Miniature transfer relay

A method of assembling a relay comprising a molded base carrying a contact assembly which includes a normally-open (NO) fixed contact, a normally-closed (NC) fixed contact, a common conductor, and a movable spring extending from said common conductor and carrying first and second movable contacts disposed in contacting relation respectively with said NO and NC fixed contacts;

• an electromagnet block supported on said base over said contact assembly and including coil means and an armature which is movable between set and reset positions upon energization and de-energization of said coil means, said armature being operatively associated with said movable spring for simultaneously closing and opening said NO and NC contacts in response to movement of the armature between said set and reset positions;
• said NO fixed contact molded in an upper surface of said base and having an NO terminal lead projecting from said base;
• said NC fixed contacts having a portion molded in said base and having an NC terminal leads projecting from said base;
• said common conductor molded in the upper surface of said base and having a common terminal lead projecting from said base;
• said common conductor molded in the upper surface of said base and having a common terminal lead projecting from said base, said movable spring comprising an elongated self-biased resilient member which is formed at one longitudinal end thereof with said first movable contact, and which is secured at the other longitudinal end to said common conductor such that said movable spring can resiliently flex in a cantilever fashion to move said first movable contact into and out of contact with said NO fixed contact;
• said movable spring carrying said second movable contact at a portion intermediate its longitudinal ends and on a surface opposite of said first movable contact;
• and said NC fixed contact extending upwardly from said base and being bent over said movable spring to be kept in normally closed relation to said second movable contact;
• said NO contact, said NC contact, said common conductor, said NO terminal, said NC terminal, and said common terminal having respective portions molded into a bottom wall of said base, said NC contact having a generally U-shaped configuration, wherein a first end of said NC contact is integrally connected to said bottom wall of said base, an intermediate portion of said NC contact is bent such that a second end of said NC contact is disposed above said movable spring;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• (a) preparing a metal sheet comprising (i) said NO contact, (ii) said NO terminal contiguously extending from said NO contact, (iii) said NC contact, (iv) said NC terminal contiguously extending from said NC contact through an anchor segment, (v) said common conductor, and (vi) said common terminal contiguously extending from said common conductor, all arranged substantially in a common plane;
• (b) molding (i) a portion of said NO contact, (ii) said anchor segment, and (iii) a portion of said common conductor into the bottom wall of said base;
• (c) bending said intermediate portion of said NC contact into the U-shaped configuration outwardly of said base so as to have said second end portion thereof disposed above said movable spring;
• and
• (d) detaching said NO terminal, said common terminal, and said NC terminal from said metal sheet.