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Ball-and-socket switch for detecting and signalling selectable inclination directions of a base plane

  • US 5,202,559 A
  • Filed: 05/18/1992
  • Issued: 04/13/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A ball-and-socket switch for signalling selectable inclination directions of a base plane, comprising:

  • a ball-guiding socket housing containing a base plane and having a pyramid-shaped recess, the pyramid-shaped recess contains a base bearing position for a switching ball that determines a tilting angle thereof, the base plane and the pyramid-shaped recess form a line polygon having corners adjacent final bearing positions of the switching ball that define chosen directions of inclination and constitute switching positions of the ball-and-socket switch, each of the final bearing positions is a circular bearing position having gradually narrowing, rotation-symmetric recess in a side wall of the socket housing that rises from the base plane;

    a switching ball mounted for movement within said ball-guiding socket housing between the base bearing position and the final bearing positions, the switching ball being dimensionally sized where each of the rotation-symmetric recesses accommodate less than half of the switching ball and a center point of the switching ball will pass an axis of symmetry of the associated rotation-symmetric recess when the switching ball is about to come into contact with the associated corner of the line polygon; and

    light transmission and light reception elements arranged at the final bearing positions of the switching ball as to be covered in a light-tight manner when the switching ball comes to bear against the appropriate final bearing position.

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