Relay

• US 7,675,426 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: IDEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tsujimura, Shigeru, Takada, Tsutomu, Hidaka, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/792,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 340/644, 340/641, 324418-423
• US Class Current: 340/644
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/08 Indicators; Distinguishing marks

Abstract

A light guide part (20) is provided along a Z-axis on a side surface of a case (2) of a relay (1). The light guide part is a thick portion formed of a material forming the side surface of the case, and is structurally integral with the other parts of the case. Also, a light emitting device which emits light in response to application of a voltage to coil terminals (41) is provided within the relay (1) (case). A reflection surface (201) which reflects illuminating light emitted from the light emitting device in a (+Y) direction in a (+Z) direction is placed at a lower end of the light guide part. Illuminating light reflected by the reflection surface is guided to a display surface (200) placed at an upper end of the light guide part, to illuminate the display surface.

Claims

1. A relay for opening and closing a circuit by an electromagnetic interaction between a coil and an oscillation part, comprising:

a hollow box for housing said coil and said oscillation part; and

an illuminating part which lights up depending on a supply situation of power supplied to said coil, wherein

said box includes;

a display surface placed in a predetermined position; and

a light guide part for guiding light emitted from said illuminating part toward said display surface, and

said display surface and said light guide part are formed as integral parts forming said box.

2. The relay according to claim 1, wherein

said light guide part guides light traveling toward other than said display surface of said light emitted from said illuminating part, toward said display surface.

3. The relay according to claim 2, wherein

said light guide part includes a reflection surface for reflecting said light emitted from said illuminating part toward said display surface, and

a position of said reflection surface and an angle at which said reflection surface is placed are set such that said reflection surface almost totally reflects said light emitted from said illuminating part toward said reflection surface, depending on relative positions of said box and said illuminating part.

4. The relay according to any of claims 1 through 3, wherein

surface roughening is applied to an area of said box, which area surrounds said display surface.