Impact detector and packaging container

• US 20100300178A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Arai, Tomoaki, Naruishi, Moku, Ishikawa, Sakae
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/12.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/008 Force sensors integrated in an article or a dummy workpiece

Abstract

An impact detector includes a case, an impact indicator disposed on a front side of the case, to indicate an impact history of the impact detector, a first weight that moves inside the case to a side to which the case falls, causing the impact indicator to indicate the impact history by moving through at least one of a first transition path and a second transition path, a first guide member to guide the first weight to a first impact detection position along the first transition path when the case falls in a first direction, and a second guide member to guide the first weight to the second impact detection position along the second transition path when the case falls in a second direction. The first transition path at least partly overlaps with the second transition path on a projection plane on the front side of the case.

Claims

1. An impact detector comprising:

a case, an interior of which defines a first transition path and a second transition path;

an impact indicator disposed on a front side of the case, to indicate an impact history of the impact detector when the case falls to at least one of a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction;

a first weight disposed inside the case, that moves to a side to which the case falls, causing the impact indicator to indicate the impact history by moving through at least one of the first transition path and the second transition path;

a first guide member to guide the first weight from an initial position to a first impact detection position along the first transition path when the case falls in the first direction; and

a second guide member to guide the first weight from the initial position to the second impact detection position along the second transition path when the case falls in the second direction;

wherein the first transition path at least partly overlaps with the second transition path on a projection plane on the front side of the case.

2. The impact detector according to claim 1, wherein the first guide member comprises multiple projections formed in the case, each extending along the first transition path, arranged in a direction intersecting a first weight movement direction in which the first weight moves through the first transition path to the first impact detection position,

the second guide member comprises multiple projections formed in the case, each extending along the second transition path, arranged in a direction intersecting a second weight movement direction in which the first weigh moves from the initial position to the second impact detection position,

the first weight contacts the multiple projections of the first guide member and the second guide member when the case falls in the first direction and the second direction, respectively,

each of the first transition path and the second transition path includes a bent portions extending in a reverse direction of each of the first weight movement direction and the second weight movement direction, and

the multiple projections of each of the first guide member and the second guide member include an inner projection disposed on an inner circumference side of the bent portion and an outer projection disposed on an outer circumference side of the bent portion, having a height greater than a height of the inner projection.

3. The impact detector according to claim 2, wherein each of the first transition path and the second transition path further comprises a linear portion connecting the initial position and the bent portion and a weight guide disposed around a connecting portion between the linear portion and the bent portion,

each weight guide comprises a sloped portion on a side of the linear portion and a step portion on a side of the bent portion, and

the weight guide guides the first weight moving through the linear portion to the bent portion and prevents the first weight from returning to the linear portion when the case reverts to an initial state from a falling state.

4. The impact detector according to claim 3, further comprising:

a pair of first transition path limiters extending along the first transition path, including an inner limiter disposed on the inner circumference side and an outer limiter disposed on the outer circumference side of the bent portion of the first transition path, on both sides of the multiple projections formed therein, to inhibit deviation of the first weight toward the direction intersecting the first transition path, and

a pair of second transition path limiters extending along the second transition path, including an inner limiter disposed on the inner circumference side and an outer limiter disposed on the outer circumference side of the bent portion of the second transition path, on both sides of the multiple projections formed therein, to inhibit deviation of the first weight toward the direction intersecting the second transition path.

wherein, in the first weight movement direction and the second weight movement direction, a downstream apex of the inner limiter of each of the pair of first transition path limiters and the pair of second transition path limiter corresponds to a downstream edge portion of the weight guide in each of the first transition path and the second transition path.

5. The impact detector according to claim 2, further comprising:

a pair of first transition path limiters extending along the first transition path, including an inner limiter disposed on the inner circumference side and an outer limiter disposed on the outer circumference side of the bent portion of the first transition path, on both sides of the multiple projections formed therein, to inhibit deviation of the first weight toward the direction intersecting the first transition path; and

a pair of second transition path limiters extending along the second transition path, including an inner limiter disposed on the inner circumference side and an outer limiter disposed on the outer circumference side of the bent portion of the second transition path, on both sides of the multiple projections formed therein, to inhibit deviation of the first weight toward the direction intersecting the second transition path,

wherein an edge portion of a respective one of the multiple projections facing the first weight contacts the first weight when the first weight is in contact with a downstream portion of the inner limiter of each of the pair of first transition path limiters and the pair of second transition path limiters in the first weight movement direction and the second weight movement direction.

6. The impact detector according to claim 5, wherein the case further comprises a lid disposed on the first direction and a case body disposed on the second direction,

the first transition path as well as the multiple projections of the first guide member are formed on the lid,

the second transition path as well as the multiple projections of the second guide member are formed in the case body, and

on the projection plane on the front side of the case, the multiple projections of the first guide members and the multiple projections of the second guide member are rotationally symmetrical relative to a centerline penetrating the case vertically.

7. The impact detector according to claim 2, wherein the case further comprises a lid disposed on the first direction and a case body disposed on the second direction,

the first transition path as well as the multiple projections of the first guide member are formed on the lid,

the second transition path as well as the multiple projections of the second guide member are formed in the case body, and

on the projection plane on the front side of the case, the multiple projections of the first guide members and the multiple projections of the second guide member are rotationally symmetrical relative to a centerline penetrating the case vertically.

8. The impact detector according to claim 1, wherein each of the first transition path and the second transition path comprises:

a bent portions extending in a reverse direction of each of the first weight movement direction and the second weight movement direction;

a linear portion connecting the initial position and the bent portion; and

a weight guide disposed around a connecting portion between the linear portion and the bent portion, including a sloped portion disposed on a side of the linear portion and a step portion disposed on a side of the bent portion,

wherein the weight guide guides the first weight moving through the linear portion to the bent portion and prevents the first weight from returning to the linear portion when the case reverts to an initial state from a falling state.

9. The impact detector according to claim 1, further comprising a second weight,

wherein the first weight moves through the first transition path and remains at the first impact detection position when the case falls in the first direction,

the second weight moves through the second transition path and remains at the second impact detection position when the case falls in the second direction, and

the impact indicator maintains an impact indication state in the first direction with the first weight at the first impact detection position and an impact indication state in the second direction with the second weight at the second impact detection position.

10. The impact detector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third guide member extending from the initial position in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, to guide the first weight along a third transition path;

a fourth guide member extending from the initial position in a fourth direction opposite the third direction, to guide the first weight along a fourth transition path; and

a pivotable member having a free end portion provided with a flag that moves to the impact indicator when the first weight contacts the pivotable member, disposed in each of the first transition path, the second transition path, the third transition path and the fourth transition path,

wherein the impact indicator includes a first indicator to indicate an impact history in the first direction, a second indicator to indicate an impact history in the second direction, a third indicator to indicate an impact history in the third direction, and a fourth indicator to indicate an impact history, in the fourth direction,

the first transition path, the second transition path, the third transition path, and the fourth transition path communicate with each other and the first weight moves among the first transition path, the second transition path, the third transition path, and the fourth transition path, and

each of the first indicator, the second indicator, the third indicator, and the fourth indicator of the impact indicator maintains an impact indication state caused by the first weight.

11. The impact detector according to claim 1, wherein the impact indicator comprises a first indicator to indicate an impact history in the first direction and the second direction, a third indicator to indicate an impact history in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, a fourth indicator to indicate an impact history in a fourth direction opposite the third direction, and a fifth indicator to indicate a drop history,

the impact detector further comprises:

a third weight to move in the third direction perpendicular in the first direction and the second direction, causing the third indicator to indicate the impact history in the third direction by moving through the third transition path;

a third guide member provided in the case, to guide the third weight from a third initial position to a third impact detection position along a third transition path formed in the case when the case falls in the third direction;

a fourth weight to move in the fourth direction, causing the fourth indicator to indicate the impact history in the fourth direction by moving through the fourth transition path;

a fourth guide member provided in the case, to guide the fourth weight from a fourth initial position to a fourth impact detection position when the case falls in the fourth direction;

a fifth weight to cause the fifth indicator to indicate a drop detection state by dropping to a drop detection position through a fifth transition path formed in the case when the case receives impact from below; and

a pair of fifth weight supporters to support the fifth weight at a fifth weight initial position from both sides and to release the fifth weight when the case receives the impact from below.

12. The impact detector according to claim 1, wherein the first weight has a circular periphery, and

the first transition path at least partly overlaps the second transition path in a direction of thickness of the first weight.

13. The impact detector according to claim 1, wherein the case further comprises a lid disposed on the first direction and a case body disposed on the second direction,

a portion of the first transition path and a portion of the second transition path overlapped each other are formed on the lid and the case body, respectively, and

the first transition path communicates with the second transition path in a depth direction penetrating the projection plane on the front side of the case.

14. The impact detector according to claim 13, wherein the first weight has a circular periphery,

the first guide member includes a lower portion having a height lower than a height of the first weight, positioned in the portion of the first transition path overlapped with the second transition path, and

the second guide member includes a lower portion having a height lower than a height of the first weight, positioned in the portion of the second transition path overlapped with the first transition path.

15. The impact detector according to claim 13, wherein the first guide member comprises multiple projections formed in the case, each extending along the first transition path, arranged in a direction intersecting a first weight movement direction in which the first weight moves through the first transition path to the first impact detection position,

the second guide member comprises multiple projections formed in the case, each extending along the second transition path, arranged in a direction intersecting a second weight movement direction in which the first weigh moves through the second transition path to the second impact detection position, and

the first weight contacts the multiple projections of the first guide member and the second guide member when the case falls in the first direction and the second direction, respectively.

16. The impact detector according to claim 13, wherein the impact indicator comprises a first indicator to indicate an impact history in the first direction and a second indicator to indicate an impact history in the second direction, and

the portion of the first transition path and the portion of the second transition path overlapping each other are positioned between the first indicator and the second indicator on the projection plane on the front side of the case.

17. The impact detector according to claim 1, wherein the impact indicator comprises a first indicator to indicate an impact history in the first direction and a second indicator to indicate an impact history in the second direction, and

the portion of the first transition path and the portion of the second transition path overlapping each other are positioned between the first indicator and the second indicator on the projection plane on the front side of the case.

18. The impact detector according to claim 17, wherein the first weight has a circular periphery,

the first guide member includes a lower portion having a height lower than a height of the first weight, positioned in the portion of the first transition path overlapped with the second transition path, and

the second guide member includes a lower portion having a height lower than a height of the first weight, positioned in the portion of the second transition path overlapped with the first transition path.

19. The impact detector according to claim 1, incorporated in a packaging container for containing an article.

20. An impact detector comprising:

a case, an interior of which defines a first transition path and a second transition path;

an impact indicating means for indicating, on a front side of the case, an impact history of the impact detector when the case falls in at least one of a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction;

a first weight disposed inside the case, that moves to a side to which the case falls, causing the impact indicating means to indicate the impact history by moving through at least one of the first transition path and the second transition path;

a first guide means for guiding the first weight from an initial position to a first impact detection position along the first transition path when the case falls in the first direction; and

a second guide means for guiding the first weight from the initial position to the second impact detection position along the second transition path when the case falls in the second direction;

wherein the first transition path at least partly overlaps with the second transition path on a projection plane on the front side of the case.