Impact indicator

• US 9,423,312 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shockwatch Incorporated (Media Recovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Shockwatch Incorporated (Media Recovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Branch, Clinton A., Kilpatrick, Jeffrey W., Hafen, Daniel B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkin, Daniel S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell, Irving A
• Application Number:
  US14/517,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20150034003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 674 Days
• Field of Search: 116/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 23/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring or indicating or recording rapid changes, such as oscillations, in the pressure of steam, gas, or liquid; Indicators for determining work or energy of steam, internal-combustion, or other fluid-pressure engines from the condition of the working fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/00 Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/30 by applying a single impulsive force, e.g. by falling weight
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/02 by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic massesG01P15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/03 by using non-electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/036 for indicating predetermined acceleration values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/04 for indicating maximum value
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/16 Indicators for switching condition, e.g. "on" or "off"

Abstract

An impact indicator for impact detection and indication includes: a housing; and a detection assembly configured to detect receipt by the housing of an acceleration event. The detection assembly comprises first and second indicias displayable thereby, wherein the first indicia is displayed in an unactivated state of the impact indicator, and wherein in response to detecting the acceleration event, the second indicia is displayed, the second indicia further comprising an indication of a direction of the acceleration event.

Claims

1. An impact indicator, comprising:

a housing having a window; and

a detection assembly configured to detect receipt by the housing of an acceleration event, the detection assembly comprising first and second indicias displayable thereby, wherein the first indicia is displayed in the window in a non-activated state of the impact indicator, and wherein in response to detecting the acceleration event, the first indicia moves out of the window and the second indicia is displayed in the window, the second indicia further comprising an indication of a direction of the acceleration event.

2. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second indicias comprise at least one encoded indicia.

3. The impact indicator of claim 2, wherein the at least one encoded indicia comprises at least one barcode indicia.

4. The impact indicator of claim 2, wherein the at least one encoded indicia comprise at least one alphanumeric code indicia.

5. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein the first indicia comprises a first barcode indicia indicating the non-activated state of impact status and the second indicia comprises a second barcode indicia indicating an activated state of impact status corresponding to the direction.

6. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein the detection assembly comprises a mass member movable within the housing in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event.

7. The impact indicator of claim 1, further comprising a third indicia configured to display an indication of an activated status in a second direction of an acceleration event different than the direction corresponding to the second indicia.

8. An impact indicator, comprising:

a housing having a window; and

a detection assembly configured to alternately display first and second encoded indicias within the window in response to receipt by the housing of an acceleration event, the first and second encoded indicias being uninterpretable without a key or being machine-read, and wherein the first and second encoded indicias comprise respective first and second encoded portions, the first and second encoded portions providing an indication of impact activation and a direction of received impact.

9. The impact indicator of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second encoded indicias comprise at least one barcode indicia.

10. The impact indicator of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second encoded indicias comprise at least one alphanumeric code indicia.

11. The impact indicator of claim 8, wherein the first and second encoded indicias respectively comprise a first barcode indicia indicating impact status corresponding to a first direction of impact and a second barcode indicia indicating impact status corresponding to a second direction different than the first direction.

12. The impact indicator of claim 8, wherein the detection assembly comprises a third encoded indicia alternately displayable within the window corresponding to a non-activated status.

13. The impact indicator of claim 8, wherein the detection assembly comprises a mass member movable within the housing in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event.

14. An impact indicator, comprising:

a housing comprising at least one window for displaying an indication of impact status; and

a detection assembly configured to alternately display within the at least one window a first, second or third indicia, wherein each of the first, second and third indicias comprises an indication of impact status, and wherein at least two of the first, second and third indicias comprise an indication of two different impact directions, one of the at least two of the first, second and third indicias displayed within the window in response to receipt by the housing of a predetermined magnitude of acceleration event.

15. The impact indicator of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first, second and third indicias comprise at least one encoded indicia.

16. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein the at least one encoded indicia comprises at least one barcode indicia.

17. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein the at least one encoded indicia comprise at least one alphanumeric code indicia.

18. The impact indicator of claim 14, wherein the detection assembly comprises a mass member movable within the housing in response to receipt by the housing of the acceleration event.