Acceleration responsive switch

Claim 2

An acceleration responsive switch device, comprising: casing means including a bottom wall portion of electrically nonconductive material having an upwardly facing and upwardly diverging conical support surface; a ball of electrically conductive material movably supported on said support surface, the weight of said ball normally maintaining same at the apex of said conical support surface; electrical switch means adapted to be actuated by said ball when same is moved toward or away from said apex, said switch means including a pair of spaced electrical contacts mounted on said bottom wall portion adjacent said apex and positioned for engagement with said ball when said ball is located at said apex, whereby said ball electrically connects said contacts for closing said switch means when said ball is located at said apex; and said casing means including upper wall means disposed above and spaced from said bottom wall portion so as to define a space therebetween in which is positioned said ball when said ball is located at said apex, said upper wall means being disposed closely adjacent said ball when same is positioned at said apex for preventing said ball from moving vertically upwardly away from said support surface.

Claim 3

A switch device according to claim 1, wherein said upper wall means comprises a projection fixedly secured to said casing means and projecting downwardly toward said apex and being spaced sufficiently above said apex to enable said ball to be freely located at said apex.

Claim 4

A switch device according to claim 1, wherein said upper wall means is disposed above and spaced from said bottom wall means so as to define a chamber therebetween in which is positioned said ball, said upper wall means having projection means fixedly secured thereto and projecting downwardly therefrom toward said apex, said projection means being disposed closely adjacent said ball when same is positioned at said apex for preventing said ball from moving vertically upwardly away from said support surface.

Claim 5

In an acceleration responsive switch device which is responsive to a substantially horizontally imposed acceleration, said device comprising: casing means including a bottom wall portion of electrically nonconductive material having an upwardly facing and upwardly diverging conical support surface, said casing also having a side wall portion fixed relative to said bottom wall portion and extending upwardly from the radially outer edge of said conical support surface in surrounding relationship thereto; a ball of electrically conductive material rollingly supported on said support surface, the weight of said ball normally maintaining same at the apex of said conical support surface, said ball having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of said conical support surface adjacent the radially outer edge thereof; and electrical switch means adapted to be actuated by said ball when same is moved toward or away from said apex, said switch means including a pair of spaced electrical contacts fixedly mounted on said bottom wall portion adjacent said apex and positioned for simultaneous engagement with said ball when said ball is located at said apex, said contacts being suBstantially flush with said conical support surface and being spaced radially inwardly a substantial distance from the radially outer edge of said conical support surface, whereby said ball electrically connects said contacts for closing said switch means when said ball is located at said apex.

Claim 6

In an acceleration responsive switch device which is responsive to a substantially horizontally imposed acceleration, said device comprising: casing means including a bottom wall portion of electrically nonconductive material having an upwardly facing and upwardly diverging conical support surface, said casing also having a side wall portion fixed relative to said bottom wall portion and extending upwardly from the radially outer edge of said conical support surface in surrounding relationship thereto; a ball of electrically conductive material rollingly supported on said support surface, the weight of said ball normally maintaining same at the apex of said conical support surface, said ball having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of said conical support surface adjacent the radially outer edge thereof; and electrical switch means adapted to be actuated by said ball when same is moved toward or away from said apex, said switch means including a pair of spaced electrical contacts fixedly mounted on said bottom wall portion adjacent said apex and positioned for simultaneous engagement with said ball when said ball is located at said apex, said contacts being suBstantially flush with said conical support surface and being spaced radially inwardly a substantial distance from the radially outer edge of said conical support surface, whereby said ball electrically connects said contacts for closing said switch means when said ball is located at said apex.

Claim 7

In a switch device according to claim 4, further including means coacting with said casing for confining said ball in the immediate vicinity of said conical support surface for causing said ball to move outwardly along said support surface in response to imposition of a substantially horizontally oriented acceleration on said switching device, said confining means preventing said ball from jumping vertically upwardly away from said conical support surface.

Claim 8

In a switching device according to claim 5, wherein said bottom wall portion is substantially solid and wherein said conical support surface has a generatrix defined by a straight line.