JP2014099264A - Relay and manufacturing method of relay - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve encapsulation accuracy of an air-tight space in a relay where inert gas replacement within the air-tight space is performed using a pipe.SOLUTION: The relay comprises: a plurality of fixed terminals each including a fixed contact; a movable contactor including a plurality of movable contacts corresponding to the fixed contacts, respectively; a drive mechanism which moves the movable contactor for bringing the movable contactor into contact with the plurality of fixed terminals; an encapsulated container forming an air-tight space in which the movable contactor is accommodated, together with the plurality of fixed terminals; and a pipe mounted to the encapsulated container. The pipe includes an encapsulation part cutting off communication inside of and outside of the air-tight space, which is formed by crushing at least part of the pipe. The encapsulation part includes a folded portion which is folded over.

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay and a method for manufacturing the relay.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fixed contact, a movable contact having a pair of movable contacts, an iron core for moving the movable contact, an electromagnetic coil, and a movable shaft connected to the iron core are provided. A relay including a container that forms an airtight space in which an iron core and a movable shaft are accommodated is known. In this type of relay, there is one in which a pipe used for replacing a gas in an airtight space is provided in a container. When the gas replacement process in the airtight space is completed, the pipe is caulked to seal the airtight space.

JP 2005-183278 A

  However, as in the relay described in Patent Document 1, if the pipe is simply crimped, the bonding strength between the metals is weak, so that the sealing strength may not be sufficiently obtained. If the sealing strength is not sufficiently obtained, the airtight space cannot be maintained, which may increase the defective product rate and increase the manufacturing cost. Therefore, in a relay in which gas replacement in the airtight space is performed using a pipe, it is desired to improve the sealing accuracy of the airtight space.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can be realized as the following forms.

(1) According to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of fixed terminals each having a fixed contact; a movable contact having a plurality of movable contacts corresponding to each of the fixed contacts; and Provided is a relay comprising: a drive mechanism that moves the movable contact to contact a plurality of fixed terminals; and a sealing container that forms an airtight space in which the movable contact is accommodated together with the plurality of fixed terminals. Is done. The relay includes a pipe attached to the sealing container, the pipe having a sealing portion that blocks communication between the inside and the outside of the airtight space by being at least partially crushed; The portion has a folded portion that is folded. According to the relay in this form, the folded portion that is folded is formed in the sealing portion that blocks communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space. Therefore, since the pipe is folded and the metal is crimped, the stress can be concentrated at the bending position, and the amount of deformation of the metal can be increased. Therefore, since the metal bond in the sealing part of a pipe can be strengthened, sealing performance can be improved and the reliability of sealing in an airtight space can be improved.

(2) According to another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of fixed terminals each having a fixed contact; a movable contact having a plurality of movable contacts corresponding to each of the fixed contacts; and the movable contact A drive mechanism that moves the movable contact to contact the plurality of fixed terminals; a sealing container that forms an airtight space in which the movable contact is accommodated together with the plurality of fixed terminals; and the sealing And a pipe that is attached to a container and is used to supply and discharge gas inside and outside the hermetic space. The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a bending step of bending the pipe; and forming a sealing portion that blocks communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space by crushing at least a part of the pipe including the bent portion. And a sealing portion forming step. According to the relay manufacturing method of this aspect, the pipe is bent and at least a part of the pipe including the bent portion is crushed to form a sealing portion that blocks communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space. Therefore, since the pipe is folded and the metal is crimped, the stress can be concentrated at the bending position, and the amount of deformation of the metal can be increased. Therefore, since the metal bond in the sealing part of the pipe can be strengthened, the sealing performance can be improved, and a relay with high reliability for sealing the airtight space can be manufactured.

(3) The relay manufacturing method according to the above aspect further includes a pre-crushing step of crushing at least a part of the pipe prior to the bending step; and the bending step is crushed in the pre-crushing step. The part may be bent. According to the manufacturing method of the relay of this form, since it is crushed beforehand before a bending process, it can be bent easily. Therefore, manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

(4) The relay manufacturing method according to the above aspect may further include a welding step of welding the pipe to the sealed container. According to the manufacturing method of the relay of this form, since a pipe and a sealing container can be joined by welding, the pipe and sealing container joint strength can be improved. Therefore, the airtight performance of the airtight space can be improved. Moreover, according to the manufacturing method of the relay of this form, since sealing by the sealing material utilized for brazing, for example, becomes unnecessary, material cost and the number of processes can be reduced. Therefore, cost can be reduced and mass productivity can be improved.

(5) In the relay manufacturing method of the above aspect, the pipe and the member to which the pipe is attached may be made of the same kind of material. According to the relay manufacturing method of this embodiment, since the pipe and the member to which the pipe is attached are formed from the same kind of material, various joining methods such as brazing and welding can be used.

(6) In the relay manufacturing method of the above aspect, the material may be stainless steel. According to the relay manufacturing method of this aspect, since the pipe and the member to which the pipe is attached are formed of stainless steel, the pipe and the member to which the pipe is attached can be joined by welding. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to braze, the material cost and the number of processes can be reduced.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms other than the apparatus. For example, it can be realized in the form of a control method for a relay manufacturing method, a computer program for realizing the control method, a non-temporary recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, and the like.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the electric circuit 1 provided with the relay 5 in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the relay. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the relay. It is sectional drawing of the relay 5. FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of the relay 5. It is explanatory drawing explaining the airtight space. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of the relay 5 in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates typically the method for sealing of the ventilation pipe 69. FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the ventilation pipe 169 in 2nd Embodiment.

A. First embodiment:
A1. Relay configuration:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric circuit 1 including a relay 5 according to the first embodiment. The electric circuit 1 of the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle such as a hybrid car or an electric vehicle. The electric circuit 1 includes a DC power supply (storage battery) 2, a relay 5, a current conversion device 3, and a motor 4 as a load. The current conversion device 3 has a function as an inverter and a converter. When power is supplied from the DC power supply 2 to the motor 4 (when the DC power supply 2 is discharged), the AC current converted by the current conversion device 3 is supplied to the motor 4 to drive the motor 4. In addition, the DC current converted by the current converter 3 is stored in the DC power supply 2 when charging the DC power supply 2 with the energy regenerated by the motor 4. The relay 5 is provided between the DC power supply 2 and the current converter 3 and performs on / off control of energization of a large DC current (for example, several tens to several hundreds of amperes). For example, when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, the electrical connection between the DC power source 2 and the current converter 3 is interrupted by the relay 5.

  2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic configuration of the relay 5. 3A is an external perspective view of the relay main body 6, and FIG. 3B is an upper external view of the relay main body 6. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the relay 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the relay 5. In each figure, XYZ axes are shown to specify directions. In this specification, in order to explain the configuration of the relay 5 in an easy-to-understand manner, for the sake of convenience, the Z-axis positive direction (the movable contact 58 of the movable contact 50 described later is a direction approaching the fixed contact 18 of the fixed terminal 10). It is called the upward direction, and the Z-axis negative direction (the movable contact 58 of the movable contact 50 described later is the direction away from the fixed contact 18 of the fixed terminal 10) is called the downward direction. Depending on the installation mode of the relay 5, the direction corresponding to each axis may change.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the relay 5 includes a relay main body 6 and a pair of permanent magnets 800 disposed so as to sandwich the relay main body 6 (more specifically, a fixed contact 18 and a movable contact 58 described later). Is provided. The relay main body 6 is accommodated in a resin case 8. The case 8 includes an upper case 7 and a lower case 9.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the relay main body 6 includes a pair of fixed terminals 10, a movable contact 50, a drive mechanism 90, a first container 20, a joining member 30, a base portion 32, An iron core container 80. In the present specification, the joining member 30, the base portion 32, and the iron core container 80 are collectively referred to as a second container 92. In addition, the first container 20 and the second container 92 are collectively referred to as a sealed container.

  The fixed terminal 10 is a substantially cylindrical member having a bottom, and is formed of a conductive material (for example, a metal material containing copper). The fixed terminal 10 is disposed so that the central axis is in the Z-axis direction and the bottom is positioned on the lower side (Z-axis negative direction side). In the present embodiment, the direction connecting the central axes of the pair of fixed terminals 10 is the Y-axis direction. The fixed terminal 10 has a connection port 12 for connecting each wiring of the electric circuit 1 (FIG. 1). Hereinafter, of the pair of fixed terminals 10, the side into which current flows when the DC power supply 2 supplies the motor 4 (when power is supplied) is also referred to as a positive fixed terminal 10 W, and the side from which current flows out is minus. Also referred to as fixed terminal 10X. The fixed terminal 10 has the fixed contact part 19 arrange | positioned under the bottom part. The fixed contact portion 19 may be formed of the same material as the other portions of the fixed terminal 10, or is formed of a material having higher heat resistance (for example, tungsten) in order to more effectively suppress damage caused by the arc. It may be. A fixed contact 18 is formed on an end face (lower end face) of the fixed contact portion 19 on the side facing the movable contact 50. On the upper side (Z-axis positive direction side) of the fixed terminal 10, a flange portion 13 is formed that extends radially outward from the substantially cylindrical main body portion.

  The first container 20 is a box-shaped member having a bottom, and is a member having excellent heat resistance formed of an insulating material (for example, ceramic such as alumina or zirconia). More specifically, the first container 20 includes a bottom part 24 positioned on the upper side and a side part 22 that forms a side surface (a surface substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction) of the first container 20. The side (namely, lower side) facing the bottom 24 in the first container 20 is open. Two through holes 26 into which the two fixed terminals 10 are inserted are formed in the bottom 24 of the first container 20. In a state where the fixed terminal 10 is inserted into the through hole 26 of the first container 20, the flange portion 13 of each fixed terminal 10 is airtightly bonded to the outer surface (upper surface) of the bottom 24 of the first container 20. Has been. More specifically, the fixed terminal 10 is joined to the first container 20 with the following configuration. A diaphragm portion 17 for suppressing breakage of the joint portion between the fixed terminal 10 and the first container 20 is formed in a portion of the flange portion 13 of the fixed terminal 10 facing the bottom portion 24 of the first container 20. Yes. Diaphragm part 17 relieves the stress of the joined portion caused by the difference in thermal expansion due to the difference in material between fixed terminal 10 and first container 20. The diaphragm portion 17 has a cylindrical shape whose inner diameter is larger than that of the through hole 26, and is formed of an alloy such as Kovar. The diaphragm portion 17 is joined to the flange portion 13 of the fixed terminal 10 by brazing (for example, silver brazing). The diaphragm portion 17 is joined to the bottom portion 24 of the first container 20 by brazing. The diaphragm portion 17 and the fixed terminal 10 may be an integral member.

  The joining member 30 is a substantially annular member having openings at the lower end and the upper end, and is formed of, for example, a metal material. The base portion 32 is a substantially rectangular member, and is formed of a metal magnetic material such as iron or stainless steel, for example. A through hole 32 h into which a rod 60 described later is inserted is formed at the approximate center of the base portion 32. The upper end portion (edge portion around the opening) of the joining member 30 is airtightly joined to the lower end portion (edge portion around the opening) of the first container 20 by brazing. The lower end portion of the joining member 30 is airtightly joined to the base portion 32 by laser welding or the like. Note that a part of the side surface of the joining member 30 is bent in the Y-axis direction in the direction from the lower side to the upper side (Z-axis positive direction). By doing so, the joining member 30 as a whole can be easily elastically deformed along the Z-axis direction, and the stress generated by the thermal expansion difference between the joining member 30 and the first container 20 is relieved.

  The iron core container 80 is a non-magnetic material. The iron core container 80 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The iron core container 80 includes a circular bottom surface portion 80a, a cylindrical tube portion 80b extending upward from the outer edge of the bottom surface portion 80a, and a flange portion 80c extending outward from the upper end of the tube portion 80b. The flange part 80c is airtightly joined to the peripheral part of the through hole 32h of the base part 32 by laser welding or the like over the entire circumference.

  In this way, the above-described members (the fixed terminal 10, the first container 20, the joining member 30, the base portion 32, and the iron core container 80) are joined to each other in an airtight manner, thereby being fixed inside the relay main body 6. An airtight space 100 in which the fixed contact portion 19 (fixed contact 18) of the terminal 10 and the movable contact 50 are accommodated is formed. In the airtight space 100, for example, hydrogen or a gas mainly composed of hydrogen is sealed at an atmospheric pressure or higher (for example, 2 atm) in order to suppress heat generation of the fixed contact portion 19 and the movable contact 50 due to generation of an arc. . That is, after joining the above-described members (the fixed terminal 10, the first container 20, the joining member 30, the base portion 32, and the iron core container 80), the ventilation pipe 69 that connects the inside and the outside of the airtight space 100 is provided. Then, the inside of the airtight space 100 is evacuated, and thereafter, gas such as hydrogen is sealed in the airtight space 100 through the ventilation pipe 69 until a predetermined pressure is reached. After the gas such as hydrogen is sealed at a predetermined pressure, the ventilation pipe 69 is folded and crushed so that the gas such as hydrogen does not leak out from the airtight space 100.

  In the first embodiment, the ventilation pipe 69 is made of the same material as the member (the base portion 32 in the first embodiment) to which the ventilation pipe 69 is attached. Here, the same kind of material means that the main components are equal. For example, both stainless steel and iron are the same kind of material containing iron. In the first embodiment, the base portion 32 is iron, and the ventilation pipe 69 is stainless steel. In general, iron is superior in magnetic properties to stainless steel, and thus the base portion 32 can be formed thinner. By using the same kind of material as the base portion 32 as the ventilation pipe 69, the ventilation pipe 69 and the base portion 32 can be joined by welding. The ventilation pipe 69 and the base part 32 may be joined via a pipe flange part 67 by, for example, laser welding or the like. The pipe flange portion 67 is formed of the same material as the ventilation pipe 69 and the base portion 32. By connecting the ventilation pipe 69 and the base portion 32 via the pipe flange portion 67, the reliability of airtightness between components is improved. Moreover, the pipe flange part 67 and the ventilation pipe 69 may be formed integrally. When the pipe flange portion 67 and the ventilation pipe 69 are integrally formed, for example, when the ventilation pipe 69 is manufactured, a part of the ventilation pipe 69 may be processed to form the pipe flange portion 67.

  By using welding joint for joining the ventilation pipe 69 and the base part 32, the ventilation pipe 69 and the base part 32 can be easily joined, and the sealing performance and durability between the ventilation pipe 69 and the base part 32 are improved. There is an advantage that you can. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to brazing. However, when stainless steel is used as the material of the ventilation pipe 69, sealing performance cannot be ensured only by crimping the ventilation pipe 69 by conventional crimping, and the airtightness of the airtight space 100 may be reduced.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the ventilation pipe 69 has a sealing portion 69 b that blocks communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space 100 by being at least partially crushed. The sealing portion 69b has a folded portion 69c that is folded. That is, the tip 69a of the ventilation pipe 69 has a hollow cylindrical shape having a certain diameter before the gas supply / discharge in the airtight space 100 described above, and is folded and crushed after the gas supply / discharge in the airtight space 100. The As a result, the sealing portion 69b is formed. As described above, at least a part of the ventilation pipe 69 is folded and crushed, and the metals constituting the ventilation pipe 69 are pressure-bonded to each other, whereby stress is concentrated at the folding position and the amount of deformation of the metal is increased. As a result, the metal constituting the ventilation pipe 69 has a strong metal bond, and a highly reliable hermetic sealing can be performed. In addition, the sealing part 69b of the ventilation pipe 69 is crushed in advance before being folded after the gas supply / discharge in the airtight space 100, and the crushed portion is folded and further crushed. The step of being crushed in advance may be omitted.

  In this specification, “folded” means that the pipes overlap with each other with the folded portion 69c interposed therebetween. In other words, the pipe 69d and the pipe 69e divided with the folded portion 69c interposed therebetween. Both mean that they are located above the folded portion 69c (on the base portion 32 side).

  Next, the movable contact 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the movable contact 50 is accommodated in the airtight space 100. The movable contact 50 includes a central portion 52, an extending portion 54, and a movable contact portion 56. The movable contact portion 56 is a portion facing the fixed contact portion 19. A movable contact 58 is formed on the outer surface of the movable contact portion 56. The central portion 52 is located between the extending portions 54. In addition, the shape of the center part 52 is not specifically limited, For example, it can be set as flat form or rod shape. A through hole 53 is formed in the central portion 52. The extending portion 54 is located between the central portion 52 and the movable contact portion 56 and extends in the moving direction (vertical direction) of the movable contact 50. In the present embodiment, the extending portion 54 is connected to the movable contact portion 56 and the central portion 52.

  The movable contact 50 moves so as to contact and separate (contact and separate) from each fixed contact 18 by the action of a drive mechanism described later. That is, the movable contact 50 can be moved in the vertical direction by a drive mechanism described later, and electrically connects the pair of fixed terminals 10 by contacting the pair of fixed terminals 10. The movable contact 50 is disposed to face the two fixed terminals 10. The movable contact 50 is a member having conductivity, and is made of, for example, a metal material containing copper. In this embodiment, when current is supplied from the DC power source 2 to the motor 4 (FIG. 1), the contacts 18 and 58 are in contact with each other (FIG. 6A shows a state in which the contacts 18 and 58 are not in contact with each other. The current flows through the movable contact 50 in the direction from the positive fixed terminal 10W toward the negative fixed terminal 10X. Each fixed contact 18 and each movable contact 58 that contacts each fixed contact 18 are accommodated inside the first container 20 in the airtight space 100.

  The movable contact 58 is accommodated inside the first container 20 in the hermetic space 100 in a state of being farthest from the fixed contact 18. That is, the movable contact 58 is always located inside the first container 20 regardless of the movement (displacement) of the movable contact 50.

  Next, the drive mechanism 90 will be described with reference to FIG. The drive mechanism 90 includes a rod 60, a base portion 32, a fixed iron core 70, a movable iron core 72, an iron core container 80, a coil 44, a coil bobbin 42, a coil container 40, and a first elastic member. Spring 62 and a second spring 64 as an elastic member. The drive mechanism 90 moves the movable contact 50 in a direction (vertical direction, Z-axis direction) in which the movable contact 58 and the fixed contact 18 face each other in order to bring each movable contact 58 into contact with each fixed contact 18. Specifically, the drive mechanism 90 moves the movable contact 50 to bring each movable contact 58 into contact with each fixed contact 18 or to move each movable contact 58 away from each fixed contact 18. That is, the drive mechanism 90 sets the relay 5 to either the conductive state or the non-conductive state.

  The coil 44 is wound around a hollow cylindrical resin coil bobbin 42. The coil container 40 is a magnetic body, and is formed of a metal magnetic material such as iron, for example. The coil container 40 has a concave shape. The coil container 40 accommodates the coil bobbin 42 inside. The coil container 40 encloses the coil 44 and passes a magnetic flux, and forms a magnetic circuit together with the base portion 32, the fixed iron core 70, the movable iron core 72, and the guide portion 82.

  The iron core container 80 contains a disk-shaped rubber 86 on the bottom surface portion 80a. A cylindrical guide portion 82 is disposed between the lower end side of the cylindrical portion 80 b and the coil container 40 and the coil bobbin 42. The guide part 82 is a magnetic body and is formed of a metal magnetic material such as iron, for example. By having the guide portion 82, the magnetic force generated when the coil 44 is energized can be efficiently transmitted to the movable iron core 72.

  The fixed iron core 70 has a cylindrical shape and has a through-hole 70h formed from the upper end to the lower end. A part of the fixed iron core 70 is accommodated inside the iron core container 80. The upper end of the fixed iron core 70 is disposed so as to protrude on the base portion 32.

  The movable iron core 72 has a cylindrical shape, and a through hole 72h is formed from the upper end to the lower end. The movable iron core 72 is accommodated on the bottom surface portion 80 a of the iron core container 80 via a rubber 86. The upper end surface of the movable iron core 72 is disposed so as to face the lower end surface of the fixed iron core 70. When the coil 44 is energized, the movable iron core 72 is attracted to the fixed iron core 70 and moves upward.

  The second spring 64 is inserted through the through hole 70 h of the fixed iron core 70 and the through hole 72 h of the movable iron core 72. The second spring 64 biases the movable core 72 in a direction (Z-axis negative direction, downward direction) in which the movable core 72 is separated from the fixed core 70.

  The first spring 62 is disposed between the movable contact 50 and the fixed iron core 70. The first spring 62 urges the movable contact 50 in the direction in which the movable contact 58 and the fixed contact 18 approach (Z-axis positive direction, upward direction).

  The rod 60 is a nonmagnetic material. The rod 60 has a cylindrical shaft portion 60a, a disc-shaped one end portion 60b provided at one end of the shaft portion 60a, and an arc-shaped other end portion 60c provided at the other end of the shaft portion 60a. The shaft portion 60a is inserted through the through-hole 53 of the movable contact 50 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (moving direction of the movable contact 50). The one end portion 60b is disposed on the surface of the central portion 52 opposite to the surface on which the first spring 62 is disposed in a state where no current is passed through the coil 44. The one end portion 60b restricts the movable contact 50 from moving toward the fixed terminal 10 by the second spring 64 when the drive mechanism 90 is not driven (non-energized state). Since the other end 60c is disposed in the recess 72a and welded to the bottom surface of the recess 72a, the rod 60 can be interlocked with the movement of the movable iron core 72 when the drive mechanism 90 is driven. The rod 60 corresponds to the “movable shaft” in the claims.

  Next, the operation of the relay 5 will be described with reference to FIG. When the coil 44 is energized, the movable iron core 72 is attracted to the fixed iron core 70. That is, the movable iron core 72 approaches the fixed iron core 70 against the urging force of the second spring 64 and comes into contact with the fixed iron core 70. When the movable iron core 72 moves upward, the rod 60 also moves upward. Thereby, the one end part 60b of the rod 60 also moves upward. As a result, the restriction on the movement of the movable contact 50 is released, and the movable contact 50 moves upward (in the direction approaching the fixed contact 18) by the biasing force of the first spring 62. Thereby, each fixed contact 18 and each corresponding movable contact 58 come into contact, and the two fixed terminals 10 are conducted through the movable contact 50 (conducting state of the relay 5).

  On the other hand, when the energization of the coil 44 is interrupted, the movable iron core 72 moves downward so as to be separated from the fixed iron core 70 mainly by the urging force of the second spring 64. Accordingly, the movable contact 50 is pushed downward (in a direction away from the fixed contact 18) by being pushed by the one end 60b of the rod 60. Therefore, each movable contact 58 is separated from each fixed contact 18, and conduction between the two fixed terminals 10 is interrupted (non-conducting state of the relay 5).

  As described above, when the coil 44 is energized, the movable contact 50 moves to conduct between the two fixed terminals 10. When the coil 44 is de-energized, the movable contact 50 returns to the original position. The two fixed terminals 10 are non-conductive. Here, when the movable contact 58 moves away from the fixed contact 18, an arc may occur between the contacts 18 and 58. The generated arc is stretched in the Y-axis direction (the direction connecting the central axes of the fixed terminals 10) by the permanent magnet 800, and the arc extinction is promoted.

A2. Relay manufacturing method:
With reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the manufacturing method of the relay 5 is demonstrated. FIG. 7 is a process diagram showing a manufacturing process of the relay 5 in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a method for sealing the ventilation pipe 69.

  In step S10, the ventilation pipe 69 is joined to the metal portion of the sealed container (the first container 20 and the second container 92). In the first embodiment, an insertion hole for inserting the ventilation pipe 69 is formed in the base portion 32 in advance. The ventilation pipe 69 is inserted into the insertion hole, and the ventilation pipe 69 is joined to the base portion 32 by welding joint through a metal flange member. For welding joining, for example, laser welding may be used. The method for attaching the ventilation pipe 69 to the base portion 32 is not limited to welding and may be joined by, for example, brazing. At this time, the sealing portion 69 b is not formed in the ventilation pipe 69.

  Next, in step S12, the first container 20 and the second container 92 are assembled. In step S <b> 12, the first container 20 and the second container 92 are removed except for the open end of the vent pipe 69 joined to the base portion 32 of the second container 92 (the end located outside the sealed container). The fixed terminal 10 is assembled so that an airtight space 100 in which the movable contact 50 is accommodated is formed.

  In step S <b> 14, gas replacement in the airtight space 100 is performed via the ventilation pipe 69. Specifically, the inside of the airtight space 100 is evacuated through the ventilation pipe 69, and after evacuation, a gas such as hydrogen is sealed in the airtight space 100 until a predetermined pressure is reached. In addition to hydrogen, nitrogen gas or helium gas may be mixed. If nitrogen gas is mixed, the withstand voltage can be improved, and if helium gas is mixed, leak detection in the manufacturing process becomes easy. Here, the inside of the airtight space 100 is evacuated, and after evacuation, it is not immediately filled with hydrogen, but is filled with nitrogen gas or helium gas, then evacuated again, and then filled with hydrogen It is also good. By doing so, the oxygen partial pressure in the hermetic space can be reduced in a shorter time, leading to a reduction in the manufacturing process time.

  When the gas replacement in the airtight space 100 in step S14 is completed, the ventilation pipe 69 is sealed in step S16 in order to make the airtight space 100 airtight. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 8A, a pre-crushing step is performed in which a pressure is applied to the ventilation pipe 69 using a press machine 200 to crush at least a part of the ventilation pipe 69. Is called. Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, a folding process is performed in which a portion that has been flattened in the preliminary crushing process is folded back in the vicinity of the center of the crushed part that has been formed in advance. In the first embodiment, the ventilation pipe 69 is folded along the axis OD1 of the ventilation pipe 69 so that the pipe 69d and the pipe 69e substantially overlap with the folded portion 69c as the center. The step of folding the ventilation pipe 69 may be performed a plurality of times. That is, a plurality of folded portions 69c may be formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, the inside and outside of the hermetic space 100 is obtained by applying pressure again to the portion 69 f of the ventilation pipe 69 including the folded portion 69 c using the press machine 200. A sealing portion forming step for forming a sealing portion 69b that blocks the communication is performed. In this way, the vent pipe 69 is folded and crushed, thereby sealing the open end of the vent pipe 69 and ensuring the airtightness of the airtight space 100. Then, as shown in FIG. 8D, a cutting process is performed in which the ventilation pipe 69 is cut at the position indicated by the broken line D1. Although the cutting step may be omitted, the ventilation pipe 69 can be reduced in size by cutting the tip from the sealing portion 69b of the ventilation pipe 69, and the relay 5 can be reduced in size.

  In step S <b> 18, the electromagnetic coil is attached to the relay main body 6. Specifically, a coil container 40 that houses a coil bobbin 42 around which a coil 44 is wound is attached to the base portion 32. The coil container 40 may be attached to the base portion 32 by caulking and deforming a part of the coil container 40. As described above, the relay 5 is manufactured.

  According to the relay 5 of the first embodiment, the vent pipe 69 is formed with the sealing portion 69b that blocks communication between the inside and the outside of the hermetic space 100, and the sealing portion 69b has a folded portion 69c that is folded back. Is formed. Therefore, since the metal is crimped by folding the ventilation pipe 69, stress can be concentrated at the bending position, and the amount of deformation of the metal can be increased. Therefore, since the metal bond in the sealing portion 69b of the ventilation pipe 69 can be strengthened, the sealing performance can be improved, and the sealing reliability of the airtight space 100 can be improved.

  According to the method for manufacturing the relay 5 of the first embodiment, the sealing portion 69b that bends the ventilation pipe 69 and at least part of the pipe including the folded portion is blocked to block communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space 100. Is formed. Therefore, since the metal is crimped by folding the ventilation pipe 69, stress can be concentrated at the bending position, and the amount of deformation of the metal can be increased. Therefore, the metal bond in the sealing part 69b of the ventilation pipe 69 can be strengthened.

  According to the manufacturing method of the relay 5 of 1st Embodiment, since it is crushed beforehand before a bending process, it can be bent easily. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be made more efficient.

  According to the manufacturing method of the relay 5 of the first embodiment, the ventilation pipe 69 and the sealing container (the first container 20 and the second container 92) can be joined by welding. The joint strength can be improved. Therefore, the airtight performance of the airtight space 100 can be improved. Moreover, according to the manufacturing method of the relay 5 of 1st Embodiment, since sealing by sealing materials, such as brazing used for brazing, becomes unnecessary, material cost and the number of processes can be reduced. Therefore, cost can be reduced and mass productivity can be improved.

  According to the method for manufacturing the relay 5 of the first embodiment, the ventilation pipe 69 and the member (base portion 32) to which the ventilation pipe 69 is attached are formed from the same material, so various joining methods such as brazing and welding are used. Available. In the first embodiment, since the ventilation pipe 69 and the member to which the ventilation pipe 69 is attached (base part 32) are made of stainless steel, the ventilation pipe 69 and the member to which the pipe is attached (base part 32) Can be joined by welding. Therefore, since it is not necessary to perform brazing conventionally used for joining the ventilation pipes, the material cost and the number of processes can be reduced.

B. Second embodiment:
In the second embodiment, a mode in which the ventilation pipe is folded back in a direction that obliquely intersects the axis of the ventilation pipe will be described.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the ventilation pipe 169 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the ventilation pipe 169 is folded so that the folded portion 169c obliquely intersects the axis OD2 of the ventilation pipe 169, in other words, the axis OD2 overlaps and does not coincide. . The folded portion 169c is pressed by the press machine in a folded state, and is cut at a position indicated by a broken line D2.

  According to the relay of the second embodiment, the ventilation pipe 169 is folded back in a direction that obliquely intersects the axis of the ventilation pipe. Therefore, it can suppress that the edge part of the ventilation pipe 169 interferes at the time of folding, and can be folded easily.

C. Variations:
C1. Modification 1:
In the said embodiment, the structure of the electric circuit 1 in which the relay 5 is used is an example to the last, and can be variously deformed. For example, the electric circuit 1 may further include a capacitor and a fuse. In the above embodiment, the relay 5 is used for the electric circuit 1 mounted in a hybrid car or an electric vehicle. However, the relay 5 can be used for other purposes (for example, for a solar power generation device). is there.

C2. Modification 2:
The pipe flange portion 67 may be formed as a part of the base portion 32. Moreover, the base part 32 and the pipe flange part 67 may be integrally formed. For example, a pipe flange portion 67 is formed by projecting part of the base portion 32, and the pipe flange portion 67 is used as a joint portion between the vent pipe 69 and the base portion 32. You may join.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, embodiments, and modifications, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, embodiments, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or In order to achieve part or all of the above effects, replacement or combination can be performed as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric circuit 2 ... DC power supply 3 ... Current converter 4 ... Motor 5 ... Relay 6 ... Relay body 7 ... Upper case 8 ... Case 9 ... Lower case 10 ... Fixed terminal 12 ... Connection port 13 ... Flange part 17 ... Diaphragm Part 18: Fixed contact 19 ... Fixed contact part 20 ... First container 22 ... Side part 24 ... Bottom part 26 ... Through hole 30 ... Joining member 32 ... Base part 32h ... Through hole 40 ... Coil container 42 ... Coil bobbin 44 ... Coil DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Movable contact element 52 ... Center part 53 ... Through-hole 54 ... Extending part 56 ... Movable contact part 58 ... Movable contact 60 ... Rod 60a ... Shaft part 60b ... One end part 60c ... Other end part 62 ... First spring 64 ... Second spring 67 ... Pipe flange part 69 ... Ventilation pipe 69a ... Tip 69b ... Sealing part 69c ... Folded part 69d ... Pipe 69e ... Pipe 70 ... Fixed iron core 7 h ... through hole 72 ... movable iron core 72a ... concave 72h ... through hole 80 ... iron core container 80a ... bottom part 80b ... cylinder part 80c ... flange part 86 ... rubber 90 ... drive mechanism 92 ... second container 100 ... airtight space 169 ... Ventilation pipe 169c ... Folded part 200 ... Press machine 800 ... Permanent magnet

Claims (6)

A plurality of fixed terminals each having a fixed contact;
A movable contact having a plurality of movable contacts respectively corresponding to the fixed contacts;
A drive mechanism for moving the movable contact to bring the movable contact into contact with the plurality of fixed terminals;
A sealed container that forms an airtight space in which the movable contact is accommodated together with the plurality of fixed terminals;
A relay comprising:
A pipe attached to the sealed container,
A pipe having a sealing portion that blocks communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space by being at least partially crushed;
The relay, wherein the sealing portion has a folded portion that is folded. A plurality of fixed terminals each having a fixed contact;
A movable contact having a plurality of movable contacts respectively corresponding to the fixed contacts;
A drive mechanism for moving the movable contact to bring the movable contact into contact with the plurality of fixed terminals;
A sealed container that forms an airtight space in which the movable contact is accommodated together with the plurality of fixed terminals;
A pipe that is attached to the sealed container and used to supply and discharge gas inside and outside the airtight space;
A method of manufacturing a relay comprising:
A bending step of bending the pipe;
And a sealing portion forming step of forming a sealing portion that blocks communication between the inside and outside of the airtight space by crushing at least a part of the pipe including the bent portion. Manufacturing method. The method of manufacturing a relay according to claim 2, further comprising:
Prior to the bending step, a preliminary crushing step of crushing at least a part of the pipe,
The method for manufacturing a relay according to claim 1, wherein the bending step is to fold the portion crushed in the preliminary crushing step. The method for manufacturing a relay according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising:
A method of manufacturing a relay, comprising a welding step of welding the pipe to the sealed container. A method for manufacturing a relay according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The pipe and the member to which the pipe is attached are made of the same kind of material. A method for manufacturing a relay according to claim 5,
The method for manufacturing a relay, wherein the material is stainless steel.

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