Acceleration and deceleration electrical switch

• US 5,141,229 A
• Filed: 09/10/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sure TRAK Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sure TRAK Incorporated
• Inventors: Roundy, Terry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/580,312
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 200/6 BA, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.45 M, 200/61.53, 273/416
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/385 Arrow or dart carrying a radio transmitter for signalling
• 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

Abstract

An electrical inertia switch that closes a first electrical contact upon switch acceleration and closes a second electrical contact upon switch deceleration. The miniature switch can be inserted within an archer'"'"'s arrow and used to activate a radio transmitter signal so as to locate the arrow by a directional signal receiver from a remote location.

Claims

1. A system for recovering a hunting arrow including an electric acceleration and deceleration switch comprising:

a. a housing having an upper, middle, and lower portion;

b. a movable inertia mass within the housing;

c. spring means within the upper and lower housing portions for providing electrical contact between the holding and inertia mass and for maintaining the inertia mass in the middle housing portion;

d. an upper electrical contact and an upper contact wire and a lower electrical contact and a lower contact wire, the contact wires in a position which is normally not in contact with the electrical contacts and the contact wires and the electrical contacts being positioned within the upper and lower housing portions, respectively and insulated from said housing, and mounted such that an acceleration of the switch moves the inertia mass to a lower housing position in contact with the lower electrical contact, thereby making a first electrical path between the housing and lower contact wire, and a deceleration of the switch moves the inertia mass to contact the upper electrical contact, thereby making a second electrical path between housing and upper contact wire;

e. at least a portion of an arrow shaft; and

f. a transmitter, the transmitter and the housing being located within the portion of the arrow shaft and the transmitter being electrically connected to the first electrical path and the second electrical path.

2. A system for recovering a hunting arrow including an electric acceleration and deceleration switch as recited in claim 1 and wherein

the housing and the inertia mass are of cylindrical shape about 0.075" in diameter and about 0.25" long.

3. The system for recovering a hunting arrow as recited in claim 2 and wherein

the spring means comprises a pair of compression springs, and the housing has an upper and lower cap to retain the springs and electrical contacts.

4. The system for recovering a hunting arrow as recited in claim 3 and wherein

the caps are sealed with an epoxy resin.

5. The system for recovering a hunting arrow as recited in claim 3 and wherein

the housing inertia mass and caps are constructed of aluminum, and the springs are beryllium copper.

6. A system for recovering a hunting arrow including an electric acceleration and deceleration switch comprising:

a. a generally cylindrical housing having a hollow interior and formed of an electrically conductive material;

b. a generally cylindrical inertia mass mounted for movement within the housing by acceleration or deceleration of the housing;

c. a pair of electrical contacts mounted at a first and second end of the housing, respectively and a pair of insulators, the insulators insulating the electrical contacts from the housing, the electrical contacts being mounted in generally cylindrical-shaped insulators;

d. a pair of electrically conductive compression springs electrically contacted to the inertia mass and to the housing and mounted in the housing to bias the inertia mass away from the electric contacts such that acceleration or deceleration of the housing moves the inertia mass to compress the compression springs and initiate electrical contact between the inertia mass, the electrical contacts, and the housing;

e. an archer'"'"'s arrow, the housing being mounted within the archer'"'"'s arrow; and

f. a transmitter, the transmitter being positioned within the arrow and being electrically connected to the electrical contacts such that the transmitter emits a signal capable of being detected by a receiver after the arrow has been accelerated or decelerated.

7. The system for recovering a hunting arrow as recited in claim 6 and wherein:

the insulators are mounted in a generally cupshaped caps which provide electrical contact for the inertia mass, the compression springs, and the housing.

8. The system for recovering a hunting arrow as recited in claim 7 and wherein:

the housing is fabricated of an aluminum watch crystal can.

9. The system for recovering a hunting arrow as recited in claim 8 and wherein:

the inertia mass is formed as a rod about 0.050" in length.

10. A system for recovering an archer'"'"'s arrow after the arrow has been released from a bow comprising:

an arrow having a hollow shaft with a first end having a nock and a second end having an arrowhead;

a transmitter, the transmitter emitting a signal capable of being detected by a receiver when the transmitter is activated;

a movable inertia mass located within the hollow shaft such that the inertia mass can move toward the first end of the arrow and toward the second end of the arrow;

first biasing means for exerting a biasing force against the inertia mass such that the inertia mass moves toward the first end of the hollow shaft only upon acceleration of the arrow;

second biasing means for exerting a biasing force against the inertia mass such that the inertia mass moves toward the second end of the hollow shaft only upon deceleration of the arrow;

first electrical contact means positioned between the first end of the arrow and the inertia mass, the inertia mass meeting the first electrical contact means when the arrow is subject to acceleration of a threshold level, the first electrical contact means being electrically connected to the transmitter such that the transmitter is activated upon acceleration of the arrow; and

second electrical contact means positioned between the second end of the arrow and the inertia mass, the inertia mass meeting the second electrical contact means when the arrow is subject to deceleration of a threshold level, the second electrical contact means also being electrically connected to the transmitter such that the transmitter is activated upon deceleration of the arrow, such that the transmitter is activated upon acceleration from an archer'"'"'s bow and, if not activated upon acceleration from the archer'"'"'s bow, upon deceleration of the arrow when striking an object.