Mercury Ball Tilt Switch 5mm (Pack of 10) MERC5

Description

Mercury Ball Tilt Switch 5mm (Pack of 10) MERC5

Mercury switches consist of electrical contacts enclosed within a sealed glass envelope containing a small amount of mercury. This envelope may also contain hydrogen at pressure, an inert gas, or a vacuum. Due to gravity, the mercury drop naturally settles at the lowest point within the envelope. When the switch is tilted in the correct direction, the mercury comes into contact with a set of contacts, thereby closing an electrical circuit. Conversely, tilting the switch in the opposite direction moves the mercury away from the contacts, breaking the circuit.

Features:

1. The contacts are enclosed, so oxidation of the contact points is impossible.
2. In hazardous locations, interrupting the circuit does not emit a spark that could ignite flammable gases.
3. Contacts stay clean, and even if an internal arc occurs, the contact surfaces renew on every operation, so they don’t wear out.
4. Even a small drop of mercury has low resistance, so switches can carry useful amounts of current in a small size.
5. The sensitivity of the drop to gravity provides a unique sensing function and lends itself to simple, low-force mechanisms for manual or automatic operation.
6. The switches are quiet, as no contacts abruptly snap together.
7. The mass of the moving mercury drop provides an over-center effect to avoid chattering as the switch tilts.