Method for manufacturing electric switching block of electromagnetic relay

A method of manufacturing a switching block of an electromagnetic relay of the type comprising:

• an insulative base,
• a plurality of switching sections carried by said base, each switching section including
• a pair of fixed contact terminals embedded in said base,
• a resiliently movable contactor having a movable contactor terminal embedded in said base, and
• a coil terminal embedded in said base, and
• an electromagnetic block having a movable armature disposed between said switching sections to move said resiliently movable contactors,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• (1) forming two contact parts, wherein each contact part comprises an elongate metal strip carrying said pair of fixed contact terminals, said movable contactor terminal, and said coil terminal;
• one of said fixed contact terminals being of zig-zag shape and inclined away from the other fixed contact terminal;
• (2) arranging said two contact parts in parallel relationship;
• (3) bending an intermediate portion of said zig-zag shaped fixed contact terminal so that said intermediate portion lies perpendicular with respect to the plane of said strip, the length of said intermediate portion corresponding to a predetermined distance between said pair of fixed contact terminals,
• (4) straightening said zig-zag shaped fixed contact terminal by moving the latter toward the other fixed contact terminal such that an end of said zig-zag shaped terminal lies opposite an end of said other fixed contact terminal,
• (5) molding said insulative base in a manner embedding at least two of said contact parts therein, such that said fixed contact terminals, said movable contact terminal, and said coil terminal of each contact part are embedded in said base intermediate their ends;
• and
• (6) separating said strips from the remainder of said contact parts.