EP0202651A2 - Electromagnetic relay - Google Patents

Abstract

The relay has a coil body (1) as the base body, an armature arranged in an axial through opening of the coil body and a yoke (10) which extends at least with a section above or to the side of the coil parallel to the coil axis. A contact spring (12) lies on the yoke with a first section (12a) and is bent at the end in front of the one coil former flange, wherein it engages with an anchor extension (11) with a second and a third section (12b, 12c) and executes switching movements between two counter-contact elements (5, 6). The contact spring (12) lies with its first section (12a) in a channel which is formed between a yoke leg (10c) and a cover, so that a long free spring length is ensured, but at the same time enables the contact space (4) to be sealed and a low height of the relay is achieved.

Description

The invention relates to an electromagnetic relay with a bobbin serving as a base body and carrying a winding, the coil axis of which runs parallel to the base plane of the relay, a yoke interacting with an armature, the yoke having at least one leg above or to the side of the coil parallel to the coil axis lies and the armature extends at least with a section substantially parallel to the coil axis, with a contact spring which extends with a first spring leg essentially parallel to the coil axis outside the coil and over at least the major part of the coil length and in the area in front of a first Coil flange is bent in a contact space and cooperates with at least one mating contact element anchored in the coil body.

Such a relay is known for example from DE-OS 31 28 516. There, a core is arranged in the coil former, at the two ends of which an angular yoke section is coupled. The yoke ends lie above the coil, and the armature is then arranged above this. This results in a relatively large overall height, since the thickness of the yoke legs adds up to that of the armature, it still having to be taken into account for the overall height that the working air gap additionally increases the height. A long contact spring is attached to the armature, but is continuously connected to the armature, so that the free spring length is relatively short. So if you want to dimension the spring cross-section accordingly to guide large currents, the result is a relatively stiff spring. In addition, the known relay is only provided with a normally open contact, and due to the design of the individual parts and the overall construction, a seal between the coil and the contact space is likely to be difficult.

The object of the invention is to design a relay of the type mentioned so that the contact spring receives the longest possible free spring length, but at the same time increases the height or width of the relay by this contact spring and by parts of the magnet system as little as possible compared to the coil diameter becomes. The overall construction should also be designed so that the contact space with the moving parts including the long contact spring can be easily sealed against the coil winding and against the outside atmosphere.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the armature extends within the coil body approximately in the axial direction over the entire winding length, in the area of the first coil flange has an extension projecting from the coil tube for contact actuation and in the area of a second coil flange on the yoke that the Contact spring is attached to the yoke in the vicinity of the second coil flange, runs with its first spring leg in a channel formed between the Kemjoch and a housing cover, that the contact spring in front of the first coil flange forms a second spring section running approximately perpendicular to the coil axis and connected to the armature extension and that from the second spring section a third spring section is bent in a direction parallel to the coil axis, which cooperates with the counter-contact element or elements.

The arrangement of the armature in the coil body results in a very effective magnet system, at the same time this armature outside the coil does not cause an increase in the overall height or width of the relay in addition to the yoke. The contact spring, which is located in a channel formed by the Kemjoch and a housing cover, also increases the construction height or width only insignificantly, but a long free spring length is guaranteed, even if the relay is sealed.

In an expedient embodiment of the relay, the first coil flange forms a contact space surrounded by side walls, while the yoke together with the attached housing cover forms a channel which is open to the contact space and closed on all other sides. This can happen, for example, in that the yoke has an essentially flat surface, on which side webs of the cover rest on three sides of the first spring leg. In another expedient embodiment, the yoke can also have side walls drawn up towards the cover, on which sealing surfaces of an essentially flat cover section rest. The contact space formed by the first coil flange can have walls open at least on one side, which form circumferential, flat sealing surfaces, on which corresponding sealing surfaces of the cover rest as an extension of the sealing surfaces opposite the yoke.

In an advantageous embodiment of the relay, the third spring section lies in the area between the plane of the first spring section and the plane of the armature, a tab cut out of the second spring section and bent by 180 ° being in engagement with the armature extension. Furthermore, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the yoke with the first spring section lies above the coil with respect to the connection level of the relay and that two mating contact elements are each anchored with vertical connection sections in side walls of the contact space and are bent inwards in opposite directions to one another in such a way that the horizontally lying contact sections enclose the third spring section between them.

In another, likewise advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the yoke with the first spring section is arranged laterally from the coil with respect to the connection plane, and that two mating contact elements with vertical fastening sections are anchored in the side walls of the contact space and each face the third spring section. also have vertical contact sections. It is expedient that the contact sections are bent in a U-shape, as a result of which the contact distances can be precisely adjusted. For the purpose of adjustment it can further be provided that the side walls of the contact space each have windows in the region of the contact sections.

• Fig. 1 ein erfindungsgemäß gestaltetes Relais in perspektivischer Darstellung,
• Fig. 2 einen Längsschnitt durch das Relais von Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 einen Längsschnitt durch ein etwas abgewandeltes Ausführungsbeispiel,
• Fig. 4 eine perspektivische Darstellung einer weiteren Abwandlung gegenüber Fig. 1,
• Fig. 5 eine Querschnittsdarstellung durch ein Relais gemäß Fig. 2,
• Fig. 6 eine etwas abgewandelte Ausführungsform gegenüber Fig. 5,
• Fig. 7 und Fig. 8 eine weitere Ausführungsform in Explosionsdarstellung und nach dem Zusammenbau in perspektivischer Ansicht.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. It shows

• 1 is a perspective view of a relay designed according to the invention,
• 2 shows a longitudinal section through the relay of FIG. 1,
• 3 shows a longitudinal section through a somewhat modified exemplary embodiment,
• 4 is a perspective view of a further modification compared to FIG. 1,
• 5 shows a cross-sectional view through a relay according to FIG. 2,
• 6 shows a somewhat modified embodiment compared to FIG. 5,
• FIGS. 7 and 8 show a further embodiment in an exploded view and after assembly in a perspective view.

The relay shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a coil body 1 serving as a base body with two flanges 2 and 3, a contact space 4 being formed in the enlarged flange 2, in which two fixed mating contact elements 5 and 6 are fastened. The coil former 1 carries a winding 7 and has an axial passage opening 8 within the winding area, in which an angular armature 9 with its longitudinal leg is arranged in the axial direction. A U-shaped yoke 10 lies with its longitudinal leg 10a parallel to the coil axis above the coil and engages with a wedge-shaped pole piece 10b in the axial passage opening 8, forming a working air gap with the beveled armature 9. The armature is mounted with its angled bearing leg 9a on the yoke leg 10a, a cutting edge bearing, journal bearing or some other suitable bearing being formed on the interlocking parts of the yoke and armature.

An extension 11 is formed on the movable armature end 9b, which projects from the coil and serves to actuate a contact spring 12. This contact spring 12 rests with a first spring section 12a on the yoke leg 10a and is fastened thereon in the vicinity of the armature bearing; a second spring section 12b runs in front of the first coil flange 2 approximately perpendicular to the coil axis, while from this second spring section a third spring section 12c is bent in a direction approximately parallel to the coil axis. This third spring section 12c is used to make contact with the fixed counter-contact elements 5 and 6. From the second spring section, a tab 12d is cut free and bent downward, so that it extends perpendicular to the coil axis in the extension of the second spring section and the coupling between the contact spring 12 and the Anchor process 11 produces. In this way, a window 12e is created in the second spring section. The first spring section 12a also forms an extension 12f beyond its attachment point, which acts on the anchor section 9a and holds it in position. Instead of this spring section 12f, the armature can also be held in the bearing by the spring section 12d, in that this spring section 12d engages with the armature extension 11 by means of undercuts 11a (shown in FIG. 7).

The mating contact elements 5 and 6 are fastened in the coil flange 2 or in the side walls of the contact chamber 4 by means of their connecting elements 5a or 6a and are angled in the opposite direction within the contact chamber 4 so that they enclose the spring section 12c provided with contact pieces between them.

The contact spring 12 is connected to the yoke 12 via a laterally formed connecting tab 12g, which in turn has a welded-on connecting pin 10a; in addition, coil terminal pins 13 are usually anchored in the flange 3. The contact chamber 4 has an end window opening 4a, so that a contact adjustment is possible before the cap 14 is put on.

The coil former 1 together with the yoke leg 10a each have flat sealing surfaces, so that in connection with the cap 14 a good separation of the contact chamber 4 from the coil winding 7 and from the outside atmosphere is possible. Thus, the cap 14 lies over a large area on the side walls 15 of the contact chamber 4 and on the end face 16 around the window 4a. The contact spring leg 12a lies in a channel 17 formed by the yoke leg 10a and the cap 14, which is connected to the contact chamber and can be well sealed with respect to the coil winding. In this way, a large free spring length of the contact spring is achieved with good sealing options and without a significant increase in the overall height. To form the above-mentioned channel 17, sealing surfaces 18 are formed between the yoke leg 10a and the cap 14, either by making the yoke leg 10a flat, so that webs 14a formed in the cap 14 rest on both sides of the contact spring section 12a on the yoke leg (see FIG. 5 ) or by providing the yoke leg 10a with U-shaped upwardly bent or embossed side webs 10c (see FIGS. 6 and 1). In both cases, the channel 17 is closed on both sides with respect to the coil winding, so that when the winding space is filled with potting compound, the capillary gaps on the sealing surfaces 18 prevent this potting compound from flowing further into the spring channel 17 and into the contact chamber .4. Another sealing surface 19 is provided on the end face between the coil flange 3 and the cap 14, so that the movement of the armature is not impaired by the sealing compound.

3 shows a somewhat modified embodiment, a two-part yoke being provided instead of the U-shaped yoke 10, which yoke is composed of an angle pole shoe 20 and an angle yoke piece 21. Instead of the angular armature 9, a rod-shaped armature 22 is provided in this case, which is mounted in a recess 21a of the Winkeijochstückes 21. Otherwise, the structure and function of the relay are the same as in the previous example. In particular, the armature 22 also has an extension 11 which actuates a contact spring 12 in the manner described above. The relay can also be sealed in a manner similar to that previously described. Since the extension 12f of the contact spring 12 is missing in this case, a sealing surface between the cap 14 and the yoke angle 21 could also be provided behind the free end of the spring section 12a in this case, but this is not shown in detail.

The construction elements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can of course also be combined in another form. 4 shows an example in which the armature 9 and the yoke 10 are designed in accordance with FIG. 2, but the contact spring 12 is fastened on the yoke in accordance with FIG. 3, that is to say does not have a spring section 12f. A connecting wire for the contact spring 12 is attached to the side of the yoke. According to FIG. 4, a flat cover 23 can first be provided for the sealing, the contour of which is adapted to the upper connection surfaces 24 and 25 of the coil body and to the surface 26 of the yoke 10. In this way, a preliminary sealing of the contact chamber 4 and the channel 17 can first be carried out with the cover 23, so that the actual sealing is simplified by means of an additional cap or an applied film and by pouring the coil winding space with casting compound.

The design of the relay can also be modified in such a way that the arrangement of the yoke and armature is rotated by 90 ° with respect to the installation plane, so that the armature movement runs parallel to the installation plane. Such a relay is shown in exploded view in Fig. 7 and in Fig. 8 in the assembled state. Here, a coil former 31 with two flanges 32 and 33 is provided, a contact space 34 being formed in the flange 32. The mating contact elements 35 and 36 each form connection elements 35a and 36a and are bent with their contact-making ends 35b and 36b opposite to one another in a U-shape, so that they face each other in vertical planes.

The coil former carries a winding 37. The magnetic circuit parts are essentially constructed as in FIG. 3, but arranged in the coil former rotated by 90 °. For example, an armature 47 is located in the axial through opening 38, which forms a working air gap with an angular pole shoe 40. At its end 47a, the armature 47 is mounted in a bearing recess 41a of an angle yoke piece 41, which is inserted into a lateral opening 33a of the coil body flange 33. The angle yoke piece 41 forms in its leg 41, which runs parallel to the coil axis, by means of bent-up side webs 41, a channel 43 for receiving a contact spring 42, which is otherwise designed like the contact spring 12 already described. After assembly, the spring section 42c lies between the mating contact elements 35 and 36, the cut and bent spring section 42d being in engagement with the undercut end 11 of the armature extension 11. In this way, as already mentioned above, the anchor is also held in the bearing.

Fig. 8 shows the assembled relay before sealing. The counter-contact elements 35 and 36 can still be adjusted since they are still accessible from the side through windows 34a in the side walls of the contact chamber 34. In FIG. 8 also the sealing faces are to be seen, each enabling a plane support a cap or a foil, so that _'the winding space can be filled with potting compound, without this runs into the contact chamber 34 or in the channel 43. For example, the cap can lie flat on the upper edge 44 of the coil flange 32 and on the upper edge 45 of the coil flange 33, which together with the upper edge 46 of the angular yoke piece 41 form a continuous flat surface. When the winding space is poured out with casting compound, a continuous capillary gap thus results, as in the previously described case, which prevents the casting compound from penetrating into the contact space 34 or into the spring channel 43.

Reference symbol list

• 1 bobbin
• 2, 3 flanges
• 4 contact space
• 4a window opening
• 5, 6 mating contact elements
• 5a, 6a connection elements
• 7 winding
• 8 through opening
• 9 anchors
• 9a bearing leg
• 9b movable anchor end
• 10 yokes
• 10a yoke longitudinal leg
• 10b pole piece
• 10c side bridge
• 11 extension
• 11 a undercut
• 12 contact spring
• 12a, 12b, 12c spring sections
• 12d rag (spring section)
• 12e window
• 12f extension of the spring
• 12g connection tab
• 13 coil connector pin
• 14 cap
• 14a footbridge
• 15 side wall of the contact chamber
• 16 end face of the contact chamber
• 17 channel
• 18, 19 sealing surfaces
• 20 angle pole shoe
• 21 angle yoke piece
• 21 a recess
• 22 anchors
• 23 cover
• 24, 25 pads
• 26 surface of the yoke
• 31 bobbin
• 32, 33 flanges
• 34 contact space
• 34a window
• 35, 36 mating contact elements
• 35a, 36a connection elements
• 35b, 36b contacting ends
• 37 winding
• 38 through opening
• 40 angled poi shoe
• 41 angle yoke piece
• 41a bearing recess
• 41b leg
• 41c side bridge
• 42 contact spring
• 42c, 42d spring section
• 43 channel
• 44, 45, 46 edge of the coil flanges or the angle yoke piece
• 47 anchors
• 47a stored anchor end

Claims (10)

1. Electromagnetic relay with a coil body (1; 31) serving as the base body and carrying a winding (7; 37), the coil axis of which runs parallel to the base plane of the relay, a yoke (10; 20, 21; 40, 41), the yoke lying at least with one leg (10a; 21b; 41b) above or to the side of the coil parallel to the coil axis and the armature extending at least with a section essentially parallel to the coil axis a contact spring (12; 42), which extends with a first spring leg essentially parallel to the coil axis outside the coil and over at least the major part of the coil length and in the area in front of a first coil flange (2; 32) in a contact space (4; 34) is bent and cooperates with at least one mating contact element (5, 6; 35, 36) anchored in the coil body (1; 31), characterized in that the armature (9; 22; 47) is located within the coil body (1; 31) extends approximately in the axial direction over the entire winding length, in the area of the first coil flange (2; 32) has an extension (11) protruding from the coil tube for contact actuation and in the area of a second coil flange (3; 33) on the yoke (10; 21 ; 41) is mounted so that the contact spring (12; 42) in the vicinity of the second coil flange (3; 33) on the yoke (10; 21; 41) is fixed, with its first spring leg (12a; 42a) in a between the Yoke (10; 21; 41) and a housing cover (14; 23) formed channel - (17; 43) runs that the contact spring (12; 42) in front of the first coil flange (2; 32) a second one running approximately perpendicular to the coil axis Forms spring section (12b; 42b), which is connected to the armature extension (11), and that a third spring section (12c; 42c) is bent from the second spring section (12b; 42b) in a direction parallel to the coil axis, which is connected to the or the counter-contact elements (5, 6; 35, 36) cooperate. 2. Relay according to claim 1, characterized in that the first coil flange (2; 32) forms a contact chamber (4; 34) surrounded by side walls and that the yoke (10; 21; 41) together with the attached housing cover (14; 23 ) forms a channel (17; 43) which is open towards the contact chamber (14; 34) and closed on all other sides. 3. Relay according to claim 2, characterized in that the yoke (10) has a substantially flat surface (26) on which side webs (14a) of the cover (14) lie on three sides of the first spring section (12a). 4. Relay according to Claim 2, characterized in that the yoke (10) has side webs (10c) drawn towards the cover, on which sealing surfaces (18) of an essentially flat cover section rest. 5. Relay according to claim 4, characterized in that a contact chamber (4; 34) formed by the first coil flange (2; 32) has open walls on at least one side, which form circumferential flat sealing surfaces (15, 24; 44) on which Corresponding sealing surfaces of the cover rest on the sealing surfaces opposite the yoke. 6. Relay according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the third spring section (12c; 42c) lies in the region between the plane of the first spring section (12a; 42a) and the plane of the armature (9; 22; 42) and that a tab (12d; 42d) cut free from the second spring section (12b; 42b) and bent by 180 ° is in engagement with the anchor extension (11). 7. Relay according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the yoke (10; 21) with the first spring section (12a) lies above the coil with respect to the connection plane and that two mating contact elements (5, 6) each with vertical connection sections ( 5a, 6a) are anchored in the side walls of the contact chamber (4) and are bent inwards with contact sections (5b, 6b) in such a way that the horizontally lying contact sections (5b, 6b) enclose the third spring section (12c) between them. 8. Relay according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the yoke (41) together with the first spring section (42a) is arranged laterally from the coil - with respect to the connection plane - and that two mating contact elements (35, 36) with vertical Fastening sections (35a, 36a) are anchored in the side walls of the contact chamber (34) and each have, likewise vertical contact sections - (35b, 36b) opposite the third spring section (42c). 9. Relay according to claim 8, characterized in that the contact sections (35b, 36b) are formed by U-shaped bending of the mating contact elements (35, 36). 10. Relay according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the side walls of the contact chamber (34) each have windows (34a) in the region of the contact sections (35b, 36b).

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