Patent ID: 6348665
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
A tilt switch comprising:a pair of wire contact elements having movable free ends approaching each other, at least one of said contact elements being elastic; and a wall with a pair of recesses or protrusions for restricting movement of said free ends of said contact elements to maintain at least a predetermined distance between said free ends; at least one ball member which rolls along a path defined between said contact elements, wherein said contact elements are disposed facing each other with a distance therebetween as measured at one end greater than a diameter of said ball member and a distance therebetween as measured at the other end slightly smaller than the diameter of said ball member; wherein tilting of said tilt switch is electrically detected through detection of whether or not said ball member is held between said contact elements; and tilting of said tilt switch causes a load connected to said contact elements to be switched on or off.