Tilt Activated Switch

Step 5 Final

The nice thing about making it this way is that you can let it activate at a specific angle. Another way to make a tilt switch like this is using a ball bearing inside a tube, which is very sensitive.

Since you are making a SPDP (actually SPCO according to wikipedia, since it has a "all off" position) switch, you need to put it together and see where you need to drill holes for the contacts. Stack the disks and ring with the ring and washer as the middle layer (bolded for those who do not understand). Put the #10-32 screw through the center and tighten it. Now you can rotate it and see where you should drill your holes for the contact screws (this might actually take some CAD work if you want ultimate precision).

Drill the holes with the drill bit, and screw in the #8-32 machine screws. Tighten everything with a nut, connect some wires to the three screws, and secure each wire with another nut.

To assemble it, stack it in this order
disk
ring
washer (inside the ring)
disk
tighten with screws

You can drill more holes so you can choose the angle later

Test it with a multimeter

You are done, now you can connect the wires to a R/C car controller

Comments

[diy_bloke]

great idea. Not entirely sure why you need 3 screws rather than 2.

you could make it more versatile by just using 1 through screw and one bolt that has it's head in the space between the discs. You then would not need to dril additional holes for various switching positions. Just put it in th eright position and tigthen the center screw

[dkalaichelvan]

so basically it works like a normal switch excepy like a see saw.....i want to make one for a project

[Amit Tulshyan]

I dont understand wats the use of the ring can anyone explain it to me

[icsnerdics]

you tilt the thing, the ring touch the center screw and one of the side screws, that's it, you have a tilt sensor.

[Liquidhypnotic]

I'm sorry; I think the last step needs a lot more clarification. As I understand it, the center screw is one pole while either outer screw is the outer pole? And then the washer hangs off the central screw a little bit, and so when the thing tilts to either side a certain amount, then the washer hits one of the side screws, and then the current is conducted through the outer screw, the washer, and the central screw. Is this all correct? Ah, I think I get it. That's pretty damn ingenious! ...I do have it right, yeah?

[tjmortenson]

Why do you make two rings?

[frank26080115]

yea, you got it

[Neodudeman]

Oh thanks. I didn't get it. lol.