Electromagnetic relay

• US 20020036556A1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Published: 03/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuda, Kazuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 6,590,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2050/446 Details of the insulating support of the coil, e.g. spool, bobbin, former
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/023 Details concerning sealing, e.g. sealing casing with resin
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/12 Ventilating; Cooling; Heating for operating electrothermal relays H01H61/013
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/14 Terminal arrangements for coils H01H50/443

Abstract

A low strength part (groove) 62, which is low in rigidity and on which stress concentrates, is formed along a portion demarcating the end edge part 61 of a flange 32b located at the inner part of a case, which faces the top end part (plate-like part 41a) of a fixed terminal 41. The fixed terminal 41 is secured to a flange 32a which is located at the opened side of the case.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a case having an opening at one end thereof and covering said whole electromagnetic relay;

a spool with a coil as an electromagnet wound therearound, said spool including a first flange disposed inside said case and at an opened side of said case, and a second flange disposed at an inner part of said case;

a fixed contact disposed at a top end part of a fixed terminal extending to a position closer to the inner part of said case than said second flange of said spool; and

a movable contact disposed at a position closer to the inner part of said case than said fixed contact, the movable contact being brought into contact with or separated from said fixed contact by an attraction force of the electromagnet and a restoring force of a spring for supporting said movable contact, whereby a conduction state between a movable terminal conductively coupled to said movable contact and said fixed terminal is switched over,

wherein said second flange has an end edge part facing the top end part of said fixed terminal, and a low strength part, which is low in rigidity and on which stress concentrates, disposed along a portion demarcating the end edge part of said second flange, and said fixed terminal is secured to said first flange.

2. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein said low strength part is a groove formed on a surface of said second flange facing the inner part of said case.

3. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein said low strength part includes a plurality of holes formed in said second flange.

4. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein said fixed terminal has a protruded part extending from the top end part thereof to the opened side of said case, said first flange has a hole, and said second flange has an engaging part, wherein said fixed terminal is secured to said first flange in a manner that the protruded part of said fixed terminal is press fit into the hole of said first flange, and a part near said fixed contact of said fixed terminal is brought into engagement with the engaging part of said second flange.

5. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 4, wherein the opening of said case is filled with thermosetting sealing material so that said electromagnetic relay is sealed, and the hole of said first flange is a through hole wherein a gap between said through hole and said protruded part press fit therein is filled with said sealing material.

6. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 4, wherein said engaging part of said second flange prevents said fixed terminal from moving only in a lateral direction orthogonal to a coil axial direction, and said fixed terminal is movable at least in the coil axial direction at said engaging part.

7. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between the top end part of said fixed terminal and an end edge of said second flange facing the top end part of said fixed terminal.

10. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 4, wherein a gap is formed between a portion near the hole of the first flange and the fixed terminal.

8. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a case having an opening at one end thereof and covering said whole electromagnetic relay;

a spool with a coil as an electromagnet wound therearound, said spool including a first flange disposed inside said case and at an opened side of said case, and a second flange disposed at an inner part of said case;

a movable iron member, on which attraction force of the electromagnet acts, disposed at a position closer to the inner part of said case than said spool;

a fixed contact disposed at a top end part of a fixed terminal extending to a position closer to the inner part of said case than said second flange of said spool; and

a movable contact, which moves in associated with said movable iron member, disposed at a position closer to the inner part of said case than said fixed contact, the movable contact being brought into contact with or separated from said fixed contact by an attraction force of the electromagnet and a restoring force of a spring for supporting said movable contact, whereby a conduction state between a movable contact terminal conductively coupled to said movable contact and said fixed terminal is switched over,

wherein said second flange has at least one protruded part disposed on an surface of said spool facing the inner part of said case, said protruded part coming in contact with said movable iron member to press said movable iron member to the inner side of said case when said spool is thermally expanded in a coil axial direction.

9. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8, wherein said second flange has a low strength part, which is low in rigidity and on which stress concentrates, disposed along a portion demarcating an end edge part of said second flange facing the top end part of said fixed terminal, and said fixed terminal is secured to said first flange.