US3204058A

US3204058A - Electrical reed relay having plug-in features

Info

Publication number: US3204058A
Application number: US224779A
Authority: US
Inventors: Barton William Forbes
Original assignee: STANDARD GRIGSBY Inc
Current assignee: STANDARD GRIGSBY Inc
Priority date: 1962-09-19
Filing date: 1962-09-19
Publication date: 1965-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-31
Also published as: GB1063387A

Description

Aug. 31, 1965 w. F. BARTON 3,204,053

ELECTRICAL REED RELAY HAVING PLUG-IN FEATURES Filed Sept. 19. 1962 United States Patent 3,204,058 ELECTRICAL REED RELAY HAVING PLUG-IN FEATURES William Forbes Barton, Winnetlra, Ill., assignor to Standard Grigsby Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,779 7 Claims. (Cl. Mitt-87) This invention relates to a so-called reed relay of the type having a switch formed of two elongated contact members of magnetic material enclosed within a tube of insulating material such as glass and projecting toward each other from opposite ends of the tube in cantilever fashion and into overlapping relation of their adjacent ends. The overlapping ends are shifted into and out of conducting engagement with each other in response to selective direct current energization of a coil encircling the tube and the overlapping ends.

The primary object of the invention is to construct a relay of the above character in a novel manner to facilitate connection of the contacts and coil into electrical circuits and replacement of the relay in the event of a malfunction.

Another object is to enclose the reed switch and coil as parts of a cartridge having spaced exterior contact members adapted to interfit releasably with clips or other parts providing electrical connections while avoiding the use of solder.

A more detailed object is to enclose the switch and coil in a tube of insulating material having spaced exterior conductor members connected to the contacts and coil terminals and interfitting with clips so as to support the parts as well as provide electrical circuit connections.

The invention also resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts permitting operation of the switch from a source of alternating current.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge embodying the novel features of the present invention and a clip mounting for the cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the cartridge with some of the parts broken away and shown in section along a diametrical plane.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge parts.

The reed switch shown in the drawings to illustrate the present invention comprises two reeds or elongated flap strips 11 of conducting material which are supported by and enclosed within a hollow tube 12 of insulating material such as glass. The ends of the tube are sealed around the respective reeds which are supported thereby in cantilever fashion and project toward each other from the tube ends and into overlapping relation. In switches of this character, the reeds normally are biased into normally closed positions of engagement with each other or into spaced normally open positions, the reeds in this instance being of the normally open type in which the biasing force is the resilience of the reed material and the reeds are positioned initially with their overlapping end portions 13 spaced apart the desired distance.

Bias for shifting the overlapping end portions of the reeds 11 relative to each other and out of their normal positions is derived from an electromagnetic coil 14 encircling the insulating tube 12 and the overlapping end portions 13. At least a part of these end portions, or preferably the entire reeds as in this instance, are magnetic so that magnetic flux resulting from direct current energization of the coil threads a path extending longitudinally through one reed, across the gap between the 3,204,058 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 reeds, and then longitudinally through the other reed. With such flux, the reeds tend to shift into contact to close the gap. As is well known in the art, an additional initial magnetic bias may be provided, for example, by another coil (not shown), to urge the reed ends into a normally closed contact relation. With this arrangement, the main coil 14 is arranged so that flux resulting from its energization opposes the biasing flux to permit the reed ends to separate.

In the use of reed relays of the above character, it has been customary heretofore to mount the coil 14 on the exterior of the insulating tube 12 with the

coil terminals

15 and 16 exposed and outer end portions 17 of the reeds extending beyond the ends of the tube. Electrical connection to the reeds and coil terminals normally was made by soldering conductors to these parts. Replacement of a relay so connected into electrical circuits required first that the solder connections be broken and secondly that new solder connections be made with the corresponding parts of the replacement relay. Not only did this involve substantial time and labor, but also, it required ready availability of soldering tools such as electrical soldering irons and electric power for operating the tools. It also was necessary to provide some device in addition to the solder connections for supporting the reed relays.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing difficulties have been overcome by a novel mounting of the reed relay parts both to facilitate initial connection of the relay into electrical circuits and to enable the relay to be disconnected and replaced quickly and easily without the provision of special tools. To this end, the relay parts are enclosed as part of a cartridge 18 having spaced

external terminal members

19 and 20 connected to the respective relay parts and adapted for snap-on removable connection with clips 21 or similar connecting and supporting parts permanently connected into the electrical circuits. The locations of the external terminal members are correlated with the locations and arrangement of the clips so that the cartridge may simply be inserted manually into releasable locating engagement with the clips and easily removed from such engagement manually and without any tools in the event it is desired to replace the relay. More specifically, the invention contemplates securing the reeds 11, their insulating tube 12 and coil 14 with another tube 22 of insulating material having

terminal members

19 and 20 in the form of encircling rings secured at spaced points along its exterior and connected respectively to the exposed reed end portions 17 and

coil terminals

15 and 16. The entire cartridge then is of generally cylindrical shape and is especially suited for releasable connection with spring clips 21 of conducting material of U-shape mounted on a support 23 of insulating material and opening in the same direction at spacings corresponding to the spacings of the rings so as to receive the latter individually while maintaining their insulation from each other.

The outer insulating tube 22 in the present instance is generally cylindrical in shape and is formed of a suitable insulating material such as phenolic resin. Axially spaced circumferential sections of the tube are of smaller diameter than adjacent sections to provide recesses as indicated at 24 to receive the

respective terminal rings

19 and 20 and locate the same in spaced positions along the tube. Apertures 25 opening through the innermost two of these recesses receive the

respective terminals

15 and 16 of the coil 14 which are connected to the inner two terminal rings 19 in the recesses as by solder joints 26. To facilitate assembly of these inner rings on the tube, the rings are split to permit their expansion to a size large enough to telescope over the larger diameter ridges 27 between the ring recesses. Also, each ring is recessed at 3 its ends as indicated at 19a to provide an aperture registering with the tube aperture 25. The solder 26 connecting the coil terminals to the split rings serves to fill these recesses and secure the ends of the rings together with the rings tightened around the tube and held in place by abutment with the ridges.

The outer two terminal rings 2th preferably are cylindrical side walls of cups 28 which fit into the recesses 24 at the ends of the outer insulating tube 22 with the bottoms 29 of the cups abutting and closing the open ends of the tube. To retain the cups against the tube ends while facilitating connection of the cups to the respective reeds 11, the outer end portions 17 of the reeds are flattened and extend into elongated slots in the bottom walls of the cups. After their extension through the slots the flattened ends are soldered to the cup bottom Walls to complete the connection between the reeds and the cups while maintaining the cups in position against the tube ends. To maintain proper relation of the parts Within the outer insulating tube, spaces around these parts preferably are filled with a potting compound 31 such as epoxy resin.

The coil 14 is wound on a spool having end flanges 32 and a central bore 33 which telescopingly receives the glass tube 12. To center the spool in the outer tube 22 and still permit the potting compound 31 to flow past the coil end flanges, the latter are formed as squares with corners rounded on a diameter equal approximately to the inner diameter of the tube and with flat edges spaced apart a distance less than the tube diameter, the outer diameter of the coil 14 being equal to or less than the spacing of the edges of the flanges.

In the present instance the closed end of each clip 21 is flat and is secured as by a rivet or bolt (not shown) against one side of the insulating support 23 which is a flat board. Electrical connections may be made by soldering conductors to the clips or to the securing rivet or bolt in a manner well known in the art. The clips are spaced apart on the board distances corresponding to the axial spacing of the terminal rings 19 and 219 on the cartridge 18 and the upper end portions 34 of the spaced legs of each clip are curved to complement the shape of the terminal rings on the cartridge. The clips are formed of resilient conducting metal and spacing of the curved end portions of each clip is slightly less than the outer diameter of the terminal rings so that the legs must be separated from their normal positions to receive and permit removal of the cartridge While being urged toward each other due to their resilience to grip the terminal rings and hold the cartridge against movement out of the clips. To insure proper contact between each clip and the associated terminal ring even though the width of the legs of each clip is different than the axial length of the rings, the outer diameter of each ring is slightly less than the outer diameter of the adjacent ridges 27 of the outer insulating tube 22 so that the rings are raised slightly as shown in FIG. 2.

Assuming that the reeds 11 have been assembled Within their enclosing tube 12 with the ends of the latter clamped around the reeds, the next steps in assembly of the cartridge 18 are to insert that tube into the bore 13 of the coil spool and then insert this sub-assembly into the outer insulating tube 22 to bring the coil terminals and 16 into registry with the apertures in the outer tube. In the event the coil terminals are long enough, they may be threaded through the apertures prior to insertion of the spool. In View of the correlation of the diameter of the corners of the spool flanges 32 with the inner diameter of the outer tube, the spool is centered automatically in coaxial relation with the tube. Next, the split rings 19 are telescoped over the outer ridges 27 and are permitted to contract into their recesses 24 with the ends of the rings adjacent the outer tube apertures 25. The solder connections 26 then are made to join the coil terminals to the split rings and to secure the ends of the latter together. I

It will be understood that, in the event the cartridge also is to include the resistor, capacitor and rectifier elements 35, 36 and 37 the connections between these parts and the coil will be made prior to insertion of the parts including the coil into the outer tube, the appropriate conductors being connected with the inner terminal rings after the parts are inserted the same as when no rectifying elements are used.

Once the parts have been inserted Within the outer insulating tube 22 and the connections have been made to the split inner terminal rings 19, one of the end cups 28 is telcscoped over one end of the outer tube with one flat end portion 17 of the adjacent reed 11 projecting into the slot 30 in the cup and the solder connection is made between the bottom wall of the cup and this flat end portion. The partially assembled cartridge is then supported with its open end up and the potting compound 31 is poured into that end to fill the space around the parts within the outer tube. The compound flows easily past the coil and flanges due to the shape of the flanges 32 which provide clearance for the compound to flow from one end of the tube to the other. Finally, the other end cup is telescoped over the remaining open end of the tube to extend the other reed end portion into the slot and the solder connection is made to join the reed and the bottom wall of the cup.

It will be apparent that, once the parts are assembled into the cartridge 18 with the appropriate connections to the terminal rings 19 and 2d, the cartridge may be inserted in the clips 21 with the latter engaging the terminal rings. The cartridge thereby is connected simply and easily into electric circuits previously connected to the clips. In the event the cartridge is to be replaced, it is simply pulled manually from between the curved clip legs 34 and a replacement cartridge is reinserted between the legs. No soldering or tools are required to make the replacement. By virtue of its enclosure within the cartridge, the relay also is protected from injury due to contact with external objects.

I claim:

1. An electrical relay cartridge having, in combination, a first elongated tube of insulating material open at opposite ends and having two radial openings spaced therealong from each other and from the ends thereof, a hollow spool of insulating material disposed within said first tube and having flanges engaging the interior thereof to locate a central bore of the spool in coaxial relation with said first tube, a reed relay element comprising a second tube of insulating material lying coaxially within said central bore of said spool and a pair of reeds of conducting material projectin toward each other in cantilever fashion from opposite ends of the second tube and overlapping at adjacent ends therewithin, a coil wrapped around and supported by said spool between said flanges and encircling said overlapping ends of said reeds, said coil and portions of said flanges being spaced from the interior of said first tube to provide clearance for the flow of liquid filling material past said spool, cups of conducting material closing and secured around said open ends of said first tube and having central apertures, the other ends of said reeds extending outwardly away from each other and said second tube and through said apertures in said cups, means securing each of said other reed ends to the adjacent one of said cups, rings of conducting material encircling and secured to said first tube adjacent said radial openings therein and spaced along said first tube from each other and said cups, said coil having terminals each connected to a different one of said rings through the adjacent one of said radial openings, and a body of insulating material filling the spaces within said first tube and around said relay element, said spool and said coil.

2. An electrical relay cartridge having, in combination, a first elongated tube of insulating material, a hollow spool of insulating material disposed within said first tube and having flanges, said flanges having regions engaging the interior thereof to locate a central bore of the spool along the axis of said first tube, a reed relay element comprising a second tube of insulating material lying within said central bore of said spool and a pair of reeds of conducting material projecting toward each other in cantilever fashion from opposite ends of the second tube and overlapping at adjacent ends therewithin, a coil wrapped around and supported by said spool between said flanges and encircling said overlapping ends of said reeds, said coil having terminals and the coil end portions of said flanges including other regions spaced from the interior of said first tube to provide clearance for the flow of liquid filling material past said spool, terminal members of conducting material secured to the exterior of said first tube at spaced points along said first tube and insulated from each other, said coil terminals and said reeds each being connected to a different one of said terminal members, and a body of insulating material filling the spaces within said first tube and around said relay element, said spool and said coil.

3. An electrical relay cartridge having, in combination, a first elongated tube of insulating material open at opposite ends and having two radial openings spaced therealong from each other and from the ends thereof, a hollow spool of insulating material disposed within said first tube and having flanges engaging the interior thereof to locate a central bore of the spool in coaxial relation with the said first tube, a reed relay element comprising a second tube of insulating material lying coaxially within said central bore of said spool and a pair of reeds of conducting material projecting toward each other in cantilever fashion from opposite ends therewithin, a coil Wrapped around and sfipported by said spool between said flanges and encircling said overlapping ends of said reeds, cups of conducting material closing and secured around said open ends of said first tube and having central apertures, the other ends of said reeds extending outwardly away from each other and said second tube and through said apertures in said cups, means securing each of said other reed ends to the adjacent one of said cups, and rings of conducting material encircling and secured to said first tube adjacent said radial openings therein and spaced along said first tube from each other and said cups, said coil having terminals each connected to a different one of said rings through the adjacent one of said radial openings.

4. The combination of a first elongated tube of insulating material, a reed relay element comprising a cylindrical material, a reed relay element comprising a cylindrical tube of insulating material extending along the axis of said first tube and enclosing a pair of reeds of conducting materal which project into overlapping relation with each other in cantilever fashion from opposite ends of the second tube, a coil encircling said second tube and overlapping portions of said reeds within said first tube and having terminals, four rings of conducting material encircling and secured to said first tube at spaced points along the length thereof, electrical connections within said first tube insulated from each other and joining each of said reeds and the respective terminals of said coil with a different one of said rings, a flat supporting member of insulating material and four clips of resilient conducting material of U-shape spaced apart distances corresponding to the spacing of said rings and each having a closed end portion secured to said supporting member and leg portions complementary to the shape of said rings and normally spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the rings whereby each of the legs of each clip receive and frictionally grip a different one of rings in electrical conducting relation.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said rings project radially and outwardly beyond said first tube to insure contact of each ring with said legs of the associated one of said clips in spite of variations in the widths of the clip legs.

6. An electrical relay having, in combination, a first elongated tube of insulating material, a reed relay element comprising a tube of insulating material extending along the axis of said first tube and enclosing a pair of reeds of conducting material which project into overlapping relation with each other in cantilever fashion from opposite ends of the second tube, a coil encircling said second tube and overlapping portions of said reeds within said first tube and having terminals, rings of conducting material encircling and secured to said first tube at spaced points along the length thereof, electrical connections within said first tube insulated from each other and joining each of said reeds and the respective terminals of said coil with a different one of said rings, and a body of insulating material filling the spaces within said first tube around said element and said connections.

7. An electrical relay having, in combination, a first elongated tube of insulating material, a reed relay element comprising a tube of insulating material extending along the axis of said first tube and enclosing a pair of reeds of conducting material which project into overlapping relation with each other in cantilever fashion from opposite ends of the second tube, a coil encircling said second tube and overlapping portions of said reeds within said first tube and having terminals, rings of conducting material encircling and secured to said first tube at spaced points along the length thereof, and electrical connections within said first tube insulated from each other and joining each of said reeds and the respective terminals of said coil with a different one of said rings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ELECTRICAL REALY CARTRIDGE HAVING, IN COMBINAL TION, A FIRST ELONGAWTED TUBE OF INSULATING MATERIAL OPEN AT OPPOSITE ENDS AND HAVING TWO RADIAL OPENINGS SPACED THEREALONG FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE ENDS THEREOF, A HOLLOW SPOOL OF INSULATING MATEIRAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FIRST TUBE AND HAVING FLANGER ENGAGING THE INTERIOR THEREOF TO LOCATE A CENTRAL BORE OF THE POOL IN COAXIAL RELATION WITH SAID FIRST TUBE, A REED RELAY ELEMENT COMPRISING A SEDCOND TUBE OF INSULATING MATERIAL LYING COAXIALLY WITHIN SAID CENTRAL BORE OF SAID SPOOL AND A PAIR OF REEDS OF CONDUCTING MATERIAL PROJECTING TOWARD EACH OTHER IN CANTILEVER FASHION FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SECOND TUBE AND OVERLAPING AT ADJACENT ENDS THEREWITHIN, A COIL WRAPPED AROUND AND SUPPORTED BY SAID POOL BETWEEN SAID FLANGES AND ENCIRCLING SID OVERLAPPING ENDS OF SAID REEDS AND COIL AND PORTIONS OF SAID FLANGES BEING SPECED FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID FIRST TUBE TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR THE FLOW OF LIQUID FILLING MATERIAL PAST SAID SPOOL, CUPS OF CONDUCTING MATERIAL CLOSING AND SECURED AROUND SAID OPEN ENDS OF SAID FIRST TUBE AND HAVING CENTRAL APERTURES, THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID REEDS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND SAID SECOND TUBE AND THROUGH SAID APERTURES IN SAID CUPS, MEANS SECURING EACH OF SAID OTHER REED ENDS TO THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID CUPS, RINGS OF CONDUCTING MATERIAL ENCIRCLING AND SECURED TO SAID FIRST TUBE ADJACENT SID RADIAL OPENINGS THEREIN AND SPACED ALONG SAID FIRST TUBE FOR EACH OTHER AND SAID CUPS, SAID COIL HAVING TERMINALS EACH CONNECTED TO A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID RINGS THROUGH THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID RADIAL OPENINGS AND A BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL FILLING THE SPECES WITHIN SAID FIRST TUBE AND AROUND SAID RELAY ELEMENT, SAID SPOOL AND SAID COIL