Electromagnetic relay

• US 5,204,647 A
• Filed: 10/25/1991
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitsuki, Nagamoto, Shigeru, Yokota
• Primary Examiner(s): DONOVAN, LINCOLN D
• Application Number:
  US07/782,593
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 335/78-86, 335/124, 335/128, 335/131-133
• US Class Current: 335/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/026 Details concerning isolation between driving and switching circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/043 Details particular to miniaturised relays H01H50/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/642 intermediate part being generally a slide plate, e.g. a card

Abstract

An electromagnetic relay has a contact assembly and an electromagnet arranged in side-by-side relation within a housing along its length. The contact assembly includes a fixed contact and a movable contact. The electromagnet includes an excitation coil and an armature movable between two contact operating positions in response to energization and deenergization of the coil. The armature is coupled through a card to the movable contact for engaging and disengaging it to and from the fixed contact in response to the armature movement. A partition extends between the electromagnet and the contact assembly in a width direction of the housing for electrical insulation therebetween. The card has an extended width formed along the width of the partition. The partition has a slit extending in the width direction for receiving the full width of the card such that the card can slide through the slit for contact closing and opening in response to the armature movement. A guide member is formed on the partition along one width end of the slit and projects in the sliding direction of the card so as to define an extended guide in cooperation with the one width end of the slit for slidably supporting a corresponding one width end portion of the card over an extended distance in the sliding direction. The card is engaged at the other width end portion spaced from the guide member with the armature in such a manner that the armature can move without being interfered with the guide member.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay, comprising:

a housing having a length and width;

a contact assembly mounted in said housing and including a fixed contact and a movable spring carrying a movable contact;

an electromagnet mounted within said housing in a side-by-side relation with said contact assembly along the length thereof, said electromagnet including an excitation coil and an armature which is movable between two contact operating positions in response to energization and deenergization of said excitation coil;

a card interposed between said armature and said movable spring to establish driving connection therebetween for engaging and disengaging said movable contact to and from said fixed contact in response to the armature movement;

a partition extending between said electromagnet and said contact assembly in a width direction of the housing for electrical insulation therebetween, said partition formed with a slit extending in the width direction thereof for receiving the card such that the card can slide through said slit for contact closing and opening in response to the armature movement;

said card having an elongated width extending along the width of said partition and received through said slit;

said partition being formed with a guide member extending along one width end portion of the slit and projecting in the sliding direction of said card so as to define an extended guide in cooperation with said width end portion of said slit for slidably supporting one corresponding width end portion of said card over an extended distance in the sliding direction, said card being engaged at the other width end portion spaced from said guide member with said armature in such a manner that said armature can move without being interfered with said guide member;

said card comprising an extended flat plate with a nose extension which projects in the sliding direction of said card from one width end portion of said flat plate remote from said guide member for abutment with said movable spring while leaving the remaining width end portion of said flat plate to be slidably supported by said extended guide, such that the engaging portion of said armature with said card is aligned in the sliding direction of said card with the engaging portion of said card with said movable spring.

2. An electromagnetic relay as set forth in claim 1, wherein said card has a pair of vertical fins which project from the connection between said flat plate and said nose extension in opposite directions substantially perpendicular to a plane of said flat plate and which are located outwardly of said slit so as to conceal said slit therebehind, said armature having a leg by which it is engaged with said card, and said leg is dimensioned to have substantially the same width as the width of said vertical fin in the width direction of said card.