The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 06, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 23, 1998
Michael Dean Lammert, Manhattan Beach, CA (US);
George William McIver, Redondo Beach, CA (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A micro-miniature acceleration switch (e.g., 10) has a substrate (14) and an inertial mass member ('IMM'12) fabricated upon the substrate. The substrate (14) has a planar surface (16), and the IMM (12) is movable relative to the substrate from a first position to a second position when the switch (10) is accelerated along at least one direction parallel to the planar surface by acceleration of sufficient magnitude. Electrical contacts (e.g., 42) are fabricated upon the substrate (14) with at least one contact being coupled to the IMM (12). The contacts (42) move between closed and open positions when the IMM (12) moves between the first position and the second position. In one embodiment, an electrode (e.g., 62) provides an electrostatic force that opposes the acceleration forces and holds the IMM (12) in a holding position until overcome by the predetermined acceleration force. The predetermined acceleration force necessary to trigger the switch (10) may conveniently be adjusted by adjusting the electrostatic force applied by the electrode (62). The switch (10) is particularly useful as a safing switch in a system (140) for controlling an air bag or other vehicle occupant protection device.