JP3714006B2 - Electromagnetic relay - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic relay in which an opening side of a case is sealed with a sealing material, and a connection end portion of a terminal formed by folding a thin strip material is provided in a protruding state from the opening side, and the connection end portion is folded. The present invention relates to an electromagnetic relay in which the sealing performance of the overlapped portion is improved without problems.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, small electromagnetic relays mounted on in-vehicle circuit boards, etc. are sealed so that they can withstand washing after mounting the board and to ensure the prescribed waterproof and dustproof properties. Type relays (ie, seal-type relays) have become mainstream. In particular, since the cleaning is performed after soldering for mounting the board, the relay is rapidly cooled from the heated state by the cleaning liquid, and a difference in atmospheric pressure is generated between the inside and outside of the relay. However, the cleaning liquid is easily sucked into the inside, and high airtightness is required.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a conventional example of such a type of relay, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by reference numeral A in FIG.
The relay 1 has a base 1a that is an independent member that is the basis of assembly, and includes a spool 2 for winding a coil 2a that constitutes an electromagnet, and an iron core 3 of an electromagnet that is attached to the spool 2 in an inserted state. And an L-shaped yoke 4 which is connected to the iron core 3 and serves as a path of magnetic lines of force, and a base end side is joined to a tip (upper end in FIG. 5) of the yoke 4 and is attracted to the iron core 3 when the coil is energized. A movable iron piece 5 whose side is oscillated, a leaf spring which is oscillating at its tip side, and an L-shaped movable contact spring (movable contact terminal) 6 whose tip side is attached to the movable iron piece 5, and this movable contact spring 6 A movable contact 7 attached to the tip of the coil, a first fixed contact 8 (NC contact) with which the movable contact 7 is pressed when the coil is not energized, and a first fixed terminal 9 with the first fixed contact 8 attached to the upper end. When When the coil is energized, the second fixed contact 10 (NO contact) to which the movable contact 7 comes into pressure contact, the second fixed contact 10 is connected to the second fixed terminal 11 attached to the upper end portion, and each lead wire of the coil. The first coil terminal 12 and the second coil terminal 13 are provided, and the case 14 is opened on the assembly side (lower end side in FIG. 5).
[0003]
The band plate-like portions of the movable contact spring 6, the first fixed terminal 9, and the second fixed terminal 11 on the open end side (the lower end side in FIG. 5) of the case 14 are the first coil terminal 12 and the second coil terminal. 13, the lower end protrudes outward from the base 1 a, and constitutes connection end portions 21, 22, and 23 for connecting each contact to a predetermined circuit conductor of the substrate. In FIG. 5, the second coil terminal 13 is on the side facing the first coil terminal 12, and the lower end portion of the first fixed terminal 9 (that is, the connection end portion 22) is the lower end portion of the second fixed terminal 11 (that is, the connection end portion 22). , On the opposite side of the connecting end 23).
Further, in the relay 1, each part except for the case 14 is assembled with the base 1 a as the center, and the case 14 is finally covered with the subassembly thus configured, and then the opening side of the case 1 is heated. It is assembled by sealing with a sealing material 20 (shown in FIG. 6) such as a curable resin (for example, epoxy resin).
[0004]
Here, the movable contact spring 6 needs to be a plate material that is much thinner than other contact constituent members (the first fixed terminal 9 and the second fixed terminal 11) in order to have flexibility as a spring. . In the case of a small electromagnetic relay, for example, the plate thickness of the first fixed terminal 9 and the second fixed terminal 11 is 0.3 mm, whereas the plate thickness of the movable contact spring 6 is half that of 0.15 mm. It is said. However, the connecting end portions 21, 22, and 23 are required to have a certain thickness in order to ensure ease of board mounting, problems in standards, or to ensure a predetermined strength. For example, it is necessary to unify the thickness to 0.3 mm. On the other hand, in order to reduce the cost (reducing the number of parts), it is necessary to manufacture the connection end 21 and the movable contact spring 6 as an integral part (one part). Therefore, in this type of relay, as described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-80745, the lower end side of the plate material constituting the movable contact spring 6 is folded and folded into two pieces, and then pressed with a press. As a result, the connection end 21 of the movable contact (that is, the case opening end side of the movable contact spring 6) is formed to a predetermined thickness.
[0005]
Further, conventionally, the connecting contact end 21 of the movable contact is disposed in a state of being inserted into a slit-like hole 25 formed in the base 1a as shown in FIG. Between the peripheral surface, the above-described sealing material 20 that drops or flows down to the opening side of the case 14 after assembly of the case 14 flows into the inside by capillary action, thereby sealing the gap therebetween (ie, It was supposed to be sealed). The folded end 21a of the connection end 21 of the movable contact is used for the purpose of increasing the current capacity of the terminal (decreasing the amount of heat generated when energized) or the like (strictly speaking, a sealing material). It was arranged on the back side of the 20 inflow portions 20a). That is, conventionally, the folded end 21a is disposed on the back side of the case 14 with respect to the seal layer in which the seal material 20 is distributed.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The above-described conventional relay is excellent in that the connecting contact end portion 21 of the movable contact is finished to a predetermined thickness while being integrated with the movable contact spring 6 without increasing the number of parts. However, since the folded end 21a of the connecting end 21 is located outside the seal layer (the back side of the case 14) as described above, the gap 21b on the joining surface of the folded end of the connecting end 21 is reduced. There is a problem that it is difficult to avoid that the inside of the relay communicates with the outside of the relay and the airtightness is broken at this portion, and it is difficult to obtain sufficient airtight performance as a seal type relay.
That is, when the gap 21b is small, the sealing material 20 does not flow into the gap 21b, and the gap 21b remains open, so that it is difficult to obtain sufficient airtight performance.
Also, if the gap 21b is widened so that the seal material 20 flows into the gap 21b, the seal material 20 invades and spreads almost into the gap 21b, for example, by capillarity, and deteriorates the solderability when mounting the board. A malfunction occurs. This is because, in this case, the sealing material 20 flows through the gap 21b to the lower end side in the figure of the connecting end portion 21 (the portion protruding from the base 1a and inserted into the slit of the substrate and soldered). Since it spreads, the soldering flux does not get on this lower end side.
[0007]
In order to seal the gap 21b, for example, a method of soldering the outer peripheral surface of the connection end 21 is conceivable. However, since the soldering cannot be performed after the sealing material 20 is filled in the opening of the case 14, as described above, the soldering is performed before the sealing material 20 is filled. There is a risk that the flux applied in advance enters the relay through the gap 21b. Insulating debris mixed in this way stays in the interior forever because it is a seal type, and in some cases, it may enter between the contacts and cause contact failure (such as poor conduction or increased contact resistance). is there. For this reason, the method of sealing the gap 21b by soldering in this way reduces the reliability and productivity (yield) of the electromagnetic relay, and is a countermeasure method that is difficult to adopt.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention relates to an electromagnetic relay in which the opening side of the case is sealed with a sealing material, and the connection end portion of the terminal formed by folding a thin strip plate material is provided in a protruding state from the opening side. An object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic relay in which the sealing property of the folded portion is improved without problems.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the electromagnetic relay according to claim 1 is connected to a terminal which is covered with a case opened at one end side, the opening side of the case is sealed with a sealing material, and a thin strip material is folded. In an electromagnetic relay provided with an end protruding from the opening side,
A concave portion formed on a side surface of a component member of the relay disposed inside the opening of the case, and a convex portion formed on the inner surface of the opening of the case and fitted into the concave portion;
The connecting end portion protrudes from the gap between the concave portion and the convex portion, and the folded end of the connecting end portion is disposed in the gap, and the sealing material is disposed in the gap. Filling is performed, and the folded end of the connection end is disposed in a seal layer in which the seal material is distributed.
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention , in the electromagnetic relay according to the second aspect of the present invention, the constituent member of the relay disposed inside the opening of the case is a spool flange for winding a coil constituting the electromagnet, and / or a yoke assembled to the flange. And the flange of the spool functions as a base which is a substrate for assembly .
[0011]
The electromagnetic relay according to claim 3 is characterized in that a notch extending from the folded end to the back side of the case is formed at the connection end.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a small electromagnetic relay will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the overall schematic configuration of the electromagnetic relay of this example will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view of the electromagnetic relay 31 of this example (a view of the case and the like seen from the front), and FIG. 2 is a side view of the electromagnetic relay 31 (the case and the like seen from the side. Figure). 3 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by reference numeral X in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by reference numeral Y in FIG. In FIGS. 1 and 2, illustration of the sealing material is omitted. In the following, the side where the case 44 described later (the lower side in each figure) is referred to as the case opening side, the lower end side or the lower side, and the opposite side (the upper side in each figure) is the rear side of the case. It is called the upper end side or the upper side.
[0013]
The electromagnetic relay 31 is connected to a spool 32 for winding a coil (not shown) constituting an electromagnet, an iron core 33 of an electromagnet mounted in an inserted state in the spool 32, and a lower end portion of the iron core 33 so as to generate a line of magnetic force. An L-shaped yoke 34 serving as a passage, a movable iron piece 35 whose base end side is joined to the upper end side of the yoke 34, is attracted to the iron core 33 when the coil is energized, and the tip end side swings, and an upper plate-like portion 36a are provided. A swingable leaf spring, an L-shaped movable contact spring 36 to which the plate-like portion 36a is attached on the upper surface side of the movable iron piece 35, and a tip of the plate-like portion 36a of the movable contact spring 36 by caulking A movable contact 37 to be attached, a first fixed contact 38 (NC contact) to which the movable contact 37 is pressed when the coil is not energized, and the first fixed contact 38 is attached to the upper end portion by caulking. A first fixed terminal 39, a second fixed contact 40 (NO contact) to which the movable contact 37 is pressed when the coil is energized, a second fixed terminal 41 to which the second fixed contact 40 is attached to the upper end portion by caulking, A first coil terminal 42 and a second coil terminal 43 connected to the lead wires of the coil, respectively, and a case 44 opened at the lower end side are provided.
[0014]
The electromagnetic relay 31 is a type in which the lower flange in FIG. 1 of the spool 32 also serves as a so-called base for miniaturization, and each part except the case 44 is centered on the spool 32. The case 44 is finally covered with the sub-assembly thus assembled, and then the opening side of the case 44 is covered with a sealing material 50 such as a thermosetting resin (for example, epoxy resin) (see FIGS. 3 and 4). It is assembled by sealing with (shown).
Here, the movable contact spring 36 is attached to the yoke 34 by a caulking protrusion 45 formed on the outer side surface (left side surface in FIG. 3) of the yoke 34. In general, “crimping” is to partially plastically deform a member (mainly a metal member) for the purpose of fixing two or more members to each other. In a relay, after inserting a protrusion (protrusion) provided on one member into a hole (including an opening such as a notch) provided in the other member and passing it through, the tip of the protrusion is smashed to expand the diameter. By doing so, it is the attachment method which fixes members mutually.
[0015]
And, the lower end side of the movable contact spring 36, the first fixed terminal 39, and the second fixed terminal 41 has a base (yoke 32) on the lower end side, like the first coil terminal 42 and the second coil terminal 43. The connecting end portions 51, 52, 53 for connecting the respective contacts to predetermined circuit conductors of the substrate are respectively formed. In FIG. 1, the second coil terminal 43 is on the side facing the first coil terminal 42, and the lower end portion of the first fixed terminal 39 (that is, the connection end portion 52) is the lower end portion of the second fixed terminal 41 (that is, the connection end portion 52). , On the opposite side of the connecting end 53).
[0016]
Here, the movable contact spring 36 is formed of a plate material much thinner than the other contact terminals (the first fixed terminal 9 and the second fixed terminal 11), as in the conventional example described above. For example, the first fixed terminal 9 and the thickness of the second fixed terminal 11 are 0.3 mm, whereas the thickness of the movable contact spring 6 is half that of 0.15 mm. Then, the lower end side of the plate material constituting the movable contact spring 36 is folded, folded in two, and pressed and then crimped with a press, whereby the movable contact connecting end 51 (that is, the lower end side of the movable contact spring 36). Is formed to a predetermined thickness (for example, 0.3 mm).
[0017]
Next, the sealing structure of the connecting contact 51 of the movable contact in this example will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper side of the connection end portion 51 (a wide portion described later including the folded end 51 a) is a component member of the relay (in this case) disposed inside the opening of the case 44. Is disposed so as to be sandwiched in a gap between the yoke 34) and the inner surface of the opening of the case 44, and the sealing material 50 is also filled in this gap to form a seal layer.
That is, in this case, the lower horizontal plate-like portion 34a (shown in FIG. 1) of the yoke 34 is fitted into a recess provided in the lower flange 32a of the spool 32. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the left side end portion is provided with a notch 32 c facing the inside of the recess (that is, the left side end in the drawing of the plate-like portion 34 a of the yoke 34 ). 2 and 4, it is arranged so that the upper side of the connection end 51 is fitted in a gap formed as a space in the notch 32c, and the sealing material 50 is also placed in this gap. Is filled, the sealing material 50 is poured into the upper side of the folded end 51a, and the flow-in part 50a of the sealing material 50 is formed on the upper side of the folded end 51a.
[0018]
In addition, since it is the structure arrange | positioned in the state which penetrated the connection edge part 51 in the clearance gap inside the opening part of the case 44 as mentioned above, since the sealing material 20 naturally penetrate | invades into the back | inner_depth of this clearance gap by a capillary phenomenon, If the amount of the sealing material 20 that drops or flows down to the opening side of the case 44 in the sealing material filling step is managed, the sealing material 20 can be appropriately introduced to the upper side of the folded end 51a of the connecting end portion 51.
In particular, in the case of this example, a convex portion 44a having a width dimension that fits into the notch 32c described above with a slight gap is formed on the distal end side of the inner surface of the case 44, and the convex portion 44a is It is joined to the outer surface on the upper side of the connection end portion 51 (the vicinity of the folded end 51a), and the upper side of the connection end portion 51 is sandwiched and supported by the convex portion 44a and the yoke 34. Therefore, the gaps on both sides above the connection end portion 51 have a small size that allows the sealing material 50 to easily enter.
As is clear from the above description and FIG. 3, the bent portion of the yoke 34 is fitted inside the above-described notch 32c (right side in FIG. 3), and is a space in the notch 32c. In this case, the space on the back side (the left side in FIG. 3) of the bent portion of the yoke 34 forms a gap in which the folded end 51a is disposed by fitting the concave portion (the convex portion 44a) of the present invention. Corresponds to the concave portion).
[0019]
Further, in this example, a notch 51b is formed on the upper side of the connection end 51, as shown in FIG. 4, extending from the folded end 51a to the back side (upper side in the figure) of the case 44. For this reason, a relatively large gap (space) having a thickness dimension (for example, 0.3 mm) of at least the connection end 51 is formed in the notch 51b. The flow-in part 50a is easy to form because it easily enters and flows around the folded end 51a. However, depending on the properties (viscosity, etc.) of the sealing material 50, the sealing material 50 may excessively enter the back of the case from the notch 51b. In such a case, the notch 51b is provided. Alternatively, the width of the notch 51b may be reduced. Conversely, when the amount of the sealing material 50 flowing in is small, the amount of penetration of the sealing material 50 can be adjusted by increasing the width of the notch 51b (for example, provided on both sides).
[0020]
In any case, as in this example, the upper side of the connection end portion 51 (portion in the vicinity of the folded end 51a) is basically supported so as to be sandwiched by the inner surface of the opening of the case 44, and if necessary, a sealing material If the notch 51b that facilitates the flow of the 50 is provided, the amount of the flow of the sealing material 50 into this portion can be easily managed, and the sealing material can be moved to the position above the folded end 51a. 50 can flow in easily. And, in this way, the configuration in which the sealing material 50 flows to the position above the folded end 51a (that is, the folded end 51a is positioned inside the seal layer in which the sealing material 50 is distributed) Even if the sealing material 50 does not penetrate into the gap 51b, the gap between the folded ends in the connecting end 51 (the gap formed between the joining surfaces of the folded portions) 51b is a flow-in part on the upper side of the folded end 51a. It is sealed by 50a and does not communicate between the inside and outside of the relay.
[0021]
That is, even if the folding gap 51b in the connecting end 51 is a minute gap where the sealing material does not enter, the gap 51b can be sealed with respect to the inside of the relay, so that the solderability of the terminal is kept high. As a result, the sealing performance as a seal type relay can be remarkably improved. In addition, since it is not necessary to perform soldering (soldering before filling the sealing material) for sealing the folding gap 51b, there is no problem such as a decrease in the reliability of the relay due to the penetration of the flux.
Note that the folding gap 51b in the connecting end 51 is formed with an external shape (such as the shape of the above-described notch 51b) by, for example, press cutting after the folding with a sufficiently large pressure. If the edges of the two plates are made to fit closely, it can be maintained in a minute gap where the sealing material does not enter.
[0022]
The basic idea of the present invention (the idea of arranging the folded end of the connection end in the seal layer) is a type in which the connection end of the terminal is inserted into the slit of the base member (FIGS. 5 and 6). It can also be applied to the conventional type shown in FIG. That is, for example, in FIG. 6, the folded end 21a of the connecting end portion 21 is positioned within the thickness of the base 1a, so that the folded end 21a is located inside the seal layer in which the seal 20 is distributed (flow-in portion 20a). You may make it come to the lower side.
However, in the case of such a type, since the position (height) of the folded end 21a can only be increased to the vicinity of the upper surface of the base 1a, there is a limit in improving the current capacity of the terminal (reducing the amount of heat generation). In this respect, the embodiment described above is excellent. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the connection end is sandwiched in the gap between the inner surface of the case and a member (for example, a yoke) inside the case, the size and shape of the gap With this setting, the intrusion height of the sealing material can be arbitrarily adjusted to a remarkably high position. For example, in FIG. 3, the thickness, width, or length of the convex portion 44a on the inner surface of the case 44 is increased, and the length and width of the portion to be sandwiched on the upper side of the connection end portion 51 are increased. If the dimensions of the notch 32c and the notch 51b (shown in FIG. 4) described above are changed, the folded end 51a of the connecting end 51 is arranged on the upper side (the back side of the case 44), This is because the basic idea of the present invention (a configuration in which the folded end is arranged inside the seal layer) can be achieved by causing the sealing material 50 to flow further upward by capillary action or gravity.
[0023]
Moreover, this invention is not restricted to the aspect of the said example.
For example, in the present invention, the component member of the relay disposed inside the opening of the case (the member on the other side forming a gap for disposing the connection end between the inner surface of the case) is not limited to the yoke, It may be a base or a flange of a spool that functions as a base.
Moreover, although the said example is an example which applied this invention to the electromagnetic relay of what is called a c contact type (the type which has both a contact and b contact), b which has only a contact type and b contact which has only a contact. Needless to say, the same applies to the contact type.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
In the electromagnetic relay of the present invention, the folded end at the connection end portion of the terminal formed by folding the thin strip material is disposed in the seal layer in which the seal material is distributed. For this reason, the gap between the folds in the connecting end (the gap formed between the joining surfaces of the folds) is distributed on the upper side of the fold end even if the sealant does not enter the gap. Therefore, the inside of the relay is surely sealed.
That is, even if the gap in the end portion for connection is a minute gap in which the sealing material does not enter, this gap can be sealed against the inside of the relay, so that the seal type is maintained while maintaining high solderability of the terminal. The sealing performance as a relay can be greatly improved. In addition, since it is not necessary to perform soldering (soldering before filling with the sealing material) for sealing the gap between the folds, there is no problem such as a decrease in the reliability of the relay due to the penetration of the flux.
[0025]
In addition, the present invention includes a concave portion formed on a side surface of a component member (for example, a base, a spool, a yoke, etc.) of a relay disposed inside the opening of the case, and an inner surface of the opening of the case. A folding end of the connecting end portion is disposed in a gap between the convex portion that fits into the concave portion, and the sealing layer is formed by filling the gap with the sealing material. . Thereby, the penetration height of the sealing material can be arbitrarily adjusted to a significantly higher position by setting the size and shape of the gap. For this reason, it becomes possible to arrange the position of the folding end at a higher position (a position closer to the back of the case), avoiding the problem of leakage from the clearance of the folding, and improving the sealing performance. Although it is a relay, there is an advantage that the terminal current capacity can be secured high (the amount of heat generated during energization can be kept low).
Further, in the configuration of the present invention, a convex portion having a width dimension that fits in the concave portion formed on the side surface of the component member of the relay is formed on the inner surface of the opening portion of the case, and the upper side of the connection end portion of the terminal is Since the convex portion and the concave portion (relay component) are sandwiched and supported, the gap on both sides of the connection end portion enters the sealing material appropriately. The size is easy to do. Therefore, the sealing material can be appropriately flown up to the upper side of the folded end of the connection end, and the basic structure of the present invention (configuration in which the folded end is arranged inside the seal layer) is easily and reliably achieved. There is an effect that can be done.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a component member of the relay in which the concave portion is formed (a member disposed inside the opening of the case) is configured by a flange or / and a yoke of the spool, and the flange of the spool In the case of a structure that also functions as a base that is a substrate for assembly, it is not necessary to provide a base separately and the size can be reduced.
[0026]
Further, as described in claim 3, in the case where a notch extending from the folded end to the back side of the case is formed at the connection end, a space (gap) formed by the notch The sealing material wraps around to the upper side of the folded end and easily flows, for example, even when a high-viscosity sealing material is used, the folded end is securely disposed in the sealing layer, and The structure can be realized reliably.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an electromagnetic relay.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing an electromagnetic relay.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion X in FIG. 1;
4 is an enlarged view of a Y portion in FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a front view showing a conventional example of an electromagnetic relay.
6 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
31 Electromagnetic relay 32 Spool 33 Iron core 34 Yoke 35 Movable iron piece 36 Movable contact spring (movable contact terminal)
37 movable contact 38 1st fixed contact 39 1st fixed terminal 40 2nd fixed contact 41 2nd fixed terminal 42 1st coil terminal 43 2nd coil terminal 44 Case 50 Seal material 50a Flowing part of seal material (upper part of seal layer)
51 Connection end 51a Folding end 51b Folding gap

Claims (3)

In the electromagnetic relay provided with a case where one end side is covered with an open case, the open side of this case is sealed with a sealing material, and a connecting end portion of a terminal formed by folding a thin strip is projected from the opening side ,
A concave portion formed on a side surface of a component member of the relay disposed inside the opening of the case, and a convex portion formed on the inner surface of the opening of the case and fitted into the concave portion;
The connecting end portion protrudes from the gap between the concave portion and the convex portion, and the folded end of the connecting end portion is disposed in the gap, and the sealing material is disposed in the gap. The electromagnetic relay is characterized in that the folded end of the connecting end portion is disposed in a seal layer in which the seal material is distributed. A component member of the relay arranged inside the opening of the case is composed of a flange of a spool for winding a coil constituting an electromagnet, and / or a yoke assembled to the flange, and the flange of the spool is used for assembly. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic relay also functions as a base that is a substrate .   The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein the connecting end portion is formed with a notch extending further to the back side of the case than the folded end.

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