Patent ID: 6140635
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
A process for producing an inclination detecting sensor comprising the steps of:providing a light-emitting device and a light-receiving device;molding an opaque resin to said light-emitting and receiving devices so as to form a body having a hollow space defined by an inclined surface between said two devices;placing a sphere into said hollow space; andfitting a lid on said body in such a way as to close said hollow space;wherein the inclined surface provides a rest position for the sphere when the body having the hollow space is in a vertical orientation and permits the sphere to move away from the rest position when the body is inclined by a selected angle from the vertical orientation and wherein the light-emitting device and the light-receiving device are mounted adjacent to the hollow space at a location spaced from the rest position of the sphere so that substantially all of a light beam passing from the light-emitting device to the light-receiving device is blocked by the sphere to detect the presence of the sphere when it reaches the selected location but substantially none of the light beam passing from the light-emitting device to the light-receiving device is blocked by the sphere when it is in the rest position.