Acceleration detecting device

• US 6,172,313 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Tateki, Takeuchi, Tsutomu, Fujita, Koichi, Sakamoto, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US09/210,991
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.7, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.48
• US Class Current: 200/61.48
• 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 acceleration detecting device includes a hollow housing having a side wall, a bottom wall and an opening and a cover closing the opening of the hollow housing. A weight is pivotally mounted in the hollow housing to be rotated about a locus in response to an applied acceleration. Also positioned within the housing is a contact assembly to be electrically-closed by the rotated weight. A plastic main body is held in the hollow housing along the side wall to support the contact assembly and keep the contact assembly spaced from the locus of the weight during the rotation of the weight. The plastic main body which supports the contact assembly may have a wider support along the side wall of the hollow housing, which is independent from fixture of the cover. Therefore, the contact assembly may be supported by the hollow housing through the main body in a more reliable manner. Further, the weight may rotate without any interference to the contact assembly because the contact assembly is kept off the locus of the weight.

Claims

1. An acceleration detecting device comprising:

a hollow housing having a side wall, a closed end and an open end;

a cover closing the open end of the housing;

a weight pivotally mounted inside the hollow housing for rotating along a locus in response to an applied acceleration; and

a contact assembly adapted to be electrically closed through rotation of the rotated weight, the contact assembly including a main body and a pair of contacts embedded in the main body, the main body being positioned in the hollow housing along the side wall to support the contact assembly and keep the main body of the contact assembly off the locus of the weight during rotation of the weight.

2. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the hollow housing further includes a projection extending parallel with the side wall, the main body being pinched between the projection and the side wall.

3. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 1, including a connector for outputting electrical signals, terminals embedded in the connector, and couplers embedded in the main body to transmit electrical signals, the couplers being joined with the terminals to provide mechanical connection between the main body and the connector and electrical connection between the terminals and the couplers.

4. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is joined to the open end of the housing by ultrasonic welding.

5. An acceleration detecting device comprising:

enclosing means for enclosing an internal space, said enclosing means including a sidewall;

moving means positioned in the internal space for moving along a locus in response to an applied acceleration;

detecting means for detecting the movement of the movement means;

said detecting means including a main body and a pair of contacts embedded in the main body, the main body being positioned in the enclosing means along the side wall; and

holding means for holding the main body in the internal space to keep the main body of the detecting means off the locus of the moving means.

6. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 5, wherein the enclosing means includes partitioning means for partitioning the internal space into a first space and a second space, the moving means being located in the first space and the holding means being located in the second space.

7. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 5, including connecting means electrically and mechanically connected to the detecting means for outputting a detection signal.

8. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 5, wherein the enclosing means includes an open end, said main body being spaced from said open end.

9. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 5, wherein said enclosing means includes an open end, and including a cover covering the open end.

10. An acceleration detecting device comprising:

a hollow housing having an open end and possessing a side wall having an outwardly projecting side wall portion;

a cover closing the open end of the housing;

a weight pivotally mounted inside the hollow housing for rotating in response to an applied acceleration;

a holder positioned within the hollow housing, said holder being separate from the hollow housing and secured in place within the hollow housing, said holder including a projection that engages the outwardly projecting side wall portion; and

a pair of electrodes mounted in the holder, said electrodes having end portions that are spaced apart from one another in a non-operational position of the weight, with the end portion of one of said electrodes being moved into contact with the end portion of the other electrode upon rotation of the weight.

11. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 10, wherein the hollow housing possesses a bottom wall and at least one projection extending inwardly from the bottom wall, said holder being held between the side wall and the at least one projection.

12. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 10, wherein the hollow housing includes a connector portion in which are disposed a pair of exposed terminals, said terminals being connected to the pair of electrodes.

13. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 10, including a spring which applies a biasing force to the weight to urge the weight towards the non-operational position, a portion of said spring being held between the cover and a side wall of the housing.

14. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 10, including a connector portion forming a part of the housing, and terminals exposed at the connector, said terminals being connected to the electrodes.

15. The acceleration detecting device according to claim 10, wherein the cover is connected to the open end of the housing by ultrasonic welding.