Extended dwell shock sensing device
First Claim
1. A shock sensor having an extended activation time comprising:
- (a) a housing;
(b) a carriage slidably mounted on the housing for travel and including a magnet portion;
(c) a non-magnetic mass slidable on the carriage between a first site and a second site on the carriage;
(d) a reed switch mounted on the housing to be responsive to the position of the magnet such that the reed switch is activated when the magnet travels to a pre-selected activation position during movement of the carriage in response to an initial acceleration force applied to the housing, and the reed switch will remain activated as the non-magnetic mass moves from the first site to the second site in response to an increased acceleration force, then the non-magnetic mass is moved back toward the first site upon cessation of the increased acceleration force, and until the carriage is moved back past the pre-selected activation position.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An extended dwell shock sensing device (10) is constructed to operate in two stages. A carriage (34) that includes a magnet (40) is slidably mounted between a first abutment (20) and a second abutment (22). The carriage (34) also includes a cradle (52) in which a non-magnetic mass (54) is slidably mounted between a first wall (53) and a second wall (55). At a rest position, the carriage (34) is biased away from the second abutment (22) by a spring (50) and the non-magnetic mass (54) is biased away from the second wall (55) by a spring (58). A reed switch (24) is mounted to be responsive to the position of the magnet (40). Upon application of an acceleration force, the shock sensing device (10) operates in two stages. In a first stage, the carriage (34) travels to a position where it approaches the second abutment (22), and activates the reed switch (24). In a second stage, the non-magnetic mass (54) travels toward the second wall (55). The inertia of the non-magnetic mass (54) resisting a rapid change in the return direction of the carriage (54), combined with the relatively long distance to travel back to the first stage position extends the time that the reed switch (24) stays activated.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A shock sensor having an extended activation time comprising:
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(a) a housing; (b) a carriage slidably mounted on the housing for travel and including a magnet portion; (c) a non-magnetic mass slidable on the carriage between a first site and a second site on the carriage; (d) a reed switch mounted on the housing to be responsive to the position of the magnet such that the reed switch is activated when the magnet travels to a pre-selected activation position during movement of the carriage in response to an initial acceleration force applied to the housing, and the reed switch will remain activated as the non-magnetic mass moves from the first site to the second site in response to an increased acceleration force, then the non-magnetic mass is moved back toward the first site upon cessation of the increased acceleration force, and until the carriage is moved back past the pre-selected activation position. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A shock sensor having an extended activation time comprising:
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(a) a housing having a first abutment; (b) a second abutment of the housing spaced apart from the first abutment a fixed distance; (c) a carriage having a first end and a second end, the carriage being slidably mounted on the housing to travel between the first abutment and the second abutment and oriented so that the first end of the carriage faces the first abutment and the second end of the carriage faces the second abutment, the carriage further comprising; (i) a permanent magnet portion that travels coincident with the carriage; (ii) a cradle having a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall a fixed distance; (iii) a non-magnetic mass slidably mounted to travel within the cradle of the carriage between the first wall and the second wall, the cradle defining a path of travel for the non-magnetic mass such that the non-magnetic mass is capable of travel parallel to the direction of travel of the permanent magnet, the first wall of the cradle facing the first abutment and the second wall of the cradle opposite the first wall; (d) first means for biasing positioned between the carriage and the second abutment, the carriage being held away from the second abutment by the first biasing means until such time that the carriage is subjected to an initial acceleration force of pre-selected magnitude oriented in the direction of the second abutment, the carriage being movable toward the second abutment when subjected to the initial acceleration force; (e) second means for biasing positioned between the non-magnetic mass and the second wall, the non-magnetic mass being held away from the second wall by the second biasing means until the non-magnetic mass is subjected to an increased acceleration force of pre-selected magnitude oriented in the direction of the second wall, the non-magnetic mass being movable toward the second wall when subjected to the increased acceleration force; and (f) a reed switch mounted on the housing to be responsive to the position of the magnet such that the reed switch is activated when the magnet reaches a pre-selected activation position during movement of the carriage in response to the initial acceleration force, and will remain activated as the non-magnetic mass moves toward the second wall in response to the increased acceleration force, then is moved back toward the first wall by the second biasing means upon cessation of the increased acceleration force, and until the carriage is moved back past the pre-selected activation position by the first biasing means. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A shock sensor having an extended activation time comprising:
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(a) a housing having a first abutment; (b) a second abutment of the housing spaced apart from the first abutment a fixed distance; (c) a compartment of the housing extending between the first and second abutments; (d) a carriage having a first end and a second end, the carriage being tubular in shape and having an inner diameter that is slidabaly mounted to travel upon the outside of the compartment, and oriented so that the first end of the carriage faces the first abutment and the second end of the carriage faces the second abutment, and the carriage further comprising; (i) a permanent magnet portion that travels coincident with the carriage; (ii) a cradle having a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall a fixed distance; (iii) a non-magnetic mass slidably mounted to travel within the cradle, the cradle defining a path of travel for the non-magnetic mass such that the non-magnetic mass is capable of travel generally parallel to the direction of travel of the permanent magnetic portion, the first wall of the carriage facing the first abutment and the second wall of the carriage opposite the first wall; (d) first means for biasing engaged between the carriage and the second abutment, the carriage being held by the first biasing means away from the second abutment until such time that the carriage is subjected to an initial acceleration force of pre-selected magnitude oriented in the direction of the second abutment, the carriage being movable toward the second abutment when subjected to the initial acceleration force; (e) second means for biasing engaged between the non-magnetic mass and the second wall, the non-magnetic mass being held away from the second wall by the second biasing means until the non-magnetic mass is subjected an increased acceleration force of pre-selected magnitude oriented in the direction of the second wall, the non-magnetic mass being movable toward the second wall when subjected to the increased acceleration force; and (f) a reed switch mounted within the compartment and responsive to the position of the magnet such that the reed switch will be activated when the magnet reaches a pre-selected activation position as the carriage travels between the first and second abutments during movement of the carriage in response to the initial acceleration force, and will remain activated as the non-magnetic mass moves toward the second wall in response to the increased acceleration force, then is moved back toward the first wall by the second biasing means upon cessation of the increased acceleration force, and until the carriage is moved back past the pre-selected activation position by the first biasing means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A shock sensor comprising:
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(a) a housing having a compartment and a circumferential wall surrounding the compartment, a first abutment formed by the outer margin of the compartment; (b) a second abutment formed by the inner diameter of the circumferential wall and spaced apart from the first abutment a fixed distance; (c) a ledge of the housing extending between the first abutment and the second abutment; (d) an annular carriage having, an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a bottom end of the carriage being slidably mounted to travel on the ledge and oriented so that the inner diameter of the carriage faces the first abutment and the outer diameter of the carriage faces the second abutment, and the carriage further comprising; (i) a permanent magnet portion that travels coincident with the carriage; (ii) a cradle having a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall a fixed distance; (iii) a non-magnetic mass slidably mounted to travel within the cradle, the cradle defining a path of travel for the non-magnetic mass from the travel of the magnet such that the non-magnetic mass id capable of travel generally parallel to the direction of travel of the permanent magnetic portion the first wall of the carriage facing the first abutment and the second wall of the carriage opposite the first wall; (e) first means for biasing engaged between the carriage and the second abutment, the carriage being held by the first biasing means away from the second abutment until such time that the carriage is subjected to an initial acceleration force of pre-selected magnitude oriented in the direction of the second abutment, the carriage being movable toward the second abutment when subjected to the initial acceleration force; (f) second means for biasing engaged between the non-magnetic mass and the second wall, the non-magnetic mass being held away from the second wall by the second biasing means until the non-magnetic mass is subjected to an increased acceleration force of pre-selected magnitude generally oriented in the direction of the second wall, the non-magnetic mass being movable toward the second wall when subjected to the increased acceleration force; and (g) a reed switch mounted within the compartment and responsive to the position of the magnet such that the reed switch will be activated when the magnet reaches a pre-selected activation position as the carriage travels between the first and second abutments during movement of the carriage in response to the initial acceleration force, and will remain activated as the non-magnetic mass moves toward the second wall in response to increased acceleration force, then is moved back toward the first wall by the second biasing means upon cessation of the increased acceleration force, and until the carriage is moved back past the pre-selected activation position of the first biasing means. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification