Patent ID: 7493815

Claim:
An acceleration or shock-triggered MEMS switch, comprising: a) a microstructure comprising a stationary element and a movable element disposed in a spaced-apart, operative relationship thereto and forming a capacitor, each of said stationary element and said movable element having an electrical connection operatively affixed thereto, said movable element having at least one portion clamped in fixed position and at least one portion which is adapted to move in response to an acceleration along an acceleration sensing axis; and b) an electrical circuit adapted to generate an electrical bias on said capacitor which generates a collapse force along said acceleration sensing axis between said moveable element and said stationary element, said moveable element having an intrinsic restoring force due to said at least one portion clamped in fixed position which opposes said collapse force tending to maintain a separation between said moveable element and said stationary element; whereby when said MEMS switch is subjected to a sufficient predetermined acceleration along said acceleration sensing axis, said movable element collapses into persistent electrical contact with said stationary element and a current is passed therebetween or releases from a collapsed state to interrupt an electrical contact between said moveable element and said stationary element, said sufficient predetermined acceleration being dependent on at least said electrical bias and a relationship between a period of the acceleration force and a natural period of said moveable element.