Abstract: A capacitance type liquid sensor is disclosed which detects a tilt angle and acceleration of an object using the fact that a liquid surface always keeps itself horizontal. Openings (13, 14) are formed in two sides of a hollow cylindrical closed container (6) made of an electrically insulating material, and the container has two parallel sides (2, 3). Plate-shaped main electrodes (4, 5) on at least one face of each of which silicon oxide film is formed are made to be in contact with the sides so as to close the openings, with the silicon oxide film being placed so as to face the inside of the container. A sealing agent (28) is interposed in a gap between the plate-shaped main electrodes and the sides. The container is filled with electrically conductive liquid (27) of an amount equal to substantially one-half of the inside volume of the container. An auxiliary electrode (8) brought into electrical contact with the conductive liquid is mounted in the container.

Abstract: A thermally-actuated switch mounted on an end of a motor coil of a hermetic motor-driven compressor includes a switch body including a metallic pressure-tight hermetic container, a contact mechanism disposed in the container, and an electrically conductive terminal which hermetically extends through the hermetic container and to which a lead wire is connected, and a holder including a base having a mounting face for the coil end and a holding portion located on a face of the base opposed to the mounting face for holding the switch body. The base is sized so as to prevent radiant heat from transferring from the coil end directly to the switch body. The holder has a through hole through which the terminal is inserted. The lead wire is connected to the terminal having been inserted through the hole so that the holder is held between the hermetic container and the lead wire.

Abstract: A thermal protector (1) including two fixed contacts (13A, 13B) provided at the end part of conduction terminal pins (5A, 5B) projecting into a metallic enclosed container (100), a support (6) arranged in a case, an oscillatory heating resistor (8) supported by the support and having two movable contacts (9A, 9B) facing the fixed contacts, and a heat responsive body (10) interposed between the heating resistor and the support and coupled with the heating resistor through a coupler (12). When an overcurrent flows through the heating resistor to generate heat therefrom and the temperature of the heat responsive body reaches a set level, the heat responsive body is inverted. Inverting motion of the heat responsive body is transmitted to the heating resistor through the coupler, and the current path is opened.

Abstract: A free fall sensor includes an electrically conductive container, an electrically conductive pin having an end inserted into the container, and a movable electrode enclosed in the container, the movable electrode including a coil spring cantilevered on the end of the conductive pin and a weight disposed in an inner space of the coil spring so as to be movable and so as to be prevented from falling off. The weight is a sphere having a smaller diameter than the coil spring.

Abstract: A free fall sensor for detecting a falling state of portable electronic equipment such as notebook personal computers includes a movable electrode including a plurality of moving portions disposed on a circumference at regular intervals so as to be equidistant from a central axis, a fixed electrode disposed outside the movable electrode so as to be brought into contact with and separated from the movable electrode, an inertial member located inside the moving portions of the movable electrode, and a buffer preventing the inertial member from contacting the fixed electrode so that the moving portions serving as movable electrodes are held between the fixed electrode and the inertial member thereby to be prevented from being pressed or rolled. The central axis makes a right angle with a direction of gravity.

Abstract: A free fall sensor for detecting a falling state of portable electronic equipment such as notebook personal computers includes a movable electrode including a plurality of moving portions disposed on a circumference at regular intervals so as to be equidistant from a central axis, a fixed electrode disposed outside the movable electrode so as to be brought into contact with and separated from the movable electrode, an inertial member located inside the moving portions of the movable electrode, and a buffer preventing the inertial member from contacting the fixed electrode so that the moving portions serving as movable electrodes are held between the fixed electrode and the inertial member thereby to be prevented from being pressed or rolled. The central axis makes a right angle with a direction of gravity.

Abstract: A thermal switch includes a metal header plate having two through holes, two terminals inserted through and airtightly fixed in the through holes of the header plate, a metal housing including a cylindrical portion having an open end and a generally shallow dish-shaped bottom, the open end being welded to the header plate so that the metal housing and the head plate constitute a hermetic housing, and a thermally responsive element formed into the shape of a shallow dish and disposed on the bottom of the metal housing the thermally responsive element reversing its curvature at a first temperature with snap action and re-reversing its curvature at a second temperature with snap action to return to its former state.

Abstract: A thermal protector includes a header plate and a metal housing having an open end hermetically welded to an peripheral edge of the header plate. The housing is formed into a generally slender shape so as to be suited for mounting on end turns of a stator winding of a three-phase electric motor. A thermally responsive element includes a shallow curved portion at which the element changes states of curvature with snap action in response to different ambient temperatures. The thermally responsive element has two movable contacts secured to it to be disposed symmetrically about a center of the curved portion so that the movable contacts are engageable with and disengageable from fixed contacts respectively. A push piece is disposed in the housing to exert a pushing force on a normally convex side of the thermally responsive element. The pushing force is adjusted by deforming the outer surface portion of the housing for calibration of the operating temperature.

Abstract: A thermally responsive switch includes a metal housing formed into the shape of a bottomed cylinder and having an open end, a header plate including a metal plate having a through hole and an electrically conductive lead terminal pin inserted through and airtightly fixed in the hole in an electrically insulated state, the header plate being airtightly fixed to the open end of the housing so that the housing and the header plate constitute a hermetic housing, a thermally responsive element formed into the shape of a shallow dish and having a generally central through hole, a fixed contact section provided on a portion of the lead terminal pin located in the hermetic housing, a movable plate support secured to the metal plate of the header plate located in the hermetic housing, a movable plate formed of a leaf spring-shaped conductive metal plate and having one end secured to the movable plate support, and a movable contact fixed to the other end side of the movable plate.

Abstract: A protecting device for a car air conditioner includes a timer for timing a period of the rise in the level of a rotation signal delivered from a rotation sensor for detecting a rotational speed of a compressor with the signal being distinguished from noise. On the basis of the obtained period, a judgment is made as to whether rotation of the compressor is in an abnormal state. An electromagnetic clutch between the compressor and a car engine is controlled on the basis of the judgment. The protecting device is mounted on a housing of the compressor with the rotation sensor so that wiring is executed only in an engine room. The protecting device includes a state holding device for memorizing the abnormal state of the rotation of the compressor. The air conditioner can restart on condition that a conscious operation is performed to reset the state holding device.

Abstract: A seismosensitive element includes a housing formed from an electrically conductive material and having an inclined face formed on the bottom thereof to gradually rise concentrically outwardly substantially from a center of the inner bottom face, and a header fixed to the housing to close its open end and having through-aperture in which an electrically conductive terminal pin is fixed in an insulated relation. A contact is fixed an end of the terminal pin located inside the housing and has a plurality of feather portions disposed concentrically with the terminal pin, the feather portions having a predetermined elasticity. An inertia ball is enclosed in the housing to be located substantially at the center in the housing in a normal position of the element in a stationary state.

Abstract: A thermal protector for a hermetic electrically-driven compressor includes a thermal switch and a cluster socket. The protector is mounted inside a compressor housing on a terminal assembly mounted in a wall of the compressor housing. A casing of the thermal switch and a header plate hermetically closing an open end of the casing integrally form a flange on the peripheral edges when the header plate is secured to the casing. The thermal switch has two terminals one of which is provided with a receptacle into which one of terminal pins of the terminal assembly is fitted, and the other terminal is connected to a common lead wire of a compressor motor. The cluster socket has a plurality of terminal cavities for connecting windings of the motor to the terminal assembly. A body of the socket has a face having a pair of holding portions for holding the flange. Each holding portion has a hook-shaped portion at an end.

Abstract: An acceleration responsive switch includes a receptacle including a housing having a conical face on an inner bottom face and a header fixed to the housing to close an open end of the housing, a lead terminal fixed in a through-aperture of the header, a contact member secured to an end of the lead terminal located in the housing and including a plurality of feather portions arranged radially to be approximately concentric with the housing, an electrically conductive inertia ball enclosed in the closed receptacle so as to be capable of rolling on the inner bottom face of the housing, a plurality of protrusions formed an inner peripheral wall of the housing, an oscillation damping liquid contained in the receptacle and having a viscosity suitable to apply resistance to the inertia ball so that the inertia ball terminates its rotation when the inertia ball is subjected to an external oscillation to be rotated.

Abstract: A thermal protector for a hermetic electrically-driven compressor including a hermetically sealed housing in which a power-supply terminal, an electric motor and a compressor are enclosed with a predetermined amount of refrigerant gas is disclosed. The thermal protector includes a thermally responsive switch having first and second lead terminal pins for securing first and second connecting terminals respectively and a holder formed from an electrically insulating material and including first, second and third cavities. Each of the first and second cavities has an opening in its one side. The first cavity accommodates the thermally responsive switch while the second cavity accommodates a secured portion between the lead terminal and the connecting terminal with a hardenable electrically insulating filler filling up the second cavity. Alternatively, the second connecting terminal is secured to a wall of the holder by an insert molding so as to extend through the wall, instead of use of the filler.

Abstract: A structure for mounting a thermal protector in a hermetic refrigeration compressor including an electric motor and a compressing means enclosed in a housing with refrigerant is disclosed. The housing has at least one through hole. The structure includes a terminal assembly airtightly secured in the hole of the housing. The terminal assembly includes a metal base and a plurality of electrically conductive terminal pins secured to the metal base by an electrically insulative material with small thermal conductivity. The structure further includes a thermal protector including a hermetic casing, a thermally responsive element disposed in the casing to be in direct contact with an inner wall of the casing at one side, and a contact mechanism.

Abstract: A fixing method and assembly of a temperature responsive element capable of detecting variation in temperature of discharge cooling medium of a compressor exactly and rapidly and preventing the compressor from being burned. A through hole is formed in a cover 6 which covers a path 7B for discharge cooling medium of the compressor. A plug 9 is fixed to the through hole from the side of the path by a fixing member 13. In this case, it is sealed airtightly by means of a packing. Lead terminal pins penetrating the plug 9 is insulatively fixed in the plug airtightly. Leads are connected to one ends of the lead terminal pins projecting outside and the temperature responsive clement 8 is connected to the other ends of the lead terminal pins projecting on the side of the discharge path. The temperature responsive clement 8 is disposed not to come into direct contact with a vessel and the cover 6 of the compressor and is exposed to discharge cooling medium as a whole.

Abstract: A fuel evaporative emission flow rate detecting system is capable of detecting a small flow rate of the fuel evaporative emission. The system includes an electromagnetic valve (22) in a communication passage (21). The pressure of the fuel evaporative emission in the fuel tank is detected by means of a magnetic flux detector or so forth. A control circuit is responsive to the pressure of the fuel evaporative emission reaching 15 mmHg, for example, while the communication passage (21) is held closed, to open the communication passage (21). On the other hand, the control circuit closes the communication passage when the pressure of the fuel evaporative emission becomes lower than or equal to 8 mmHg. Depending on a period, in which the communication passage (21) is held open, the flow rate of the fuel evaporative emission is calculated.

Abstract: A thermal protector includes a metal housing having open and closed ends, a header plate secured to the housing so as to close its open end and having two through-apertures, first and second terminal pins hermetically secured in the respective apertures of the header plate so as to extend into the housing, a dish-shaped bimetal disposed on an inner bottom of the housing so that one of its two sides is in contact with the inner bottom face of the housing, an elastic support disposed in the housing to be opposite to the other side of the bimetal for supporting it, a pair of fixed and movable contact members welded to the first and second terminal pins respectively such that a straight line passing through the center of the first terminal pin and a location of the fixed contact member welded to the first terminal pin is approximately parallel to a straight line passing through the center of the second terminal pin and a location of the movable contact member welded to the second terminal pin and vice versa and f

Abstract: A thermally responsive switch for protecting electric motors against overcurrent and overheating conditions includes a metallic receptacle having an elongated dome-shaped portion and an opening opposite to the dome-shaped portion, a metallic header plate secured to the one end of the receptacle so as to hermetically close the opening afterwards and having a through-aperture, a thermally responsive element disposed in the receptacle in parallel with the header plate and carrying a movable contact at one end, a rod terminal secured in the aperture of the header plate by an electrically insulating material filled in the aperture for hermetic sealing so that the terminal extends through the aperture, a fixed contact support disposed in the receptacle to be perpendicular to the terminal and having an end to which a fixed contact is secured, the support being connected at the other end to the end of the terminal projected into the receptacle, by solder, and a spring for urging the support so that it is disconnected

Abstract: A three-phase thermal protector includes a hermetic receptacle composed of an elliptic dome-shaped cover having an opening at one end and a header plate having two terminal pins extending through respective apertures formed in it, and a switch assembly mounted in the receptacle. Two fixed contacts are secured to the respective terminal pins. The switch assembly includes a metal operating temperature calibrating plate with one end welded to the cover, a bimetallic thermally responsive element having one end secured to the calibrating plate and the other end having a central dish-shaped portion, and a thermally-responsive-element support to which the supported end of the thermally responsive element is welded. The thermally responsive element carries two movable contacts symmetrical about the center line.