Contact spring arrangement for an electromagnetic relay

Abstract

A contact spring arrangement for an electromagnetic relay includes a contact spring forming at least one movable contact for cooperation with a fixed contact, and an actuator which embraces the contact spring and has a first portion for moving the movable contact towards the fixed contact, thereby closing the contact couple, and a second portion for withdrawing the movable contact from the fixed contact, thereby opening the contact couple. The actuator is so shaped that the distance between the location at which the first actuator portion engages the contact spring and the contacting location of the contact couple is greater than the distance between the location at which the second actuator portion engages the contact spring and the said contacting location. As a result, in the closed condition of the contact pair, the first actuator portion will be able to bend the contact spring to provide sufficient resilient contact force, whereas, in the opening of the contact couple, the second actuator portion will entrain the contact spring with very little resiliency of the contact spring, thus tending to tear the contact couple apart even in case sticking or welding should have occurred between the fixed and movable contacts.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.