Patent ID: 8146432

Claim:
A compact tilt and vibration sensor, comprising: a case comprising a case body having a hollow portion that is open at the top thereof and a lid that hermetically seals the opening of said hollow portion, a plurality of three-dimensional electrodes formed of at least four electrically conductive coatings that are arranged in equally spaced relationship with each other on inner peripheral wall surfaces of said hollow portion and a conductive metal sphere that is freely movably received in said hollow portion and comes into contact with two adjoining electrodes of said three-dimensional electrodes to electrically interconnect both of the two adjoining electrodes, the case body being formed of a laminated structure constituted by vertically laminating a plurality of sheets that are individually made from ceramics containing a predetermined amount of low thermal expansion glass, and are co fired at a low temperature, wherein when said case is tilted or vibrated, the conductive metal sphere is caused to move in said hollow portion so that the sensor is turned on/off by the moving displacement thereof, wherein said conductive metal sphere comprises a spherical body without plating that is formed from hard gold alloy, said lid being formed of a low thermal expansion glass having a high gas-barrier property and a high heat resistance so that a motion of said conductive metal sphere in the hollow portion of said case body is checkable from the outside of said case through the lid with eyes, wherein planar conductive coatings are formed on a bottom surface of the hollow portion of the case body and a lower surface of said lid as means for preventing and/or removing a static electricity charge of said conductive metal sphere, wherein any impurities, such as moisture and fine dust, which adversely affect the on/off operation by the moving displacement of the conductive sphere, are removed from the hollow portion, wherein a gas having a high electrical insulation property is included in said hollow portion under the state in which it is depressurized at least to a predetermined degree of vacuum, wherein the conductive coating disposed on the bottom surface of the hollow portion of said case body is configured to be able to function as a common electrode.