JP2006210083A - Micro relay - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a micro relay capable of regulating a movement of an armature in a plane along the plate surface of the armature. <P>SOLUTION: The micro relay has an armature 30 of a rectangular plate shape arranged inside of a frame 31 of a frame shape, and the armature 30 undergoes a seesaw action by a drive device with the intermediate part in a longitudinal direction of the armature as a fulcrum, and a contact device is opened and closed according to this seesaw action. Regulating projections 41 are respectively provided at each corner part of the armature 30. A Position regulating surface 42 which is respectively opposed to each regulating projection 41 is provided at the inner periphery face of the frame 31, and the movement of the armature 30 in a plane along the plate surface of the armature 30 is regulated by the regulating projection 41 and the position regulating surface 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a microrelay in which at least some components are formed using a semiconductor microfabrication technique.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of microrelay, there has been proposed one that includes a frame-like frame and performs a see-saw operation on a rectangular plate-shaped amateur made of a semiconductor material arranged inside the frame by a driving device. In this micro relay, the contact device is opened and closed according to an amateur seesaw operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the micro relay described in Patent Document 1, the armature is continuously and integrally connected to the frame via pivot portions protruding laterally from the intermediate portion at each side edge in the width direction, and the pivot portion is twisted and deformed. By doing so, the seesaw operation is performed with the vicinity of the straight line connecting the two pivots as a fulcrum.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-114347

  However, in the above-described micro relay, there is no means for restricting the movement of the amateur in the plane along the amateur plate surface. For example, when an impact from the outside is applied, in the plane along the amateur plate surface. If the amateur moves beyond the elastic limit of the pivot, the pivot may be damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above reasons, and an object thereof is to provide a micro relay capable of regulating the movement of an amateur in a plane along the plate surface of the amateur.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frame-shaped frame, a rectangular plate-like amateur disposed inside the frame, a drive device for causing the armature to perform a seesaw operation in the thickness direction with an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the amateur as a fulcrum, and an amateur A contact device that opens and closes in accordance with the seesaw movement of the armature, and the frame contacts the part of the armature when the armature is displaced in a plane along the surface of the armature on the inner peripheral surface, thereby positioning the armature. It has a position-regulating surface that regulates, and the amateur protrudes in the width direction of the armature at each corner and faces the position-regulating surface in a plane along the surface of the amateur, thereby restricting the movement of the amateur together with the position-regulating surface. It is characterized by having a restricting projection.

  According to this configuration, even if the amateur moves along the amateur plate surface due to external impact or the like, the movement of the amateur can be regulated by the contact of the regulating projections with the opposing position regulating surfaces. it can. Further, since the restricting protrusion protrudes in the width direction of the amateur, the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the amateur in the micro relay does not increase. Moreover, the restriction protrusions are provided at each corner of the amateur, and the position of the amateur is restricted at a position away from the fulcrum of the amateur, so that the position of the amateur is small in the vicinity of the fulcrum of the amateur. The movement of the amateur can be stopped by force. As a result, the stress generated on the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface at the time of contact between the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface can be reduced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frame-shaped frame, a rectangular plate-like amateur disposed inside the frame, a drive device for causing the armature to perform a seesaw operation in the thickness direction with an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the amateur as a fulcrum, and an amateur A contact device that opens and closes in accordance with the seesaw movement of the armature, and the frame contacts the part of the armature when the armature is displaced in a plane along the surface of the armature on the inner peripheral surface, thereby positioning the armature. It has a position-regulating surface that regulates, and the amateur projects in the longitudinal direction of the amateur at each corner and faces the position-regulating surface in a plane along the surface of the amateur, thereby restricting the movement of the amateur together with the position-regulating surface. It is characterized by having a restricting projection.

  According to this configuration, even if the amateur moves along the amateur plate surface due to external impact or the like, the movement of the amateur can be regulated by the contact of the regulating projections with the opposing position regulating surfaces. it can. Further, since the restricting protrusion protrudes in the longitudinal direction of the amateur, the dimension in the width direction of the amateur in the micro relay does not increase. Moreover, the restriction protrusions are provided at each corner of the amateur, and the position of the amateur is restricted at a position away from the fulcrum of the amateur, so that the position of the amateur is small in the vicinity of the fulcrum of the amateur. The movement of the amateur can be stopped by force. As a result, the stress generated on the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface at the time of contact between the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface can be reduced.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the pair of position restricting surfaces aligned in the width direction of the armature approach each other as they move away from the fulcrum of the seesaw operation of the armature in the longitudinal direction of the armature. The restriction protrusion is formed in a shape in which a portion facing the position restriction surface has a cross section along the plate surface of the armature as a part of an arc.

  According to this configuration, at the time of contact between the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface, the corner portion whose cross section is a part of the circular arc at the restriction protrusion is in point contact with the tapered position restriction surface. It is possible to prevent chipping at the time of contact in terms of regulation.

  In the present invention, even if the amateur moves along the amateur plate surface due to an external impact or the like, the movement of the amateur can be regulated by the contact of the regulating projections with the opposing position regulating surfaces. Moreover, the restriction protrusions are provided at each corner of the amateur, and the position of the amateur is restricted at a position away from the fulcrum of the amateur, so that the position of the amateur is small in the vicinity of the fulcrum of the amateur. The movement of the amateur can be stopped by force. As a result, the stress generated on the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface at the time of contact between the restriction protrusion and the position restriction surface can be reduced.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the microrelay of this embodiment includes a rectangular parallelepiped case A that has a rectangular parallelepiped case A and is housed in the case A and performs a seesaw operation around a specified fulcrum. The armature block 3, and a contact device that includes a fixed contact 14 provided at a fixed position of the case A and a movable contact 39 provided at an end of the armature 30 and opens and closes according to the seesaw operation of the armature 30. Further, in the present embodiment, an electromagnetically driven microrelay using an electromagnet as a driving device for operating the amateur 30 in a seesaw manner is shown, and an electromagnet in which two coils 22 are wound around a U-shaped yoke 20 opened upward. The device 2 is fixed to the case A.

  The case A includes a rectangular plate-shaped body 1, a rectangular frame 31 that is a part of the armature block 3 and surrounds the entire circumference of the amateur 30, and the body 1 that is stacked on the body 1 via the frame 31. It is formed by the cover 4 which forms a space in which the amateur 30 performs a seesaw operation. Further, in order to secure a space for the amateur 30 to perform a seesaw operation, the cover 4 is formed with an operation recess 40 (see FIG. 8) on substantially the entire surface facing the body. The body 1 and the cover 4 are formed using heat-resistant glass such as Pyrex (registered trademark), and the amateur block 3 is formed using a semiconductor substrate made of single crystal silicon. Accordingly, the metal thin film 15, 38 a, 38 b, 43 (see FIGS. 1, 6, and 8) is formed on the opposing surfaces of the body 1, the frame 31, and the cover 4, respectively. 38a, 38b and 43 are bonded together by bonding. The bonding metal thin films 15, 38a, 38b, and 43 will be described later. The body 1, the frame 31, and the cover 4 are formed in a rectangular shape having substantially the same outer peripheral shape, and are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by being joined to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the body 1 has a cross shape in plan view and has a storage hole 16 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the body 1 in the center, and is a through hole that opens in a circular shape and penetrates in the thickness direction of the body 1. 10 at each of the four corners. In addition, circular lands 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) are formed on the periphery of the opening of the through hole 10 on both surfaces in the thickness direction of the body 1. Two lands 12 formed on both surfaces of the body 1 in the thickness direction of one through hole 10 are electrically connected via a conductive layer deposited on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 10. On the surface that does not face the cover 4 in the thickness direction of the body 1, the bump 13 is fixed to each land 12, and the opening of the through hole 10 is blocked by the bump 13. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of one surface facing the cover 4 in the thickness direction of the body 1, each pair extended in the longitudinal direction of the body 1 in a portion between each pair of through holes 10 aligned in the width direction of the body 1. The fixed contact 14 is formed. Each land 12 is connected to one end in the longitudinal direction of each fixed contact 14 via a conductive pattern 18, and each bump 13 is connected to each fixed contact 14 on a one-to-one basis. Further, on this one surface of the body 1, the opening surface of the through hole 10 is closed by a silicon thin plate 19 that covers the land 12. Here, the conductive material forming the conductive layer deposited on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 10 and the land 12, the fixed contact 14, and the conductive pattern 18 are, for example, Cu, Cr, Ti, Pt, Co, Ni , Au, or an alloy thereof. The conductive material forming the bumps 13 is selected from, for example, Au, Ag, Cu, and solder.

  The through hole 10 and the storage hole 16 are formed by a method selected from, for example, a sand blasting method and an etching method, and the conductive layer is formed by a method selected from, for example, a plating method, a vapor deposition method, and a sputtering method. .

  Incidentally, a cover plate 17 made of a thin silicon plate and closing the accommodation hole 16 is fixed to one surface facing the cover 4 in the thickness direction of the body 1. A space surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the storage hole 16 and the cover plate 17 is a storage chamber for storing the electromagnet device 2. After the electromagnet device 2 is stored in the storage chamber, the storage chamber is filled with resin by potting or the like. The electromagnet device 2 is protected and fixed. As the resin filled in the storage hole 16, it is desirable to use a silicon resin that has elasticity even after curing. The inner peripheral surface of the storage hole 16 is formed in a tapered shape that increases the opening area from one opening surface closed by the cover plate 17 toward the other opening surface, and one opening closed by the cover plate 17. Although the opening area of the surface is relatively small, the insertion operation of the electromagnet device 2 from the other opening surface is facilitated. That is, since it is necessary to form the fixed contact 14 and the conductive pattern 18 in addition to the land 12 on the one opening surface around the storage hole 16, the smaller the opening area of the storage hole 16, the fixed contact 14 and the conductive pattern 18. Can be afforded, resulting in miniaturization.

  As the cover plates 17 and 19, a silicon thin plate formed by thinning a silicon substrate by etching or polishing is used, and the thickness dimension is set to 20 μm, for example. Note that the thickness dimension of the lid plate 17 is not limited to 20 μm, and is appropriately set within a range of about 5 μm to 50 μm. Further, as the cover plates 17 and 19, a glass thin plate formed by thinning a glass substrate by etching or polishing instead of the silicon thin plate may be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the electromagnet device 2 has a U-shape in which leg pieces 20 b are extended at both ends in the longitudinal direction of a rectangular plate-shaped coil winding piece 20 a around which two coils 22 are wound. The yoke 20 is provided. The coil winding piece 20a and the leg piece 20b are formed in a rectangular cross section. Each coil 22 is wound directly on each end in the longitudinal direction of the coil winding piece 20a without using a coil bobbin. Further, a rectangular parallelepiped permanent magnet 21 is disposed between the coils 22 in the central portion of the coil winding piece 20a in the longitudinal direction. Each coil 22 is restricted from moving in the longitudinal direction of the coil winding piece 20 a by the permanent magnet 21 and the leg piece 20 b of the yoke 20.

  The permanent magnet 21 is magnetized in the vertical direction in FIG. 4, and the lower magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 21 is magnetically coupled to the coil winding piece 20a. The upper end surface of the permanent magnet 21 is equal in height to the upper end surface of the leg piece 20b, and the electromagnet device 2 is accommodated in the storage chamber (the upper chamber of the leg piece 20b in contact with the lid plate 17). When stored in the storage hole 16), one end surface (the upper end surface in FIG. 4) of the permanent magnet 21 also comes into contact with the lid plate 17.

  A connection board 23 made of a printed circuit board is disposed on the opposite side of the permanent magnet 21 via the coil winding piece 20a, and the connection board 23 is fixed to the coil winding piece 20a. The connection substrate 23 has a rectangular plate shape, and the longitudinal direction of the connection substrate 23 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the coil winding piece 20a. As shown in FIG. 5, the connection base 23 is formed by forming independent conductor patterns 23b at both ends in the longitudinal direction on one surface of the insulating substrate 23a. The circuit is connected, and the end of the coil 22 is connected to the rectangular portion. A bump 24 made of a material selected from Au, Ag, Cu, and solder is fixed to a portion to which an external circuit is connected.

  The two coils 22 described above are connected to a rectangular portion of the conductor pattern 23b provided on the connection substrate 23 and connected in series or in parallel. In other words, if one of the two coils 22 is energized, the other is also energized, and the two coils 22 are connected so that the tip surfaces of both leg pieces 20b of the yoke 20 are excited to have different polarities. Therefore, the magnetic flux generated in one coil 22 is the same as the magnetic flux generated in the permanent magnet 21, and the magnetic flux generated in the other coil 22 is reversed. The magnetic flux density increases around, and the magnetic flux density decreases around the tip surface of the other leg piece 20b. In which leg piece 20b the magnetic flux density is increased is selected according to the direction of the current flowing through the coil 22.

  In the above example, the bumps 24 are fixed to the conductor pattern 23b of the connection substrate 23. However, electrode pads for connecting bonding wires may be provided in place of the bumps 24. The yoke 20 is formed by bending a soft magnetic material plate such as electromagnetic soft iron, casting a soft magnetic material, or pressing.

  The amateur block 3 is formed by processing a semiconductor substrate made of a single crystal silicon substrate by a semiconductor microfabrication technique. As shown in FIG. 6, a rectangular plate is formed inside a rectangular frame 31. A shaped amateur 30 is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the amateur 30 has an armature plate 30 b made of a magnetic material that generates a magnetic force with the electromagnet device 2 on one surface facing the lid 17 in the thickness direction of the armature 30. Are stacked. The armature plate 30b constitutes a driving device that causes the armature 30 to perform a seesaw operation together with the electromagnet device 2. The material of the armature plate 30b is Fe, Co, Ni, an alloy thereof, or a material obtained by adding a small amount of Si, Mo, V, or the like to these materials, for example, soft iron, electromagnetic stainless steel, permalloy, 42 alloy, It is selected from permendur. The armature plate 30b can be formed by etching or plating in addition to machining. The frame 31 and the amateur 30 are integrally connected by four support springs 32. The support spring 32 will be described later.

  The amateur 30 has projecting pieces 33 and 36 projecting sideways at both ends of each side edge along the longitudinal direction and at an intermediate part of each side edge. Each protruding piece 33 is provided with a tapered truncated pyramid-shaped stopper projection 33a on the surface facing the cover plate 17, and each protruding piece 36 is tapered on the surface facing the cover plate 17. A truncated pyramid-shaped fulcrum projection 36b is provided. The tip of the fulcrum protrusion 36b always abuts against the lid plate 17 and has a function of defining a fulcrum when the armature 30 performs a seesaw operation. Further, the tip of the stopper projection 33a has a function of restricting the movement range of the amateur 30 when the tip contacts the body 1 when the armature 30 performs a seesaw operation. The stopper projection 33a and the fulcrum projection 36b are not limited to a quadrangular frustum shape, but may be a quadrangular prism shape.

  Each support spring 32 has one end continuous on both sides of the projecting piece 36 at each side edge along the longitudinal direction of the armature 30, and the other end of the support spring 32 at a position spaced apart from the one end in the width direction of the armature 30. Consecutive to. Here, each support spring 32 is formed in a meandering shape that reciprocates in the width direction of the armature 30 in substantially the same plane as the armature 30. With this configuration, the support spring 32 supports the armature 30 at an equilibrium position that is an intermediate position within a range in which the armature 30 can be moved by the seesaw operation, that is, a position where the armature 30 and the lid plate 17 are parallel. The support spring 32 causes the armature 30 to have a return force that returns to the equilibrium position by being torsionally deformed when the armature 30 moves around the fulcrum described above and tilts from the equilibrium position. Further, since the length dimension is secured by forming the support spring 32 in a meandering shape, the stress generated in the support spring 32 when the amateur 30 performs a seesaw operation can be dispersed, and the support spring 32 can be damaged. Can be prevented.

  As described above, since the armature 30 performs a seesaw operation in a state where the frame 31 is coupled to the body 1 and the tip of the fulcrum protrusion 36b is in contact with the lid plate 17, the armature 30 is thinner than the frame 31. The thickness of the armature 30 is such that the armature 30 can perform a seesaw operation between the armature plate 30b provided on the armature 30 and the cover plate 17 in a state where the armature block 3 and the body 1 are fixed. Is set to be formed.

  By the way, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, four restricting protrusions 41 are provided that protrude in the width direction of the armature 30 from each corner of the armature 30. Here, in each corner of the amateur 30, the portion where the stopper protrusion 33 a is formed on the surface facing the cover plate 17 is the protrusion 33 as described above, and each regulation protrusion 41 corresponds to each protrusion 33. It is formed in a shape protruding from the tip surface. On the other hand, on the inner peripheral surface of the frame 31, a position restricting surface 42 is provided at a portion facing each restricting protrusion 41. Each position regulating surface 42 is formed so as to face two surfaces, that is, the tip surface of each regulating projection 41 and the side surface opposite to the fulcrum projection 36 b in the longitudinal direction of the armature 30.

  Here, the restricting protrusion 41 and the position restricting surface 42 are clearances that allow the armature 30 to move to such an extent that the support spring 32 is not damaged in a plane along the plate surface of the armature 30 so as not to hinder the seesaw operation of the armature 30. And the maximum amount of movement of the amateur 30 in the plane along the plate surface of the amateur 30 is regulated so that the support spring 32 is not damaged. In this configuration, even if an impact or the like is applied to the micro relay from the outside, the movement of the armature 30 in the plane along the plate surface of the armature 30 is such that the support protrusion 32 abuts on the position control surface 42 and the support spring 32 is elastic. It is limited to the extent that the limit is not exceeded.

  Furthermore, it is desirable to employ a configuration as shown in FIG. 7 described below for the restricting protrusion 41 and the position restricting surface 42. In FIG. 7, the pair of position restricting surfaces 42 arranged in the width direction of the amateur 30 are formed in a tapered shape that approaches each other as the distance from the fulcrum protrusion 36 b increases in the longitudinal direction of the amateur 30. On the other hand, the corner of the restricting protrusion 41 facing the position restricting surface 42 is formed such that the cross section along the plate surface of the armature 30 is a part of the arc. In the restricting protrusion 41 and the position restricting surface 42 shown in FIG. 7, even if the amateur 30 moves in any direction within the plane along the plate surface of the armature 30, the restricting protrusion 41 is formed so that the cross section is a part of an arc. The movement of the armature 30 is restricted by the point contact between the formed corner and the tapered position restricting surface 42. Thus, by making the contact between the restricting projection 41 and the position restricting surface 42 a point contact, it is possible to prevent the restriction protrusion 41 and the position restricting surface 42 from being chipped at the time of contact.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the projecting pieces 37 project from the frame 31 continuously and integrally on the inner peripheral surface of the frame 31 and opposed to the tip edges of the projecting pieces 36 projecting from the side edges of the armature 30. It is installed. Here, it is conceivable to provide the restricting projection 41 and the position restricting surface 42 on the front end surfaces of the projecting pieces 36 and 37. However, as described above, it is preferable to provide the restricting projection 41 at each corner of the amateur 30. Since the position of the amateur 30 is regulated at a position away from the fulcrum of the arm 30, even if the armature 30 moves so as to rotate within a plane along the plate surface of the armature 30, it is relatively small in this embodiment. The movement of the amateur 30 can be stopped by force. In short, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the restriction projection 41 and the position when the restriction projection 41 and the position restriction surface 42 are in contact with each other, as compared with the configuration in which the restriction projection 41 and the position restriction surface 42 are provided on the tip surfaces of both the protrusions 36 and 37. The stress generated on the regulation surface 42 can be kept small.

  The amateur block 3 is provided with a contact base 34 between the amateur 30 and the frame 31 in the longitudinal direction of the amateur 30. The surface of each contact base 34 facing the body 1 (the lower surface in FIG. 2) protrudes below the lower surface of the armature 30, and a movable contact 39 made of a conductive material is fixed to the lower surface of each contact base 34. Is done. The total dimension of the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) of the contact base 34 and the thickness dimension of the movable contact 39 is such that the distance between the movable contact 39 and the fixed contact 14 maintains a desired insulation distance when the contact device is opened. Set to

  Each contact base 34 is connected to the amateur 30 through two contact pressure springs 35. That is, one end of each contact pressure spring 35 is integrally connected to each side edge of one contact base 34, and the other end of each contact pressure spring 35 continuous to one contact base 34 is in the longitudinal direction of the armature 30. Each of the end portions of the end edge continues integrally. As described above, since the projecting pieces 33 protrude from the four corners of the armature 30, the contact pressure spring 35 protrudes from the end edge of the projecting piece 33. Here, in the longitudinal direction of the armature 30, the contact base 34 is juxtaposed with the armature 30, and as a result, is farther from the fulcrum protrusion 36 b than the edge of the armature plate 30 b. That is, when the armature 30 performs a seesaw operation by receiving the magnetic force from the electromagnet device 2, the moving amount of the contact base 34 becomes larger than the longitudinal end portion of the armature 30. Further, in the longitudinal direction of the armature 30, the stopper projection 33 a is located between the fulcrum projection 36 b and the contact base 34. Therefore, when the amateur 30 performs a seesaw operation, the movement amount of the contact base 34 is larger than the movement amount of the stopper protrusion 33a. That is, the movement of the armature 30 is regulated by the stopper projection 33a after the movable contact 39 fixed to the tip surface of the contact base 34 contacts the fixed contact 14.

  As is clear from the above description, among the elements constituting the amateur block 3, the frame 31, the armature 30, the support spring 32, the contact base 34, and the contact pressure spring 35 are formed from a semiconductor substrate by a semiconductor microfabrication technique. The As the semiconductor substrate, a silicon substrate having a thickness dimension of about 50 μm to 300 μm, preferably about 200 μm is used. The contact base 34 provided on the amateur block 3 is formed integrally with the amateur 30 by applying a semiconductor micromachining technique such as etching to the semiconductor substrate.

  Since the frame 31 of the amateur block 3 needs to be connected to the body 1 and the cover 4, in the frame 31 of the amateur block 3, the metal thin film 38 b for bonding is formed on the entire periphery of the peripheral portion of the surface facing the body 1. The bonding metal thin film 38a is formed over the entire periphery of the surface facing the cover 4. Further, a bonding metal thin film 15 to be bonded to the bonding metal thin film 38b is formed over the entire circumference of the peripheral surface of the body 1 facing the armature block 3, and the cover 4 facing the armature block 3 is formed. As shown in FIG. 8, a bonding metal thin film 43 to be bonded to the bonding metal thin film 38a is formed over the entire circumference. Therefore, the bonding metal thin film 38b and the bonding metal thin film 15 are bonded together, and the bonding metal thin film 38a and the bonding metal thin film 43 are bonded, so that the body 1, the armature block 3 and the cover 4 are pressed or bonded. Since the housing hole 16 and the through hole 10 can be closed by the cover plates 17 and 19, the armature 30 and the contact device can be surrounded by the body 1, the cover 4, and the frame 31. The space in which (the fixed contact 14 and the movable contact 39) is accommodated can be hermetically sealed. The material of the bonding metal thin films 15, 38a, 38b, and 43 is selected from Au, Al—Si, and Al—Cu.

  Next, the operation of the above-described micro relay will be described. Although the micro relay of this embodiment is provided with the two coils 22, since both the coils 22 are connected in series or in parallel, it is equivalent to the case where one coil is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the armature plate 30 b provided on the armature 30 is opposed to one magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 21 through the cover plate 17 in the central portion in the longitudinal direction, and the yoke 20 at both end portions in the longitudinal direction. It faces the front end surface of each leg piece 20b through the cover plate 17. When the coil 22 is energized, the magnetic flux generated by the coil 22 is in the same direction as the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnet 21 in one leg piece 20b of the yoke 20, and is generated by the permanent magnet 21 in the other leg piece 20b. Since the direction is opposite to the magnetic flux, an attractive force acts between the front end surface of the one leg piece 20b and the armature plate 30b, and the end portion of the armature plate 30b in the longitudinal direction of the one leg piece 20b. Suctioned to the tip surface. That is, the armature 30 tilts from the equilibrium position with the vicinity of a straight line connecting the tips of both fulcrum protrusions 36b as a fulcrum. At this time, the contact base 34 on one end side receiving the suction force from the leg piece 20b of the yoke 20 among the contact bases 34 provided at the portions corresponding to the respective ends in the longitudinal direction of the armature 30 is attached to the body 1. Since the movable contact 39 provided on the contact base 34 comes in contact with the pair of fixed contacts 14 facing each other, the fixed contacts 14 are short-circuited by the movable contact 39.

  When the movable contact 39 comes into contact with the fixed contact 14, the tip of the stopper projection 33 a does not contact the body 1, and the contact pressure spring 35 is bent by further tilting the armature 30, and the movable contact 39 and the fixed contact 14 are In the meantime, a contact pressure corresponding to the amount of overtravel (the amount of movement of the armature 30 after the movable contact 39 contacts the fixed contact 14) is generated. Thereafter, the tip of the stopper projection 33a abuts on the body 1 (the cover plate 19), and the movement of the armature 30 is restricted. Even if energization of the coil 22 is stopped in this state, the armature plate 30b is kept attracted to the leg piece 20b by the permanent magnet 21, and the state where the movable contact 39 is in contact with the fixed contact 14 is maintained. .

  In order to open one movable contact 39 in the longitudinal direction of the amateur 30 from the corresponding fixed contact 14, a current in a direction opposite to the above-described direction is applied to the coil 22. If the direction of the current applied to the coil 22 is reversed, the magnetic flux generated by the coil 22 is in the same direction as the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnet 21 in the other leg piece 20b of the yoke 20. The armature plate 30b is attracted to 20b, and the movable contact 39 provided on the contact base 34 corresponding to the other end of the armature 30 in the longitudinal direction comes into contact with the pair of fixed contacts 14 facing each other. Also in this case, contact pressure is generated by the contact pressure spring 35, and the movement of the armature 30 is restricted by the stopper projection 33a. Also, the present embodiment operates bistable, and even at this position, the armature plate 30b is kept attracted to the other leg piece 20b by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 21, and the movable contact 39 is a fixed contact. 14 is maintained.

  Further, the contact pressure spring 35 not only generates a contact pressure between the movable contact 39 and the fixed contact 14 as described above, but also when the thickness dimension of the paired fixed contact 14 is not uniform. By tilting the contact base 34 formed with the arm 30 with respect to the armature 30, the movable contact 39 also has a function of preventing contact with only one fixed contact 14.

  When mounting the above-described micro relay on a mounting board such as a printed circuit board, four bumps 13 at the four corners and two bumps 24 at the center exposed on the outer surface of the case A (body 1) May be connected to the conductor pattern formed on the mounting substrate. Alternatively, the case A is fixed to the mounting board with the tip surface of the cover 4 being in contact with the mounting board, and the bumps 13 and 24 exposed from the case A are connected to the mounting board by wire bonding. Is also possible.

  In the present embodiment, the body 1 and the cover 4 are each formed by processing a glass substrate, but one or both of the body 1 and the cover 4 may be formed by processing a silicon substrate. However, when the body 1 and the cover 4 are each formed of a glass substrate and the semiconductor substrate used for the amateur block 3 is a silicon substrate, the amateur block 3 and the body 1 and the cover 4 are hermetically coupled by anodic bonding. It is possible. The above-described microrelay can be manufactured by being divided into individual microrelays by a dicing process or the like after joining a wafer on which many amateur blocks 3 are formed and a wafer on which many covers 4 are formed.

(Embodiment 2)
In the microrelay of this embodiment, the configuration of the restricting protrusion 41 and the position restricting surface 42 is different from that of the first embodiment, and the configuration other than the restricting protrusion 41 and the position restricting surface 42 has been described in the first embodiment. It is the same as that.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the restricting protrusion 41 of the present embodiment protrudes from each corner of the amateur 30 in the longitudinal direction of the amateur 30. Since the protrusions 33 are formed at the corners of the amateur 30, the restricting protrusions 41 protrude from the protrusions 33. Each restricting protrusion 41 is set to have a protruding dimension such that the tip portion is farther from the fulcrum protrusion 36 b than the contact base 34 in the longitudinal direction of the amateur 30. On the other hand, on the inner peripheral surface of the frame 31, a position restricting surface 42 is provided at a portion facing each restricting protrusion 41. Each position restricting surface 42 is formed to face two surfaces, that is, the tip surface of each restricting protrusion 41 and the side surface opposite to the contact base 34 in the width direction of the armature 30. The restriction protrusion 41 and the position restriction surface 42 are opposed to each other through a gap in a plane along the plate surface of the amateur 30, and the maximum movement amount of the amateur 30 is restricted to the extent that the support spring 32 is not damaged. 1 has the same function.

  Also in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the position restricting surface 42 is formed in a tapered shape as in the configuration shown in FIG. 7, and the corners of the restricting protrusions 41 are along the plate surface of the armature 30. It is desirable to form such that the cross section becomes a part of the arc. By adopting this configuration, even if the armature 30 moves in any direction within the plane along the plate surface of the armature 30, a corner portion whose cross section is formed into a part of a circular arc in the regulation protrusion 41, The movement of the amateur 30 is regulated by point contact with the tapered position regulating surface 42.

  In the present embodiment, the contact pressure spring 35 connected to the contact base 34 protrudes from the tip of each regulation protrusion 41, and each regulation protrusion 41 is also used as a support part for the contact pressure spring 35. As a result, the base end portion of the contact pressure spring 35 (the connecting portion with the restricting protrusion 41) is located farther from the fulcrum protrusion 36b than the contact base 34 in the longitudinal direction of the armature 30, so that the paired fixed contact 14 When the thickness dimensions of the contact pressure springs 35 are uneven, it is possible to increase the amount of movement of the base end portion of the contact pressure spring 35 after the movable contact 39 contacts only one fixed contact 14 having a large thickness dimension. Therefore, even if the difference in thickness dimension between the pair of fixed contacts 14 is large, the movable contact 39 can be pushed in until the other fixed contact 14 having the smaller thickness dimension comes into contact with the movable contact 39. It leads to the effect that it can be made.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a structure same as the above. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the body and cover plate which are used for the same as the above. It is a side view which shows the relationship between the yoke used for the same as the above, a permanent magnet, and a cover plate. It is a perspective view same as the above. The amateur block used for the above is shown, (a) is a plan view and (b) is a bottom view. It is a top view of the principal part which shows the other structure of the amateur block used for the same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the cover used for the same as the above. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the amateur block used for Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view of the principal part which shows the other structure of the amateur block used for the same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

2 Electromagnet device 14 Fixed contact 30 Amateur 30b Armature plate 31 Frame 39 Movable contact 41 Restriction protrusion 42 Position restriction surface

Claims (3)

  A frame-shaped frame, a rectangular plate-like amateur placed inside the frame, a drive device that moves the amateur in the thickness direction using the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the amateur as a fulcrum, and a contact that opens and closes according to the amateur's see-saw operation The frame has a position regulating surface that regulates the position of the amateur by abutting against a part of the armature when the armature is displaced on the inner circumferential surface along the surface of the armature. However, the amateur has a regulation protrusion that regulates the movement of the amateur together with the position regulation surface by projecting in the width direction of the amateur at each corner and facing the position regulation surface in a plane along the plate surface of the amateur. Features micro relay.   A frame-shaped frame, a rectangular plate-like amateur placed inside the frame, a drive device that moves the amateur in the thickness direction using the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the amateur as a fulcrum, and a contact that opens and closes according to the amateur's see-saw operation The frame has a position regulating surface that regulates the position of the amateur by abutting against a part of the armature when the armature is displaced on the inner circumferential surface along the surface of the armature. However, the amateur has a regulation protrusion that regulates the movement of the amateur together with the position regulation surface by projecting in the longitudinal direction of the amateur at each corner and facing the position regulation surface in a plane along the plate surface of the amateur. Features micro relay.   The pair of position restricting surfaces arranged in the width direction of the amateur are formed in a tapered shape that approaches each other as the distance from the fulcrum of the amateur seesaw operation increases in the longitudinal direction of the amateur, and the restricting protrusion has a portion facing the position restricting surface. The microrelay according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microrelay is formed in a shape in which a section along an amateur plate surface is a part of an arc.

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