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US 2017/0236669 A1Published application
Bistable Relay
AssigneeTelepath Networks, Inc.
InventorRobert Tarzwell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reed switch is positioned within a housing and an actuation or drive coil is wrapped around a central portion of the housing. A permanent magnet for biasing or holding the reed switch contact in a closed positioned is mounted in the housing outside of and spaced apart from the coil and in direct mechanical contact with a bare uninsulated portion of one of the reed switch leads.
Claims26
A bistable relay comprising:
- a housing having a central portion wherein first and second reed switches are positioned;
- an electrically conductive coil wrapped around said central portion;
- first and second input leads entering said housing at a first end thereof and connected to supply respective input signals to the first and second reed switches, each of the first and second input leads comprising a material which transfers magnetic energy;
- and
- first and second permanent magnets mounted at the first end of the housing, each permanent magnet directly contacting a respective one of the first and second input leads prior to those leads entering said housing, wherein the first and second permanent magnets each have a strength selected to hold a respective reed switch relay contact of each of the first and second reed switches closed after supply of drive current to said electrically conductive coil has initially caused those respective relay contacts to close.
2 more elements
A bistable relay comprising:
- a housing having a central portion wherein at least a first reed switch is positioned;
- an electrically conductive coil wrapped around said central portion;
- an input lead entering said housing at a first end thereof and connected to supply an input signal to the at least one reed switch, the input lead comprising a material which transfers magnetic energy;
- and
- a permanent magnet mounted at the first end of the housing, the permanent magnet directly contacting the input lead prior to the input lead entering said housing, wherein the permanent magnet has a strength selected to hold a relay contact of the reed switch closed after supply of drive current to said electrically conductive coil has initially caused said contact to close.
2 more elements
A method of making a relay comprising:
- positioning a reed switch in a housing with an input lead and an output lead of the reed switch extending outside of a housing;
- installing an actuating electrically conductive coil around the housing;
- positioning a permanent magnet outside the housing, spaced apart from the actuating coil, and directly mechanically contacting one of the input and ouput leads of the reed switch;
- and
- prior to the step of positioning the permanent magnet outside the housing, selecting the strength of the permanent magnet to be sufficient to hold a contact of the reed switch closed after said contact has been initially closed.
2 more elements
A relay comprising:
- a reed switch positioned within an actuation coil;
- and
- a permanent magnet for holding a contact of the reed switch closed, the permanent magnet being positioned outside of and spaced apart from the actuation coil and in contact with an input or output lead of the reed switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.