ROLLER-BAND INERTIAL SWITCH

• US 3,567,881 A
• Filed: 12/10/1969
• Issued: 03/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Douglas O. Schuler, Fred A. Duimstra
• Original Assignee: Douglas O. Schuler, Fred A. Duimstra
• Inventors: Duimstra, Fred A., Schuler, Douglas O.
• Application Number:
  US04/883,736
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• US Class Current: 200/61.53
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/135 by making use of contacts which are actuated by a movable inertial mass
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/148 making use of a rolamite sensor

Abstract

A roller-band inertial switch operable over a predetermined temperature range including a housing; a roller-band cluster disposed within the housing and having a first roller, a second spool-shaped roller and a tension band supporting the rollers within the housing, said band including an oblong orifice adjacent the spool-shape roller and a force-biasing opening adjacent the other roller to bias the cluster adjacent an end wall of the housing; electrical sensing means disposed at the other end wall of the housing to sense movement of the cluster to the other end wall; and a damping fluid in the housing filling the housing at a temperature above the predetermined temperature range and a method for forming the housing.

Claims

1. A roller-band inertial switch operable over a desired temperature range comprising a tubular casing having a pair of guideway walls spaced apart by sidewalls;

a tension-band having adjacent one end thereof a lateral projection abutting against an end of said casing and a portion extending along one of said guideway walls an and having adjacent another end thereof a lateral projection abutting against an opposite end of said casing and a portion extending along the other of said guideway walls;

a roller-band cluster including a first roller and a spool-shaped roller partially encompassed by said band in generally S-shaped fashion, said band having an oval orifice adjacent said spool-shaped roller and a force-biasing aperture adjacent said first roller and a portion of the guideway wall, ends of said orifice and said aperture being generally V-shape;

end caps at the ends of said casing each having a boss fitting into the casing with an edge holding the band against the inner surface of the guideway and having shoulder portions abutting against ends of the casing to position the end caps; and

a damping fluid in said casing filling said casing at a desired temperature above said temperature range.

2. The switch of claim 1 wherein said damping fluid fills a variable portion of said casing over said temperature range.

3. The switch of claim 1 wherein said filling temperature is about 180* F. and said temperature range is from about -65* to +160* F.

4. The switch oF claim 1 wherein said force-biasing aperture biases said roller-band cluster adjacent one of said end caps and said other end cap carries electrical contact means for sensing movement of said roller-band cluster to said other end cap.

5. The switch of claim 4 wherein said other end cap carries an electrical pin projecting from said casing and said band includes an extension disposed about said other end cap, said extension including an aperture disposed about and in contact with said pin.

6. The switch of claim 5 wherein said electrical contact means includes a contact member disposed within said casing and supported by an electrical pin carried by said other end cap and projecting from said casing.

7. The switch of claim 4 wherein said one end cap carries a fill tube for inserting said damping fluid in said casing.

8. The switch of claim 1 wherein said casing is of glass and said end caps are of sintered powdered glass.

9. The switch of claim 1 wherein said sidewalls are spaced from said roller-band cluster a distance to define a passageway having an area substantially smaller than the area of said oval orifice.

10. The switch of claim 1 wherein said spool-shaped roller includes a pair of rims interconnected by a spindle, the spindle having a diameter substantially less than the rim diameter.