Kit and method for assembling at least two variants of a relay and contact springs thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a kit (50) for assembling at least two variants (58, 60) of a relay, each variant having different switching characteristics and a predetermined contact force (53). The kit comprises a fixed contact spring (1) and a housing (54). Each fixed contact spring comprises a base portion (2), a contact area (4) opposite the base portion and a spring portion (6) extending between the base portion and the contact area. In each of the at least two variants, the fixed contact spring (1) is mounted adjacent to the housing with a biasing force (56) resisting the contact force (53), the biasing force (56) in the first variant (58) being lower than the contact force (53) and in the second variant (60) being higher than the contact force (53). The invention also relates to a fixed contact spring and a method for assembling at least two variants of a relay. The solution of the invention can have a standardized fixed contact spring, which can be used in various applications with high surge current requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a kit for assembling at least two variants of a relay, a method for assembling at least two variants of a relay and a contact spring for a relay. Background Art

[0002] Relays are widely used in home appliances, automation systems, communication equipment, remote control devices, and automobiles. The functionality of a relay may vary for each application, so these applications often require small, low-cost relays with low power consumption. Especially in automobiles, relays used to switch high-power lamp loads, for example, have various size and weight restrictions.

[0003] EP 1 315 189 A2 discloses a relay contact device having a fixed contact spring mounted on a fixed part in a relay housing. The fixed contact spring or the fixed part may include an embossing by which the fixed contact spring is prestressed with a biasing force directed against the contact force.

[0004] For different applications, the requirements may be different. Therefore, a variety of different components must be available in order to assemble the relay according to the different application requirements. This leads to the production of specific components for each application, which increases the production and storage costs. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to reduce the number of different components for the assembly of at least two variants of the relay.

[0005] This problem is solved by a kit of the present invention, which is used to assemble at least two variants of a relay, each variant having different switching characteristics and each variant having a predetermined contact force. The kit includes at least two fixed contact springs of identical structure and at least two housings. Each contact spring includes a base portion configured to be fixed in the housing, a contact area arranged relative to the base portion for completing electrical switching, and a spring portion extending between the base portion and the contact area. In each of the at least two variants, the fixed contact spring is installed to abut against the housing with a biasing force directed against the contact force, wherein the biasing force in the first variant is less than the contact force, and the biasing force in the second variant is greater than the contact force.

[0006] The problem is further solved by a method for assembling at least two variants of a relay, each variant having a different switching characteristic and a predetermined contact force, the method comprising the steps of:

[0007] · a fixed contact spring of identical construction is installed in each housing of both variants, and

[0008] • Setting a predetermined biasing force of a fixed contact spring mounted in the housing, wherein the biasing force is smaller than the contact force in the first variation and larger than the contact force in the second variation.

[0009] In addition, the problem is solved by a fixed contact spring for a relay, which includes a base portion configured to be fixed in a housing of the relay, a contact area opposite to the base portion for completing electrical switching with a predetermined contact force, and a spring portion extending between the base portion and the contact area, wherein the fixed contact spring includes at least two adjacent latches for adjacent to the housing of the relay with a biasing force directed to resist the contact force, and each adjacent latch protrudes from a lateral side of the spring portion.

[0010] The fixed contact spring can be part of the kit, but it is also possible to solve the problem independently of the kit.

[0011] By installing fixed contact springs of identical construction in different variants of the relay, the fixed contact springs can be standardized. Thus, the number of different fixed contact springs that have to be manufactured can be minimized. Depending on the application requirements of the relay, the contact springs can be installed in the housing of the relay with different biasing forces. The contact force, i.e. the force with which the switching contact contacts the contact area, is greater than the biasing force in the second variant of the relay. Thus, in the second variant, the fixed contact spring does not deviate from the housing and exhibits different spring characteristics than in the first variant. Thus, the fixed contact spring can be installed in different relays with different requirements. Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention can be further improved by the following features, which are independent of each other in terms of their respective technical effects and can be combined in any desired manner.

[0013] For example, according to a first aspect of the invention, the contact spring may include at least one abutment latch for abutting the housing with a biasing force. Compared to the first variant, in the second variant, at least one abutment latch may be at least partially further plastically deformed toward the housing so as to adjust the biasing force of the fixed contact spring abutting the housing. Therefore, the contact spring can be easily adjusted according to different requirements of the relay application. In the first variant, the abutment latch may be arranged in a plane with the spring portion, and in the second variant, at least partially bent away from the plane. Alternatively, in the first variant, at least one abutment latch may be at least partially bent away from the plane, and in the second variant, may be further bent away from the second plane toward the housing, and at least one abutment latch abuts against the housing with a biasing force.

[0014] Compared to the first variant, in the second variant, the contact spring, in particular the at least one abutment latch, can be formed more elastically towards the housing and / or away from the plane.

[0015] The fixed contact spring may be a normally open contact spring which is mounted in the housing and which can be contacted by the switching contact once the relay is energized.

[0016] In particular, the housings of the two variants can be different from one another or can also be constructed identically. Depending on customer requirements, the contact forces and / or the driving forces of the two variants can be different or identical in the two variants. Thus, a variety of relays can be assembled for different applications including fixed, in particular normally open, contact springs having the same structure.

[0017] Preferably, at least two housings can be designed identically, so that at least two identically designed relays with different switching and spring characteristics can be provided.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, in a second variant, the fixed contact spring can be mounted in the housing at a greater angle towards an abutment platform of the housing, with which the contact spring contacts with a biasing force, than in the first variant. Thus, the biasing force can also be influenced by mounting the fixed contact spring in the housing without having to adjust the abutment latch, thus giving the customer greater freedom in designing the relay.

[0019] In particular, the second variant of the relay may be a high inrush relay having an inrush capacity of approximately 45 A. Thus, the second variant of the relay may for example be used for switching high power lamp loads requiring a high inrush current directly after contact closure.

[0020] The first variant of the relay may be a low inrush relay having a surge capacity of about 15 to about 20 A. The first variant may be particularly applicable to resistive load applications. In particular, the driving force of the first variant may be lower than the driving force in the second variant, resulting in reduced power consumption of the relay when used as a low inrush relay.

[0021] The fixed contact spring may include a first bending region having a cross section smaller than the cross section directly surrounding it. The fixed contact spring may bend around the rotation axis at the first bending region. When the biasing force is greater than the contact force, the fixed contact spring may only bend at the first bending region. When the biasing force is less than the contact force, the biasing force first bends around the first bending region and may further bend around the second bending region.

[0022] The first bending area can be formed by a cutout at at least one adjacent latch. The length of the section between the contact area and the first bending area can define the spring characteristics of the fixed contact spring. Therefore, the contact spring can include a rigid section that reduces the bouncing behavior of the contact during switching. The bouncing of the contact during switching can produce an arc across the open contact gap, resulting in molten contact material and contact corrosion. Using a rigid contact spring, the tendency of the contact to bounce can be reduced. Therefore, the wear resistance of the contacts in the relay can be further increased.

[0023] In particular, in a second variant of the relay, the spring characteristic of the fixed contact spring can be defined by the first bending area, and in particular, the movement of the contact spring during overtravel can have a similar path to the switching contact. The relative movement between the contact area and the contacts of the switching contact, especially in combination with high surge loads, can cause the molten contact material to be pushed in one direction, which contact material will be melted by the arc when the contacts are closed, thereby forming accumulated contact material. The accumulation of contact material increases in size with each switching cycle, which may lead to micro-welding and / or mechanical blocking and / or adhesion of the contacts due to surface roughness. By making the contact area of ​​the switching contact and the fixed contact spring have a similar travel path, the relative movement between the two can be reduced. Therefore, the wear resistance of the relay and / or the contact spring can be increased, especially for relays with high surge capacity.

[0024] The contact spring may include at least two abutment latches, each of which protrudes substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis from the lateral side of the spring portion, in which the spring portion extends from the base portion to the contact area. The abutment latches may preferably be arranged on two opposite lateral sides of the spring portion. Each abutment latch can be adjusted independently of one another, thereby allowing the user to have greater freedom when designing the relay. For example, for each abutment latch, the biasing force of the abutment latch abutting the housing may be equal. When the contact force is greater than the biasing force, this results in a linear path of travel of the contact spring. If the setting of the biasing force is different, once the contact force is greater than the biasing force, the spring portion will generate a torque in the longitudinal axis direction. In addition, the abutment latches may be adjusted according to the abutment surface of the housing.

[0025] The at least one abutment latch may be cantilevered and substantially L-shaped such that the at least one abutment latch also extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0026] The at least one abutment latch may comprise a free tip having an abutment surface for abutting the housing, wherein the abutment surface may be spaced apart from a plane in which the spring portion is arranged. The abutment surface may in particular be parallel to the housing so that the at least one abutment latch abuts the housing with a flat surface.

[0027] The base portion of the fixed contact spring can be reinforced, which means that the material thickness of the base portion can be greater than the material thickness of the spring portion. The second bending area can be formed by the boundary between the reinforced base portion and the spring portion. The fixed contact spring can be deflected around a rotation axis arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis at the second bending area. The second bending area can be particularly arranged between the first bending area and the base portion, so that if the contact force is greater than the biasing force, the fixed contact spring is bent only at the second bending area. Therefore, according to this exemplary embodiment, in the second variant of the relay, the contact spring is not bent at the second bending area.

[0028] The base may extend beyond the lateral side of the spring portion. A gap may be provided between the lateral side of the spring portion and the base so as to define the position of the second curved region along the longitudinal axis of the spring portion. In particular, a cutout may be provided at the reinforced base portion so as to position the boundary between the reinforced base portion and the spring portion and therefore the second curved region further away from the contact region. The further the second curved region is from the contact region, the larger the lever arm generated. Therefore, the force required to obtain a torque around the axis of rotation in the second curved region is less, resulting in lower power consumption to drive the relay.

[0029] The fixed contact spring can in particular be a stamped part.The contact spring can comprise a kink at the first bending region and / or the second bending region in order to further establish the position of the first bending region and / or the second bending region.

[0030] At least two contact springs may have the same structure, which means that they may have the same size and form. However, the contact spring may have a contact pad on the contact area for contacting the switching contact. The contact pad may be a flat convex shape or include any other shape known in the art for contact pads. In particular, the contact pad in the first variant may have a flat shape and in the second variant may be a convex shape.

[0031] The method for assembling at least two variants of the relay may further comprise the step of changing the biasing force of the fixed contact spring by plastically deforming at least one abutting latch.Therefore, the contact springs of the same structure can be easily installed in different relays with different application requirements.

[0032] In the following, a kit for assembling at least two variants of a relay, a fixing contact spring and a method for assembling at least two variants of a relay according to the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0033] In the figures, the same reference numerals are used for elements that correspond to one another with regard to their function and / or structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] According to the description of various aspects and embodiments, elements shown in the drawings may be omitted if the technical effects of these elements are not required for a specific application, and vice versa: that is, elements not shown or described with reference to the drawings but described above may be added if the technical effects of those specific elements are advantageous in a specific application.

[0035] In the attached picture:

[0036] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a fixed contact spring according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an assembly kit according to the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first variant of a relay according to the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing spring characteristics of a first variant of a relay according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second variation of the relay according to the present invention; and

[0041] Figure 6 A diagram showing the spring characteristics of a second variant of the relay according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a fixed contact spring 1 according to the invention is shown.

[0043] The fixed contact spring 1 comprises a base portion 2 for fixing the contact spring in a housing, a contact area 4 opposite to the base portion 2 for completing electrical switching, and a spring portion 6 extending along a longitudinal axis L from the base portion 2 to the contact area 4 .

[0044] The spring portion 6 is arranged in a plane 8, and the contact region 4 is spaced apart from the plane 8, so that the contact spring 1 is bent away from the plane 8 in a transition portion 10 between the spring portion 6 and the contact region 4. The contact region 4 comprises a contact surface 12 having a convex contact pad 14, which is used to contact a complementary contact pad of a switching contact. However, the contact pad 14 can comprise any other form. For example, the contact pad 14 can have a planar shape. The contact region 4 is inclined toward the plane 8, so that the contact pad 14 is arranged substantially parallel to the complementary contact pad when making contact. Therefore, the relative movement between the contact pads during overtravel can be reduced.

[0045] The contact spring 1 comprises two abutment latches 16, each of which protrudes from opposite lateral sides 18 of the spring portion 6. The abutment latches 16 are cantilevered and formed in a substantially L-shape, such that the abutment latches 16 each comprise an arm 20 extending with a tip 22 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis L, and an arm 23 connected to the spring portion 6 and extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis L. The tip 22 may be spaced apart from the plane 8, such that the abutment latch 16 is at least partially bent away from the plane 8. The tip 22 may in particular comprise an abutment surface 24 for abutting against a housing of the relay. The abutment surface 24 may have a profile (not shown) for further increasing the biasing force between the contact spring 1 and the housing.

[0046] On one side of the spring portion 6, a circular recess 26 is provided adjacent to the connection between the latch 16 and the spring portion 6, defining a first bending region 28, the width 30 of which is smaller than its immediate surrounding. Thus, the position at which the contact spring 1 bends about the axis of rotation 32 can be well defined, and thus also the length of the lever arm extending from the contact region 4 and the first bending region 28 can be well defined. This can facilitate the design of the relay, in particular the design of the relay, so that the contact spring 1 and the switching contact have similar movement paths during overtravel. Thus, relative movement between the contact pads is further prevented.

[0047] The base part 2 is reinforced. In other words, the material thickness of the base part 2 is greater than the material thickness of the spring part 6. In the exemplary embodiment, the reinforcement is achieved by folding the base part by about 180° so that the base part is double-layered. The base part 2 extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis L beyond one lateral side 18 of the spring part 6 and is provided with an L-shaped connecting pin 34. A gap 36 is provided between the lateral side 18 of the spring part 6 and the base part 2, in particular the connecting pin 34.

[0048] The boundary 38 between the reinforced base portion 2 and the spring portion 6 defines a second bending region 40, the rotation axis 42 of which is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. As long as the contact force is less than the biasing force, the contact spring 1 is bendable and / or bends about the rotation axis 32 of the first bending region 28. As soon as the contact force exceeds the biasing force, the contact spring 1 bends further about the rotation axis 42 at the second bending region 40.

[0049] A split 44 or cutout 46 of the reinforced base portion 2 may be provided to position the border 38 and the second bending region 40 further away from the contact region 4. This results in a larger lever arm. Consequently, less force is required to deflect the contact spring at the second bending region 40.

[0050] The contact spring 1 may be a component of a kit 50 according to the invention. Such an assembled relay 52 from the kit 50 according to the invention is shown in Figure 2 ,3 and 5.

[0051] The kit 50 is used to assemble at least two variants of a relay 52 , each variant having different switching characteristics and a predetermined contact force 53 .

[0052] The kit 50 comprises at least two structurally identical fixed contact springs 1 and at least two housings 54. The fixed contact springs 1 are mounted to abut against the housings 54 with a biasing force directed against the contact force 53. Figure 3 In FIG. 5 , a first variation 58 of a relay is shown, wherein the biasing force 56 is less than the contact force 53. Figure 5 , a second variation 60 of the relay is shown, in which the biasing force 56 is greater than the contact force 53 .

[0053] The relay 58 includes a magnetic system having a coil, a yoke and a movable armature. The coil includes a bobbin consisting of an insulating material, a coil wire and a coil terminal, and the coil terminal protrudes from the housing 54. The coil terminal is used to apply a voltage to the coil from the outside of the housing 54. Once the voltage is applied, the coil is energized to generate a magnetic flux, which flows to the armature and yoke of the magnetic system. Due to the magnetic flux, the magnetic system tends to close the air gap between the armature and the yoke, thereby causing the armature to move toward the yoke.

[0054] The relay 58 may further be provided with an actuator 66 which may electrically insulate between the armature and the movable switching contact 68. The switching contact 68 is formed by a spring 70 and a contact area 72 with a contact pad 74. The contact area 72 is separated along the longitudinal axis L to further reduce any bouncing movement during contact switching. The fixed contact spring 1 is mounted in the housing 54 arranged opposite to the switching contact 68. Initially, the contact spring 1 and the switching contact 68 are away from each other so that the respective contact pads 14, 74 face each other. The movement of the armature towards the yoke serves to push the actuator 66 against the contact area 72 on the side opposite to the contact pad 74, towards the fixed contact spring 1, to close the initial gap between the contact pads 14, 74.

[0055] The actuator 66 travels a predetermined distance after the contacts have closed, causing the fixed contact spring 1 to deflect together with the movement of the switching contact 68, which is called overtravel. The overtravel ensures the establishment of a specified contact force 53 of the closing contacts, which is necessary to achieve a low contact resistance in order to keep the heating of the contact pads 14, 74 to a minimum. In addition, it also compensates for the loss of contact material due to contact wear, which may occur due to arcing generated during the making or breaking of contacts.

[0056] The housing 54 is preferably insulating and comprises an abutment platform 76 arranged between the switching contact 68 and the fixed contact spring 1. The fixed contact spring 1 abuts the abutment platform 76 via its abutment latch 16, so that the abutment surface 24 is pressed against the platform 76 with a biasing force 56. The abutment latch 16 can be adjusted to set the biasing force 56. For example, the abutment latch in the second variant 60 can be bent at least partially further away from the plane 8 towards the abutment platform 76 to increase the biasing force 56.

[0057] In the first variant 58, at the end of the switching cycle, the biasing force 56 is less than the contact force 53. Therefore, the contact spring first bends around the rotation axis 32 of the first bending area 28 until the contact force 53 and the biasing force 56 reach equilibrium. Thereafter, the contact spring 1 bends around the rotation axis 42 at the second bending area 40, thereby deflecting the contact spring 1, in particular the abutment latch 16, away from the abutment platform 76.

[0058] exist Figure 4 The spring characteristic 78 of the contact system in the first variant 58 is shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. The figure shows the relationship between the force applied to the contact system comprising the contact spring 1 and the switching contact 68 and the distance over which the contact system is deflected.

[0059] The spring characteristic 78 exhibits two different points at which the slope of the spring characteristic 78 changes. Until a balance is reached between the contact force 53 and the biasing force 56, the lever arm is located between the contact area 4 and the first curved area 28, more specifically the contact head of the switching contact 68 contacting the contact area 4 and the first curved area 28, defining the spring characteristic. This lever arm is relatively short, so that the contact spring 1 is relatively stiff and the force required to deflect the contact spring 1 is relatively large. This is due to Figure 4 80 in FIG. However, as soon as the contact force 53 exceeds the biasing force 56, the contact spring 1 bends further about the rotation axis 42 at the second bending region 40. Therefore, the contact arm between the contact region and the second bending region 40, more specifically the contact head of the switching contact 68 contacting the contact region 4 and the second bending region 40, defines the spring characteristic. Here the lever arm is quite large, resulting in a flat slope 82 of the spring characteristic, because the additional force required to further deflect the contact spring 1 is small.

[0060] The first variant 58 may be particularly advantageous because a low drive force of approximately 100 mW is necessary to complete a switching cycle, thereby reducing the power consumption of the relay. Thus, the first variant 58 may be particularly useful for low inrush current relay applications, such as for resistive loads.

[0061] In the second variant 60, the biasing force 56 is always greater than the contact force 53. Therefore, the contact spring 1 is bent only at the first bending area 28 about the rotation axis 32, as in Figure 6 This can be seen from the steep slope in the schematic diagram shown in FIG. Due to the short lever arm, the contact spring 1 exhibits a stiff spring characteristic, which can reduce contact bounce. Therefore, the second variant 60 can be particularly suitable for high surge loads, for example to switch high power lamps.

[0062] Reference numerals list

[0063] 1 Fixed contact spring

[0064] 2 Base part

[0065] 4 Contact area

[0066] 6 Spring part

[0067] 8 Plane

[0068] 10 Transition

[0069] 12 Contact Surface

[0070] 14 Contact pads

[0071] 16 Abutment latch

[0072] 18 lateral side

[0073] 20 Arm

[0074] 22 Tip

[0075] 23 Arm

[0076] 24 Adjacent surfaces

[0077] 26 Notch

[0078] 28 First bending area

[0079] 30 Width

[0080] 32 Rotation axis at the first bending area

[0081] 34 Connecting pin

[0082] 36 Gap

[0083] 38 Boundary

[0084] 40 Second bending area

[0085] 42 Rotation axis at the second bending region

[0086] 44 Crack

[0087] 46 Incision

[0088] 50 Kits

[0089] 52 Relay

[0090] 53 Contact force

[0091] 54 Shell

[0092] 56 Bias force

[0093] 58 First variant

[0094] 60 Second variant

[0095] 66 Actuator

[0096] 68 Switching contacts

[0097] 70 Spring

[0098] 72 Contact Area

[0099] 74 Contact pads

[0100] 76 Adjacent Platform

[0101] 78 Spring characteristics

[0102] 80 Steep Slope

[0103] 82 Flat Slope

Claims

1. A kit (50) for assembling at least two variants (58, 60) of a relay, each variant (58, 60) having different switching characteristics and a predetermined contact force (53), The kit (50) comprises at least two fixed contact springs (1) of identical structure and at least two housings (54). Each fixed contact spring (1) includes a base portion (2) configured to be fixed in a corresponding one of at least two housings (54), a contact area (4) opposite to the base portion (2) for completing electrical switching, and a spring portion (6) extending between the base portion (2) and the contact area (4). It is characterized in that In each of at least two variations (58, 60), the fixed contact spring (1) is mounted adjacent to a respective one of the at least two housings (54) with a biasing force (56) directed against a contact force (53), the biasing force (56) in a first variation (58) being lower than the contact force (53) and the biasing force in a second variation (60) being higher than the contact force (53).

2. The kit (50) according to claim 1, wherein: The at least two fixed contact springs (1) include at least one abutment latch (16) for abutting the corresponding housing (54) with the biasing force (56).

3. The kit (50) according to claim 2, wherein: Compared to the first variant (58), in the second variant (60) the at least one abutment latch (16) is at least partially further plastically deformed towards the respective housing (54).

4. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The second variation (60) of the relay is a high surge relay having a surge capacity of 45A.

5. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first variant (58) of the relay is a low surge relay having a surge capacity of 15 to 20A.

6. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The fixed contact spring (1) comprises at least two abutment latches (16), each of which protrudes from a lateral side (18) of the spring portion (6).

7. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein: The at least one abutment latch (16) is L-shaped and cantilevered.

8. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein: The at least one abutment latch (16) comprises a free tip (22) having an abutment surface (24) which is bent away from a plane (8) in which the spring portion (6) is arranged.

9. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The fixed contact spring (1) comprises a first curved region (28) having a smaller width (30) than its immediate surroundings.

10. The kit (50) according to claim 9, wherein: The reduction in width (30) at the first bend region is formed by at least one notch (26) adjacent the latch (16).

11. The kit (50) of claim 9, wherein: The base portion (2) is reinforced and the second bending region (40) is formed by a boundary (38) between the spring portion (6) and the reinforced base portion (2).

12. The kit (50) of claim 11, wherein: The first bending region (28) and / or the second bending region (40) are further defined by a knot.

13. The kit (50) according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein: The base portion (2) extends beyond the lateral sides (18) of the spring portion (6), and a gap (36) is provided between the lateral sides (18) of the spring portion (6) and the base portion (2).

14. A fixed contact spring (1) for a relay (52), comprising a base portion (2) configured to be fixed in a housing (54) of a relay (52), a contact area (4), opposite the base portion (2), for achieving electrical switching with a predetermined contact force (53), and a spring portion (6), extending between the base portion (2) and the contact area (4), It is characterized in that The fixed contact spring (1) further comprises at least two abutment latches (16) for abutting the housing (54) with a biasing force (56) directed against the contact force (53), each abutment latch (16) protruding from a lateral side of the spring portion (6), wherein at least one abutment latch (16) is L-shaped and cantilevered.

15. The fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 14, wherein: The fixed contact spring (1) comprises at least two abutment latches (16), each of which protrudes from a lateral side (18) of the spring portion (6).

16. The fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: The at least one abutment latch (16) comprises a free tip (22) having an abutment surface (24) which is bent away from a plane (8) in which the spring portion (6) is arranged.

17. A fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: The fixed contact spring (1) comprises a first curved region (28) having a smaller width (30) than its immediate surroundings.

18. The fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 17, wherein: The reduction in width (30) at the first bend region is formed by at least one notch (26) adjacent the latch (16).

19. The fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 17, wherein: The base portion (2) is reinforced and the second bending region (40) is formed by a boundary (38) between the spring portion (6) and the reinforced base portion (2).

20. The fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 19, wherein: The first bending region (28) and / or the second bending region (40) are further defined by a knot.

21. The fixed contact spring (1) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: The base portion (2) extends beyond the lateral sides (18) of the spring portion (6), and a gap (36) is provided between the lateral sides (18) of the spring portion (6) and the base portion (2).

22. A method for assembling at least two variants (58, 60) of a relay, each variant (58, 60) having a different switching characteristic and a predetermined contact force (53), comprising the steps of: - in each of the two variants (58, 60), a fixed contact spring (1) of the same structure as in any one of claims 14 to 21 is installed in the corresponding housing (54); and - setting a predetermined biasing force (56) of a fixed contact spring (1) mounted in a corresponding housing (54), the biasing force (56) being directed against the contact force (53), wherein in a first variant (58) the biasing force (56) is lower than the contact force (53) and in a second variant (60) the biasing force (56) is higher than the contact force (53).

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