Inertia switch for deceleration signaling system

Claim 2

An inertia switch comprising: a base means; first electrical contact means supported by said base means; electromagnetic means supported by said base means, said electromagnetic means including a core piece and a coil means; a stop means of magnetizable material mounted on said core piece; a pendulum means supported by said base means and mounted for pivoting movement towards said core piece from a first position in engagement with said stop means to a second position, in response to a change in the rate of motion of said base means, said pendulum means being magnetically retained in said first position by energizing said coil means to magnetize said core piece and stop means when said pendulum means is in said first position, and said pendulum means being magnetically retained in said second position by energizing said coil means when said pendulum means is in said second position; and second electrical contact means connected to said pendulum means, said first and second electrical contact means being brought in and out of mutual elecTrical engagement by movements of said pendulum means relative to said base means.

Claim 3

An inertia switch assembly of the type to be placed in circuit with an electrically actuated device, and the operation thereof being effected by inertial changes of a body upon which said switch assembly is mounted, said assembly including base means, an inertial element comprising means providing a pivotal mounting for said pendulum for pivotal movement relative to said base means, a pair of normally spaced-apart contacts adapted to be connected in circuit with said electrically actuated device, one said contact carried by said pendulum and the other by said base means, such that inertial change will cause said pendulum to pivot from a first position to a second position wherein said contacts are electrically closed, and selectively energizable electromagnetic means carried by said base means, whereby said electromagnetic means when energized attracts and maintains said pendulum in said second position with said contacts closed regardless of the presence of inertial change, and when deenergized permits said pendulum to move from said second position to said first position thereby to open said contacts.

Claim 4

An inertia switch assembly of the type to be placed in circuit with an electrically actuated device, and the operation thereof being effected by inertial changes of a body upon which said switch assembly is mounted, said assembly including base means, an inertial element comprising means providing a pivotal mounting for said pendulum for pivotal movement relative to said base means, a pair of normally spaced-apart contacts adapted to be connected in circuit with said electrically actuated device, one said contact carried by said pendulum and the other by said base means, such that inertial change will cause said pendulum to pivot from a first position to a second position wherein said contacts are electrically closed, and selectively energizable electromagnetic means carried by said base means, whereby said electromagnetic means when energized attracts and maintains said pendulum in said second position with said contacts closed regardless of the presence of inertial change, and when deenergized permits said pendulum to move from said second position to said first position thereby to open said contacts.

Claim 5

A switch assembly as defined in claim 2 further including stop means against which said pendulum is engaged when in said first position.

Claim 6

A switch assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said pendulum includes an elongate plate having a mass fixed thereto at an end of said plate opposite the location of said pivotal mounting, and means engaged against said plate to hold said pendulum in the first position thereby preventing movement of said pendulum from said first position to the second position during instances of inertial change less than a predetermined rate.

Claim 7

An inertia switch of the type to be placed in circuit with an electrically actuated device and operated by inertial changes of a body upon which said switch is mounted, said switch including base means, a frame connected to and extending outwardly from said base means, pendulum means carried by said frame for pivotal movement toward said base means from a first position to a second position when said body undergoes inertial changes exceeding a predetermined rate, biasing means tending to hold said pendulum means in said first position with the central axis of said pendulum means offset a predetermined angular distance from said base means relative to the vertical axis in order to prevent movement of said pendulum means towards said base means upon inertial changes which are less than said predetermined rate, first contact means carried by said base means, second contact means carried by said pendulum means, said first contact means being spaced apart from said second contact means when the pendulum means is in said first position, and said first contact means being in electrical engagement with said second contact means when said pendulum means is in said second position, and selectively operable magnetic means for attracting and retaining said pendulum means to said second position with said contacts in electrical engagement regardless of the rate of inertial change of said body upon which the switch is mounted.

Claim 8

An inertia switch of the type to be placed in circuit with an electrically actuated device and operated by inertial changes of a body upon which said switch is mounted, said switch including base means, a frame connected to and extending outwardly from said base means, pendulum means carried by said frame for pivotal movement toward said base means from a first position to a second position when said body undergoes inertial changes exceeding a predetermined rate, biasing means tending to hold said pendulum means in said first position with the central axis of said pendulum means offset a predetermined angular distance from said base means relative to the vertical axis in order to prevent movement of said pendulum means towards said base means upon inertial changes which are less than said predetermined rate, first contact means carried by said base means, second contact means carried by said pendulum means, said first contact means being spaced apart from said second contact means when the pendulum means is in said first position, and said first contact means being in electrical engagement with said second contact means when said pendulum means is in said second position, and selectively operable magnetic means for attracting and retaining said pendulum means to said second position with said contacts in electrical engagement regardless of the rate of inertial change of said body upon which the switch is mounted.