Electromagnetic relay

• US 6,225,880 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2000
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Kern, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera, Ray
• Application Number:
  US09/529,892
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 335/78-86, 335/106, 335/107, 335/119, 335/159, 335/162, 335/202, 335/203, 335/281
• US Class Current: 335/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2050/049 Assembling or mounting multiple relays in one common housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2050/446 Details of the insulating support of the coil, e.g. spool, bobbin, former
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 49/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of relays or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/042 Different parts are assembled by insertion without extra mounting facilities like screws, in an isolated mounting part, e.g. stack mounting on a coil-support
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/14 Terminal arrangements for coils H01H50/443
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/26 Parts movable about a knife edge
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/36 Stationary parts of magnetic circuit, e.g. yoke
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/443 Connections to coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/54 Contact arrangements

Abstract

The inventive relay has a base body in the form of a coil body (1), the base body supporting a core (16), a yoke (20), an armature (22) and a contact spring (23) which is connected to the armature. Fixed contact supports (34) and a contact spring connection pin (5) which consist of semi-finished wire with a preferably rectangular or square cross-section are embedded in a flange (12) of the coil body (1). The inventive electromagnetic relay is therefore very simple to produce. There is no wasted material, no punching tools are needed for the contact connection parts and since no particles of plastic are abraded by insertion, there is no risk of this impairing the quality of the relay.

Claims

1. Electromagnetic relay with the following features:

a coil body (1) forms a coil tube (11) with two flanges (12, 13) and carries a winding (2) on the coil tube (11);

a first of the two flanges (12) forms a switch space (14) with a base side (15) parallel to the coil axis;

within the coil tube (11) there is arranged an axial core (16) which forms a pole face toward the switch space (14) arid is connected to an L-shaped yoke (20) in the region of the second flange (13);

with its free end, the yoke (20) forms, in the region of the switch space, a bearing edge (21), perpendicular to the base side (15), for a plate-shaped armature (22) which forms a working air gap with the pole face of the core (16);

at least one fixed contact support (3) carrying a first fixed contact is secured in the coil body in the vicinity of the moving end of the armature; and

a contact spring (23;

33) formed from flat strip material is connected to the armature (22), carries a moving contact (25) at one free end (23a) in the region of the moving end of the armature and is connected to a contact spring connecting pin (5) of the relay via a connecting portion (23c;

33c),

characterised in that the contact spring connecting pin (5) and the at least one fixed contact support (3, 4) consist of drawn or rolled wire and are embedded in the coil body (1).

2. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that a second fixed contact support (4) with a second fixed contact (7) is embedded in the first coil flange (12) in such a way that the moving contact (25) can be switched between the two fixed contacts (6, 7).

3. Relay according to claim 2, characterised in that the fixed contacts (6, 7) in the form of portions of contact strip are welded or hard soldered onto the contact supports (3, 4).

4. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the contact spring connecting pin (5) is embedded in the first coil flange (12) and in that the connecting portion (23c;

33c) of the contact spring (23;

33) is fastened directly on a portion of the connecting pin (5) extending parallel to the bearing edge (21).

5. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the contact spring connecting pin (5) and the fixed contact support (3, 4) consist of square wire or round wire.

6. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the core (16) forms a pole plate (17) which is configured eccentrically toward the armature.

7. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the core (16) is embedded in the coil body (1).

8. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the core (16) is plugged into the coil tube and is fixed by means of embossed studs (16a).

9. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the contact spring (23) is fastened on the yoke (20) by a fastening portion (23b) and in that a connecting portion (22c) folded over the fastening portion (22b) is guided to the connecting pin (5).

10. Relay according to claim 9, characterised in that the fastening portion (23b) is fastened on the yoke (20) by at least one rivet (26) or welded spot and in that the connecting portion (23c) has a recess (27) in the region of each rivet (26) or welded spot.

11. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that the contact spring (33) rests on the yoke (20) by a bearing portion (33b) and is connected to the connecting pin (5) via a connecting portion (33c) which is cut away in the region of the armature mounting.

12. Relay according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a housing cap (29) surrounding the coil flanges (12, 13) and in that the space below the winding is covered by a base plate (30) arranged between the two flanges (12, 13) and is sealed by a casting compound.

13. Relay according to claim 12, characterised in that the base plate (30) is connected integrally to the housing cap (29) by a film hinge (31).

14. Arrangement of at least two relays according to claim 1, characterised in that the relays are arranged with their coil axes in parallel side by side in a common cap (35), the space beneath the windings being covered by a common base plate (36).