GB2111752A

GB2111752A - Relay

Info

Publication number: GB2111752A
Application number: GB08235676A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Spitzl
Original assignee: Diehl GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Diehl Verwaltungs Stiftung
Priority date: 1981-12-16
Filing date: 1982-12-15
Publication date: 1983-07-06
Also published as: IT8224581A1; FR2518311A1; IT1154614B; FR2518311B3; JPS58106730A; IT8223624V0; DE3149816A1; IT8224581A0; JPH0210540B2; DE3149816C2; GB2111752B

Abstract

A polarised relay comprises a solenoid 7 arranged in a chamber 6 in a housing 1, 2, 3, a permanent magnet 28 being part of an armature 12, and a second chamber 6 in the housing, in which contacts 9, 10 are accommodated to be operated by a contact pin 19 guided through a wall between the chambers 6, 8 of the housing and movable by the armature. The components of the relay are easily insertable into the housing with the relative adjustment of the components being effected automatically with their insertion. To this end the armature (12) is pivotally mounted in the housing by means of a swivel pin (31) held in recesses (32, 33) in the housing bottom (2) and cover (3). The armature 12 has two sheet metal pole pieces (29, 30) reaching beyond both ends of the permanent magnet (28). Both ends of the pole pieces (29, 30) reach over ends (15', 16') of a yoke and core member (15, 16) passing through the solenoid (7), and having lugs (22, 23) by means of which it is likewise supported in recesses (24, 25) in the housing bottom (2) and cover 3. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Relay The invention relates to an electromagnetic relay or more specifically to a polarised relay.

US-PS 3470504 shows a relay having a solenoid member arranged in a first chamber of a housing, with a permanent magnet armature which can be moved between stops, and a second chamber of a housing in which are accommodated switching contacts, which contacts can be operated by the armature by a contact or operating rod passing through a wall of the second chamber of the housing. In the case of this relay the permanent magnet can be displaced along the solenoid axis and the contact rod is attached to its end face. The two chambers are in separate housings which have to be aligned in respect of one another. An adjustment has to be performed for the achievement of a desired switching travel.

According to the present invention there is provided an electromagnetic relay comprising: a solenoid member or coil; a housing; a permanent magnet armature; two switching contacts and means operatively connecting the armature, in use, with the switching contacts, and the armature being pivotally mounted in the housing in use, said armature being arranged to pivot between first and second positions in which the switching contacts are open and closed respectively in response to the signal input to the solenoid member or coil, the relative dimensions and arrangement of said parts being such that on fitting of the solenoid member or coil, armature, switching contacts and said means into said housing the required adjustment and alignment of said parts relative to one another is effected automatically on their introduction into the housing.

By the present invention the various components of the relay can be simply fitted into the housing thereof with the required adjustment of the parts relative to one another being performed during fitting (automatically as part of the fitting operation and without any further adjustment being necessary once the relay is fully assembled).

The armature may be located between first and second chambers in the housing and the solenoid member or coil located in the first chamber and switching contacts in the second chamber, said means operatively connecting the armature with the switching contacts comprising a contact pin or rod located adjacent an end of, or one of the ends of, the armature and said contact pin or rod extending through a wall of said second chamber, said contact pin or rod being movable by action ofthe armature.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a polarised relay comprising a solenoid member arranged in a first chamber of a housing, a permanent magnet armature which can be moved between stops, and a second chamber in the housing in which are accommodated contacts required to be switched, which contacts can be operated by way of contact pin means guided through a wall of the second chamber and moved by the armature, char acterised in that, the armature is designed in the form of a swivel or pivotable armature supported between the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber by means of a swivel or pivot pin in recesses in the bottom of the housing and the cover of the housing respectively, in that the arma ture has two sheet metal pole pieces which project beyond both ends of the permenant magnet and in that both ends of the sheet metal pole pieces overlap a yoke passing through the solenoid member, which yoke has lugs by means of which it is supported in recesses in the bottom of the housing and the cover of the housing respectively. On insertion of the solenoid member with the yoke the yoke is aligned in the housing by virtue of this feature. The swivel armature is adjusted in respect to the yoke by the recesses in which its swivel pin is seated. The stops for the swivel armature need not be separately adjusted, because the sheet metal pole pieces reaching over or overlapping the ends of the yoke act as stops for restricting the movement of the swivel armature.The recesses in the bottom of the casing or housing undertake the adjustment before the cover of the housing is put on. After the cover of the housing has been put on its recesses are additionally instrumental in adjusting the yoke and the pivot.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention extensions or lugs of the yoke are disposed in the zone of the yoke ends overlapped by the sheet metal pole pieces. In the cover of the housing recesses for the extensions or lugs of the yoke and the recess for the swivel pin are located on a straight line and likewise corresponding recesses are provided on the bottom of the housing.

An embodiment of a relay in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying much simplified drawings in which: Figure lisa view of the relay with a cover of the housing removed, Figure 2 is a sectional view on line Il-Il of Figure 1 with the cover of the housing thereon, Figure 3 is a partial view on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1.

A housing of a relay comprises a lower housing part 1 with a housing bottom 2 and a housing cover 3. Catch lugs 4 are mounted onto the four sides of the lower part of the housing into which snaps the cover 3 with lugs 5.

The housing contains a first housing chamber 6 for a solenoid member or coil 7 and a second housing chamber 8 for contacts 9 and 10 requiring to be switched, with the contact 9 being rigid and the contact 10 being made from a spring material.

Between the two housing chambers 6 and 8 is a third housing chamber 11 for a swivel or pivoting armature 12. The first chamber 6 of the housing is separated from the third chamber 11 of the housing by a wall 13, which leaves lateral openings 14 for yoke or core bow parts or straps 15 and 16. The second chamber 8 of the housing is separated from the third chamber 11 of the housing by a dividing wall 17 which has a slot 18 for guiding a contact rod 19.

The solenoid member 7 complete with duly inserted yoke straps 15 and 16 is inserted into chamber 6. The end plates 20 of the solenoid member 7 rest then against both the lower part of the housing 1 and against the partition wall 13. The terminals 21 of the solenoid 7 are led outside through the lower part of the housing 1.

The ends of the yoke straps 15 and 16 reach into the third chamber 11 in the housing. At their end 15' and 16' are provided lower lugs 22 and upper lugs 23. Recesses 24 and 25 are moulded for accommodating the lower lugs 22 in the bottom 2 of the housing. Recesses 26 and 27 are provided in the cover 3 for the upper lugs 23.

The swivel armature 12 is arranged between the yoke ends 15' and 16'. It consists of a permanent magnet 28 to the opposite sides of which are fixed sheet metal pole pieces 29 and 30. The sheet metal pole pieces 29 and 30 project beyond the permanent magnet 28 and straddle the yoke ends 15' and 16'.

The swivel armature 12 is held by a swivel pin 31; one end of the pin 31 is inserted into a recess 32 in the bottom 2 of the housing and the other end of the pin is inserted into a recess 33 in the cover 3 of the housing. The recesses 24,32,25 in the bottom of the housing are in a straight line and the recesses 26,33, 27 in the cover3 of the housing are in a straight line and parallel thereto. The recesses 32 and 33 are in this context located in the middle between the recesses 24 and 25 or 26 and 27 respectively.

The contact rod or pin 19 rests against the free end of the sheet metal pole piece 30. This pin extends to a free spring arm 10' of contact 10.

The lower part 1 of the housing has an extension arm 34 to the two sides of which (see Figure 3) are attached terminals 35 and 36 for contacts 9 and 10 by snapping them into projections 37. The contact 9 is designed in one piece with terminal 35 and is inserted from the bottom side through an aperture 38 into the chamber 8 of the housing. Contact 10 is, by way of example, welded onto the terminal 36 and is introduced from the cover side into the chamber 8 of the housing. A partition web 39 is moulded in chamber 8 of the housing between the contacts 9 and 10. The terminals 35 and 36 are equipped with connection pins 40 for connecting the terminals 35 and 36 to a printed circuit board. They are also equipped with connecting tabs 41 for plugs.This permits the passing of large currents through the connecting tabs 41 without a need for passing such currents through the connecting pins 40 and a printed circuit board.

The above described relay is a polarised bistable relay. On receiving of a positive pulse it switches into one switching state and on receiving a negative pulse into the other switching state. The permanent magnet 28 and the restoring force of the spring arm 10' are rated so that the permanent magnet 28 is not moved by the restoring force of the spring arm 10'.

The contact 10 is closed at the setting of the swivel armature shown in Figure 1. The sheet metal pole piece 30 rests against the yoke end 15' and the sheet metal pole piece 29 against the yoke end 16'. On receiving an appropriate pulse the swivel armature 12 switches over causing the sheet metal pole piece 29 to push against the yoke end 15' and the sheet metal pole piece 30 against the yoke end 16'. The contact 10 is raised from contact 9 by the action of the contact pin 19.

The fitting of the components into the lower part 1 of the housing is simple and leads directly to the correct relative alignment of the various parts. The assembly sequence is that the solenoid member 7 with the yoke straps 15 and 16 is inserted into the chamber 6 until the lower lugs 22 engage into the recesses 24 and 25 respectively. This is followed by the insertion of the swivel armature 12 into the chamber so that the swivel pin 31 engages in recess 32. The contacts 9 and 10 are then introduced into chamber 8 so that the terminals 35 and 36 snap over the projections 37. The contact pin 19 is finally introduced into the slot 18. The housing cover 3 is then placed in position by letting it snap onto the lower part 1 of the housing causing the upper lugs 23 and the swivel pin 31 to engage in recesses 26,27 and 33 in the cover 3 of the casing.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay comprising: a solenoid member or coil; a housing, a permanent magnet armature; two switching contacts and means operatively connecting the armature, in use, with the switching contacts, and the armature being pivotally mounted in the housing in use, said armature being arranged to pivot between first and second positions in which the switching contacts are open and closed respectively in response to the signal input to the solenoid member or coil, the relative dimensions and arrangement of said parts being such that on fitting of the solenoid member or coil, aramture, switching contacts and said means into said housing the required adjustment and alignment of said parts relative to one another is effected automatically on their introduction into the housing.

2. A relay as claimed in claim 1 in which the armature in use overlaps both ends of a yoke or core which passes through the solenoid member or coil and said ends act as stops limiting the angle through which the armature can pivot thereby defining said first and second positions.

3. A relay as claimed in claim 2 in which the ends of the armature straddle respective ends of the yoke or core.

4. A relay as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which the yoke and housing are shaped to cooperate so that the yoke is supported in a bottom and in a cover of the housing.

5. A relay as claimed in claim 4 in which each end of the yoke has two laterally projecting lugs and said lugs seat in respective recesses in the bottom and cover, said recesses preferably being integrally moulded with the bottom or cover as the case may be.

6. A relay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the armature is supported by a swivel or pivot pin in recesses in the housing.

7. A relay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the armature is located between first and second chambers in the housing and in which the solenoid member or coil is located in the first chamber and the switching contacts in the second chamber, said means operatively connecting the armature with the switching contacts comprising a contact pin or rod located adjacent an end of, or one of the ends of, the armature and said contact pin or rod extending through a wall of said second chamber, said contact pin or rod being movable by action of the armature.

8. A relay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the housing has an extension arm into which terminals attached to respective switching contacts are snap-engaged on oppositng sides of the arm.

9. A relay as claimed in claim 8 in which one of the switching contacts is integral with one of the terminals and held fixed in use, the other switching contact being a spring contact.

10. A polarised relay comprising a solenoid member arranged in a first chamber of a housing, a permanent magnet armature which can be moved between stops and a second chamber in the housing in which are accommodated contacts required to be switched, which contacts can be operated by way of contact pin means guided through a wall of the second chamber and moved by the armature, characterised in that, the armature is designed in the form of a swivel or pivotable armature supported between the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber by means of a swivel or pivot pin in recesses in the bottom of the housing and the cover of the housing respectively, in that the armature has two sheet metal pole pieces which project beyond both ends of the permanent magnet and in that both ends of the sheet metal pole pieces overlap a yoke passing through the solenoid member, which yoke has lugs by means of which it is supported in recesses in the bottom of the housing and the cover of the housing respectively.

11. A relay as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the lugs of the yoke are arranged in the zones of the yoke ends over which the sheet metal pole pieces overlap and in that both the recesses for the lugs in the bottom ofthe housing and the recess for the swivel or pivot pin in the bottom of the housing are in a straight line and are aligned with the corresponding recesses in the cover of the housing.

12. An electromagnetic relay substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A relay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the means operatively connecting the armature with the switching contacts or contact pin means as the case may be acts upon one of said switching contacts or upon said spring contact and this one of said switching contacts or spring contact is designed so as to be resilient with the resilient spring force transmitted through the means operatively connecting the armature with switching contacts or through the contact pin means as the case may be being rated so that the permanent magnet is not moved thereby.