Tilt switch
A tilt switch or tilt angle switch ( English tilt switch ) is an electric switch , which when exceeding a certain inclination a circuit closes or opens.
History
In the past, inclination switches were mercury switches , in which a glass tube partially filled with mercury , possibly bent , is provided with two electrical contacts , which are conductively connected by the mercury when tilted over a certain angle of inclination. Such switches are sometimes found in the lids of old freezers and are used to switch the interior lighting. They are also used in outdated mercury relays and drop bar regulators.
Because of the toxicity of mercury and the associated problems with electronic scrap disposal, today's electromechanical tilt switches contain a small metal ball instead of mercury, which, however, cannot switch large loads directly, so that additional wiring may be required. In some cases, electromechanical tilt switches have a contact that can be moved with the help of a magnet in order to set the release angle .
Electronic inclination switches measure the acceleration by means of a built-in acceleration sensor , for example in a microsystem (MEMS), and trigger a relay if the limit values (inclination angle) , which are often adjustable, are exceeded , and the switching contacts of the relay are led to the outside. Depending on the system, these tilt switches can be used to select several spatial axes separately from each other and via their own relay contacts for triggering. The degree of inclination until the switching process is triggered can also be set for some types and is therefore more precisely adjustable than with electromechanical types.
application
Applications include automation technology , industrial controls and safety applications such as alarm systems , anti-tip devices on agricultural machines and cranes, or dead man's devices . Inclination switches are also installed as booby traps in land mines such as the VS-50AR with electric ignition: If the explosive device is tilted, the inclination switch triggers the detonator.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Data sheet of an electronic tilt switch for industrial applications with an adjustable tilt threshold ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (pdf; 299 kB)
- ↑ Datasheet (PDF; 224 kB) Dual Axis Tilt Switch With Adjustable Threshold , adjustable tilt switch with MEMS for two spatial axes
