AU599645B2 - A contact holder slide for an electromagnetic contact-maker, formed of a thermosetting material part connected to the mobile amature and a thermoplastic part - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA,

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Form

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: 7 23/ Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: I prti§-." a Priority: S Related Art: o o TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: LA TELEMECANIQUE ELECTRIQUE i i I j j i Address of Applicant: 33 BIS, AVE DU MARECHAL JOFFRE 92000 NANTERRE

FRANCE

Actual Inventor: Address for Service: CLEMENT HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

a it Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A CONTACT HOLDER SLIDE FOR AN ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACT-MAKER, FORMED OF A THERMOSETTING MATERIAL PART CONNECTED TO THE MOBILE AMATURE AND A THERMOPLASTIC PART The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1A A CONTACT HOLDER SLIDE FOR AN ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACT-MAKER, FORMED OF A THERMOSETTING MATERIAL PART CONNECTED TO THE MOBILE ARMATURE AND A THERMOPLASTIC PART The invention relates to the insulating member, called a slide, which drives the mobile contacts of an electromagnetic contact-maker. This member is very often made as a single solid part, which presents difficulties of mounting the contacts, insulation of the contact breaking chambers with respect to each other and of compatibility of the temperature resistance and friction resistance properties.

It has already been proposed to form the slide in two parts assembled together the first of which, connected to the mobile armature of the electromagnet, includes housings for the mobile contact bridges and their pressure springs and the second maintains the contacts in position while closing said housings.

9 fS However, the prior constructions do not give comple'Le satisfaction and the invention provides a method of constructing such a slide having two assembled parts which allows particularly 4 4 simple mounting, while ensuring the required qualities of i temperature and friction resistance.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a contact holding slide for an electromagnetic contact maker which comprises in a housing, an electromagnet having a mobile armature, said contact holding slide comprising: a first part made from a thermosetting material, which comprises a base adapted to be fixed on the mobile armature of i w ao the electromagnet, hollow fingers provided on said base and separated from each other by gaps, each of said fingers having an upper opening and being provided with two opposite lateral windows allowing the passage therethrough of a mobile contact bridge, said fingers further housing a movable cap and a spring which acts on the cap so as to urge it on the mobile contact bridge and, a second part, made from thermoplastic material, which comprises an elongate plate extending on the fingers while Lh closing off the upper part of said gaps, said elongate plate fZ r cC~' 4 2 comprising for each of said fingers: two resilient hooks extending parallel to each other perpendicularly with respect to said plate, from two opposite lateral regions thereof, so as to snap fit respectively into two respective cavities formed in the upper part of the finger; a protruding member located between said hooks so as to penetrate into said finger through said upper opening and to assume a positioning of the end of the said spring located opposite the cap; Other features as well as the advantages of an embodiment of the invention will be clear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevational view of the second part of o a slide in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a bottom view of said second part; o oFigure 3 is a elevational view of the first part; which ~Figure 4 shows in a bottom view; Figure 5 shows in elevation a support cap and a contact S20 bridge on which it rests; and, 00 Figure 6 is a top view of said cap.

Part 1, shown in Figures 1 and 2, is made from a thermoplastic material which gives it good antifriction properties.

It is formed of an elongate plate 1 whose profile, shown in Figure 2, forms grooves such as 11, 12, 13 which separate parts of greater width having on their edges resilient Stongues such as 14, 14' perpendicular to the plate and ending in hooks. Between each pair of tongues is disposed a small finger such as 19 for positioning pressure springs, as will be explained further on.

On the face of plate 1, opposite that which carries the tongues, is formed a claw 15 for coupling the control member of an auxiliary removable contact.

Finally, at one end, plate 1 has a hollow perpendicular finger 16 whose housing, formed by the hollow, receives an A& uxiliary closure contact bridge 17 and a pressure spring 18.

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i iu-*~x*c -^rrr*u 2A The part shown in Figures 3 and 4 is made from a thermosetting material, so that it a can withstand the arcs which flash between the fixed and mobile contacts, while being sufficiently rigid to withstand the mechanical forces which_ 0 0 0 00 o o o o iI; a L. Sresult from being driven by the armature and the tractive force which the pressure springs of the mobile contacts exert thereon.

It can be seen that this part comprises a base 20 whose ,j lower recess 201 will cover the mobile armature of the electromagnet, to which it is fixed by a shaft passing through an orifice 202, on which are mounted hollow fingers 21, 22, 23 of |i parallelepipedic shape separated by gaps such as 24, Each finger is provided with lateral windows 210-220-230 ji 1 for passing the mobile contact bridges therethrough.

In Figures 5 and 6, an insulating cap 26 has been shown whose end is shaped externally to rest on the median part of a mobile contact bridge, such as 27, and whose bottom is shaped so as to receive one end of a pressure spring, such as 28, while ensuring centering thereof.

o 0 0 *'50 The inner housing of fingers 21-22-23 is shaped so that such a cap may be inserted therein without any possible error of positioning: such insertion takes place after a contact bridge has been put into place, perpendicularly to the plane of the oo Figure, through the windows 210-220-230, the median part of this bridge resting on the bottom of the housing. The cap with the pressure spring is then positioned at the bottom of the housing.

These positioning operations, visible at 230 in Figure 2, take place after the part shown in Figures 3 and 4 has itself t been positioned in the case of the apparatus, which includes 1 ?b insulating walls which will be engaged in gaps 24-25.

i; It is then sufficient to forcibly engage the pairs of tongues 14-14' on the upper ends of the fingers 21-22-23 so that Sthe plate 1 completely closes off the housings of the fingers and the gaps which separate them, which provides insulation of the contact breaking chambers from each other. The hooks formed by tongues 14-14' snap fit into slits such as 211 close to the end of the fingers. The small fingers such as 19 (Figure 2) ensure the positioning and compression of the pressure springs in cooperation with the caps 26.

The grooves 11-12-13 (Figure 2) cooperate with ribs provided in a lid of the case which covers part 1 while allowing I7 4.

the claw 15 to pass therethrough, so as to ensure guidance of said part 1 during the translational movement of the slide controlled by the movement of the armature.

Returning to Figure 3, it can be seen that the base 20 has on one side a hollow perpendicular finger 203 which will be equipped with an auxiliary opening contact (not shown). During positioning of part 1, finger 16 penetrates into the housing of finger 203 and the auxiliary contacts carried by these respective fingers come then into a position of mutual cooperation.

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Claims (2)

1. 3. Slide according to claim i, characterized in that one end of said plate further comprises a hollow finger housing an auxiliary contact and a pressure spring; and wherein one side of said base is provided with a further hollow finger adapted for receiving an end of the finger of the plate ~N \Z2'7cs;41 6
2. 4. Slide according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate is provided with grooves which cooperate with guide ribs provided in a lid of a case of the contact-maker. A contact holding slide described with reference to and accompanying drawings. substantially as herein as illustrated in the Dated this 11th day of December, 1989. LA TELEMECANIOUE ELECTRIQUE By its Patent Attorneys: 0 0; on, 0 0 01 ri 0 r 1* OOi. GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia