Acceleration responsive sensor

Claim 2

A sensor comprising, in combination, a housing, a base assembly including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, means securing the housing and base assembly to each other, a contact member including at least one cantilever spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls, a resilient member extending through the housing, means mounting the resilient member adjacent one end thereof to the housing, a mass secured to the other end of the resilient member and having at least a portion thereof movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnet magnetically holding the mass in engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger and into engagement therewith to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger.

Claim 3

A sensor comprising, in combination, a housing, a base assembly including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, means securing the housing and base assembly to each other, a contact member including at least one cantilever spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls, a resilient member extending through the housing, means mounting the resilient member adjacent one end thereof to the housing, a mass secured to the other end of the resilient member and having at least a portion thereof movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnet magnetically holding the mass in engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger and into engagement therewith to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger.

Claim 4

A sensor comprising, in combination, a housing, a base assembly including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, means securing the housing and base assembly to each other, a contact member including at least one cantilever spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls, a resilient member extending through the housing, means mounting the resilient member adjacent one end thereof to the housing, a mass secured to the other end of the resilient member and having at least a portion thereof movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnet magnetically holding the mass in engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger and into engagement therewith to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger.

Claim 5

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein the housing includes an arcuate end wall at the distal end of the side walls, the engagement of the mass with the arcuate end wall limiting movement of the mass to less than that which would result in permanent deformation of the spring finger.

Claim 6

A sensor comprising, in combination, a housing, a base assembly located at the lower end of the housing and including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, means securing the housing and base assembly to each other, a contact member including at least one cantilever spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls, a resilient member extending through the housing, means mounting the resilient member adjacent the upper end thereof to the housing adjacent the upper end thereof, a cylindrical mass secured to the lower end of the resilient member and movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnetic attraction of the magnet holding the mass in tangential engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger and into engagement therewith to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger.

Claim 7

A sensor comprising, in combination, a housing, a base assembly located at the lower end of the housing and including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, means securing the housing and base assembly to each other, a contact member including at least one cantilever spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls, a resilient member extending through the housing, means mounting the resilient member adjacent the upper end thereof to the housing adjacent the upper end thereof, a cylindrical mass secured to the lower end of the resilient member and movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnetic attraction of the magnet holding the mass in tangential engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger and into engagement therewith to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger.

Claim 8

The combination recited in claim 3 wherein the housing includes an outwardly flaring circular flange at its lower end seating the base assembly, the sensor including means clamping the flange of the housing to the base assembly to assemble the sensor.

Claim 9

The combination recited in claim 3 wherein the base assembly includes integral means radially spacing the magnet with respect to the mass and indexing the magnet with its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess.

Claim 10

The combination recited in claim 3 wherein a cylindrical peripheral edge of the mass engages and deflects the spring finger, the resiliently deflectable mEmber being deflected upon movement of the mass and cooperating with the spring finger in exerting a force on the mass returning the mass to normal position.

Claim 11

A sensor comprising, in combination, a vertical tubular housing, a base assembly at the lower end of the housing including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, a contact member including at least one resiliently deflectable spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls means indexing the housing, base assembly and contact member to each other, means securing the housing, base assembly, and contact member together in indexed relationship, a resiliently deflectable member extending through the housing, means mounting the resiliently deflectable member adjacent the upper end thereof to the housing adjacent the upper end thereof, a cylindrical mass secured to the lower end of the resiliently deflectable member and movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnet magnetically holding the mass in engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger, a peripheral edge of the mass engaging the spring finger to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger, the resiliently deflectable member and spring finger each being resiliently deflected upon engagement thereof.

Claim 12

A sensor comprising, in combination, a vertical tubular housing, a base assembly at the lower end of the housing including angularly related side walls defining a sector shaped recess opening to the housing, a contact member including at least one resiliently deflectable spring finger extending angularly to the recess intermediate the distal ends of the side walls means indexing the housing, base assembly and contact member to each other, means securing the housing, base assembly, and contact member together in indexed relationship, a resiliently deflectable member extending through the housing, means mounting the resiliently deflectable member adjacent the upper end thereof to the housing adjacent the upper end thereof, a cylindrical mass secured to the lower end of the resiliently deflectable member and movable along a multiplicity of paths within the sector shaped recess, and a magnet mounted on the base assembly adjacent the proximal ends of the side walls and having its axis coplanar with a bisector of the recess, the magnet magnetically holding the mass in engagement with the side walls of the recess adjacent the proximal ends thereof, an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time overcoming the magnetic attraction of the magnet and moving the mass toward the spring finger, a peripheral edge of the mass engaging the spring finger to close a circuit across a source of power connected to the mass and spring finger, the resiliently deflectable member and spring finger each being resiliently deflected upon engagement thereof.