US3509530A - Acceleration switches - Google Patents
Acceleration switches Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3509530A US3509530A US645660A US3509530DA US3509530A US 3509530 A US3509530 A US 3509530A US 645660 A US645660 A US 645660A US 3509530D A US3509530D A US 3509530DA US 3509530 A US3509530 A US 3509530A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- pendulum
- contact
- switch
- vehicle
- acceleration
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
- B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
- B60Q1/44—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
- B60Q1/445—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal controlled by inertial devices
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
- H01H35/06—Switches operated by change of speed
Definitions
- a switch comprises in com bination a pendulum movable from a rest position in response to acceleration of the switch, a first contact carried by the pendulum, a second contact engageable by the first contact upon movement of the pendulum as a result of acceleration of the switch to complete an electrical circuit, and releasable latch means co-operating with the pendulum and operable as the contacts close to retain the pendulum in a position in which the contacts are closed.
- the switch is particularly designed for use in road vehicles for illuminating a lamp at the rear of the vehicle in response to negative accelerations, but in other applications the electrical circuit may give a warning or effect a control in response to either positive or negative accelerations.
- the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of one example of the invention as applied to a road vehicle.
- the switch includes a pendulum 1 having a horizontally extending pivot 2 and which carries at its lower end a cam follower 3.
- the cam follower 3 engages a cam surface 4 on the armature 5 of an electro-magnet 6, the armature 5 being urged towards the cam follower 3 by a leaf spring 7 which also serves to support the armature.
- the pendulum 1 further carries a contact 8 which is aligned with a fixed contact 9, and the pendulum is urged in a direction to move the contact 8 away from the contact 9 by a spring 10.
- the tension in the Spring 10 is adjustable by means of a screw mechanism 11.
- the cam surface 4 is formed with a vertical portion 4a which limits the distance by which the pendulum can be moved by the spring 10, an inclined portion 4c and a depression 4b defined between the portions 4a, 40 within which the cam follower 3 seats.
- One end of the coil 13 of the electro-magnet is earthed, and its other end is connected through a switch 14 to the negative terminal of the vehicle battery 15, the positive terminal of which is earthed, the switch 14 being closed in response to depression of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle.
- the contact 8 is connected through a warning lamp 16 to the negative terminal of the battery 3,509,530 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 2 15 and the contact 9 is earthed so that when the contact 8 engages the contact 9 the lamp 16 is energised.
- the switch is oriented in a road vehicle so that if the vehicle is subject to a negative acceleration above a predetermined magnitude the pendulum will swing against the action of the spring 10 in a direction to move the cam follower over the cam surface 4.
- the contacts 8, 9, engage the lamp 16 is energized through the pendulum 1, and at this stage the follower 3 is engaged with the portion 40 of the cam surface 4, thereby trapping the pendulum and maintaining the contacts 8 and 9 engaged.
- the switch 14 closes to energize the electro-magnet 6, which moves the armature 5 downwardly against the action of the spring 7, thereby releasing the pendulum 1, which then moves under the influence of the spring 10 until it is arrested by the portion 4a of the cam surface 4.
- This movement of the pendulum 1 opens the contacts 8, 9 thereby de-energizing the lamp 16.
- the sensitivity of the switch to negative acceleration can be adjusted by moving the screw mechanism 11 to vary the tension in the spring 10.
- the lamp 16 is positioned at the rear of the vehicle so that a warning of such negative acceleration is given to following vehicles.
- the pendulum could of course be released in other ways.
- the switch 14 could be manually operable, speed sensitive, pressure sensitive, or a time delay switch.
- a warning system for indicating when a road vehicle is decelerating comprising in combination a pendulum movable from a rest position in response to deceleration of the vehicle, a first contact carried by the pendulum, a second contact engageable by the first contact upon movement of the pendulum as a result of deceleration of the vehicle to complete an electrical circuit, said electrical circuit including a warning lamp visible from the rear of the road vehicle, and releasable latch means co-operating with the pendulum and operable as the contacts close to retain the pendulum in a position in which the contacts are closed, said releasable latch means comprising a cam on which the pendulum moves, the cam having a portion for retaining the pendulum in position when the contacts close, said cam being carried by the armature of an electro-magnet which is energised by means actuated when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed, sothat the latch means is released and the first and second contacts open.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)
- Switches Operated By Changes In Physical Conditions (AREA)
Description
A ril 28, 1970 E. a. PARKES 5 95-29 ACCELERATION SWITCHES Filed Jan. 13, 1967 United States Patent 0.
3,509,530 ACCELERATION SWITCHES Eric Bernard Parkes, Selly Oak, Birmingham, England,
assignor to Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Filed June 13, 1967, Ser. No. 645,660 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 15, 1966, 31,877/ 66 Int. Cl. B60q 1/50; H01h 35/14 US. Cl. 340-71 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to acceleration switches intended particularly but not exclusively for use in road vehicles.
A switch according to the invention comprises in com bination a pendulum movable from a rest position in response to acceleration of the switch, a first contact carried by the pendulum, a second contact engageable by the first contact upon movement of the pendulum as a result of acceleration of the switch to complete an electrical circuit, and releasable latch means co-operating with the pendulum and operable as the contacts close to retain the pendulum in a position in which the contacts are closed.
The switch is particularly designed for use in road vehicles for illuminating a lamp at the rear of the vehicle in response to negative accelerations, but in other applications the electrical circuit may give a warning or effect a control in response to either positive or negative accelerations.
The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of one example of the invention as applied to a road vehicle.
Referring to the drawing, the switch includes a pendulum 1 having a horizontally extending pivot 2 and which carries at its lower end a cam follower 3. The cam follower 3 engages a cam surface 4 on the armature 5 of an electro-magnet 6, the armature 5 being urged towards the cam follower 3 by a leaf spring 7 which also serves to support the armature.
The pendulum 1 further carries a contact 8 which is aligned with a fixed contact 9, and the pendulum is urged in a direction to move the contact 8 away from the contact 9 by a spring 10. The tension in the Spring 10 is adjustable by means of a screw mechanism 11.
The cam surface 4 is formed with a vertical portion 4a which limits the distance by which the pendulum can be moved by the spring 10, an inclined portion 4c and a depression 4b defined between the portions 4a, 40 within which the cam follower 3 seats.
One end of the coil 13 of the electro-magnet is earthed, and its other end is connected through a switch 14 to the negative terminal of the vehicle battery 15, the positive terminal of which is earthed, the switch 14 being closed in response to depression of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle. The contact 8 is connected through a warning lamp 16 to the negative terminal of the battery 3,509,530 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 2 15 and the contact 9 is earthed so that when the contact 8 engages the contact 9 the lamp 16 is energised.
In use, the switch is oriented in a road vehicle so that if the vehicle is subject to a negative acceleration above a predetermined magnitude the pendulum will swing against the action of the spring 10 in a direction to move the cam follower over the cam surface 4. When the contacts 8, 9, engage the lamp 16 is energized through the pendulum 1, and at this stage the follower 3 is engaged with the portion 40 of the cam surface 4, thereby trapping the pendulum and maintaining the contacts 8 and 9 engaged. However, when the driver of the vehicle depresses the accelerator pedal, the switch 14 closes to energize the electro-magnet 6, which moves the armature 5 downwardly against the action of the spring 7, thereby releasing the pendulum 1, which then moves under the influence of the spring 10 until it is arrested by the portion 4a of the cam surface 4. This movement of the pendulum 1 opens the contacts 8, 9 thereby de-energizing the lamp 16.
The sensitivity of the switch to negative acceleration can be adjusted by moving the screw mechanism 11 to vary the tension in the spring 10. The lamp 16 is positioned at the rear of the vehicle so that a warning of such negative acceleration is given to following vehicles.
The pendulum could of course be released in other ways. For example, the switch 14 could be manually operable, speed sensitive, pressure sensitive, or a time delay switch.
Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
1. A warning system for indicating when a road vehicle is decelerating, comprising in combination a pendulum movable from a rest position in response to deceleration of the vehicle, a first contact carried by the pendulum, a second contact engageable by the first contact upon movement of the pendulum as a result of deceleration of the vehicle to complete an electrical circuit, said electrical circuit including a warning lamp visible from the rear of the road vehicle, and releasable latch means co-operating with the pendulum and operable as the contacts close to retain the pendulum in a position in which the contacts are closed, said releasable latch means comprising a cam on which the pendulum moves, the cam having a portion for retaining the pendulum in position when the contacts close, said cam being carried by the armature of an electro-magnet which is energised by means actuated when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed, sothat the latch means is released and the first and second contacts open.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,134 2/1918 JOeCk. 1,288,128 12/1918 Murray 340-262 1,901,554 3/1933 De Wilde. 2,106,643 1/ 1938 Mellen et a1. 2,671,207 3/ 1954 Marsala 340-52 X 2,704,360 3/1955 Werstein 340-56 2,778,896 1/1957 Tollefsen. 2,831,176 4/1958 Liberto 340-56 X 3,372,386 3/1968 Klinger 3407l X FOREIGN PATENTS 140,896 3/1935 Austria. 613,343 11/ 1948 Great Britain.
JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner K. N. LEIMER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2006l.5; 340-262
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB31877/66A GB1178837A (en) | 1966-07-15 | 1966-07-15 | Warning System for Indicating when a Road Vehicle is Decelerating |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3509530A true US3509530A (en) | 1970-04-28 |
Family
ID=10329734
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US645660A Expired - Lifetime US3509530A (en) | 1966-07-15 | 1967-06-13 | Acceleration switches |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3509530A (en) |
JP (1) | JPS4510459B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE1640950B1 (en) |
FR (1) | FR1530969A (en) |
GB (1) | GB1178837A (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5003190A (en) * | 1987-08-06 | 1991-03-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Acceleration pickup, especially for release of occupant protecting devices in the event of accident |
GB2440051A (en) * | 2006-07-12 | 2008-01-16 | Brakesafe Ltd | Brake force indicator for vehicles |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB9419903D0 (en) * | 1994-10-03 | 1994-11-16 | Critoph John | Vehicle hazard warning system |
Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1256134A (en) * | 1916-11-07 | 1918-02-12 | Thomas D Joeck | Automatic signaling device. |
US1288128A (en) * | 1917-05-12 | 1918-12-17 | Howard J Murray | Electric-circuit control. |
US1901554A (en) * | 1929-10-11 | 1933-03-14 | Wilde Frederick P De | Safety control for motor vehicles |
AT140896B (en) * | 1933-10-28 | 1935-03-11 | Emil Scheff | Device for switching off the engine of motorized vehicles in the event of a collision in order to prevent fires. |
US2106643A (en) * | 1936-06-04 | 1938-01-25 | Mellen George | Signal device |
GB613343A (en) * | 1946-06-21 | 1948-11-25 | Graviner Manufacturing Co | Improvements in or relating to aircraft provided with automatic electric switches |
US2671207A (en) * | 1951-08-16 | 1954-03-02 | Joseph C Marsala | License plate illuminating system |
US2704360A (en) * | 1951-11-20 | 1955-03-15 | Frank A Werstein | Self-cancelling turn signal indicator |
US2778896A (en) * | 1955-01-24 | 1957-01-22 | Tollefsen Reed | Automatic controllable "g" impact switch |
US2831176A (en) * | 1955-03-14 | 1958-04-15 | Alfonso G Liberto | Courtesy light for vehicles |
US3372386A (en) * | 1964-03-13 | 1968-03-05 | Kuratorium Fur Verkehrssicherh | Apparatus for the determination of the horizontal acceleration composed of different components in automotive vehicles |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2445873A (en) * | 1945-07-20 | 1948-07-27 | Bendix Aviat Corp | Inertia-actuated switch |
US2802204A (en) * | 1954-05-10 | 1957-08-06 | Francis X Kennelly | Acceleration operated switch |
-
1966
- 1966-07-15 GB GB31877/66A patent/GB1178837A/en not_active Expired
-
1967
- 1967-06-13 US US645660A patent/US3509530A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1967-07-11 DE DE19671640950 patent/DE1640950B1/en active Pending
- 1967-07-11 FR FR113853A patent/FR1530969A/en not_active Expired
- 1967-07-14 JP JP4509067A patent/JPS4510459B1/ja active Pending
Patent Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1256134A (en) * | 1916-11-07 | 1918-02-12 | Thomas D Joeck | Automatic signaling device. |
US1288128A (en) * | 1917-05-12 | 1918-12-17 | Howard J Murray | Electric-circuit control. |
US1901554A (en) * | 1929-10-11 | 1933-03-14 | Wilde Frederick P De | Safety control for motor vehicles |
AT140896B (en) * | 1933-10-28 | 1935-03-11 | Emil Scheff | Device for switching off the engine of motorized vehicles in the event of a collision in order to prevent fires. |
US2106643A (en) * | 1936-06-04 | 1938-01-25 | Mellen George | Signal device |
GB613343A (en) * | 1946-06-21 | 1948-11-25 | Graviner Manufacturing Co | Improvements in or relating to aircraft provided with automatic electric switches |
US2671207A (en) * | 1951-08-16 | 1954-03-02 | Joseph C Marsala | License plate illuminating system |
US2704360A (en) * | 1951-11-20 | 1955-03-15 | Frank A Werstein | Self-cancelling turn signal indicator |
US2778896A (en) * | 1955-01-24 | 1957-01-22 | Tollefsen Reed | Automatic controllable "g" impact switch |
US2831176A (en) * | 1955-03-14 | 1958-04-15 | Alfonso G Liberto | Courtesy light for vehicles |
US3372386A (en) * | 1964-03-13 | 1968-03-05 | Kuratorium Fur Verkehrssicherh | Apparatus for the determination of the horizontal acceleration composed of different components in automotive vehicles |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5003190A (en) * | 1987-08-06 | 1991-03-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Acceleration pickup, especially for release of occupant protecting devices in the event of accident |
GB2440051A (en) * | 2006-07-12 | 2008-01-16 | Brakesafe Ltd | Brake force indicator for vehicles |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
FR1530969A (en) | 1968-06-28 |
DE1640950B1 (en) | 1971-07-08 |
GB1178837A (en) | 1970-01-21 |
JPS4510459B1 (en) | 1970-04-15 |
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