Switch assembly
First Claim
1. A tilt switch assembly, comprising:
- a housing member having an outer wall;
a magnetic field source which generates a magnetic field attached to the housing member;
a tilt switch housing having a cavity area defined by a floor and an inner wall having a predetermined wall angle relative to the floor, the housing member located inside of the housing cavity area and resting on top of the cavity floor; and
a magnetic field detector located within the tilt switch housing and underneath the floor of the cavity area, the magnetic field detector is responsive to the magnetic field for providing a tilt condition signal when the housing member outer wall tilts a predetermined amount towards the cavity walls causing the magnetic field to change orientation away from the magnetic field detector.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tilt switch assembly (100) includes a hall-effect device (102) for determining if a magnet (110) which is placed within a housing (112) has tilted a predetermined amount causing the hall-effect device to actuate. In another embodiment of the invention (300), a movable magnetic filed concentrator (306) which moves in response to switch assembly (300) being tilted causes a tilt condition signal to be generated when the switch assembly (300) is tilted a predetermined amount. In still another embodiment of the present invention, a magnet (502) is stored within a cavity area which allows for the magnet to tilt when the switch assembly (500) is tilted a predetermined amount. Once the magnet (502) becomes tilted, a tilt condition signal is generated.
44 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A tilt switch assembly, comprising:
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a housing member having an outer wall; a magnetic field source which generates a magnetic field attached to the housing member; a tilt switch housing having a cavity area defined by a floor and an inner wall having a predetermined wall angle relative to the floor, the housing member located inside of the housing cavity area and resting on top of the cavity floor; and a magnetic field detector located within the tilt switch housing and underneath the floor of the cavity area, the magnetic field detector is responsive to the magnetic field for providing a tilt condition signal when the housing member outer wall tilts a predetermined amount towards the cavity walls causing the magnetic field to change orientation away from the magnetic field detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A communication device, comprising:
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a radio frequency transmitter; and a tilt switch coupled to the radio frequency transmitter, comprising; a housing member having an outer wall; a magnetic field source which generates a magnetic field attached to the pivotal housing member; a tilt switch housing having a cavity area defined by a floor and an inner wall having a predetermined wall angle relative to the floor, the housing member located inside of the housing cavity area and resting on top of the cavity floor; a magnetic field detector located within the housing and underneath the floor of the cavity area, the magnetic field detector is responsive to the magnetic field and provides a tilt condition signal to the radio frequency transmitter when the housing member outer wall tilts a predetermined amount towards the cavity walls causing the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source to change orientation away from the, magnetic field detector. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A tilt switch, comprising:
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a housing; a magnetic field source which generates a magnetic field attached to the housing; a magnetic field detector located within the housing and spaced away from the magnetic field source; the housing including a cavity area located between the magnetic field source and the magnetic field detector; a magnetic field concentrator located within the cavity area, the magnetic field concentrator moves within the cavity area in response to the tilting of the housing, the magnetic field concentrator directs the magnetic field provided by the magnetic field source to the magnetic field detector when the housing is not tilted and stops directing the magnetic field to the magnetic field detector when the housing is tilted a predetermined amount; and the magnetic field detector provides a tilt condition signal when the magnetic field concentrator fails to direct the magnetic field to the magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification