Unknown device

[mikew8760]

Hi,
This may be a little out of order, as I am hoping someone can identify a "strange" component in a toaster!  It's an expensive toaster, made by  Siemens and designed by Porsche. The circuit board controller is plain enough, but contains one component that seems to do nothing.  I've attached a couple of photos of the item; they are poor quality and I doubt they shed much light.  It's a black plastic cube about 6 - 7mm on each side. There are four angled pins to connect with the pcb. Strangely, two pins are connected to ground and the other two are connected together and to an I/O pin on the Holtek microcontroller. There are no marks on it, unlike the other parts, and it's not made in China. The only static test I've made is to do a diode check across the two connected pins;  one direction gives ~0,6V and reverse gives ~2.6V.  As far as I can see, monitoring the uC pin shows no activity, i.e. 0V when powered.   As it's positioned on the edge of the pcb I thought maybe a reed switch, but no magnet in sight, and it doesn't respond to a magnet, like a Hall sensor.  So I'm baffled, or perhaps Porsche have some secret toaster technology?

[DavidAlfa]

Looks like a tilt switch. Basically a ball surrounded by contacts. Probably a safety device, so it only works when placed correctly.

https://export.rsdelivers.com/es/product/assemtech/rbs040200/assemtech-15-horizontal-tilt-switch-25ma-24v/3615093

Sometimes you can see some markings indicating the orientation:

[Audiorepair]

Could it possibly be an orientation sensor, so that if the toaster fell off the worktop whilst toasting, and landed upside down on something combustible, it wouldn't then set fire to the house?

[mikew8760]

Many thanks for the responses. I'm sure now that it is a "tilt" switch.  I never thought of a safety device; too clever for words!  I think it also explains why the toaster didn't work. It is positioned so that the switch would be ON in normal use, but meter readings showed an open circuit. Perhaps the ball had stuck away from the contacts until I inadvertently knocked it unstuck?   I now wonder if it is a 'faulty' part and will fail again in due course.....

[DavidAlfa]

The contacts might get dirt or corroded and no longer work, then a little violence will usually convince it to start working again.
If happens again in a short time, think on replacing or simply soldering the pins together.
99.99% toasters don't have this, and people isn't dying all around the world.

[TheMG]

Seems like an unnecessary safety feature, considering toasters are not devices that are usually left in operation unattended, nor is it likely for a toaster to be accidentally tipped over.

Such safety devices are also found in appliances like portable electric space heaters, but those are often left on unattended and because they are sitting on the floor are more likely to be tipped over by kids, pets.

I would just bypass the tilt switch in the toaster and never have to worry about it again.

[Andy Watson]

Seems like an unnecessary safety feature,

Perhaps it's to stop people like my mother from deliberately putting the toaster on its side and using it to grill burgers!

[DavidAlfa]

I always put mine upside down for the last 2 minutes to give the toasts a bit of plastic smoke aroma