High frequency relay

• US 6,340,923 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakata, Kazunobu, Suzuki, Toshiyuki, Yamanaka, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera, Ramon M.
• Application Number:
  US09/739,774
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 335/4, 335/5, 335/78-86, 335/196, 335/199, 335/202, 335/278
• US Class Current: 335/4
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/10 Electromagnetic or electrostatic shielding casings H01H50/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/14 Terminal arrangements for coils H01H50/443
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/54 Contact arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/2272 comprising rockable armature, rocking movement around central axis parallel to the main plane of the armature H01H51/2227 takes precedence

Abstract

A high frequency relay comprises a contact base block having pairs of fixed contacts, contact members with movable contacts, and an electromagnet for moving the contact members to open and close the fixed contacts by the movable contacts. The contact base block comprises an injection-molded base having projections on its front surface, first metal films formed as the fixed contacts on top surfaces of the projections, second metal films formed as connection terminals for outside devices on a rear surface of the base, each of which corresponds to one of the first metal films, through holes each having a conductive material on its inner surface to make an electrical connection between one of the first metal films and the corresponding second metal film in the shortest distance, and a third metal film formed on the base to provide electrical isolation from the first and second metal films, which works as electromagnetic shield as well as a ground.

Claims

1. A high frequency relay comprising a contact base block having at least one pair of fixed contacts, at least one contact member with a movable contact, and an electromagnet for moving said contact member to open and close said pair of fixed contacts by said movable contact,

wherein said contact base block comprises:

a base having at least one pair of projections on its top surface, which is an injection-molded article of an electrical insulating material;

first metal films formed as said fixed contacts on top surfaces of said projections;

second metal films formed as connection terminals for outside devices on said base, each of which corresponds to one of said first metal films;

connecting means for making an electrical connection between each of said first metal films and the corresponding second metal film; and

a third metal film at least formed on the top surface of said base to provide electrical isolation from said first and second metal films, which works as electromagnetic shield means.

2. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third metal film extends from the top surface to a bottom surface through side faces of said base, which works as ground means as well as said electromagnetic shield means.

3. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 2, wherein said base has at least one through hole extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of said base, in which an electrically conductive material is coated to make an electrical connection between parts of said third metal film on the top and bottom surfaces of said base in the shortest distance.

4. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said projections has a first projection jutting from the top surface of said base and a second projection jutting from said first projection, and wherein each of said first metal films is formed on a top of said second projection and said third metal film is formed on side faces of said first projections.

5. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said projections has a rounded top, on which said first metal film is formed.

6. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, each of said first, second and third metal films is composed of a copper layer as an undercoat, nickel layer as an intermediate layer, and a gold layer as an outer layer, and wherein a thickness of the outer layer of said first metal films is greater than that of said second and third metal films.

7. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, comprising fifth metal films formed as coil electrodes for supplying electric power to said electromagnet on said base so as to provide electrical isolation from said first, second and third metal films.

8. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, comprising a contact sub block for movably supporting said contact member, which comprises:

a subbase that is an injection-molded article of an electrical insulating material; and

a fourth metal film formed on a surface of said subbase in a face to face relation with the top surface of said base when said contact sub block is mounted on said contact base block, so that said pair of fixed contacts are opened and closed by said movable contact in an electromagnetic shield space surrounded by said third and fourth metal films.

9. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 8, wherein said movable contact comes into contact with a required region of said fourth metal film when said pair of fixed contacts are opened by said movable contact, and wherein the required region of said fourth metal film is composed of a copper layer as an undercoat, nickel layer as an intermediate layer and a gold layer as an outer layer, and the balance of said fourth metal film is composed of a copper layer as the undercoat and a nickel layer as the outer layer.

10. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 8, comprising a first contact set of a first pair of fixed contacts and a first contact member used to switch a high frequency signal and a second contact set of a second pair of fixed contacts and a second contact member used to switch another high frequency signal, and wherein a shield wall for isolating said first contact set from said second contact set is integrally-molded with at least one of said base and said subbase.

11. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 8, comprising a coil block for housing said electromagnet, and wherein said subbase has coil block supporting means for supporting said coil block, which is integrally molded with said subbase.

12. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 11, wherein said coil block comprises an armature disposed between said contact member and said electromagnet and driven by energizing said electromagnet, and wherein a motion of said armature is transferred to said contact member through a first spring member held by spring holding means integrally molded with said subbase.

13. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 12, said coil block supporting means and said spring holding means are provided to a surface opposed to the surface having said fourth metal film of said subbase, and said contact member is attached to a through hole formed in said subbase with a second spring member such that said contact member receives a spring bias of said second spring member in a direction of spacing said movable contact from said fixed contacts, and wherein said contact member can be moved against the spring bias of said second spring member by said first spring member pushed by said armature to close said fixed contacts by said movable contact.

14. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said second metal films is formed on a bottom surface of said base at a position opposed to the corresponding one of said first metal films.

15. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 14, wherein said connecting means is metal pins, each of which is inserted into said base to electrically connect one of said first metal films with the corresponding second metal film in the shortest distance.

16. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 14, wherein said connecting means is through holes each having a conductive layer on its inner surface, each of which is formed in said base to electrically connect one of said first metal films with the corresponding second metal film in the shortest distance.

17. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 14, wherein said connecting means is through holes, each of which is filled with an electrically conductive material and formed in said base to electrically connect one of said first metal films with the corresponding second metal film in the shortest distance.

18. The high frequency relay as set forth in claim 14, wherein each of said second metal films extends from the bottom surface to a side surface of said base, and said second metal films on the side surface are used to electrically connect with the outside devices.

19. A high frequency relay comprising a contact base block having at least one pair of fixed contacts, at least one contact member with a movable contact, a contact sub block for movably supporting said contact member, and an electromagnet for moving said contact member to open and close said pair of fixed contacts by said movable contact,

wherein said contact base block comprises:

a base that is an injection-molded article of an electrical insulating material;

first metal films formed as said fixed contacts on a top surface of said base;

second metal films formed as connection terminals for outside devices on said base, each of which corresponds to one of said first metal films;

connecting means for making an electrical connection between each of said first metal films and the corresponding second metal film; and

a third metal film at least formed on the top surface of said base to provide electrical isolation from said first and second metal films, which works as electromagnetic shield means,

and wherein said contact sub block comprises;

a subbase that is an injection-molded article of an electrical insulating material; and

a fourth metal film formed on a surface of said subbase in a face to face relation with the top surface of said base when said contact sub block is mounted on said contact base block, so that said pair of fixed contacts are opened and closed by said movable contact in an electromagnetic shield space surrounded by said third and fourth metal films.