Automotive compact detector switch lineup extended

Alps Alpine has created the SSCZ compact detector switch, extending its switch series lineup for open/shut detection in car doors and other automotive parts.

Failure detection functionality, greater locking/unlocking accuracy and mounting improvements are also sought for door lock modules that require compact detector switches. It has developed the compact detector switch by modifying the already available SSCW switch to fill this need.

Automotive safety features have been improved in recent years, and the number of vehicles with speed-sensitive or other types of automatic locking is growing. In automatic locking systems, the ECU automatically switches between locked and unlocked states depending on the situation, which needs detection of door lock status.

Whereas the existing SSCW switch (single pole, single throw) is generally employed for detecting locked status in vehicle doors, the newly developed switch enables detection of two states – locked and unlocked – by employing a single-pole, double-throw (one-pole, two-position) design. Double-sided sliding contacts ensure high contact reliability even when subjected to impacts or vibrations. Meanwhile, changes to the internal structure provide a 300,000-cycle operating life, three times longer than the existing model.