Relay

Abstract

To provide a relay which enables improvement of mechanical reliability of a movable terminal of roll streaks and achieves extension of the life.SOLUTION: A relay 10 has: a base block 12; and a movable terminal 30 disposed in the base block 12 and having roll streaks 65. The movable terminal 30 has: an insertion part 56 inserted into the base block 12; a movable contact 28 which may be elastically displaced in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to a direction 64 of the roll streaks 65 with the insertion part 56 set to a supporting point; and frustums 60, 62 which are formed at the insertion part 56 and contact with the base block 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a relay. [Background technology]

[0002] Electromagnetic relays are used in home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, as well as in-vehicle products installed in automobiles, and include an electromagnet, an armature that is movable relative to the electromagnet by magnetic force, and a contact element that opens and closes in conjunction with the armature.

[0003] Known contact elements as mentioned above include a fixed terminal that is fixed to a base block or the like and has a fixed contact, and a movable terminal that has a movable contact that faces the fixed contact across a certain gap and elastically deforms with the base block or the like as a fulcrum (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-270196 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One of the processes for manufacturing the movable terminal of a relay is rolling a conductive metal material. In this process, the manufactured movable terminal has multiple fine lines that extend in the direction of the rolling rolls during the rolling process, and these lines are also called roll marks. Because the crystal structure inside the rolled product extends in the direction of the roll marks, bending the product in a direction perpendicular to the roll marks makes it less likely to crack, and cutting the product along the roll marks makes it less likely to warp.

[0006] When the movable terminal is manufactured by rolling, the direction of the roll marks is often perpendicular to the direction of elastic displacement of the movable contact, and in this case, the direction of the roll marks coincides with the direction in which the base of the movable terminal extends, causing the movable terminal to repeatedly deform elastically with that part acting as a fulcrum, which can lead to the problem of the movable terminal becoming easily broken.

[0007] One way to solve this problem is to change the direction of the roll grain of the movable terminal, but when you consider the shape processing required to meet the material characteristics and the unit cost based on the number of movable terminals that can be made from a given area of ​​material, changing the direction of the roll grain is difficult.

[0008] Therefore, there is a demand for a relay that improves the mechanical reliability of the movable terminal having rolled patterns and that has a longer life. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a relay having a base block and a movable terminal arranged within the base block and having a rolled pattern, wherein the movable terminal has an insertion portion inserted into the base block, a movable contact that can be elastically displaced in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the rolled pattern with the insertion portion as a fulcrum, and a plurality of frustums formed in the insertion portion and abutting against the base block.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a relay having a base block and a movable terminal disposed within the base block and having a rolled pattern, wherein the movable terminal has an insertion portion inserted into the base block, a movable contact that can be elastically displaced in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the rolled pattern with the insertion portion as a fulcrum, and a thin frustum formed in the insertion portion and abutting against the base block, wherein the direction in which the portion of the base shape of the frustum that extends along its longitudinal direction is inclined at a non-zero angle with respect to the direction of the rolled pattern. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, the length of the base shape of the portion of the movable terminal that is pressed into the base block that coincides with the direction of the roll grain can be minimized, making it less likely that the movable terminal will be damaged due to repeated movement, improving the mechanical reliability of the movable terminal and extending the life of the relay. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the relay according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a first embodiment of a movable spring piece. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along line AA. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a movable spring piece according to a comparative example. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a second embodiment of a movable spring piece. [Figure 6] FIG. 7 is a view showing a cross section BB of FIG. 6. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a third embodiment of a movable spring piece. [Figure 8] 9 is a view of the movable spring piece of FIG. 8 as viewed in the direction of arrow C. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a view showing a fourth embodiment of a movable spring piece. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a view showing a cross section DD of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of a movable spring piece. [Figure 13] 13 is a view of the movable spring piece of FIG. 12 as viewed in the direction of arrow E. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sixth embodiment of a movable spring piece. [Figure 15] 15 is a view of the movable spring piece of FIG. 14 as viewed in the direction of arrow F. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electromagnetic relay (relay) 10 according to an embodiment. Relay 10 is used in, for example, home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, or in-vehicle products installed in automobiles, and includes a base block 12, an electromagnet block 14 fixed to base block 12, and an armature 16 disposed on one end of electromagnet block 14 and attracted by magnetic force generated by activation of electromagnet block 14. Electromagnet block 14 includes an insulating bobbin 18, a coil 20 wound around bobbin 18, an iron core 22 disposed within bobbin 18, a substantially L-shaped yoke 24 coupled to one end of iron core 22 and forming a magnetic circuit in cooperation with iron core 22, and two coil terminals 26, one end of which is connected to coil 20 and the other end of which is connected to an external power source (not shown).

[0014] The relay 10 includes a movable terminal (movable spring piece) 30 with a movable contact 28 that moves toward and away from the iron core 22 in response to the movement of the armature 16, and a fixed terminal with a fixed contact that is positioned opposite the movable contact 28 with a fixed gap between them. In this embodiment, the fixed terminals include a first fixed terminal (break terminal) 34 with a fixed normally closed contact (break contact) 32 and a second fixed terminal (make terminal) 38 with a fixed normally open contact (make contact) 36. The movable contact 26 contacts the fixed normally closed contact 32 when the electromagnet block 14 is OFF, and contacts the fixed normally open contact 36 when the electromagnet block 14 is ON. The relay 10 also includes a slide member (card) 40 that has one end connected to the armature 16 and the other end abutting the movable terminal 30, and that moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the electromagnet block 14 in conjunction with the armature 16 to elastically displace the movable terminal 30.

[0015] The base block 12 has a substantially flat base portion 42 and a housing portion 44 that houses the electromagnet block 14. The relay 10 also has a cover 46 that is configured to fit into the base block 12 and cooperates with the base block 12 to house the above-mentioned components. Of the above-mentioned components of the relay 10, the base block 12, bobbin 18, and cover 46 are made of an electrically insulating resin material and can be molded by, for example, injection molding. The relay 10 can be assembled automatically using an assembly machine or by hand.

[0016] For convenience, in this embodiment, the direction parallel to the axial direction of the iron core 22 is referred to as the z direction, the direction perpendicular to the z direction and the direction of the roll grain during the production of the movable terminal 30 described later is referred to as the x direction (width direction), and the direction perpendicular to both the x direction and the z direction is referred to as the y direction.

[0017] (First Example) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a movable terminal 30 according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. The movable terminal 30 is a leaf spring-like member formed by rolling a conductive material such as spring phosphor bronze and then punching it into a predetermined shape using a press or the like, and has fine lines or roll marks 65 extending in the rolling direction 64 during the rolling process.

[0018] The movable terminal 30 has an approximately U-shaped configuration in plan view, and includes a tab-shaped portion 50 having a movable contact 28, an insertion portion 56 that is inserted into the base block 12, a connection portion 54 that connects the tab-shaped portion 50 and the insertion portion 56, a step portion 59 that extends approximately perpendicularly from the insertion portion 56, and at least one (two in the illustrated example) terminal portion 58 that extends from the step portion 59 on the opposite side to the movable contact 28, and when the movable terminal 30 is pressed into the base block 12 and positioned and fixed, the terminal portion 58 extends from the underside of the base block 12 and is electrically connected to an electronic board or the like (not shown).

[0019] The tab-shaped portion 50 has a hole 52 with which the protrusion 48 (see FIG. 1) of the slide member 40 can engage, and is elastically displaced in accordance with the movement of the slide member 40. More specifically, the tab-shaped portion 50 and the connecting portion 54 are elastically displaced in the z direction, with an insertion portion 56 press-fitted into the base block 12 as a fulcrum. Note that the connecting portion 54 may be bent somewhat along an angled bend line 70 relative to the x or y direction in order to cause a twisting motion in the tab-shaped portion 50 during elastic displacement, thereby improving contact between the contact points.

[0020] Here, the movable terminal 30 has roll grooves 65 (only a portion of which is shown in Figure 2) on its entire surface in a direction approximately perpendicular to the displacement direction of the tab-shaped portion 50 (x direction in the illustrated example), so that repeated movement of the slide member 40 makes the movable terminal 30 more susceptible to damage, particularly near the boundary between the insertion portion 56 and the connection portion 54.

[0021] Therefore, in this embodiment, the length of the portion of the base shape of the portion press-fitted into the base block 12 that coincides with the direction 64 of the roll marks 65 is made as short as possible, thereby making it difficult for the movable terminal 30 to break or be damaged. Specifically, the insertion portion 56 has multiple truncated cones (two truncated cones in the illustrated example) 60, 62 as a press-fit portion that abuts against the base block 12 when inserted into the base block 12. Because the truncated cones have a circular base shape, the portion of the base shape that is prone to stress concentration, along the direction 64 of the roll marks 65, is essentially a point; in other words, the base shape does not have a portion that extends over a fixed length along the direction 64. Therefore, the movable terminal 30 is less likely to break along the roll marks 65, with the truncated cones 60, 62, which are the abutting portions with the base block 12, as fulcrums.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the multiple truncated cones 60, 62 have different heights. In the illustrated example, the height of the truncated cone 62, which first contacts the base block 12 when the insertion portion 56 is inserted into the base block 12, is lower than the height of the truncated cone 60 by d1, which allows for stable press-fitting. The range of d1 is, for example, 0.01 to 0.25 mm. Furthermore, by arranging the multiple truncated cones 60, 62 so that their centers are aligned in the insertion direction of the insertion portion 56 (the -x direction in the example of Fig. 2), accurate positioning and stable retention of the movable terminal 30 are possible.

[0023] 4 is a schematic diagram of a movable terminal 130 according to a comparative example. Similar to the movable terminal 30 according to the first embodiment, the movable terminal 130 has a generally U-shape in plan view and includes a movable contact 128 and an insertion portion 156 to be inserted into the base block, and the insertion portion 156 has an elongated truncated pyramid 160 extending along a direction 164 of a roll mark 165 as a press-fit portion that abuts against the base block.

[0024] Since the truncated pyramid 160 extends along the direction 164 of the roll marks 165, the base shape thereof has a relatively long portion 163 that extends in line with the direction 164. Therefore, when the movable terminal 130 is repeatedly elastically displaced, the portion 163 extending parallel to the direction 164 becomes a fulcrum, making the movable terminal 130 prone to breaking or damage. However, in the first embodiment described above, the portion of the base shape of each truncated cone that extends along the direction 64 of the roll marks 65 is essentially a point, making the movable terminal 130 much less likely to break than the comparative example. As a result, the mechanical reliability of the movable terminal 130 is improved, and the life of the relay can be extended.

[0025] (Second Example) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a movable terminal 30a according to a second embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 5. In the second embodiment, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and parts that may be the same as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0026] The insertion portion 56 of the movable terminal 30a has a plurality of truncated cones (two truncated cones in the illustrated example) 60a, 62a as press-fit portions that come into contact with the base block 12 when inserted into the base block 12. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the portion of the base shape of each truncated cone that extends along the direction 64 of the roll grooves 65 is essentially a point, so that the movable terminal 30a is less likely to break around the truncated cones 60a, 62a, which are the contact portions with the base block 12, as a fulcrum.

[0027] In the second embodiment, the two truncated cones 60a, 62a are arranged so that their centers are aligned in the direction 64 of the roll grooves 65, and the sizes of the base shapes of the two truncated cones are different from each other. Therefore, even if the centers of the truncated cones 60a, 62a are arranged in a direction parallel to the direction 64, the direction of the common tangent 63a to the base of each truncated cone is different from the direction 64, making the movable terminal 30a even more difficult to break. As shown in FIG. 6, the heights of the truncated cones 60a, 62a are the same, but they may be different as in the third embodiment described below. Having the same heights makes it somewhat easier to manufacture the movable terminal.

[0028] (Third Example) Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a movable terminal 30b according to a third embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a diagram of the movable terminal 30b in Fig. 7 as viewed in the direction of arrow C. In the third embodiment, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and parts that may be the same as in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment and will not be described in detail.

[0029] In the third embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, the two truncated cones 60b and 62b serving as the press-fitting portions are arranged so that their centers are aligned in the direction 64 of the roll marks 65, and the sizes of the base shapes of the two truncated cones are different from each other. Therefore, the direction of the common tangent 63a of the base of each truncated cone is different from the direction 64 of the roll marks 65, making the movable terminal 30b even less likely to break. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the height of the truncated cone 62b, which first contacts the base block 12 when the insertion portion 56 is inserted into the base block 12, is lower than the height of the truncated cone 60b by d2, thereby ensuring stable press-fitting. The range of d2 is, for example, 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

[0030] (Fourth Example) Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a movable terminal 30c according to a fourth embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a partially enlarged view of the insertion portion 56 of the movable terminal 30c in Fig. 9. In the fourth embodiment, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and parts that may be similar to those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] The insertion portion 56 of the movable terminal 30c according to the fourth embodiment has, as in the first embodiment, two truncated cones 60c, 62c as press-fitting portions, each having a base shape of equal size (diameter). However, the truncated cones 60c, 62c are not arranged so that their centers are aligned exactly along the insertion direction of the insertion portion 56 (the -x direction in the example of FIG. 9), but are aligned along a direction slightly inclined from the direction 64. More specifically, the direction of the common tangent 63c of the base of each truncated cone is inclined by a non-zero angle θ1 with respect to the direction 64 of the roll grooves 65, thereby achieving the same effect as in the second embodiment, making the movable terminal 30c even more resistant to breakage. The range of θ1 is, for example, 1 to 6.5°. The heights of the truncated cones 60c, 62c may be the same or different.

[0032] (Fifth Example) Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a movable terminal 30d according to a fifth embodiment, and Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the movable terminal 30d of Fig. 11 as viewed in the direction of arrow D. In the fifth embodiment, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and parts that may be the same as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] The insertion portion 56 of the movable terminal 30d according to the fifth embodiment has two truncated pyramids of equal size as press-fit portions, i.e., quadrangular truncated pyramids 60d and 62d in the illustrated example. When a truncated pyramid is used as the press-fit portion in this manner, it is preferable that the direction of each side of each truncated pyramid does not coincide with the direction 64 of the roll marks 65. In this way, the portion of the base shape of the truncated pyramid that follows the direction 64 of the roll marks 65 becomes essentially a point, and therefore, as in the above-described embodiments, the movable terminal 30d is less likely to break around each of the truncated pyramids 60d and 62d, which are the contact points with the base block 12, as a fulcrum.

[0034] The heights of the truncated pyramids 60d and 62d may be the same or different from each other, as shown in Fig. 12. Furthermore, the truncated pyramids 60d and 62d may be arranged so that their centers are aligned in the direction 64 of the roll grooves 65, as in the case of the truncated cones described above, or so that their centers are aligned in a direction inclined relative to the direction 64.

[0035] (Sixth Example) Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a movable terminal 30e according to a sixth embodiment, Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in Fig. 13, and Fig. 15 is a partially enlarged view of a press-fit portion 60e of the movable terminal 30e in Fig. 13. In the sixth embodiment, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and parts that may be similar to those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] The insertion portion 56 of the movable terminal 30e has an elongated truncated pyramid shape extending in one direction, similar to the press-fit portion 160 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 4, but its longitudinal direction does not coincide with the direction 64 of the roll marks 65. Specifically, the direction in which a portion 63e of the base shape of the truncated pyramid 60e extending along its longitudinal direction extends is inclined by a non-zero angle θ2 with respect to the direction 64 of the roll marks 65. Therefore, in the sixth embodiment, the movable terminal 30e is less likely to break due to the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. The range of θ2 is, for example, 1 to 10 degrees.

[0037] In the above description, a relay with a so-called 1c contact structure, which has a break terminal 34 with a fixed contact 32, has been described, but the application of the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure can be similarly applied to a relay with a so-called 1a contact structure, which has a backstop or the like without a fixed contact instead of a break terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10 relay, 12 base block, 14 electromagnet block, 16 armature, 20 coil, 24 yoke, 28 moving contact, 30, 30a to 30e moving terminal, 32, 36 fixed contacts, 34, 38 fixed terminals, 40 slide member, 46 cover, 60, 60a~60c, 62, 62a~62c: truncated cone, 60d, 62d: truncated pyramid, 60e elongated pyramid, 64 roll direction, 65 roll

Claims

1. A relay having a base block and a movable terminal disposed in the base block and having a rolled pattern, The movable terminal is an insert portion inserted into the base block; a movable contact that is elastically displaceable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the roll grain with the insertion portion as a fulcrum; a plurality of frustums formed in the insertion portion and abutting against the base block; A relay having

2. The relay of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of frustums is a circular cone.

3. The relay according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of frustums are arranged such that a direction of a common tangent to the base shapes of the frustums is inclined at a non-zero angle with respect to the direction of the roll grain.

4. The relay of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of frustums is a truncated pyramid.

5. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frustums have different heights.

6. The relay of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frustums have the same height.

7. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the base shapes of the plurality of frustums are different in size from each other.

8. A relay having a base block and a movable terminal disposed in the base block and having a rolled pattern, The movable terminal is an insert portion inserted into the base block; a movable contact that is elastically displaceable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the roll grain with the insertion portion as a fulcrum; an elongated frustum formed in the insertion portion and abutting against the base block; A relay in which a portion of the base shape of the frustum extending along its longitudinal direction is inclined at a non-zero angle with respect to the direction of the roll grain.

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