US2982890A

US2982890A - Coil retaining structure

Info

Publication number: US2982890A
Application number: US826233A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dale F Willcox
Original assignee: Furnas Electric Co
Current assignee: Siemens Energy and Automation Inc
Priority date: 1959-07-10
Filing date: 1959-07-10
Publication date: 1961-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-02

Description

United States Patent COIL RETAINING STRUCTURE Dale F. Willcox, Aurora, 111., assignor to Furnas Electrio Company, 'Batavia, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 10, 1959, Ser. No. 826,233

2 Claims. (Cl. 317-158) The invention relates to magnetic switch structure of the character including a magnetic field piece and a coil for energizing the same, and has reference in particular to improved retaining means for releasably and resiliently retaining the coil within the field piece.

An object of the invention is to provide coil retaining means of simple and inexpensive structure and which will releasably retain a coil of the solenoid type within rccesses provided therefor in a field piece of laminated metal.

Another object is to provide a coil retainer in the form of a spring clip which can be easily and quickly attached to the side frames of the field piece by means of tabs integral with and bent out from the metal of the side frames.

A further object is to provide a resilient clip consisting of a length of spring wire having a special configuration whereby to adapt the same for releasably and resiliently retaining a coil and a field piece in assembled relation.

With these and various other objects in View, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coil and field piece combination and wherein the coil is releasably retained within the field piece by the coil retaining means of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the coil and field piece combination of Figure 1 and which clearly illustrates the clip of the invention in retaining the coil within the field piece;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the coil and field piece combination and showing the retatining clip for the coil;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view illustrating the formation of the resilient clip prior to its attachment with the field piece.

The embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings essentially consists of a magnetic field piece identified in its entirety by numeral 10, and a coil 12 of the solenoid type and which is adapted to be retained within the field piece to provide the conventional coil and field piece combination. The field piece is formed of laminated metal plates 14 which are stamped or cut to the configuration desired and which in the illustrated embodiment generally simulates a U, as best shown in Figure 3. It is preferred that the field piece have a center tongue portion 16 which extends inwardly from the base 18, being disposed equidistance between the

legs

20 and 22. The metal plates are assembled in stacked relation on respective sides of a dividing center Patented May 2, 1961 member 24 of copper and the assemblage is faced on each side by a frame member such as 26 and 28. Rivets 30, or other fastening means, are employed to secure the parts together, including the plates 14, the center member 24 and the

frame members

26 and 28, to form a unitary structure.

The coil 12 is approximately rectilinear in front elevation, as best evidenced by Figure 2, although its shape is not particularly critical to the invention. The coil is assembled with the field piece by being located within recesses 32 formed by the center tongue portion 16 and by the top and

bottom legs

20 and 22 which have a length in excess of the tongue. The structure as described is substantially conventional in design as regards magnetic switch devices of the type adapted to have a movable armature associated therewith.

For supporting the coil and field piece combination, the

side frame members

26 and 28 provide the bottom flanges 34, which are bent to extend laterally on each side of the structure. The top flanges 36 are likewise similarly bent from the side frame members so as to project laterally on each side and the said top flanges may be employed for fastening other parts of the switch device to the magnetic field piece. The

numerals

38 and 40 indicate the terminals of the coil 12, it being understood that the windings of the coil are encased in a suitable plastic for adequately insulating the windings and for strengthening the coil so that it can be conveniently handled as a unit.

The releasable clip 42 of the invention is best shown in Figure 5, the same consisting of a length of spring wire which is bent into the special shape as shown. The resilient clip includes a relatively flat center portion 44, side legs 46 which are bent from the main body of the clip to form approximately a right angle therewith. The terminal ends 48 of the clip extend laterally on respective sides of the same and each terminal end has approximately a right angle relation with its respective leg. The resilient clip is employed for releasably and resiliently retaining the coil 12 in assembled relation within the field piece 10 and for this purpose the coil on its outward exposed surface is formed with at least two sets of spaced parallel ribs indicated by the

numerals

50 and 52. It will be observed that a pair of spaced parallel ribs is located on each lateral side of the coil and on that surface which is exposed when the coil is operatively positioned within the magnetic field piece. The space between each set of ribs is adapted to be occupied by the center flat portion 44 of a resilient clip. The

side frames

26 and 28 are each provided with a pair of

tabs

54 and 56, respectively. The tabs are integral with their side frame member, being cut from the metal thereof and bent outwardly so as to form a latch or the like for receiving the terminal ends of a resilient clip. The positioning of the

tabs

54 and 56 as regards each pair is such that they are spaced longitudinally a distance approximately equal to the spacing of the terminal ends of a clip and also each pair of tabs have a location on their side frame member so that when the terminal ends of a resilient clip 42 are engaged thereby, the flat center portion 44 of the clip will apply the desired resilient pressure to the plastic encased coil 12.

It is relatively easy to assemble and disassemble the coil from its field piece when using the resilient clip of the invention for retaining the parts together. The center portion 44 of each clip is conveniently located within the groove provided therefor by its parallel ribs either 50 or 52. The ribs thus maintain the clip in the desired position on the coil and said ribs prevent excess movement bodily of the clip, which movement if allowed to take place might result in inadvertent release of the clip from the tabs. It can also be mentioned that the terminal ends 48 of the clip can be easily and quickly latched by the tabs and just as quickly and easily unlatched. Accordingly, a simple and inexpensive retaining means is provided for the coil and field piece combination and which is; so located that the said means does not interfere with the parts or elements of the switch although the same is readily accessible to the operator should he desire to remove or replace a coil.

It is to be understood that this application is not to be limitedby the exact embodiments of the device shown, which are merely by way of illustration andnot limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

'What is claimed is:

- 1. In a device of the character described, a solenoid type of coil and a field piece for assembly with the coil, said field piece consisting of a metal body portion and which is faced on each side by a side frame member also of metal, a pair of lugs bent from the metal of each frame member and being disposed in longitudinal spaced relation on the outer surface of its member, said coil having a pair of spaced parallel ribs adjacent each lateral side of the coil and on that surface which is exposed when the coil is assembled with the field piece, and resilient clips for releasably retaining the coil and field piece in assembled relation, each clip having a substantially fiat center portion and a terminal end at each side of the center portion and spaced from the same, each clip when operative for retaining the coil and field piece in assembled relation having its terminal ends latched by the lugs respectively and having its center portion in contact with the coil at a location between the ribs at its particular side of the coil.

2. In a coil and magnetic field piece combination, retaining means for releasablyrand resiliently retaining the coil within the field piece, said coil being encased in a lastic housing and being approximately rectangular with a center aperture, said field piece consisting of metal laminations and which are faced on each side with a metal side frame member, said field piece having approximately the shape of a U with a center portion projecting inwardly from the base, whereby a recess is provided within the field piece on each side of the center portion, a

pair of lugs bent from the metal of each frame member and being disposed in longitudinal spaced relation on the outer surface of its member and adjacent the top and bottom of the said magnetic field piece respectively, said coil at each side of the center aperture having formed integral therewith a pair of spaced, parallel ribs andwhich project from the surface of the coil that is exposed when the the coil is operatively assembled with the magnetic field piece, and said retaining means comprising resilient clips, each clip having a substantially flat center portion and a terminal end at each side of the center portion and spaced from the same, each clip when operative for retaining the coil and field piece in assembled relation with the coil occupying the recesses thereof having its terminal ends latched by the lugs, respectively, and having its flat center portion in contact with the coil at a location between the ribs at its particular side of the center aperture. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,094,119 ,Werner Sept. 28, 1937 7 2,130,653 Russell Sept. 20, 1938 2,546,000 Immel Mar. 20, 1951 2,550,110 Ellis Apr. 24, 1951