DISTURBANCE SENSITIVE SWITCH

• US 3,649,787 A
• Filed: 08/14/1970
• Issued: 03/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Kasabian
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Kasabian
• Inventors: Kasabian, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaefer, Robert K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ginsburg, M.
• Application Number:
  US05/063,740
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.45-61.53,8R 340/261,262
• US Class Current: 200/61.45R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/144 operated by vibration

Abstract

A disturbance sensitive device comprising an electrical switch having resilient means for supporting a movable contact member in normally open relationship with a stationary contact member, and structured to provide prolonged closure when the device is disturbed. A further improvement includes a second resilient means which is carried on the movable contact member for reducing the gap between the contacting members and increasing the closure time interval.

Claims

1. A disturbance sensitive switch comprising:

a stationary conductor and a movable conductor disposed in operative relationship with one another; and

resilient means secured to the movable conductor for entirely supporting the movable conductor and having orthogonally directed helical and spiral components with respect to the stationary conductor for maintaining the movable conductor in operative spaced balanced relationship with the stationary conductor independently of the orientation in any direction of the switch in the static state.

2. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein the movable conductor is hollow and disposed in encircling relationship with the movable conductor, the helical component is disposed in coaxial relationship with the stationary conductor and the spiral component comprises continuous filamentary turns having progressively decreasing radii and extending radially inward from the helical component toward the stationary conductor.

3. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein the stationary conductor is hollow and disposed in encircling relationship with the movable conductor, the helical component is disposed in coaxial relatioNship with the stationary conductor and the spiral component comprises continuous filamentary turns having progressively increasing radii and extending radially outward from the helical component toward the stationary conductor.

4. A disturbance sensitive switch comprising:

an elongated stationary conductor;

a cylindrical conductor disposed in normally spaced coaxial relationship with the stationary conductor; and

resilient means for entirely movably supporting the cylindrical conductor and having orthogonally directed, helical and spiral components with respect to the stationary conductor for minimizing contact bounce and maintaining the cylindrical conductor in prolonged contact with the stationary conductor when the switch is disturbed, the helical component extending coaxially with the stationary conductor and the spiral component comprising continuous filamentary turns of progressively varying radius extending radially from the helical component toward the stationary conductor.

5. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 4 wherein the supporting resilient means is a volute spring.

6. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 4 wherein the supporting resilient means is a stepped cylindrical spring.

7. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 4 wherein said cylindrical conductor includes radially protruding yieldable means for reducing the normal space between the cylindrical conductor and the stationary conductor.

8. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 7 wherein the yieldable means comprises a flat spiral spring carried on the cylindrical conductor.

9. A disturbance sensitive switch comprising:

a support;

two electrical terminals affixed to the support and electrically insulated from one another;

an elongated conductor having one end affixed to the support and electrically connected to one of said terminals;

a hollow conductor disposed in encircling relationship with a portion of the elongated conductor and electrically connected to the other of said terminals; and

resilient means for entirely movably supporting the hollow conductor and having a helical component directed longitudinally and a spiral component directed transversely with respect to the elongated conductor for maintaining the hollow conductor in normally spaced balanced relationship with the elongated conductor independently of the orientation of the switch in the static state.

10. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 9 wherein the resilient means comprises a spring having a helical component disposed in normally spaced coaxial relationship with the elongated conductor and a spiral component comprising continuous filamentary turns of progressively decreasing radius extending radially inward from the helical component toward the elongated conductor.

11. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein the spring is a volute spring disposed in surrounding relationship with the elongated conductor and electrically insulated therefrom, said spring having a larger diameter end affixed to the support and an opposing smaller diameter end secured to the hollow conductor.

12. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein the hollow conductor comprises a conductive ring carried on the smaller diameter end of the volute spring.

13. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 12 wherein the hollow conductor further comprises a flat spiral spring carried on the ring and having an inner diameter less than the inner diameter of the ring but sufficiently large to be spaced from the elongated conductor when the switch is undisturbed.

14. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein the spring is a stepped cylindrical spring disposed in spaced surrounding relationship with the elongated conductor, the spring having a larger diameter end affixed to the support and an opposing smaller diameter end secured to the hollow conductor.

15. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 14 wherein the hollow conductor is a conductive cup disposed in enveloping relationship with the distal end of the elongated conductor and secured to the smaller diameter end of the spring.

16. A disturbance sensitive switch comprising:

a cup-shaped conductor defining a cavity;

a conductive support disposed adjacent the opening of the cup-shaped conductor and insulatingly attached to the wall thereof;

a conductive mass disposed within the cavity in the conductor; and

resilient means for entirely supporting the conductive mass and having orthogonally directed helical and spiral components with respect to the wall of the conductor for maintaining the conductive mass in normally spaced balanced relationship with the surrounding wall of the cavity independently of the orientation of the switch in the static state and for maintaining the conductive mass in prolonged contact with said wall when the switch is disturbed, the helical component of the resilient means being disposed coaxially within the cup-shaped conductor and the spiral component comprising continuous filamentary turns of progressively increasing radius extending radially outward from the helical component toward the wall of the conductor.

17. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 16 wherein the resilient means comprises an inverted volute spring axially disposed within and normally spaced from the surrounding wall of the cavity, the spring having a smaller diameter end affixed to the conductive support and an opposing larger diameter end secured to the conductive mass.

18. A disturbance sensitive switch as set forth in claim 17 wherein the conductive mass is a disc transversely disposed in the cavity and carried on the larger diameter end of the volute spring.