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US 4,596,972 AGranted
Miniature power switching relays
AssigneeAMF Incorporated
InventorsMichael W. Knight, Paul G. Feil
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAMF Incorporated
InventorsMichael W. Knight, Paul G. Feil
Estimating the term…
An improved power-switching relay especially designed for mounting on printed circuit boards together with a method for manufacturing such a relay. The relay includes a number of features designed to properly position the various relay components relative to one another and to help ensure that they remain in the proper position at all times. To this end, the relay includes a unitary bobbin (22) and stationary contact support header (33) together with means (64) for firmly retaining the stationary contacts (34, 36) and their terminals (63, 73) in place in the header. The relay also provides means to prevent rotation of the armature relative to the movable contact assembly (53, 54) and to prevent rotation of the coil assembly relative to the frame (35). According to a further aspect of the invention, the core and coil assembly is attached to the relay frame by extending the core through the coil assembly and press-fitting the core into an extruded hole (14) in the frame. This procedure not only provides a very strong, rigid attachment, but permits the core to be accurately positioned relative to the movable contact arm assembly by simply pressing the core into the extruded aperture by the required amount. This capability, for the most part, eliminates the need for any final adjustments after the relay has been assembled and, thus, helps reduce manufacturing costs.
A relay assembly comprising a plurality of relay components including a frame, a coil assembly supported by said frame, and core means extending through said coil assembly and attached to said frame, characterized in that said frame (11) includes extension means (16, 81) for defining an aperture (14) for receipt of said core means (17), said aperture defined by said extension means (16, 81) having a cross-sectional diameter which is slightly less than the cross-sectional diameter of said core means (17) such that said core means (17) is supported within said aperture defined by said extension means (16, 81) in a pressfit relationship therewith with an interference fit between said core means (17) and said extension means (16, 81) defining the support of said coil assembly on said frame.
A relay assembly including a frame, a coil assembly supported by said frame, and core means extending through said coil assembly and attached to said frame, characterized in that said frame (11) includes extension means having an annular flange for defining an aperture (14) therein for receipt of said core means (17), said aperture having a cross-sectional diameter which is slightly less than the cross-sectional diameter of said core means, said core means being solely supported within said aperture in press-fit relationship therewith with an interference fit between said core means and said annular flange defining said aperture, and further characterized in that said coil assembly (21) includes a one-piece monolithic bobbin and electrical contact-carrying support member having a coil-carrying portion (30) for carrying coil means (23) therearound and an electrical, contact-carrying portion (33) for supporting electrical contact means (34, 36).
A relay assembly including a coil assembly, core means extending through said coil assembly, a frame, and means for attaching said core means to said frame for supporting said coil assembly on said frame, characterized in that said coil assembly (21) includes a one-piece, monolithic bobbin and electrical, contact-carrying support member having a coil-carrying portion (30) for carrying coil means (23) therearound and an electrical contact-carrying portion (33) for supporting electrical contact means (34, 36), and further characterized in that said means for attaching said core means to said frame comprises core-receiving means (14) on said frame (11) for solely supporting said core means in a properly aligned position with said electrical contact means supported by said electrical, contact-carrying portion of said coil assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.