Vibration switch with movable coil spring contact

• US 6,545,235 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tien-Ming Chou
• Original Assignee: Tien-Ming Chou
• Inventors: Chou, Tien-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US10/164,414
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.45 R, 200/61.48, 200/61.49, 200/61.5, 200/61.51, 200/61.52, 200/61.53
• US Class Current: 200/61.51
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/242 the contact forming a part of a coil spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/5805 Connections to printed circuits for slide switches H01H15/005; for tumbler switches H01H23/006
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/144 operated by vibration

Abstract

A vibration switch includes a housing with an accommodation chamber for receiving securely a deflectable electric contact body. Two electric contact terminals respectively have connecting ends adapted to be connected to a support, and contact ends disposed in the chamber and electrically insulated from each other. One contact end is disposed to anchor and is electrically connected to an anchoring end of the electric contact body. The other contact end surrounds a contact terminal end of the electric contact body such that the contact terminal end is deflected so as to contact the contact end when the housing is jerked, thereby making an electrical connection between the terminals.

Claims

1. A vibration switch comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted on a support in an upright direction, and having first and second side walls spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction transverse to the upright direction, and a surrounding wall interposed between and cooperating with said first and second side walls to confine an accommodation chamber;

a first electric contact terminal having a first connecting end which extends in the upright direction and which is adapted to be connected to the support, and a first contact end which extends from said first connecting end into said accommodation chamber and which is disposed proximate to said first side wall;

a second electric contact terminal disposed to be electrically insulated from said first electric contact terminal, and having a second connecting end which extends in the upright direction and which is adapted to be connected to the support, and a second contact end which extends from said second connecting end in the longitudinal direction and into said accommodation chamber and which is disposed adjacent to said second side wall and which is spaced apart from said first side wall; and

a deflectable electric contact body disposed in said accommodation chamber, and having an anchoring end which anchors on and which is electrically connected to said first contact end, and a deflectable segment which extends from said anchoring end along an axis in the longitudinal direction towards said second side wall and which terminates at a contact terminal end,

said deflectable segment being made from a material with a biasing force such that, by means of the biasing force against weight of said deflectable segment, said contact terminal end is held along the axis so as to be spaced apart from said second contact end in radial directions relative to the axis, and being configured such that when said housing is jerked, said contact terminal end is deflected in the radial directions as a result of an inertial force of said deflectable segment so as to contact said second contact end, thereby making an electrical connection between said first and second electric contact terminals.

2. The vibration switch of claim 1, wherein said deflectable electric contact body is a coil spring which is made from an electrically conductive material, and which includes a plurality of loops wound spirally about the axis.

3. The vibration switch of claim 2, wherein two adjacent ones of said loops at said deflectable segment defines a first distance along the axis, two adjacent ones of said loops at said contact terminal end defining along the axis a second distance which is smaller than the first distance.

4. The vibration switch of claim 2, wherein said first side wall has an electrically conductive portion formed thereon, said first contact end being a plug portion which is formed integrally with said electrically conductive portion, which extends along the axis, and which is configured such that said loops at said anchoring end are sleeved on and anchor to said plug portion, said first connecting end being formed integrally with and extending downwardly from said electrically conductive portion.

5. The vibration switch of claim 4, wherein said second side wall has an insulating portion formed thereon, said second contact end extending through said insulating portion into said accommodation chamber along the axis and being configured such that said loops at said contact terminal end surround said second contact end.

6. The vibration switch of claim 5, wherein said plug portion includes four fin portions angularly displaced from one another about the axis and configured to be press-fitted in said loops at said anchoring end along the axis.

7. The vibration switch of claim 2, wherein said second side wall has an electrically conductive portion, said second contact end being disposed on an inner wall surface of said surrounding wall to surround the axis and being integrally formed with said electrically conductive portion, said second connecting end being formed integrally with and extending downwardly from said electrically conductive portion, said first contact end being a rod which is configured such that said loops at said anchoring end are sleeved on and anchor to said rod.

8. The vibration switch of claim 2, wherein said housing is made from an insulating material, said second contact end being a rod which is configured to be surrounded by said loops at said contact terminal end, said second connecting end being bent downwardly from said second contact end and extending through said surrounding wall in the vicinity of said second side wall.

9. The vibration switch of claim 8, further comprising a seat portion which is disposed in said accommodation chamber and which is formed integrally with said surrounding wall, said seat portion being configured to hold said anchoring end along the axis, said first contact end including two contact portions which extend in a transverse direction relative to the axis and which are inserted between and are in contact with two adjacent ones of said loops at said anchoring end, said first connecting end extending downwardly from said contact portions through said surrounding wall in the vicinity of said first side wall.