JPH11250787A - Inclined switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a silent, light and small inclined switch easily complying with various detecting modes. SOLUTION: This inclined switch is provided with a movable member 1 where a space part 3 is provided in a sealed container 2 having a hollow part and a specific quantity of liquid 4 is enclosed, and a switching element 7 consisting of a light emitting element 8 and a photodetector 9. Here, a switch body is constituted by opposing the hollow part of the movable member 1 to the switching element 7, thus it is turned on and off by angular variability of the switching element 7 with a liquid level 5 of the hollow part caused by an inclination of the switch body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tilt switch which is attached to various devices and opens and closes an electric circuit by tilting the devices, and more particularly to a structure of a tilt switch for detecting using a liquid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 14, a conventional tilt switch includes a pair of light receiving / emitting elements 12 disposed on a base 123. As shown in FIG.
4 and a reflective sphere 1 movably mounted on a base 123
22 and a cap 121 for preventing the reflection sphere 122 from jumping out.
When the reflecting sphere 122 comes off from above the light receiving / emitting element 124, OF
F. FIG. 15 shows another conventional tilt switch. Weight 1 disposed on base 133
32 is a structure in which the contact 134 is directly opened and closed by using bending by tilting left and right.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional tilt switch incorporates a freely moving part inside the tilt switch, such as a reflection ball, so that in a device with a high detection frequency or a device with a high tilt speed, The collision sound of the reflecting sphere is generated,
Since it takes time to return the reflecting sphere, there is a disadvantage that it is not suitable for an instrument that requires a certain number of detection cycles or more. In addition, the weight tilt type tilt switch described below requires a certain weight of weight to secure the contact force, which makes it difficult not only to reduce the weight and size, but also to make the switch There was also a risk of damage.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a movable member in which a space is provided in a closed container having a hollow portion and a fixed amount of liquid is sealed, a light emitting element, and a light receiving element. A switching element composed of elements is formed, a hollow body of the movable member and the switching element are opposed to each other to form a switch body, and the switch body is turned on and off by a change in the angle of the liquid level between the switching element and the hollow section due to the inclination of the switch body. To configure a tilt switch. In addition, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are provided side by side to form a switching element, and reflection caused by a change in the liquid surface angle is utilized. Further, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are opposed to each other to form a switching element. By installing a shielding member in the hollow part of the movable member between the elements and shielding the transmitted light by changing the angle of the liquid level, a silent and lightweight compact tilt switch that can easily respond to various detection forms Can be obtained.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a movable member in which a space is provided in a container having a hollow portion and a fixed amount of liquid is sealed, and a switching element comprising a light emitting element and a light receiving element is formed. A switch body is formed by opposing or juxtaposing the hollow portion and the switching element, and a tilt switch using an angle change between the switching element and the liquid level of the hollow portion is formed by tilting the switch body. By providing a shielding member in the hollow portion so as to shield the transmitted light by changing the angle of the liquid surface, it is possible to obtain a silent and lightweight compact tilt switch that can easily cope with various detection modes.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present embodiment will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a first embodiment of the tilt switch according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the tilted state. In these figures, a space 3 is provided in a closed container 2 having a hollow portion having an arc-shaped cross section formed by a light-transmitting member, and a fixed amount of liquid 4 is sealed therein to constitute a movable member 1. I have. A switching element 7 composed of a light emitting element 8 and a light receiving element 9 is disposed at the center of the housing 6. After the movable member 1 is covered with the switching element 7, the housing 6 is covered with a cap 11 from above. It stops and composes the switch body. A lens portion 12 is formed on an inner arc surface of the closed container 4 facing the switching element 7.

[0007] The tilt switch having the above-described structure is shown in FIG.
In the horizontal state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 8 is converged by the lens unit 12 and reflected on the inner surface of the closed container 2 via the optical path indicated by the arrow to reach the light receiving element 9. Maintain the ON state. In the state where the light emitting element 8 is inclined at a certain angle or more in FIG.
Since the inner surface of the container above is covered with the liquid 4 due to the change in the angle of the liquid level 5, the lens portion 12 cannot converge the light, and the light emitted from the light emitting element 8 is The light does not reach the light receiving element 9 because it is diffused inside and reflected on the opposite side of the light receiving element 9. Therefore, the light receiving element 9 is turned off in a state where the light receiving element 9 is inclined at a certain angle or more,
The inclination can be detected.

As described above, the tilt switch of this embodiment is
Since the change in the angle of the liquid surface 5 is used, the inclination of the switch body and the change in the angle of the liquid surface 5 instantaneously follow and react with each other. Therefore, the sensitivity is extremely high. It has the feature that it is not affected by the external environment due to its use. Furthermore, since there is no mechanical drive unit, the life span is long, there is no chattering due to the bounce of the reflecting sphere, and there is no clattering noise at the time of detection, and an excellent tilt switch that is lightweight and compact can be provided.

Further, by setting the injection amount of the liquid 4 to be sealed in the closed container 2, the viscosity of the liquid 4, and coloring the liquid 4, it is possible to easily perform fine settings such as the inclination detection angle and the detection sensitivity. By combining the shape of the movable member 1 and the detection characteristics of the switching element 7, it is possible to obtain a silent and lightweight compact tilt switch that can easily cope with various detection modes.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing an application example of the first embodiment of the tilt switch of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the tilted state. In these figures, a space 23 is provided in a hemispherical closed container 22 formed of a translucent member, and a fixed amount of liquid 24 is sealed therein, thereby forming a movable member 21. The light emitting element 2 is provided at the center of the housing 26.
8 and a light receiving element 29 are disposed. After the movable member 21 is placed on the switching element 27, the housing
To form a switch body. In addition, on the inner upper surface of the cap 31, fine uneven portions 3 for diffusing light are provided.
2 are formed.

The tilt switch having the above-described structure is similar to that of FIG.
In the horizontal state, the light radiated from the light emitting element 28 is reflected by the liquid surface 25 and the inner surface of the closed container 22 so that the light receiving element 2
9, the light receiving element 29 is kept on in the horizontal state. 4, the space 23 above the light emitting element 28 moves to the right in the state of being inclined at a certain angle or more in FIG. 4, so that the radiated light passes through the sealed container 22 of the light transmitting member and reaches the inner upper surface of the cap 31. After that, the light is diffused by the uneven portion 32 and does not reach the light receiving element 29. Therefore, in a state where the light receiving element 29 is tilted at a certain angle or more, the light receiving element 29 is turned off, and the tilt can be detected. It is to be noted that the liquid 24 in this embodiment preferably has a refractive index as close as possible to the refractive index of the material of the closed container 22.

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an inclined state thereof. In these figures, a space 43 is provided in a hemispherical closed container 42 formed of a light-transmitting member, and a certain amount of liquid 44 is provided.
A reflecting member 52 having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid 44 is sealed,
The movable member 41 is configured. A switching element 47 including a light-emitting element 48 and a light-receiving element 49 is disposed at the center of the housing 46. After the movable member 41 is placed on the switching element 47, a cap 51 is placed from above.
To form a switch body fixed to the housing 46.

FIG. 5 shows a tilt switch constructed as described above.
In the horizontal state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 48 is reflected by the reflecting member 52 and then reaches the light receiving element 49.
In the inclined state shown in FIG. 6, the reflecting surface 52 is inclined because the liquid level 45 changes its angle, and the light emitted from the light emitting element 48 is reflected in the opposite direction to the light receiving element 49. The presence or absence can be detected.

As described above, the tilt switch of the present embodiment utilizes the change in the reflection angle accompanying the change in the liquid surface 45 of the reflecting member 52 floating on the liquid, so that the wave generated on the liquid surface 45 is used. It is possible to obtain a tilt switch which is hardly affected by the tilt and is most suitable for detecting a tilt in an environment with much vibration.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing an application example of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an inclined state thereof. In these figures, a liquid 64 is placed in a closed container 62 having an arc-shaped hollow portion formed of a light transmitting member.
Then, a reflecting member 72 having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid 64 is sealed, thereby forming the movable member 61. Further, a switching element 67 including a light emitting element 68 and a light receiving element 69 is disposed at the center of the housing 66, and the movable member 61 is covered with the switching element 67 to form a switch body.

FIG. 7 shows a tilt switch having such a configuration.
In the horizontal state, the light emitted from the light emitting element 68 is reflected by the reflecting member 72 through the optical path indicated by the arrow, and
In the inclined state shown in FIG. 8, the reflecting member 72 moves toward the water level due to its buoyancy.
Since the angle of the reflecting surface of the light emitting element 2 changes relatively, and the light emitted from the light emitting element 68 is reflected in the opposite direction to the light receiving element 69, the light does not reach the light receiving element 69 and the presence or absence of the inclination can be detected. Become. In the present embodiment, since there is no space in the closed container 62, the liquid level does not change due to vibration, so that it is possible to provide a tilt switch capable of more stable detection.

FIG. 9 is a front sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing an inclined state thereof.
In these figures, a fixed amount of a liquid 84 and a spherical shielding member 92 having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid 84 are sealed in an arc-shaped closed container 82 formed of a translucent member, and a movable member 8 is formed.
1. A light emitting element 88 and a light receiving element 89 facing each other are arranged at the center of each of the housing 98 and the cap 99 to constitute a switch body.

FIG. 9 shows a tilt switch constructed as described above.
In the horizontal state, the transmitted light emitted from the light emitting element 88 is shielded by the shielding member 92 via the optical path indicated by the arrow, and does not reach the light receiving element 89. In the inclined state of FIG. As a result, an optical path is secured and reaches the light receiving element 89. The tilt switch of this embodiment has a constant detection angle in the front, rear, left, and right directions, and can constitute an extremely stable tilt switch.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which a general-purpose U-shaped photointerrupter 107 is used. Closed container 10
2, a movable member 101 in which a liquid 104 and a shielding member 112 having a smaller specific gravity than the liquid 104 are sealed between the light receiving element 109 and the light emitting element 108 of the photointerrupter 107 to constitute a tilt switch. With such a configuration, the tilt switch of the present invention can be obtained very easily. Further, the tilt angle and the sensitivity can be changed by changing the size of the shielding member 112 and the tilt of the upper surface in the sealed container 102. Therefore, it is possible to easily cope with various detection modes.

In the first and second embodiments, it is possible to apply a facing type switching element. Furthermore, in order to improve the reflection efficiency of the liquid surface, it is possible to use two types of liquids having different specific gravities, or to change the reflection surface in a closed container by surface treatment, painting, or the like. It does not exclude application development such as As the liquid, various materials such as water-soluble ones such as alcohol, oil-based ones, and organic ones can be used due to their viscosity and coloring properties.

For the tilt switch of the present invention using the above-mentioned side-by-side switching element, a clockwise tilt and a front-back tilt in FIG. 5 are described in FIGS. Although the detailed description is omitted, the same operation is performed in all the embodiments using the juxtaposed switching elements.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) A movable member in which a space is provided in a container having a hollow portion and a fixed amount of liquid is sealed, and a switching element including a light emitting element and a light receiving element are opposed to each other. Because it was turned off,
Since the inclination of the switch body and the angle change of the liquid surface instantaneously follow and react, a highly sensitive inclination switch can be obtained. (2) Since a movable member in which a fixed amount of liquid is sealed by providing a space portion in a container having a hollow portion is used, the movable member is not affected by the external environment, and therefore, can be used in a bad environment. The tilt switch which can be used for various applications can be provided. (3) The use of a movable member in which a space is provided in a container having a hollow portion and a fixed amount of liquid is used, so that there is no mechanical abrasion, a long life, a lightweight, compact tilt switch excellent. Can be. (4) Since a liquid is used for the movable member, there can be obtained a silent tilt switch which has no noise at the time of chattering or detection due to bounce of the reflecting sphere of the conventional tilt switch and which is not destroyed even by a strong impact. (5) Since liquid is used for the movable member, it is possible to obtain tilt switches having different detection angles only by adjusting the amount of liquid to be filled in the hollow portion. (6) Since liquid is used for the movable member, tilt switches having different sensitivities can be obtained only by changing the viscosity of the liquid sealed in the hollow portion. (7) Since a shielding member or a reflecting member is disposed in the hollow portion of the movable member between the light emitting element and the light receiving element to shield transmitted light or reflect emitted light by changing the angle of the liquid surface, It is possible to obtain a tilt switch that is hardly affected by waves generated on the liquid surface and is optimal for tilt detection in a vibrating environment. (8) A light emitting element and a light receiving element are opposed to each other to form a switching element, and a shielding member is provided between the light emitting element and the light receiving element in a hollow portion of the movable member to shield transmitted light by changing the angle of the liquid surface. With this configuration, it is possible to configure an extremely stable tilt switch in which the front, rear, left, and right detection angles are constant.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a first embodiment of a tilt switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a tilted state of the tilt switch according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing an application example of the first embodiment of the tilt switch of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a tilted state of an application example of the tilt switch according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing a second embodiment of the tilt switch of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a tilted state of a second embodiment of the tilt switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing an application example of the second embodiment of the tilt switch of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a tilted state of an application example of the tilt switch according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front sectional view showing a third embodiment of the tilt switch of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a tilted state of a tilt switch according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an embodiment in which a general-purpose photo interrupter is used for the tilt switch of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a clockwise tilt state of a second embodiment of the tilt switch of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a tilted state of a tilt switch according to a second embodiment of the present invention in the front-back direction of the drawing.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a conventional tilt switch.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing another conventional tilt switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 21, 41, 61, 81, 101 Movable member 2, 22, 42, 62, 82, 102 Airtight container 3, 23, 43 Space 4, 24, 44, 64, 84, 104 Liquid 5, 25, 45 Liquid level 6, 26, 46, 66, 98 Housing 7, 27, 47, 67 Switching element 8, 28, 48, 68, 88, 108 Light emitting element 9, 29, 49, 69, 89, 109 Light receiving element 10, 30 , 50, 70, 90, 110 Terminal 11, 31, 51, 99, 121, 131 Cap 12 Lens part 32 Uneven part 52, 72, Reflecting member 92, 112 Shielding member 107 Photo interrupter 122 Reflecting sphere 123, 133 Base 124 Receiving Light emitting element 132 Weight 134 Contact

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A movable member in which a space is provided in a container having a hollow portion and a fixed amount of liquid is sealed, and a switching element including a light emitting element and a light receiving element are formed. The hollow portion of the movable member and the switching element are formed. And a switch body which is turned on and off by changing the angle between the switching element and the liquid level in the hollow portion by tilting the switch body. 2. The tilt switch according to claim 1, wherein a switching element is formed by arranging the light emitting element and the light receiving element in parallel, and reflection of a change in an angle of a liquid surface is used. 3. A switching element is formed by arranging the light emitting element and the light receiving element side by side, and a reflection member is disposed in a hollow portion of the movable member to change a reflection angle of the reflection member due to an angle change of a liquid level. The tilt switch according to claim 1, wherein the tilt switch is used. 4. A switching element is formed so that the light emitting element and the light receiving element are opposed to each other, and a shielding member is disposed between the light emitting element and the light receiving element in a hollow portion of the movable member to form a liquid surface angle. 2. The tilt switch according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted light is blocked by the change.