Thermal overload relay

A thermal overload relay comprising:

• a case;
• main bimetals which bend upon detection of an overload current;
• a release lever rotating in accordance with a displacement of a shifter that is displaced in response to the bending of the main bimetals;
• and
• a contact reversing mechanism for changing-over contacts responsive to a rotation of the release lever;
• the main bimetals, the release lever and the contact reversing mechanism being disposed in the case, and
• wherein the contact reversing mechanism comprises:
• a movable plate supported at a support point at a first end thereof and swingably at a second end;
• a reversing spring stretched between the second end of the movable plate and a spring support, the second end of the movable plate and the spring support being positioned opposite each other with respect to the support point, and reversing the movable plate by coupling with the rotated release lever;
• and
• an interlock plate rotating around a support shaft together with movement of the movable plate;
• and
• wherein each of the contacts has a normally opened contact piece and a normally closed contact piece and is disposed respectively in a vicinity of a front surface and in a vicinity of a back surface of the interlock plate.