflected radially as a result of an inertial force of the deflectable segment
123
so as to contact the second electric contact terminal
14
, thereby making an electrical connection between the first and second electrical contact terminals
114
,
14
. The vibration switch
1
can provide a stable electrical connection between the electric contact terminals
14
,
114
. However, since only the anchoring end
121
of the coil spring
12
is secured relative to the housing
11
, the contact terminal end
122
tends to droop, and may undesirably contact the second electric contact terminal
14
, thereby resulting in a contact error.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a vibration switch in which a deflectable electric contact body can be supported firmly so as to minimize undesired contact of the contact body with an electric contact terminal.
According to this invention, the vibration switch includes a housing, first and second electric contact terminals, and a deflectable electric contact body.
The housing is adapted to be mounted on a support in an upright direction, and has first and second side walls spaced apart from each other along an axis in a longitudinal direction transverse to the upright direction, and a surrounding wall interposed between and cooperating with the first and second side walls to confine an accommodation chamber thereamong.
The first electric contact terminal has a first connecting end which is adapted to be connected to the support, and a first contact end which extends from the first connecting end to confront the accommodation chamber.
The second electric contact terminal is disposed to be electrically insulated from the first electric contact terminal, and has a second connecting end which is adapted to be connected to the support, and a second contact end which extends from the second connecting end into the accommodation chamber proximate to the second side wall. When the vibration switch is in a stable position, the second contact end is electrically insulated. The second contact end is spaced apart from the first contact end within the accommodation chamber.
The deflectable electric contact body is disposed in the accommodation chamber, and has first and second anchoring ends which are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction and which are disposed to anchor on the first and second side walls, respectively, and an intermediate portion which is interposed between the first and second anchoring ends. The intermediate portion is made from a deflectable material, and includes a deflecting segment, and first and second deflected segments that flank the deflecting segment and that are respectively proximate to the first and second anchoring ends so as to be deflected with the deflecting segment in the same direction. The deflecting segment is configured in such a manner as to acquire a biasing force such that, by virtue of the biasing force that acts against weight of the deflecting segment, the first and second contact ends are held in the stable position, and such that, when the housing is jerked out of the stable position, the deflecting segment, together with the first and second deflected segments, is deflected in a direction radial to the axis as a result of an inertial force thereof, thereby bringing at least one of the deflecting segment and the first and second deflected segments into electric contact with at least one of the first and second contact ends.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 3649787 (1972-03-01), Kasabian
patent: 3731022 (1973-05-01), Loftus
patent: 3740503 (1973-06-01), Tomohiro et al.
patent: 3781496 (1973-12-01), Jones, Sr.
patent: 3899649 (1975-08-01), Jenkins
patent: 4201898 (1980-05-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4789762 (1988-12-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5354958 (1994-10-01), Bitko
patent: 5786553 (1998-07-01), Zakutin
patent: 5789716 (1998-08-01), Wang
patent: 5880351 (1999-03-01), Orita et al.
patent: 5955712 (1999-09-01), Zakutin
patent: 6545235 (2003-04-01), Chou
Chou Kun-Chih
Chou Tien-Ming
Chou Tien-Ming
Donovan Lincoln
Foley & Lardner
Lee K.
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