IMPACT VELOCITY SENSOR SWITCH WITH LINEARLY MOVABLE CONTROLLER

• US 3,812,312 A
• Filed: 04/09/1973
• Issued: 05/21/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank R. Povilaitus, Poul H. Andersen, Robert S. Himes
• Original Assignee: Frank R. Povilaitus, Poul H. Andersen, Robert S. Himes
• Inventors: Andersen, Poul H., Povilaitus, Frank R., Himes, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, James R.
• Application Number:
  US05/349,501
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 200/16R,16B,16C,16D,16E,61.45R,61.53,166BH,166J,61.44
• US Class Current: 200/61.53
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/14 Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch wherein the liquid constitutes a contact of the switch H01H29/002
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/913 Condition determining device, e.g. oxygen sensor, accelerometer, ionizer chamber, thermocouple

Abstract

Sensing device for sensing the velocity of an automotive vehicle when the latter collides with another object, the device having a plurality of contacts adapted to be electrically interconnected at different times depending upon the velocity of the vehicle at the moment of impact.

Claims

1. An impact velocity sensing device for an automotive vehicle comprising a housing, a mass in said housing movable away from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof, means biasing said mass toward said one end, said mass including an electrically conductive spider having a base and a pluraLity of fingers extending from said base toward the inside wall of said housing, said inside wall having a friction portion thereof tapered inwardly between the portion thereof adjacent said spider when said mass is adjacent said one end and the portion thereof adjacent said spider when said mass is adjacent said opposite end, the outer end portions of said fingers engaging said inside wall, and at least three contacts on said inside wall, all of said contacts being located further from said one end of said housing than said friction portion and at least two of said three contacts being spaced apart in an axial direction relative to the movement of said mass, the fingers of said spider frictionally engaging said tapered friction portion and being flexed inwardly thereby when said mass moves through a first predetermined distance, said fingers connecting one of said two contacts with the third contact after movement of said mass through said first predetermined distance and connecting the other of said two contacts with said third contact upon movement of said mass a second predetermined distance beyond said first predetermined distance.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contacts are elongated and extend along a portion of said inside wall of said housing, said contacts having tabs extending outwardly through said housing.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the outer end portions of said fingers have generally spoon shaped dimples therein, said dimples engaging said inside wall when said spider moves toward said opposite end of said housing.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including an energy absorbing stop at said opposite end of said housing for limiting the movement of said mass.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising means at said one end of said housing preventing the outer ends of said fingers from engaging said one end of said housing.

6. An impact velocity sensing device for an automotive vehicle comprising housing means, mass means in said housing means, means mounting said mass means for movement relative to said housing means along an axis from one end of said housing means toward the opposite end thereof, said mass means being adapted to move a first predetermined distance from a first position to a second position, and to move a second predetermined distance, beyond said first predetermined distance, said housing means and mass means including contact means, said contact means comprising an electrically conductive spider having a plurality of elongated fingers thereon, said fingers frictionally engaging the wall of said housing means as said mass means moves along said axis, a plurality of contact strips on the inside of said wall of said housing adapted to be engaged at different times by said fingers as said mass moves along said axis, and said wall of said housing tapering inwardly along a portion thereof causing said fingers to be frictionally engaged with said tapered portion and flexed inwardly as they pass thereby, said tapered portion being located between said one end of said housing and said contact strips to cause said fingers to pass frictionally over said tapered friction portion before engaging said contact strips.