Seesaw type electromagnetic relay serving as a continuous contact with a low power consumption

A seesaw type electromagnetic relay comprising:

• a supporting member;
• an armature rotatably supported by the supporting member, the armature comprising a central part and a pair of armature arm parts extending from the central part in opposite directions, the armature carrying out a seesaw motion in response to excitation of an electromagnet;
• a movable spring comprising a middle part fixed to said supporting member and a pair of spring sections extending in parallel with the pair of armature arm parts, said movable spring having free end parts and a bottom surface, at least one of the spring sections forking into two branches to form a pair of spring pieces, said movable spring carrying out a seesaw motion in synchronism with the seesaw motion of said armature;
• movable contacts mounted at the free end parts of said movable spring on the bottom surface of said movable spring, one of said movable contacts being mounted at the free end part in the spring pieces to form a pair of movable contact elements acting as a twin movable contact;
• fixed contacts facing said movable contacts, one of said fixed contacts being opposed to the twin movable contact and comprising a twin fixed contact having a difference in level in an open state, thereby making said seesaw type electromagnetic relay serve as a continuous contact.

A spring contact for a relay comprising:

• a spring body lying in a first plane, the spring body having a forked end;
• a first branch of the forked end extending from said spring body and lying in the first plane, the first branch having a free end, an upper surface and a lower surface;
• a first contact formed on the lower surface of the first branch at the free end of the first branch;
• a second branch of the forked end extending from said spring body, the second branch lying in a second plane different from the first plane, the second branch having a free end, an upper surface and a lower surface;
• and
• a second contact formed on the lower surface of the second branch at the free end, the second contact being at a level below said first contact.

A spring contact for a relay comprising:

• a middle section;
• a first section extending from the middle section and having a first free end, the middle and first sections lying in a plane;
• a second section having a forked free end and extending from the middle section in an opposite direction from the first section;
• a first branch of the forked free end of the second section and lying in the first plane, the first branch having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• a first contact formed on the lower surface of the first branch;
• a second branch of the forked free end of the second section, the second branch lying in a second plane different from the first plane, the second branch having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• and
• a second contact formed the lower surface of the second branch, the second contact being disposed at a level below said first contact.

A seesaw type electromagnetic relay comprising:

• an armature lying in a plane;
• a movable spring coupled to the armature and having first and second spring sections lying in the plane, each of the first and second spring sections having a free end, at least the first spring section being forked at the first spring section free end to form a first branch and a second branch, the first branch lying in the plane, the second branch being bent downward with respect to the plane;
• and
• movable contacts formed at the free ends of the first and second spring sections.