Tilt detector

Abstract

A tilt detector for accompanying goods to be transported to determine when the goods have been transported in a recommended position without being inclined at an angle greater than a pre-determined angle characterized by a first fluid of a first density, a second fluid of a second density, a horseshow shaped baffle with a trapping end in the form of an inner apex for trapping the second mass under the force of gravity when in a vertical position with its opening end in the opposite direction such that at least a part of the second mass is freed to move out of the baffle when it is tilted beyond a pre-determined angle of tilt; the degree of the sides of the baffle being related to the pre-determined angle of tilt, and a thin container having at least a transparent window for viewing at least the trapping end of the horseshoe shaped baffle for ascertaining if the second mass has been freed such that the tilt detector can be affixed to goods, containers and the like to tell if they have been tilted too much.

Description

This invention relates to a detector for accompanying goods to be transported to determine whether the goods have been transported in a recommended position and have not been inclined at an angle greater than a predetermined angle. More particularly, this invention relates to a combination in which one or more tilt detectors are affixed exteriorly of a container for goods to enable recipient to rapidly ascertain if the correct position has been maintained during transport.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

There are many goods, materials, manufactured articles and the like which require that they be transported in a certain position. In the early days, the only means of fulfilling this requirement was the stenciling of certain instructions onto the crates to maintain the pre-determined position. These precautions frequently proved to be insufficient since it was common for the materials to be received at their destination in a damaged condition. Moreover, there always remained the possibility that the maximum angle of inclination had been violated during shipment but that the goods had been restored to their correct position such that they would later operate incorrectly because of the shipping problems. Specifically, shipping problems arise when a package of such goods was tilted more than the pre-determined maximum angle. For example, computerized telephone switching modules represent such a case in point. The modules cannot be made insensitive to a suspension in any orientation except in the upright position. As these modules are shipped a tilting angle by only 30°-45° can damage the module with its printed circuitry.

What is needed, therefore, is a device that indicates on the arrival of the materials at their destination whether or not they have been transported in the recommended position or have been tilted beyond the maximum pre-determined angle. There are relatively few devices made and marketed that have been designed to give an indication of such tilting. Such devices have had drawbacks; for example, a lateral impact or acceleration will usually activate the device into its original position, or cause it to indicate a tumbled condition. Although the impact, or acceleration, may or may not be sufficient to cause damage to the contents of a container, these prior art devices would not differentiate between such impact and improper tilting.

Moreover, it is desirable that the tilt detectors not be resettable. In particular, it must be possible to combine a package with at least a pair of the tilt detectors such that attempting to reset one would cause the other to be tilted beyond its pre-determined maximum angle so that the total combination would always afford an indication that the tilt beyond that allowed had been effected. Yet, for the detectors to be reusable, it is desirable that they be resettable with care and on an individual basis.

SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of the prior art and provide a tilt detector that will indicate readily, even through a casual inspection, when a tilt beyond a predetermined angle has been experienced by a package, or goods being transported.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a combination of a container and a pair or more of the tilt detectors that will indicate not only that a tilt has been experienced, but prevent resetting of the tilt detector.

These and other objects will become apparent from the descriptive matter hereinafter, particularly when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a tilt detector, or a combination of a container with two or more tilt detectors affixed thereto, to afford the indication that the goods that have been transported have been inclined more than a pre-determined angle, each tilt detector being characterized by:

a. a first fluid of a first density;

b. a second mass of a second density;

c. a horseshoe shaped baffle with a trapping end in the form of an inner apex for trapping the second mass under the force of gravity when in the vertical position on the container and with its opened end opening in the opposite direction of said trapping end such that at least a part of the second mass is freed to move out of the baffle when tilted beyond a pre-determined maximum angle of tilt; the degree of the sides of the baffle being related to the pre-determined angle; and

d. a thin container having at least a transparent window for viewing at least the trapping end for ascertaining if the second mass has been freed;

such that the tilt detector can be affixed to the goods, shipping packages and the like and indicate to the recipient that they have been tilted too much.

In preferred embodiments, the thin container has a chamber extending around the horseshoe shaped baffle such that the second mass will traverse around the baffle so as to prevent its being readily trapped again. A variety of different approaches in which the second mass is more dense than the fluid and less dense than the fluid are specifically described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one form of the combination of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of one of the tilt detectors of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines III--III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 in which a portion of the bubble has escaped the baffle and a portion remains within the trapping end of the baffle.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of this invention in which the bubble has completely escaped and traverses around the periphery of the chamber of the container.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the tilt detector in which a plurality of small pellets are more dense than the fluid in the chamber.

FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIG. 6 in which a portion of the pellets have been freed from the baffle.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of this invention in which a disk is more dense than the fluid within the chamber.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 8 in which the disk has escaped the baffle.

, as indicated in FIGS. 10 and 11, instead of in the inverted position indicated in FIG. 6-9.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure is made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, a reference for the latter being had to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tilt detector for accompanying goods to be transported to determine whether said good have been transported in a recommended position without being inclined beyond a predetermined angle comprising:

a. a first fluid of a first density;

b. a second mass of a second density less than said first density;

c. a horseshoe-shaped baffle with a trapping end in the form of an inner apex for trapping said second mass under the buoyant force of gravity when in a vertical position with its open end in the opposite direction such that at least part of said second mass is freed to move out of said baffle when tilted beyond a pre-determined angle of tilt; the degre of the sides of said baffle being related to said predetermined angle;

d. a thin container having at least a transparent window for viewing at least said trapping end for ascertaining if said second mass has been freed;

such that said tilt detector can be affixed to goods, containers and the like to tell if they have been tilted too much during transportation and the like; said tilt detector being resettable by inverting to replace said less dense second mass within said horseshoe-shaped baffle.

2. The tilt detector of claim 1 wherein said transparent window is sufficiently large such that both said fluid and said mass are visible.

3. The tilt detector of claim 1 wherein said fluid is a liquid, said liquid is dyed for greater visibility and a chamber surrounds said baffle, said transparent window being large enough for visibility of said dyed liquid for determining the position of said second mass.

4. The tilt detector of claim 1 wherein said second mass comprises a plurality of small pellets.

5. The tilt detector of claim 1 wherein said tilt detector is employed in conjunction with another tilt detector on goods with the angle between the tilt detectors in their vertical position at about 90° such that if one tilt detector is activated by having been tilted too much, it cannot be reset without tilting the other detector too much.

6. The tilt detector of claim 1 wherein said fluid is a liquid, and said baffle has its inner apex at its top end in its vertical operating position for holding said second mass with its open end opening downwardly in operational installation.

7. The tilt detector of claim 6 wherein said second mass is a gas bubble within said liquid.

8. The tilt detector of claim 7 wherein said baffle is disposed within a chamber in said container, said chamber sealingly holding said liquid; said baffle having its dimensions in thickness less than the dimensions of said chamber and having an elevated portion to prevent entry of said bubble into said liquid without careful emplacement from a generally horizontal position of said container whereby said bubble, once freed from said baffle traverses around the periphery of said chamber to afford an indication of tilt beyond said pre-determined angle.

9. The tilt detector of claim 7 wherein said liquid is ethyl alcohol and said second mass is an air bubble within said ethyl alcohol.

10. The tilt detector of claim 7 wherein said liquid is a dyed aqueous solution and said second mass is an air bubble within said dyed aqueous solution.

11. A combination enabling a recipient of transported goods in a container to determine whether said goods have been transported in a recommended position without having been inclined at an angle greater than a pre-determined angle comprising the combination of:

a. a goods container having the goods therewithin; a pair of tilt detectors mounted on the exterior of said container for being read rapidly by the recipient; said tilt detectors affording an indication if a tilt beyond the pre-determined andle has been experienced by said container; each said tilt detector consisting essentially of:

i. a first fluid of a first density;

ii. a second mass of a second density less than said first density;

iii. a horseshoe-shaped baffle with a trapping end in the form of an inner apex for trapping said second mass under the buoyant force of gravity since the relative buoyancy of said second mass keeps it trapped when oriented correctly; said horseshoe-shaped baffle having its open end opening in the direction opposite its trapping end such that at least part of said second mass is freed to move out of said baffle when said container is tilted beyond a pre-determined angle of tilt; the degree of the sides of said baffle being related to said pre-determined angle;

iv. a thin container having at least a transparent window for viewing at least said trapping end of said horseshoe-shaped baffle for ascertaining if said second mass has been freed;

such that the recipient can rapidly view the tilt detectors to tell if said container of goods has been tilted too much; said tilt detectors being resettable when individually removed from said container by individually being inverted to replace said second mass within said horseshoe-shaped baffle of each said tilt detector.

12. A tilt detector for accompanying goods to be transported to determine whether said goods have been transported in a recommended position without being inclined beyond a predetermined angle comprising:

a. a thin container having front and back walls and defining a chamber;

b. a first fluid of a first density substantially filling said chamber;

c. a second mass of a second density different from said first density so as to respond to gravitational force when allowed to do so;

d. a horseshoe-shaped baffle extending between and engaging said front and back wall so as to hold said second mass within a trapping end in the form of an inner apex for trapping said second mass under the force of gravity when in a vertical position with its open end in the opposite direction such that at least part of said second mass is free to move out of said baffle when tilted beyond a pre-determined angle of tilt, the degree of the sides of said baffle being related to said predetermined angle;

said thin container having at least a transparent window for viewing at least said trapping end of said horseshoe-shaped baffle for ascertaining if said second mass has been freed by being tilted too much such that said tilt detector can be affixed to goods, containers and the like to tell if they have been tilted too much during transportation and the like; said tilt detector being resettable by inverting to replace said second mass within said horseshoe-shaped baffle. 13. The tilt detector of claim 12 wherein said first fluid is a gas, said second mass is more dense than said gas, said baffle has its inner apex at its bottom end and its vertical operating position for holding said second mass within its open end opening upwardly in operational installation. 14. The tilt detector of claim 13 wherein said fluid is air and said second mass is a disc that slides around within said containers and is held in position in said trapping end of said horseshoe-shaped baffle before being tilted too much. 15. The tilt detector of claim 12 wherein said second mass comprises a plurality of small pellets. 16. The tilt detector of claim 15 wherein said small pellets are more dense than said fluid. 17. The tilt detector of claim 15 wherein said fluid is a liquid, said second mass is more dense than said liquid, said baffle has its inner apex at its bottom in its vertical operational position for holding said second mass and has its open end opening upwardly in operational installation.