BigPatents India

The invention relates to a miniature relay comprising: a first zone which is disposed face-to-face with a second zone; a first capacitor plate (3); a second capacitor plate (9) which is disposed in the second zone and which is smaller than or equal to the first plate; an intermediate space (25) between said two zones; a conductive element (7) which is disposed in the aforementioned intermediate space (25), which is mechanically independent of the adjacent walls and which can move freely through said intermediate space (25) as a function of voltages present between the plates; and contact points (15, 17) belonging to an electric circuit. According to the invention, the above-mentioned conductive element (7) closes the electric circuit by butting against the contact points (15, 17). The inventive relays can be used, for example, as an accelerometer, an airbag accelerometer, an inclinometer, a Coriolis force detector, a microphone, for acoustic applications, and as a pressure, flow, temperature, gas, magnetic field sensor, etc (FIG. - 1)