Rolling-ball switch

• US 7,829,804 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tien-Ming Chou
• Original Assignee: Tien-Ming Chou
• Inventors: Chou, Tien-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fishman; Marina
• Application Number:
  US11/860,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 200/52.A, 200/61.45 R, 200 6146- 6148, 200/61.5, 200/61.52, 340/565, 340/566
• US Class Current: 200/61.45R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/025 the switch being discriminative in different directions

Abstract

A rolling-ball switch is adapted to be fixed on a circuit board, and includes a conductive housing defining a receiving space and having two opposite open ends, two conductive balls disposed movably in the receiving space, two insulation caps covering respectively the open ends to confine the conductive balls in the receiving space, and two terminals connected fixedly and respectively to the insulation caps. The receiving space has first and second widths along first and second directions that are perpendicular to each other. The first width is larger than the sum of diameters of the conductive balls, the second width is larger than the diameter of each conductive ball, and the diameter of each conductive ball is larger than a distance between an inner section of the respective terminal that extends into the receiving space and an inner wall of the conductive housing.

Claims

1. A rolling-ball switch adapted to be fixed on a circuit board, said rolling-ball switch comprising:

a longitudinal conductive housing having an inner wall defining a receiving space, and the housing having two open ends that are opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, said receiving space having first and second widths between the inner wall along first and second transverse directions that are transverse to the longitudinal direction and that are perpendicular to each other;

two conductive balls disposed movably in said receiving space;

two insulation caps covering respectively said open ends of said conductive housing to confine said conductive balls in said receiving space; and

two terminals connected fixedly and respectively to said insulation caps, each of said terminals including an inner section extending into said receiving space;

wherein said first width is larger than the sum of diameters of said two conductive balls, said second width is larger than the diameter of each of said conductive balls, and the diameter of each of said conductive balls is larger than a distance between said inner section of one of said terminals and the inner wall of said conductive housing; and

wherein said two conductive balls are capable of simultaneously bridging said inner section of one of said terminals and said inner wall of said conductive housing to establish therebetween an electrical connection.

2. The rolling-ball switch of claim 1, wherein said first width is equal to said second width.

3. The rolling-ball switch of claim 2, wherein said first width is larger than said second width.

4. The rolling-ball switch of claim 1, wherein said conductive housing further has two opposite end faces at said open ends, respectively, each of said insulation caps having a neck portion inserted into a respective one of said open ends of said conductive housing, a head portion projecting outwardly from said neck portion and abutting against a respective one of said end faces of said conductive housing, and a through hole extending through said head portion and said neck portion.

5. The rolling-ball switch of claim 4, wherein each of said terminals further includes an enlarged outer section opposite to said inner section of a respective one of said terminals and abutting against an outer surface of said head portion of a respective one of said insulation caps, and an engaging section between said inner and enlarged outer sections and engaged to said through hole in the respective one of said insulation caps.