US3836739A - Liquid contact tilt inertial switch with movable metallic conductive means responsive to acceleration and deceleration forces - Google Patents

Liquid contact tilt inertial switch with movable metallic conductive means responsive to acceleration and deceleration forces Download PDF

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Publication number
US3836739A
US3836739A US00414942A US41494273A US3836739A US 3836739 A US3836739 A US 3836739A US 00414942 A US00414942 A US 00414942A US 41494273 A US41494273 A US 41494273A US 3836739 A US3836739 A US 3836739A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
vehicle
passageway
upper chamber
ball
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
Application number
US00414942A
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English (en)
Inventor
T Endo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nissan Motor Co Ltd
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Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nissan Motor Co Ltd filed Critical Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3836739A publication Critical patent/US3836739A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
    • H01H35/02—Switches operated by change of position, inclination or orientation of the switch itself in relation to gravitational field
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H29/00—Switches having at least one liquid contact
    • H01H29/20—Switches having at least one liquid contact operated by tilting contact-liquid container
    • H01H29/22—Switches having at least one liquid contact operated by tilting contact-liquid container wherein contact is made and broken between liquid and solid

Definitions

  • Upper and lower chambers are connected by a restricted passageway and contain three electrical contacts and a conductive fluid respectively.
  • a ball disposed in the upper chamber and biased by a magnet to close the passageway connects one contact with another when the vehicle undergoes excessive deceleration or when it is tilted on its side. Fluid flows from the lower into the upper chamber to connect the one contact with the third when the vehicle is inverted.
  • So-called accident detecting switches of the prior art are utilized to cut off the whole electric system and/or fuel supply system of a vehicle to prevent burning or exploding of the vehicle during the collision.
  • a typical accident detecting switche generally comprises a deceleration switch mounted along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to respond to an applied deceleration in one direction or within a given angular range.
  • this type of accident detecting switch it is impossible to discriminate upset of the vehicle from lateral turning of the vehicle.
  • initiation of proper safety devices has been difficult with prior art accident detecting switches.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of an accident detecting switch according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the switch when decelerated in a horizontal or lateral direction;
  • FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the switch when the vehicle is turned on its side.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the switch when the vehicle is upset.
  • an accident detecting switch which includes first and second electrically non-conductive casings 12 and 14 respectively which are connected together by suitable means, and define therein first and second chambers 16 and 18 respectively connected by a restricted passageway 20.
  • the chamber 18 normally contains an electrically conductive fluid such as mercury which flows into the chamber 16 when the vehicle is tilted or upset.
  • the chambers 16 and 18 are spherical.
  • a first curved contact 22 is suitably fixed to the inner wall of the chamber 16 of the casing 14 about the opening of the passageway 20.
  • An annular contact 26 is fixed to the inner wall of the chamber 16.
  • a second curved contact 28 is fixed to the inner wall of the chamber 16 opposite to the contact 22.
  • An electrically conductive ball 30 is movable within the chamber 16 but is normally biased by a magnet 32 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 to block the passageway 20.
  • the contact 22 is formed with a tapered profile around the passageway for properly positioning the ball 30.
  • the magnet 32 is in contact with the contact 22 and surrounds the passageway 20 as shown.
  • the contacts 26 and 28 are disposed in different parallel planes, such that the ball cannot bridge the space therebetween.
  • the contacts 22 and 26 are spaced apart such that the ball 30 will bridge the space therebetween when the vehicle is subjected to an acceleration greater than a predetermined absolute magnitude (see FIG. 2).
  • the conductive liquid normally disposed in the chamber 18 has a volume less than half that of the chamber 18 so that the liquid will not enter the passageway 20 if the vehicle is tilted on its side (see FIG. 3), but it will flow into the chamber 16 and bridge the space between the contacts 26 and 28 upon upset of the vehicle (see FIG. 4).
  • the ball 30 will connect the contacts 22 and 26 if the vehicle is tilted within a predetermined range from its upright position.
  • the inertia of the ball 30 will cause it to move out of the influence of the magnetic field of the magnet 32 to connect the contacts 22 and 26.
  • the impact resulting will cause the ball 30 to move out of the influence of magnetic field to connect the contacts 22 and 26, but the liquid is still disposed in the chamber 18 and will not flow into the chamber 16.
  • the contacts 22 and 26 are connected temporarily.
  • the contact 26 may be connected to ground and the contact 22 to a circuit including a latching relay so that an electrical signal is produced at an output terminal thereof when the contacts 22 and 24 are connected.
  • the impact resulting will cause the ball 30 to move out of the influence of the magnetic field to open the passageway 20.
  • the conductive fluid will flow into the chamber 16 through the restricted passageway 20 and fill the space between the contacts 26 and 28 to connect them.
  • the contact 28 may be connected to an electric circuit so that another electric signal, upon upset of the vehicle, is produced at an output terminal thereof.
  • the signal produced by contact of the contacts 22 and 26 may be used as an initiation signal for cutting off the ignition circuit, application of the brakes and inflation of an air bag mounted in the vehicle.
  • the other signal may be used as an initiation signal for cutting off the ignition circuit and the fuel supply system mounted in the vehicle.
  • An accident detecting switch for a vehicle comprising: an electrically conductive ball; a normally vertical dielectric casing having an upper chamber and a lower reservoir joined by a restricted passageway, said upper chamber including said movable spherical contact member; a first electrical contact having an aperture at the bottom thereof communicating with the passageway; a second electrical contact; said first and second electrical contacts being disposed in said upper chamber in a spaced relationship; a magnet to attract said ball to said aperture to block said passageway and to maintain said ball separated from said second electrical contact; said ball being movable against the action of said magnet into contact with said first and second electrical contacts when an applied acceleration in any direction within a given plane exceeds a predetermined magnitude; a third electrical contact disposed in said upper chamber; and an electrically conductive fluid disposed in said lower reservoir, said fluid being adapted to flow into said upper chamber and into contact with said second and third electrical contacts sageway opened.

Landscapes

  • Switches Operated By Changes In Physical Conditions (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Drives, Propulsion Controls, And Safety Devices (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)
  • Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
US00414942A 1972-11-14 1973-11-12 Liquid contact tilt inertial switch with movable metallic conductive means responsive to acceleration and deceleration forces Expired - Lifetime US3836739A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP13034172 1972-11-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3836739A true US3836739A (en) 1974-09-17

Family

ID=15032053

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00414942A Expired - Lifetime US3836739A (en) 1972-11-14 1973-11-12 Liquid contact tilt inertial switch with movable metallic conductive means responsive to acceleration and deceleration forces

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3836739A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2356688A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2206574B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1403965A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3729667A (en) * 1971-06-17 1973-04-24 Fic Ind Inc Precision level measurement and control apparatus
US5006676A (en) * 1989-12-26 1991-04-09 Motorola Inc. Movement sensor switch
US6281456B1 (en) * 1998-02-11 2001-08-28 Par Technology, Inc. Three-axis gravity switch
US6313417B1 (en) * 2000-10-04 2001-11-06 Honeywell International Inc. Conducting liquid tilt switch using weighted ball
US6396012B1 (en) 1999-06-14 2002-05-28 Rodger E. Bloomfield Attitude sensing electrical switch
US6448517B1 (en) * 1998-02-11 2002-09-10 Everett Ogden Three-axis magnetic gravity switch
US6452121B1 (en) 1998-02-11 2002-09-17 Everett Ogden Three-axis gravity switch having a hemispherical chamber
US6455790B1 (en) 1998-02-11 2002-09-24 Everett Ogden Three-axis torus shaped gravity switch
US20030168326A1 (en) * 2002-03-11 2003-09-11 Everett Ogden Adjustable three-axis gravity switch

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2190244A (en) * 1986-05-02 1987-11-11 Inertia Switch Ltd Inertia sensor
GB2295053A (en) * 1994-05-04 1996-05-15 Desmond Grant Cunningham Switch
FR2821601B1 (fr) * 2001-03-02 2003-11-21 Garage Patrick Allart Dispositif de signalisation du retournement d'un engin agricole
CN106600900A (zh) * 2016-12-28 2017-04-26 张艳艳 一种康复护理用跌倒报警系统
CN108878205B (zh) * 2018-07-20 2019-07-12 南京理工大学 可延时惯性微流体接电开关

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2892049A (en) * 1957-04-08 1959-06-23 Northrop Corp Magnetic switch
US2912534A (en) * 1958-01-17 1959-11-10 C E Vaughan Combined circuit breaker
US3351347A (en) * 1964-04-10 1967-11-07 Charles J Smith Electroluminescent game ball
US3437770A (en) * 1966-10-12 1969-04-08 Edward Piernik Automatic underwater "and" gate switch
US3619524A (en) * 1970-05-08 1971-11-09 Gen Motors Corp Sensor
US3789170A (en) * 1971-06-19 1974-01-29 F Ferrario Conducting fluid type inertia responsive switch for motor vehicles

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2892049A (en) * 1957-04-08 1959-06-23 Northrop Corp Magnetic switch
US2912534A (en) * 1958-01-17 1959-11-10 C E Vaughan Combined circuit breaker
US3351347A (en) * 1964-04-10 1967-11-07 Charles J Smith Electroluminescent game ball
US3437770A (en) * 1966-10-12 1969-04-08 Edward Piernik Automatic underwater "and" gate switch
US3619524A (en) * 1970-05-08 1971-11-09 Gen Motors Corp Sensor
US3789170A (en) * 1971-06-19 1974-01-29 F Ferrario Conducting fluid type inertia responsive switch for motor vehicles

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3729667A (en) * 1971-06-17 1973-04-24 Fic Ind Inc Precision level measurement and control apparatus
US5006676A (en) * 1989-12-26 1991-04-09 Motorola Inc. Movement sensor switch
US6281456B1 (en) * 1998-02-11 2001-08-28 Par Technology, Inc. Three-axis gravity switch
US6448517B1 (en) * 1998-02-11 2002-09-10 Everett Ogden Three-axis magnetic gravity switch
US6452121B1 (en) 1998-02-11 2002-09-17 Everett Ogden Three-axis gravity switch having a hemispherical chamber
US6455790B1 (en) 1998-02-11 2002-09-24 Everett Ogden Three-axis torus shaped gravity switch
US6396012B1 (en) 1999-06-14 2002-05-28 Rodger E. Bloomfield Attitude sensing electrical switch
US6313417B1 (en) * 2000-10-04 2001-11-06 Honeywell International Inc. Conducting liquid tilt switch using weighted ball
WO2002029838A1 (en) * 2000-10-04 2002-04-11 Honeywell International Inc. Improved conducting liquid tilt switch using weighted ball
US20030168326A1 (en) * 2002-03-11 2003-09-11 Everett Ogden Adjustable three-axis gravity switch
WO2003079523A3 (en) * 2002-03-11 2004-06-24 Par Technology Inc Adjustable three-axis gravity switch
US6849814B2 (en) * 2002-03-11 2005-02-01 Par Technology, Inc. Adjustable three-axis gravity switch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2206574B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1977-09-30
GB1403965A (en) 1975-08-28
DE2356688A1 (de) 1974-06-12
FR2206574A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-06-07

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