Patent ID: 7845086

Claim:
An inclination sensor to be mounted to a target device subjected to inclination detection, the sensor comprising: a case provided with a vacant space; and a rolling member movably accommodated in the vacant space; the inclination sensor being configured to detect an inclination of the target device based on a positional change of the rolling member within the vacant space due to a change in gravitational direction as the target device is caused to incline, the sensor further comprising: a substrate mounted to a rear surface of the case, the rear surface being parallel to a rolling plane along which the rolling member is movable, the substrate including a first surface that faces the vacant space and is provided with a pair of light receiving elements spaced from each other and a light emitting element for emitting light to be received by the light receiving elements; wherein the vacant space of the case is configured to cause the rolling member to be brought to a pair of light shielding positions, a neutral position and an inverted position due to the change in gravitational direction, the light shielding positions corresponding in location to the light receiving elements respectively, the neutral position corresponding in location to the light emitting element and being located out of the light receiving elements, the inverted position being located out of the light receiving elements and the light emitting elements; wherein the substrate includes a second surface opposite to the first surface provided with the light receiving elements and the light emitting element, the second surface being provided with a plurality of terminals extending in parallel to the rolling plane for surface-mounting.