Contact device and electromagnetic relay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE49236-E
Application number	US-201916437568-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Jun 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A contact device includes a pair of fixed contacts, a movable contactor, a contactor holder, a movable shaft, and a base. The pair of fixed contacts are aligned in a first direction. The movable contactor comes into or out of contact with the pair of fixed contacts in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The contactor holder holds the movable contactor. The movable shaft moves the contactor holder in the second direction so that the movable contactor comes into or out of contact with the fixed contacts. The base accommodates the fixed contacts, the movable contactor, and the contactor holder. The base has a projection projecting from a position opposing the contactor holder in a third direction orthogonal to both the first and second directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact device An electromagnetic relay comprising:
a pair of fixed contacts aligned in a first direction;
a movable contactor configured to come that comes into or out of contact with the pair of fixed contacts by a movement in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
a contactor holder that holds the movable contactor;
a movable shaft which that moves the contactor holder in the second direction so that the movable contactor comes into or out of contact with the pair of fixed contacts and twists about the movable shaft; and
a base that case that comprises a plurality of wall portions and a planar surface that covers upper edges of the wall portions on one end of the case while leaving its other end open to form an open bottom box,
wherein the case accommodates the pair of fixed contacts, the movable contactor, and the contactor holder,
wherein the base havingcase includes a projection projecting from a position opposing the contactor holderfirst protrusion that projects from one of the wall portions towards interior of the case in a third direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction, and
wherein the case and the first protrusion are integrally formed from same material; and
a winding that causes the movable shaft to move in the second direction depending on whether the winding is energized or not,
wherein the contactor holder comes into contact with the projection first protrusion along the third direction when the movable contactor and the contactor holder twist around the movable shaft.

2. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contactor holder has an upper area and a lower area, the lower area is more distant from the movable contactor than the upper area in the second direction, and the lower area has a larger length than the upper area in the third direction.

3. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projection has a curved end surface, and the contactor holder has a flat surface opposing the projection.

4. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contactor holder has a projected area at a position opposing the projection.

5. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contactor holder includes a resin member which comes into contact with the projection when the movable contactor and the contactor holder twist.

6. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projection is one of a plurality of projections aligned in the first direction, and the base has the plurality of projections.

7. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projection is one of a pair of projections provided on a pair of inner surfaces of the base, opposing each other in the third direction.

8. An electromagnetic relay comprising:
the contact device according to claim 1 ; and a driver which drives the movable shaft so that the movable contactor comes into or out of contact with the pair of fixed contacts.

9. The contact device according to claim 1 , the projection comprising a plurality of projections,
wherein, when the movable contactor and the contactor holder twist around the movable shaft in a first twist direction, at least one of the plurality of projections comes into contact with the contactor holder, and when the movable contactor and the contactor holder twist around the movable shaft in a second twist direction opposite to the first twist direction, a different at least one of the plurality of projections comes into contact with the contactor holder.

10. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , the projection of the contact device comprising a plurality of projections,
wherein, when the movable contactor and the contactor holder of the contact device twist around the movable shaft of the contact device in a first twist direction, at least one of the plurality of projections comes into contact with the contactor holder, and when the movable contactor and the contactor holder twist around the movable shaft in a second twist direction opposite to the first twist direction, a different at least one of the plurality of projections comes into contact with the contactor holder.

11. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising:
a magnetic material disposed on a surface of the movable contactor, wherein the contactor holder further holds the magnetic material, the contactor holder includes side parts that are disposed across from each other, the movable contactor is provided between the side parts, and each of the side parts includes:
an upper portion facing the magnetic material, and
two side portions extending downward from the upper portion.

12. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising:
a magnetic material disposed on a surface of the movable contactor; a yoke disposed in the case and under the movable contactor; and a spring disposed in the case and under the yoke, wherein the contact holder holds the magnetic material, the yoke and the spring.

13. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12,
the case further includes a second protrusion facing the first protrusion along the third direction, and the magnetic material is absent in an area between a peak of the first protrusion and a peak of the second protrusion.

14. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 13, wherein
the magnetic material is fixed to the contactor holder, and the movable contactor
is pressed towards the magnetic material by the spring, and
is held by the contactor holder.

15. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12,
wherein the magnetic material and the movable contactor are held by the contactor holder and are a part of the contact holder.

16. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12, wherein:
the case further includes a third protrusion that is disposed adjacent to the first protrusion and projects towards interior of the case, and a fourth protrusion disposed across from the third protrusion to face the third protrusion, and the magnetic material is absent in an area between a peak of the third protrusion and a peak of the fourth protrusion.

17. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising:
a pair of fixed terminals, wherein each of the pair of fixed contacts is provided to each of the pair of fixed terminals, and wherein the planar surface includes a pair of through holes, each of the pair of through holes accommodating each of the pair of fixed terminals.

18. An electromagnetic relay, comprising:
a pair of fixed contacts; a movable contactor that comes into or out of contact with the pair of fixed contacts; a magnetic material disposed on a surface of the movable contactor; a contactor holder that holds the movable contactor and the magnetic material, wherein the contactor holder includes side parts that are disposed to be across from each other, and wherein the movable contactor is provided between the side parts; a movable shaft that moves the contactor holder so that the movable contactor comes into or out of contact with the pair of fixed contacts and twists the contactor holder; a case that
comprises a plurality of wall portions and a planar surface that covers upper edges of the wall portions on one end of the case while leaving its other end open to form an open bottom box,
accommodates the pair of fixed contacts, the movable contactor, the contactor holder, and the magnetic material, and
includes a first protrusion that projects from one of the wall portions t

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoyama Koji
• Sakai Satoshi

Classifications

• H01H1/2075

  T-shaped bridge; bridging contact has lateral arm for mounting resiliently or on a pivot · CPC title

• H01H1/22 Primary

  with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact · CPC title

• H01H50/02

  Bases; Casings; Covers (frames for mounting two or more relays or for mounting a relay and another electric component H02B1/01, H04Q1/08, H05K) · CPC title

• H01H50/546 Primary

  for contactors having bridging contacts · CPC title