Electrical relay apparatus

• US 4,706,056 A
• Filed: 09/11/1986
• Issued: 11/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.), Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCullough, Harold E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Harold
• Application Number:
  US06/906,023
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 335/192, 335/128, 335/274, 335/275, 335/276
• US Class Current: 335/192
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/043 Details particular to miniaturised relays H01H50/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/26 Parts movable about a knife edge

Abstract

A miniaturized electromechanical relay (1) with an armature assembly (14) and a contact assembly (13) mounting contacts thereon and having a magnetic member assembly (12) for activating the armature assembly to operate the contact assembly to engage and disengage the contacts. A spring member (16) for mounting the armature assembly on the magnetic member assembly is configured for generating a torsional moment in combination with a cantilever force on the armature assembly to maintain the armature assembly in a rotational relationship with the magnetic member assembly to control operation of the contacts in response to magnetic flux generated by the magnetic member assembly.

Claims

1. A relay (1) having an armature assembly (14) and a contact assembly (13) in combination with a magnetic member assembly (12) comprising

means for mounting the armature assembly with respect to the magnetic member assembly to enable magnetic flux generated by pole areas of the magnetic member assembly to activate the armature assembly

characterized in that

said mounting means comprises

spring means (16) for mounting the armature assembly to the magnetic member assembly with said spring means configured for generating a torsional moment in combination with a cantilever force on the armature assembly for maintaining the armature assembly in relationship with the magnetic member assembly to operate and release the contact assembly in response to the generated magnetic flux.

2. The relay set forth in claim 1

characterized in that

said spring means comprises

a generally L-shaped member (163) vertically positioned on an upper surface of the armature assembly and having one end (164) thereof formed for attachment thereto for holding the armature assembly.

3. The relay set forth in claim 2

characterized in that

said spring means comprises

a cantilever member (162) formed at a generally right angle from an end of said L-shaped member opposite said armature assembly attachment end for generating a force on the armature assembly normally maintaining the armature assembly rotated in a spaced apart relationship with respect to the magnetic member assembly.

4. The relay set forth in claim 3

characterized in that

said spring means comprises

a torsion member (161) formed at a generally right angle from an end of said cantilever member opposite said L-shaped member for connecting said spring member and attached armature assembly with said magnetic member assembly and for generating a torsional moment upon activation of said armature assembly to return said armature assembly to said spaced apart relationship upon removal of the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic member.

5. A relay (1) having an armature assembly (14) and a contact assembly (13) in combination with a magnetic member assembly (12) for activating said armature assembly to engage and disengage contacts located on the contact assembly comprising

means for mounting the armature assembly in relationship with respect to the magnetic member assembly to enable magnetic flux generated by pole areas of the magnetic member assembly to activate the armature assembly

characterized in that

said mounting means comprises

a spring member (16) for rotationally mounting the armature assembly on the magnetic member assembly with said spring member having one end (164) coupled to the armature assembly and extended into a generally L-shaped member (163) vertically positioned on an upper surface of the armature assembly with the upper end thereof formed at an angle into one end of a cantilever member (162) having the opposite end thereof pivotally formed into an axial torsion member (161) having the opposite end (160) connected to the magnetic member assembly for generating a torsional moment upon activation of the armature assembly to rotate the armature assembly to a normal release state upon removal of the magnetic flux at the magnetic member assembly pole areas.

6. An electromechanical relay (1) having an armature (141) with a flange member (140) attached to an upper surface thereof in combination with a contact assembly (13) and a U-shaped magnetic core member (124) with pole areas (12410, 12420)) at each end positioned in a coil wound bobbin (125) with the pole areas at each end extended outward from the bobbin for actuating the armature to control operation of the contact assembly comprising

spring means (16) for mounting the armature flange member on an upper surface of the magnetic core member thereby enabling rotational movement of the armature about an axis parallel to upper edges of the magnetic member pole areas in response to magnetic flux generated by the magnetic member pole areas to activate the armature

characterized in that

said spring mounting means comprises

a generally L-shaped member (163) vertically positioned in the center of an upper surface of the flange member and having one end (164) thereof formed for attachment to the flange member for holding the armature and flange member,

a cantilever member (162) formed at a generally right angle from an end of said L-shaped member opposite said flange member attachment end for generating a force on the flange member normally maintaining said armature rotated in a spaced apart relationship with respect to the magnetic member pole areas, and

a torsion member (161) formed at a generally right angle from an end of the said cantilever member opposite said L-shaped member for connecting said cantilever member and L-shaped member with attached armature to the coil winding bobbin and for generating a torsional moment upon activation of the armature by magnetic flux generated by the magnetic member pole areas functional to return the armature to said spaced apart relationship upon removal of the generated magnetic flux thereby enabling the contact assembly to close and open contacts positioned thereon.