Inertia switch mounting housing

• US 5,010,217 A
• Filed: 02/26/1990
• Issued: 04/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Automotive Ltd (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Automotive Ltd (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Woodman, Douglas, Hueniken, Peter, Gurd, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/485,342
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.45 R-61.53
• US Class Current: 200/61.45R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/141 Details

Abstract

An inertia switch assembly comprises an inertia switch assembly element encapsulated by potting material within a housing. The inertia switch assembly element comprises a non-magnetic enclosure containing an inertial mass and switch contacts. The switch contacts are connected by conductors that become terminals parallel with and spaced radially of the enclosure as they pass through an aperture in the housing. This aperture is closed by a closure on the terminals. Potting material is kept from intruding into the enclosure by a sealed closure which closes an open end of the enclosure and through which the conductors pass. The housing has an integral shroud surrounding the terminals to thereby form a connector plug structure for connetion with a mating connector plug structure leading to a circuit controlled by the switch assembly. The housing also has a triangular-shaped base containing apertures at each apex to provide for attachment of the housing to a wall. The inertial mass is magnetically biased by a magnetic circuit which includes an axially slotted tube disposed around the switch assembly element.

Claims

1. In an inertia switch assembly of the type in which an inertia switch assembly element is disposed within a mounting housing and at least partially encapsulated therein by potting material, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure caused by said certain velocity change, the improvement which comprises said enclosure having an open end that is closed by a closure assembly which includes both a closure and an electrical conductor means via which said electrical contacts are placed in conducting relationship with an electrical terminal means which is accessible from the exterior of said mounting housing, sealing means that is axially captured between said open end of said enclosure and said closure assembly to prevent the intrusion of potting material into said enclosure, said electrical terminal means is integrally formed with said electrical conductor means so as to be disposed by said electrical conductor means in axially overlapping and radially outwardly spaced relationship to said enclosure, said mounting housing comprises a radially disposed wall portion which comprises aperture means through which said electrical conductor means passes to said electrical terminal means, and closure means on said electrical conductor means closing said aperture means.

2. In an inertia switch assembly of the type in which an inertia switch assembly element is disposed within a mounting housing and at least partially encapsulated therein by potting material, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure caused by said certain velocity change, the improvement which comprises said enclosure having an open end that is closed by a closure assembly which includes both a closure and an electrical conductor means via which said electrical contacts are placed in conducting relationship with an electrical terminal means which is accessible from the exterior of said mounting housing, sealing means that is axially captured between said open end of said enclosure and said closure assembly to prevent the intrusion of potting material into said enclosure, and said mounting housing includes an integral shroud disposed around and in cooperative relationship with said electrical terminal means so as to form a connector plug structure which can be connected with a mating connector plug of a wiring harness to connect the inertia switch assembly element with an associated electrical circuit.

3. In an inertia switch assembly of the type in which an inertia switch assembly element is disposed within a mounting housing and at least partially encapsulated therein by potting material, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure caused by said certain velocity change, the improvement which comprises said enclosure having an open end that is closed by a closure assembly which includes both a closure and an electrical conductor means via which said electrical contacts are placed in conducting relationship with an electrical terminal means which is accessible from the exterior of said mounting housing, sealing means that is axially captured between said open end of said enclosure and said closure assembly to prevent the intrusion of potting material into said enclosure, and said mounting housing comprises an integral triangular shaped base via which said mounting housing can be mounted on a wall, said base comprising a metal sleeved aperture at each apex of the base through which a fastener can be passed for mounting said mounting housing on a wall.

4. In an inertia switch assembly of the type in which an inertia switch assembly element is secured within a mounting housing, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure caused by said certain velocity change, the improvement which comprises said inertia switch assembly element having an electrical conductor means via which said electrical contacts are placed in conducting relationship with an electrical terminal means which is accessible from the exterior of said mounting housing, said electrical terminal means extends from said electrical conductor means so as to be disposed in axially overlapping and radially outwardly spaced relationship to said enclosure, said mounting housing comprises a radially disposed wall portion which comprises aperture means through which said electrical conductor means passes to said electrical terminal means, and closure means on said electrical conductor means closing said aperture means.

5. In an inertia switch assembly of the type comprising an inertia switch assembly element disposed within a mounting housing, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure caused by said certain velocity change, said inertia switch assembly element being of the type comprising a magnetic circuit, including a magnet, that magnetically restrains said inertial mass, the improvement wherein said enclosure is non-magnetic, a magnetically conductive element that forms a part of said magnetic circuit at least partially envelopes said body, said magnetically conductive element comprises an axially slotted tube having an end wall, and said magnet is axially disposed between said end wall and said body.

6. In an inertia switch assembly of the type in which an inertia switch assembly element is disposed within a mounting housing, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure, the improvement which comprises an electrical conductor means via which said electrical contacts are placed in conducting relationship with an electrical terminal means which is accessible from the exterior of said mounting housing, and said mounting housing comprising an integral triangular shaped base via which said mounting housing can be mounted on a wall, said base comprising a metal sleeved aperture at each apex of the base through which a fastener can be passed for mounting said mounting housing on a wall.

7. In an inertia switch assembly of the type in which an inertia switch assembly element is disposed within a mounting housing, said inertia switch assembly element comprising an enclosure containing both an inertial mass that moves within said enclosure in response to the inertia switch assembly being subjected to certain velocity change and electrical contacts that are operated by said inertial mass to give a switch signal in response to motion of said inertial mass within said enclosure, the improvement which comprises an electrical conductor means via which said electrical contacts are placed in conducting relationship with an electrical terminal means which is accessible from the exterior of said mounting housing, and said mounting housing comprising an integral shroud disposed around and in cooperative relationship with said electrical terminal means so as to form a connector plug structure which can be connected with a mating connector plug of a wiring harness to connect the inertia switch assembly element with an associated electrical circuit.