US3657499A - Vibration-sensitive electric switch - Google Patents

Vibration-sensitive electric switch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3657499A
US3657499A US60049A US3657499DA US3657499A US 3657499 A US3657499 A US 3657499A US 60049 A US60049 A US 60049A US 3657499D A US3657499D A US 3657499DA US 3657499 A US3657499 A US 3657499A
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United States
Prior art keywords
contact
vibration
electric switch
sensitive electric
vibrating
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Expired - Lifetime
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US60049A
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English (en)
Inventor
Heinz Gawlick
Hellmut Bendler
Gunther Hubsch
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Dynamit Nobel AG
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Dynamit Nobel AG
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Publication date
Application filed by Dynamit Nobel AG filed Critical Dynamit Nobel AG
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Publication of US3657499A publication Critical patent/US3657499A/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
    • H01H35/14—Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch

Definitions

  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch comprising a housing and two contacts disposed therein, one of the contacts being a [30] Foreign Application Priority Data vibrating contact and coming into contact by vibrational movement with the other contact which is fixedly arranged in 1969 Germany 19 39 247'3 said housing, at least one of the contacts being deformable in the area of contact with the other contact, wherein the fixedly 'i g disposed contact and the vibrating contact overlap without 58] Fie'ld 45 61 53 contact at at least two points along their axial extension when I166 261 the switch is in the armed position and wherein the fixedly disposed contact is continuously bent laterally by the vibrating contact when a predetermined accelerative force has been ex- [56] References Cited ceeded, whereby the vibrating contact in the deflected condi- UNITED STATES p ATENTS tion is in constant contact with the fixedly disposed contact.
  • This invention relates to a vibration-sensitive electric switch. More particularly, it relates to a vibration-sensitive electric switch having a housing and two contacts disposed therein, one of the contacts being fashioned as a vibrating contact and coming into contact, upon vibration, with the other contact which is fixedly arranged in the housing. Even more particularly, the invention relates to said vibration-sensitive electric switch wherein the flawless functioning of the switch is safely ensured in as large a range as possible of differently large accelerative forces.
  • the parent application, Ser. No. 6,219 is directed to a vibration-sensitive electric switch having a housing and two contacts disposed therein, one of the contacts being movably arranged in the housing and, upon a vibration, coming into contact with the other contact which is fixedly connected with the housing.
  • One of the primary features of the development described therein resides in the provision of manufacturing at least one of the two contacts, at least in the common contact range, from an electrically conductive material which is readily, plastically and/or elastically deformable.
  • This switch has proven to be advantageous for devices which are to be operated electrically, which devices, for reasons of safety, compactness, expenses, etc., are designed to be less sensitive so that they require, for the flawless triggering thereof, an electric current of a relatively long duration.
  • the effect of this switch is based on the feature that the kinetic energy of the movable contact is converted, in the contact zone of the two impinging contacts, into heat in the plastically deformed material and/or is stored in the elastically deformed material for a certain period of time. This creates the result that the duration of touching the two contacts and, thus, also the duration of current flow are prolonged to the required extent.
  • this switch Since, in this conventional switch, the contact period extended in this fashion becomes the shorter, the higher the kinetic energy of the movable contact, this switch operates flawlessly even under unfavorable conditions only up to a certain upper limit of the accelerative force effective on the movable contact.
  • One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vibration-sensitive electric switch which overcomes the disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art devices.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a vibration-sensitive electric switch which permits the flawless functioning of the switch in as large a range as possible of different accelerative forces.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a vibrationsensitive electric switch having the advantages present in the switch described in said earlier copending application, and adding the advantage of providing more flawless operation and control on the triggering operation.
  • FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a switch according to the present invention with a maximally deflected vibrating contact
  • FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the switch of FIG. 1 with engaging contacts.
  • the fixedly disposed contact and the vibrating contact overlap non-contactually in the ready position of the switch as seen in cross-section at at least two opposed points, but preferably along the entire periphery, on a part of their axial extension, and by providing that the fixedly disposed contact, when a predetermined accelerative force has been exceeded, can be consistently or permanently bent toward the side by the vibrating contact, so that the vibrating contact in the deflected condition is in constant contact with the fixedly disposed contact.
  • This embodiment accomplished the purpose that the switch operates flawlessly below as well as above the threshold value of the accelerative force characteristic for the switch. If the actual accelerative force is smaller or equal to the threshold value, the required minimum contact period is already reached upon the first collision of the two contacts, as in said earlier copending application. However, if the actual accelerative force is above the threshold value, the fixedly arranged contact is constantly bent toward the side by the vibrating contact deflected from the ready or rest position, upon the first collision, during which procedure a part of the kinetic energy is converted into heat. If the vibrating contact then recedes, i.e., moves toward its rest position, it impinges once again from the opposite side on the fixedly disposed contact and is thereby prevented by the latter from returning into the rest position.
  • the contacts can be formed so that they overlap only at two opposed points and, thus, touch each other only when the vibrating contact moves in the direction of the connecting line of these two points.
  • This directional effect can be further enhanced by mounting the vibrating contact, instead of by means of a helical spring which is equally mobile in all radial directions, by means of a leaf spring, for example, so that the vibrating contact can move substantially only in one plane.
  • the provision is made to equip the stationary contact with a pin-like extension which projects, in the ready position of the switch, without any contact into a recess formed in the vibrating contact with the result that the vibrating contact is in permanent contact with the front face of the constantly laterally bent extension.
  • the pin-like extension which is bent toward the side, is substantially under a compressive load, rather than under a bending stress, exerted by the vibrating contact impinging on its front or end face.
  • an additional broadening of the functional range of the switch toward even greater accelerative forces can be obtained by limiting the deflection of the vibrating contact by means of a readily, plastically deformable element disposed, in the ready position of the switch, at a spacing therefrom.
  • a more or less large part of the kinetic energy of the vibrating contact can be converted into heat because of the plastic deformation of the limiting element and, optionally, also the vibrating contact occurring during the impingement of the vibrating contact on the limiting element.
  • the movement of the vibrating contact can be damped to such an extent that even in case of very large initial accelerative forces the required minimum contact period of the two contacts or, in certain cases, even their constant engagement, is already attained during the first movement of the vibrating contact, i.e., upon the second collision with the fixedly arranged contact.
  • the limiting element can be fashioned as a cylindrical sleeve of a constant wall thickness concentrically surrounding the vibrating contact in the ready position.
  • a sleeve having defined thinner wall portions, or a limiting element shaped in some other manner as long as the shape thereof enhances its ready plastic deformability.
  • the switch is only designed for accelerative forces of a specific direction, i.e., if the switching function is to be triggered by the movement of the vibrating contact in only one specific plane, the limiting element can, of course, also be confined to substantially this plane, i.e., it can be designed, for example, as two opposed strips.
  • the contact 2 fixedly disposed in the electrically conductive housing 1 is electrically insulated from the housing 1 by means of the insulation 3.
  • the other contact 4 designed as a vibrating contact, is connected by means of the coil spring electrically and mechanically with one pole of the battery 7, the other pole of which is in electrically conductive connection with the housing 1 in a conventional manner.
  • One or both of the contacts 2 and 4 may be made of tin and at least one of metal such as antimony, silver or gold.
  • the coil spring 5 is held at the contact 4 and at the pole of battery 7, respectively, by means of individual extension members 8, formed at the contact 4 and at the pole of the battery 7.
  • extension members 8 are optionally additionally provided with an appropriate thread for safer connection with the coil spring 5 and the contacting surfaces thereof are rounded or contoured to permit free pivoting of the member connected to the contact 4 with respect to the member connected to the pole of the battery, as can be seen in F IG. 2.
  • the contact 2 is provided, on the side facing the contact 4, with an axial extension 10, which latter is made, for example, of a readily plastically and/or elastically deformable, electrically conductive material.
  • This extension can be manufactured integrally with the contact 2, or also separately therefrom, and in the latter case can be also made of a different material. If the last-mentioned mode is employed, care must only be taken that both components can be connected with each other sufficiently firmly, so that a flawless electrical connection is ensured even under the shock effect produced during contact with the other contact 4.
  • the contact 4, on the side facing the extension 10, is provided with an axial recess 1 l.
  • the battery 7 is at zero voltage in the safe position and is activated only in the armed position by means of, for example, a potassium hydroxide solution fed from a separate container, which latter is not shown.
  • a potassium hydroxide solution fed from a separate container, which latter is not shown.
  • the poles of the battery 7 are shortcircuited by means of the electrically conductive ring 9, which ring connects the contact 4 with the housing 1 and simultaneously also holds the contact 4 at a spacing from contact 2.
  • the battery 7 is moved, under an appropriate pressure, in the direction toward the contact 2 up to the stop 12 so that, due to that fact that the extensions 8 rest against each other in the safe position, the contact 4 is pushed through the ring 9 and thus is made freely movable.
  • the individual components of the switch are positioned with respect to one another in such a manner that the extension 10 of the contact 2, in the rest position of contact 4, extends into the recess 11 thereof without touching the contact.
  • the battery 7 is activated, creating a dif ference in electric potential of a corresponding magnitude between the housing 1 and the contact 4.
  • the vibrating contact 4 connected with the battery 7 via the two extensions 8 and the coil or helical spring 5 is accelerated to such an extent that it constantly and permanently bends the pin-like extension 10 toward the side, as can be seen in FIG. 1.
  • the extension 10, as noted above, is a part of the contact 2 which is fixedly disposed in the housing 1 and is electrically insulated therefrom by means of the insulating materials 3.
  • the maximum possible deflection of the extension 10 protruding into the recess 11 of the vibrating contact 4 is determined by means of the limiting or stop element 13, which is, in the case shown, a cylindrical spacer sleeve of, for example, soft aluminum, copper or a synthetic resinous material. In this manner, the vibrating contact 4, upon its return movement, contacts the extension 10 at its front or end face 14.
  • the switching function can be triggered at correspondingly small accelerative forces upon the impingement of the vibrating contact 4 on the limiting element 13, if the predetermined minimum contact period is reached.
  • This effect does not occur when the limiting element 13 consists of an electrically nonconductive material, or when it is electrically insulated with respect to one or both of the contacts.
  • the vibrating contact 4 which returns, i.e., moves back toward its rest position free from the effect of the spring force, engages, as shown in FIG. 2, the extension 10 at the front race 14 thereof. Accordingly, the extension 10 is essentially under a compressive load and, hence, in spite of the fact that it is actually easily deformable plastically, is deformed by the repeated collision with the vibrating contact 4 either practically not at all or only with difficulty.
  • the dimensions of the vibrating contact 4 with the recess 11 and those of the extension 10 are adapted to each other in such a manner that the vibrating contact 4 is prevented from reaching its rest position.
  • the pressure needed to actuate the switch is produced, for example, by means of a primer charge, not shown, burning with the evolution of gas, which primer charge is itself ignited by a delay charge, likewise not shown.
  • the charge, not shown, connected to the bridge primer is ignited when the circuit is closed by way of said bridge primer, the two poles of which are connected to the housing 1 and the contact 2.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch comprising a housing containing first and second contacts disposed therein, the first contact being a vibrating contact and the second contact being fixedlydisposed in said housing, means for supporting said first contact for vibratory movement within said housing to contact said second contact in response to forces applied thereto, at least the area of contact on one of said first and said second contacts being formed of a plastically deformable, electrically conductive material, wherein the fixedly disposed contact and the vibrating contact overlap without contact at at least two opposed points on a part of their extensions along a common axis when the switch is in the armed position and wherein the fixedly disposed contact is adapted to be bent by the vibrating contact when a predetermined accelerative force has been exceeded, and means whereby the vibrating contact when the accelerative force is exceeded moves to a deflected position and remains in constant contact with the fixedly disposed contact.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch as defined in claim 1 further including a limiting element which is plastically deformable and wherein the deflection of the vibrating contact is limited by said limiting element which is spaced therefrom when the switch is in the armed position.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch according to claim 1, wherein said second contact which is fixedly disposed in said housing is made of a plastically deformable material.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting said first contact for vibratory movement within said housing comprising a first extension member affixed to said first contact on the side thereof opposite the side which is adapted to contact said second contact, a second extension member separated from said first extension member and afiixed within said housing, and a coil spring means attached at each end thereof to said first and second extension members, so as to permit said first contact to be vibrationally suspended within said housing.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch according to claim 21, further including a limiting element which is plastically deformable and wherein the deflection of the vibrating contact is limited by said limiting element which is spaced therefrom when the switch is in the armed position.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch according to claim 22, further including a battery supported within said housing adjacent said second extension member, so as to be in contact therewith, a stop member supported above said limiting element to affix the position of said battery within said housing with respect to said first and second contacts and a conductive ring disposed between said limiting element and said stop member through which said first contact is suspended.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch according to claim 23, wherein said housing is electrically conductive and has an insulating member disposed on the interior portion thereof between the inner wall of said housing and said limiting element and between the interior of said housing and said second contact.
  • a vibration-sensitive electric switch according to claim 24, wherein said conductive ring is supported on said insulating member while contacting said inner wall of said electrically conductive housing.

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  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Switches Operated By Changes In Physical Conditions (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Switches (AREA)
US60049A 1969-08-01 1970-07-31 Vibration-sensitive electric switch Expired - Lifetime US3657499A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19691939247 DE1939247A1 (de) 1969-08-01 1969-08-01 Erschuetterungsempfindlicher elektrischer Schalter

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3657499A true US3657499A (en) 1972-04-18

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ID=5741679

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US60049A Expired - Lifetime US3657499A (en) 1969-08-01 1970-07-31 Vibration-sensitive electric switch

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US (1) US3657499A (fr)
BE (1) BE754041R (fr)
DE (1) DE1939247A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2056494A6 (fr)
GB (1) GB1298893A (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3783791A (en) * 1970-11-07 1974-01-08 Rheinmetall Gmbh Switch for electrical impact detonators
US4758700A (en) * 1986-07-07 1988-07-19 Casco Products Corporation Switch construction employing contact having spaced-apart contact points
US5565664A (en) * 1994-09-08 1996-10-15 Chen; Mei-Huey Vibration type switches

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2662945A (en) * 1949-09-19 1953-12-15 Pyrene Co Ltd Electric switch
US2763773A (en) * 1954-12-17 1956-09-18 Daniel S Morente Flashlight attachment for alarm clocks or the like
US2897306A (en) * 1954-06-29 1959-07-28 Preston R Weaver Acceleration responsive microswitch
US3052784A (en) * 1960-04-19 1962-09-04 James A Ousley Manual arm-safe switch
US3369097A (en) * 1966-04-30 1968-02-13 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Contact device for electric switches
US3415960A (en) * 1957-07-30 1968-12-10 Army Usa Trembler switch
US3416451A (en) * 1967-09-11 1968-12-17 Air Force Usa Battery activator system
US3465109A (en) * 1967-10-25 1969-09-02 Sealtronics Inc Electrical switch having deformable moving contact arm

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2662945A (en) * 1949-09-19 1953-12-15 Pyrene Co Ltd Electric switch
US2897306A (en) * 1954-06-29 1959-07-28 Preston R Weaver Acceleration responsive microswitch
US2763773A (en) * 1954-12-17 1956-09-18 Daniel S Morente Flashlight attachment for alarm clocks or the like
US3415960A (en) * 1957-07-30 1968-12-10 Army Usa Trembler switch
US3052784A (en) * 1960-04-19 1962-09-04 James A Ousley Manual arm-safe switch
US3369097A (en) * 1966-04-30 1968-02-13 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Contact device for electric switches
US3416451A (en) * 1967-09-11 1968-12-17 Air Force Usa Battery activator system
US3465109A (en) * 1967-10-25 1969-09-02 Sealtronics Inc Electrical switch having deformable moving contact arm

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3783791A (en) * 1970-11-07 1974-01-08 Rheinmetall Gmbh Switch for electrical impact detonators
US4758700A (en) * 1986-07-07 1988-07-19 Casco Products Corporation Switch construction employing contact having spaced-apart contact points
US5565664A (en) * 1994-09-08 1996-10-15 Chen; Mei-Huey Vibration type switches

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1298893A (en) 1972-12-06
DE1939247A1 (de) 1971-02-11
FR2056494A6 (fr) 1971-05-14
BE754041R (fr) 1970-12-31

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