Impact indicator
First Claim
1. An impact indicator, comprising:
- a housing;
a mass member located within the housing, the housing configured to enable movement of the mass member from a first position to a second position within the housing in response to receipt of an acceleration event by the housing; and
a spring member disposed within the housing and configured to bias the mass member to the first position, and wherein in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event, the mass member is configured to overcome the bias and move from the first position to the second position; and
wherein the mass member comprises an eccentric pivot member to cause rotation of the mass member within the housing in the second position to enable retention of the mass member in the second position.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a device and technique for impact detection is disclosed. The impact indicator includes a housing and a mass member located within the housing. The housing is configured to enable movement of the mass member from a first position to a second position within the housing in response to receipt of an acceleration event by the housing. The impact indicator also includes a spring member disposed within the housing and configured to bias the mass member to the first position, and wherein in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event, the mass member is configured to overcome the bias and move from the first position to the second position. The mass member is configured to rotate within the housing in the second position to enable retention of the mass member in the second position.
44 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An impact indicator, comprising:
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a housing; a mass member located within the housing, the housing configured to enable movement of the mass member from a first position to a second position within the housing in response to receipt of an acceleration event by the housing; and a spring member disposed within the housing and configured to bias the mass member to the first position, and wherein in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event, the mass member is configured to overcome the bias and move from the first position to the second position; and wherein the mass member comprises an eccentric pivot member to cause rotation of the mass member within the housing in the second position to enable retention of the mass member in the second position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An impact indicator, comprising:
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a housing; a mass member located within the housing, the housing configured to enable movement of the mass member from a first position to a second position within the housing in response to receipt by the housing of a first acceleration event; a spring member disposed within the housing and configured to bias the mass member to the first position, and wherein in response to receipt by the housing of the first acceleration event, the mass member overcomes the bias and moves from the first position to the second position; and a first latch element located proximate to a first side of the mass member and a second latch element located proximate to a second side of the mass member opposite the first side and offset from the first latch element, at least one of the first and second latch elements configured to engage a corresponding latch element located on the mass member to retain the mass member in the second position in response to the housing receiving a second acceleration event in a direction opposite the first acceleration event. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An impact indicator, comprising:
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a housing; a mass member located within the housing, the housing having a plurality of sidewalls forming a translation path to enable movement of the mass member from a first position to a second position within the housing in response to receipt by the housing of an acceleration event; and a spring member disposed within the housing and configured to bias the mass member to the first position, and wherein in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event, the mass member moves from the first position to the second position and the spring member bears on the mass member to cause rotation of the mass member in the second position to facilitate retention of the mass member in the second position; and wherein at least one of the sidewalls is configured to engage a portion of the mass member to retain the mass member in the second position in response to receipt by the housing of another acceleration event in an opposite direction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification