US3255328A - Electromagnetic relay - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1966 H. A. KRASUN 3,255,323

ELECTROMAGNETI C RELAY Filed 001:. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nvenlor HENR Yk A. ASU/V By m 4%? A Home y June 7, 1966 H. A. KRASUN 3,255,323

ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY Filed Oct. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor HNRYK A. kkASU/V Attorney United States Patent 3,255,328 ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY Henryk Adam Krasun, London, England, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,742 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 22, 1963, 41,646/ 63 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-87) This invention relates to an electromagnetic relay, and especially to such a relay for handling a fairly high current.

According to the present invention there is provided an electromagnetic relay in which the magnetic circuit consists of a generally rectangular frame on one limb of which a winding is mounted, the limb of said frame which is generally parallel with the limb which carries the winding acting as an armature, in which said armature is pivotally attached to one of the other two limbs of the frame, the limb parallel to the one to which the armature is-pivoted acting as a front stop for said armature, and in which said armature has an extension piece for contact operation.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a relay according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the relay, seen with its top cover removed;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and plan views respectively of the armature of the relay;

FIG. 5 is a view from the left-hand end (as seen in FIG. 1) of the relay; and

FIG. 6 shows the yoke plus coil separate.

The relay is a relatively cheap and easily produced arrangement intended to control a single pair of contacts capable of handling up to amperes, and is especially intended for use in domestic electrical apparatus. It is enclosed in a generally rectangular container of a suitable insulating material such as nylon or some other suitable material, the material used being preferably one capable of accepting a good finish. The container consists of a generally U-shaped portion 1, which consists of the ends and the top of the container. When assembly is completed the sides and if necessary the bottom are closed by further plates of insulating material. The two end portions have various holes whose uses will become apparent in due course, and also have their inner surfaces formed to receive the magnetic circuit. Thus there are recesses indicated at 2, 3, FIG. 2 into which the magnetic circuit is fitted. These locate the yoke and coil within the container.

The magnetic circuit, which is generally rectangular, consists of a C-shaped (or U-shaped) portion 4, FIG. 6, with a hole 5 at one end, the corner of this end being rounded off as seen in FIG. 6. The other end is bevelled, also as shown in FIG. 6. Moulded on to, the horizontal limb of the yoke, as seen in FIG. 6, is a coil former and cheeks 6, 7, a suitable material for this being a plastics material, such as that known as Delrin. This carries the winding 8, which in the example shown is a high resistance multi-turn winding.

The armature 11, see FIGS. 3 and 4, is a straight member having small wings 12, 13 which when installed are one on each side of the yoke and thus improve the magnetic circuit. The armature has two downwardly-extending lugs 15, 16 which close the magnetic circuit, these being cut atan angle as shown to cooperate with the sloping end of the yoke pole-piece. This reduces the air gap in the magnetic circuit when the coil is deenergised and the magnetic circuit opened.

3,255,328 Patented June 7, 1966 ice The armature also has a bent end 14 which is the contact operating portion. The end 14 is working on a longer radius than the pole-pieces on the armature and yoke, which enables the magnetic air gap to be smaller than the gap of the electrical contacts. This reduces the power needed to operate the relay.

The yoke and coils which form a subassembly, are inserted from the bottom and the armature is inserted into the container from the right-hand end, FIG. 1, and both are secured to the yoke by a pin going through holes in wings 12, 13 and the hole 5 in the yoke. The ends of the winding are then connected to terminal taps such as 9, FIG. 1.

The contact springs 17, 18 are, as shown in FIG. 2, each of L-form and are of Phosphor bronze or beryllium copper, with a contact button on each. These are inserted into the container from the left to the position shown in FIG. 1, and then fixed by a screw or moulded in place. The resilience of the uppermost spring 15 urges the armature away from the yoke and provides the returning force needed to release the relay when its coil is deenergised.

After assembly the various elements are moulded in place by a suitable moulding compound, and the sides and if desired the bottom, closed by plates.

It is understood that the foregoing description of specific examples of this invention is made by way of example only and is not to be considered as a limitation on its scope.

What I claim is:

1. An electromagnetic relay having a magnetic circuit comprising:

a U-shaped frame having a base limb and two limbs of diiferent lengths extending in parallel from the ends thereof and perpendicular to said base limb;

an energizing winding carried on said base limb forming a coil of the magnetic circuit thereat;

a pair of contact members mounted parallel to said base limb, with said two perpendicular limbs extending therebetween, said pair of contact members having means at the ends thereof for electrical contact therebetween, said contact members being resilient to normally urge said contact members apart;

an armature, pivotally joined to the longer one of said two limbs, and positioned parallel to said base limb with said pair of contact members therebetween, said armature having a pair of lugs intermediate the ends thereof, said lugs being directed toward the shorter of said two limbs to provide a magnetic circuit air gap between said pair of lugs and said shorter limb, and a bent portion opposite the pivoted end of said armature, and said bent portion contacting the upper one of said resilient contact member to urge said upper contact member into contact with the other contact member when said magnetic circuit is energized.

2. A relay as claimed in claim 1, and in which each said contact member is of generally L-shape, with the bases of the L-shaped portions extending towards each other in overlapping relation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1934 Morgenstern ZOO-104.1

2/1958 Grissinger et a1. ZOO-109.1

Claims (1)

1. AN ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY HAVING A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT COMPRISING: A U-SHAPED FRAME HAVING A BASE LIMB AND TWO LIMBS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS EXTENDING IN PARALLEL FROM THE ENDS THEREOF AND PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BASE LIMB; AN ENERGIZING WINDING CARRIED ON SAID BASE LIMB FORMING A COIL OF THE MAGNETIC CIRCUIT THEREAT; A PAIR OF CONTACT MEMBERS MOUNTED PARALLE TO SAID BASE LIMB, WITH SAID TWO PERPENDICULAR LIMBS EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN, SAID PAIR OF CONTACT MEMBERS HAVING MEANS AT THE ENDS THEREOF FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACT THEREBETWEEN, SAID CONTACT MEMBERS BEING RESILIENT TO NORMALLY URGE SAID CONTACT MEMBERS APART; AN ARMATURE, PIVOTALLY JOINED TO THE LONGER ONE OF SAID TWO LIMBS, AND POSITIONED PARALLEL TO SAID BASE LIMB WITH SAID PAIR OF CONTACT MEMBERS THEREBETWEEN, SAID ARMATURE HAVING A PAIR OF LUGS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID LUGS BEING DIRECTED TOWARD THE SHORTER OF SAID TWO LIMBS TO PROVIDE A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT AIR GAP BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF LUGS AND SAID SHORTER LIMB, AND A BENT PORTION OPPOSITE THE PIVOTED END OF SAID ARMATURE, AND SAID BENT PORTION CONTACTING THE UPPER ONE OF SAID RESILIENT CONTACT MEMBER TO URGE SAID UPPER CONTACT MEMBER INTO CONTACT WITH THE OTHER CONTACT MEMBER WHEN SAID MAGNETIC CIRCUIT IS ENERGIZED.

Images