Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to an electromagnetic relay, with
a housing whose side walls consist of plastics material and have
cut out portions into which the magnet yoke extends with its
lateral edge without any backlash, and is thus in a fixed post-
lion in the assembled state of the magnetic system.
A relay of this type is known, for example, from the German Patent
No. 22 13 146 which issued on October 14, 1982 in the name Werner
Minks and the German Utility Model No. 78 28 023 which is dated
May 8, 1980 and is in the name Standard Electric Lawrence AGO In
the latter, laterally projecting flaps are provided for on the
magnet yoke which, during the assembly, each engage into a cutout
provided for in a sidewall. The contact systems, following the
installation of the magnetic system, must be adjusted in accordance
with the position of installation of the magnetic system. Owing
to the elasticity of the employed contact materials, this is a
relatively complicated and long-lasting procedure.
It is the object of the present invention to design a relay of the
aforementioned type in such a way that the adjustment of the con-
tact system relative to the magnetic system or the armature actual-
in the contact system, can be carried out in a quick and uncompli-
acted manner.
According to one aspect, the invention provides an electromagnetic
relay comprising a housing made of a deformable plastics material
having a cover and a plurality of sidewalls one of which has at
least one cut-out into which first and second spaced laterally
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projecting portions of a magnet yoke extend, the cover forming
an upper closure of the cut-out, a tilting armature having means
for operating a contact set and being urged into engagement with
the yoke adjacent the second laterally projecting portion by
spring means, the first lateral projecting portion resting on a
first housing sidewall portion which projects upwardly into the
cut-out and the second lateral projecting portion being secured
between a second housing sidewall portion which projects upwardly
into the cut-out and a portion of the cover which has been dolor-
mod downwardly to an extent necessary to adjust the contact swept the proper operating position by swiveling of the yoke about
the first housing sidewall portion, such downward deformation
being accommodated by consequent deformation of the second side-
wall portion.
According to another aspect, the invention is a method of making
the relay of the immediately preceding paragraph comprising
initially assembling the relay components including the yoke,
armature, contact set, means for operating the contact set and
spring means into the housing with the second lateral projecting
portion initially resting on the undeformed second sidewall port
lion and carrying out a subsequent adjustment step which involves
simultaneously measuring the contact spacing of the contact set
while deforming downwardly the portion of the craver overlying the
second sidewall portion and simultaneously deforming downwardly
the second sidewall portion, thereby swiveling the yoke about
the first sidewall portion until the desired contact spacing is
reached after which the deformation is stopped.
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The invention will be described in greater detail with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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Winks 32
Fugue is a sectional side view of a relay
Fugue, on a reduced scale, shows part of a top vie,
without the cover of the housing, Partly
i sectionally,
Fugue, on an enlarged scale, shows part of the one
cut out portion prior to the adjustment, in a
side view, and
Fugue shows the same part as Fugue, after the adjust-
mint.
The reference numeral 1 indicates a shell-shaped housing
member of thermoplastic material with plug holes pa and plug
pins Zb, a sidewall 3, a bottom me~ber4, a cover portion 5
and a front part 6. The terminal elements 7 are mounded into
the sidewall 3, with these elements extending to the contact
system 8 as projecting on the top consisting of a contact
terminal 9, a contact spring 10 welded thereto, and the
movable contact elements 11, 12 attached thereto, which co-
operate with the fixed contact elements 13 or 14 respectively.
One terminal element 7 is connected to the not shown coil
of a magnetic system 15 which still consists of the coil form
16, a coil core 17, a magnet yoke 18 connected to -the coil
core 17 and of a movable armature 19 which, in the example, is
designed as a tilting armature. The latter, with the aid of
a pressure spring 20, is pressed against the end edge 21 of
the magnet yoke 18 and is thus slew ably supported. The
pressure spring 20 may be attached to the coilfo~m or else
mounded thereto, so as to form one structural unit therewith.
In the state of rest, the one leg 22 of the armature 19 rests
on the magnet yoke 18. A plastics switching cam 23 attached
to the armature I is capable of actuating the end 24 of the
contact spring 10.
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Winks 3Z
Two such shell-shaped housing members 1 form one housing
part inside which the magnetic system 15 it fixed in position.
This housing may also consist of several parts, for
example as shown and described in the German Utility Model
No. 78 28 023~ According to the invention, in the side
wall 3, as seen in the direction of the longitudinal axis
25, two cut out portions 26 and 27 are provided for at a
spaced relation. These cut out portions are engaged by a
lateral projection 28 en 29 of the magnet yoke 18 without
any backlash. The lower surface 30 of the cut out portions
26, 27 is provided with supporting webs 31 and 32 on which
the projection 28 or I rests The supporting point of the
` cut out portion 26 as provided for and shown on the left
in Fugue, serves as the swivel point 33 for the magnet yoke 18.
For adjusting the magnetic system 15 with respect to the con-
tact system 8, the magnet yoke 18 can be lowered in the cut
out portion 27, in such a way that a pressure is exerted from
above with the aid of a hot and/or ultrasonic energized
stamp upon the cover portion 5, thus causing the supporting
web 32 of the cut out portion 27 to become softened and up-
set in the downward direction. This process is carried out
by simultaneously measuring the contact spacing at the
switching cam 23 engaging at the end 24 of the contact
sprung 10, for example, by measuring the switching point while a
voltage it applied to the contact system 8. Following the
exact adjustment especially during or after the switching
from the one into the other switching state, the stamp pros-
sure is either removed or the stamp is completely lifted off,
so that the magnetic system 15 will remain in the adjusted
position owing to the cooled down and solidified, deformed
supporting web 32, and is firmly retained in position also
by the part 34 of the cover portion 5 which, at this point, is
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Winks 37
likewise pulled through towards below, and has cooled
down and solidified (Fugue).
Preferably, the cut out portion 27 with the supporting
web 32 to be deformed, is provided for in the area of the
end edge I of the magnet yoke 18~ which serves as the
swivel axis, and the projections2q are likewise provided
for at the end of the magnet yoke 18.
According to the invention, it is actually also possible,
instead of providing two cut out portions 26, 27~ to combine
them to form one single cut out portion practically extend
in throughout the length of the magnet yoke 18~ In this
case, the entire lateral edge of the magnet yoke 18 could
be lying in the cut out portion. Also, the supporting web
31 may be formed by correspondingly shaping the magnet yoke
18, with the swivel point being fixed in this way.
it is still to be noted that it is necessary for the support-
in web 33 and the cut out portion 27 to be disposed in such
a way that in the original, hence in the non-deformed state,
the magnet yoke 18 and, consequently, the entire magnetic
system 15 will come to lie too high, and that the other pair
of contacts 11, 12 is closed. Owing to the deformation of the
supporting web 32 and the part 34 of the cover portion 5, the
pair of contacts 11, 13 is opened, and the lower pair of con-
teats 12, 14, is closed. This criterion preferably serves as
an indicating and setting condition for the adjustment.
The relay Jay also be closed by a lid and, if so required, can
be made wash tight by taking suitable steps, such as sealing.
