Relay and method for manufacturing a relay

Abstract

The present invention provides a relay and a method for manufacturing the same that are easy to assemble and provide stable operation. [Solution] The relay 10 comprises a base block 22 having fixed contacts 28a, 28b; a card 30 having movable contacts 32a, 32b opposite to the fixed contacts 28a, 28b and mounted on the base block 22 so as to be displaceable in the x direction; an electromagnet 16 fixed to the base block 22 and having an iron core 44 having an axial direction parallel to the z direction; and an actuator 18 rotatably supported on the base block 22 and driving the card 30 by the action of the electromagnet 16. The card 30 is elastically deformable in the y direction and has a first wall portion 68 with a hook 70, the hook 70 engaging with a first projection 74 formed on the base block 22 so as not to displace the card 30 in the z direction relative to the base block 22.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a relay and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] An electromagnetic relay (relay) has a base, an actuator that rotates by the action of an electromagnet, and a card that moves horizontally with respect to the base by the actuator. By this horizontal movement, a movable contact provided on the card and a fixed contact arranged to face the movable contact are configured to contact and separate from each other. Such a relay is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] From the perspective of manufacturing cost, it is preferable that the relay is easy to manufacture and assemble. On the other hand, it is desirable that the completed relay can perform stable and highly reliable operations.

[0005] Therefore, a relay that is easy to assemble and can perform stable operations, and a method for manufacturing the same are desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a relay comprising: a base block having fixed contacts; a card having movable contacts opposite to the fixed contacts and mounted displaceably in a first direction relative to the base block; an electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to a second direction; and an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and driving the card by the action of the electromagnet, wherein the card is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions and has a first wall portion with a hook, the hook engaging with a first projection formed on the base block such that the card is not displaced in the second direction relative to the base block.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a relay comprising: a base block having fixed contacts; a card having movable contacts opposite to the fixed contacts and mounted on the base block so as to be displaceable in a first direction; an electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and driving the card by the action of the electromagnet, wherein the base block is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions and has a second wall having a bearing hole for receiving the rotating shaft portion of the actuator and a groove extending from the bearing hole in the second direction.

[0008] Further other aspects of the present disclosure are methods for manufacturing a relay, comprising: a base block having fixed contacts; a card having movable contacts opposite to the fixed contacts and mounted displaceably in a first direction relative to the base block; an electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and driving the card by the action of the electromagnet, the method comprising: providing the card with a first wall portion having a hook, which is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions; moving the card toward the base block in the second direction such that the hook abuts a first projection formed on the base block and the first wall portion elastically deforms outward in the second direction; and further moving the card toward the base block in the second direction such that the hook engages with the first projection by the restoring force of the first wall portion.

[0009] A further other aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a relay comprising: a base block having fixed contacts; a card having movable contacts opposite to the fixed contacts and mounted displaceably in a first direction relative to the base block; an electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and driving the card by the action of the electromagnet, the method comprising: providing the base block with a second wall having a bearing hole that is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions and rotatably receives a rotating shaft portion of the actuator, and a groove extending upward in the second direction from the bearing hole; moving the actuator toward the base block in the second direction so that the rotating shaft portion enters the groove; and further moving the actuator toward the base block in the second direction so that the rotating shaft portion is rotatably supported in the bearing hole by the restoring force of the second wall.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, during assembly, by means of a simple operation, a part of a component can be elastically deformed, and the restoring force thereof can be utilized to perform accurate positioning between members, and a relay with stable operation can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] It is an exploded perspective view of the relay according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of the base assembly of the relay in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of the card assembly of the relay in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is an exploded perspective view of the electromagnet block of the relay in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is an exploded perspective view of the actuator of the relay in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the set state of the relay in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing the reset state of the relay in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of an example configuration of a card. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of the card viewed from an angle different from FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of the base block. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6. [Figure 12] It is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 6, showing the state before the card engages with the base block. [Figure 13] It is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 6, showing the state after the card engages with the base block. [Figure 14] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 7. [Figure 15] It is a partial enlarged view showing the vicinity of the break terminal of the relay in FIG. 7. [Figure 16] It is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the actuator. [Figure 17] The perspective view shows the actuator from a different angle than in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E of FIG. 10. [Figure 19] The perspective view shows an example of attaching an electromagnet block and an actuator to the base assembly. [Figure 20] It is a cross-sectional view of the relay with the case attached. [Figure 21] It is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. 20. [Figure 22] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D of FIG. 7.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a relay 10 according to an embodiment. The relay 10 includes a base assembly 12, a card assembly 14 movably attached to the base assembly 12, an electromagnet 16 fixed to the base assembly 12, an actuator 18 that is driven in response to the operation of the electromagnet 16 and displaces the card assembly 14, and a case 20 that covers the base assembly 12, the card assembly 14, the electromagnet 16, and the actuator 18.

[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the base assembly 12. The base assembly 12 includes a base block 22 made by, for example, molding, and fixed terminals 26a and 26b respectively inserted into terminal holes 24a and 24b formed in the base block 22. Fixed contact points 28a and 28b are respectively attached to the fixed terminals 26a and 26b by caulking or the like.

[0014] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the card assembly 14. The card assembly 14 comprises a card 30 manufactured, for example, by mold molding, and conductive plates 34a and 34b, to which movable contacts 32a and 32b are attached by crimping or the like. Conductive plate 34a is biased away from card 30 by a contact pressure spring 38a that engages with a columnar projection 36a formed on card 30. Similarly, conductive plate 34b is biased away from card 30 by a contact pressure spring 38b that engages with a columnar projection 36b (see Figure 9, described later) formed on card 30.

[0015] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electromagnet 16. The electromagnet 16 has a bobbin 42 around which a coil 40 is wound, an iron core 44 that passes through the bobbin 42, an upper yoke 50 and a lower yoke 52 attached to the upper flange 46 and lower flange 48 of the bobbin 42, respectively, and a coil terminal 54 fixed to the lower flange 48 by press-fitting or the like for supplying current to the coil 40. In the drawing, the coil 40 is not connected to the coil terminal 54, but the drawing shows the coil 40 wound on the bobbin 42.

[0016] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator 18. The actuator 18 has an actuator base 56 having a rotating shaft portion 60 that is rotatably supported in a bearing hole 58 (Figure 2) formed in the base block 22, a pair of axoles 58a and 58b held by the actuator base 56 and positioned opposite each other at a predetermined distance apart, and a permanent magnet 62 inserted into the actuator base 56. The permanent magnet 62 is in contact with the axoles 58a and 58b.

[0017] Figures 6 and 7 show the set state and reset state of the relay 10, respectively, but for clarity, case 20 is omitted. The coil 40 has a two-winding structure including a set coil and a reset coil. One of the three coil terminals 54, for example the coil terminal 54 in the center of the figure, is a common terminal, to which one end of both the set coil and the reset coil is connected. Of the other two coil terminals 54, the other end of the set coil is connected to one coil terminal 54 (hereinafter referred to as the "set terminal"), and the other end of the reset coil is connected to the other coil terminal 54 (hereinafter referred to as the "reset terminal").

[0018] When the set coil is energized using the common terminal and set terminal, the shaft portion 60 of the actuator base 56 rotates within the bearing hole 58 so that the lower part of the abutment 58a contacts the lower yoke 52 and the upper part of the abutment 58b contacts the upper yoke 50. Consequently, the card 30 that engages with the actuator base 56 is displaced in the direction of arrow 63, resulting in a set state where the movable contact 32a contacts the fixed contact 28a, as shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, due to the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 62, the lower part of the abutment 58a is attracted to the lower yoke 52 and the upper part of the abutment 58b is attracted to the upper yoke 50, so the actuator maintains the above state even when the energization to the set coil is stopped.

[0019] On the other hand, when the reset coil is energized using the common terminal and the reset terminal, as shown in Figure 7, the shaft portion 60 of the actuator base 56 rotates within the bearing hole 58 so that the upper part of the abutment 58a contacts the upper yoke 50 and the lower part of the abutment 58b contacts the lower yoke 52. Consequently, the card 30 that engages with the actuator base 56 is displaced in the direction of arrow 64, resulting in a reset state where the movable contact 32b contacts the fixed contact 28b, as shown in Figure 7. In the reset state, similar to the set state, the lower part of the abutment 58b is attracted to the lower yoke 52 and the upper part of the abutment 58a is attracted to the upper yoke 50 due to the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 62, so the actuator maintains the above state even when the power supply to the reset coil is stopped.

[0020] In this embodiment, for convenience, the vertical direction parallel to the axial direction of the iron core 44 is referred to as the z direction or second direction, the displacement direction of the card 30 perpendicular to the z direction is referred to as the x direction or first direction, and the width direction perpendicular to both the x and z directions is referred to as the y direction or third direction.

[0021] The following describes a mechanism for improving the attachment and operation of the card assembly 14 to the base assembly 12. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the card 30, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the card 30 from a different direction than that shown in Figure 8. The card 30 is a component integrally formed, for example, by resin molding, and has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped body portion 66 on which columnar protrusions 36a and 36b are formed, and a first wall portion 68 that extends downward in the z direction from both end faces in the y direction of the body portion 66 and is elastically deformable in the y direction.

[0022] A hook 70 is formed at the tip of the first wall portion 68, rising inward in the y-direction and extending in the x-direction. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, a rib-shaped first projection (hereinafter referred to as a rib) 74 is formed on the surface 72 of the base block 22 facing the first wall portion 68, rising outward in the y-direction and extending in the x-direction. The wall surface of the base block 22 on which the rib 74 is formed is located in a recessed position compared to the wall surfaces of the base blocks 22 located to its left and right. The hook 70 engages with the rib 74, allowing the card 30 to be displaced in the x-direction relative to the base block 22.

[0023] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 6, and Figures 12 and 13 are enlarged views of section B in Figure 11. When attaching the card 30 to the base block 22, the card 30 is moved in the z direction relative to the base block 22. At this time, as shown in Figure 12, by forming a slope 75 on the rib 74 that slopes downward toward the y direction outward, the hook 70 rides up onto the slope 75 and the first wall portion 68 elastically deforms toward the y direction outward. If the card 30 is further moved toward the base block 22 from this state, as shown in Figure 13, the restoring force of the first wall portion 68 causes the hook 70 to latch into the rib 74, and the card 30 is fixed to the base block 22. In this embodiment, the rib 74 has a slope 75, but it is also possible to form a slope on the hook 70 instead of or in addition to the rib 74.

[0024] Because the first wall portion 68 is elastically deformable, during the manufacturing and assembly of the relay, the card 30 can be attached to the base block 22 with a simple operation of moving the card 30 toward the base block 22 in the z direction.

[0025] When the card 30 is attached to the base block 22, the hook 70 latches into the rib 74, so that the card 30 can only be displaced in the x direction relative to the base block 22, and the card 30 is prevented from being unintentionally displaced upward in the z direction, i.e., the card 30 "floats".

[0026] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view along the CC line in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 10, the base block 22 has a slit 84 extending in the x direction. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, the card 30 has an arm 76 extending in the x direction, and a rib-shaped second projection 80 extending in the x direction is formed on the arm 76. When the card 30 is attached to the base block 22, the rib 80 is slidably engaged in the slit 84, so that the card 30 can be displaced only in the x direction relative to the base block 22, and the "floating" of the card 30 is prevented. Thus, in this embodiment, the card 30 has two types of anti-floating structures.

[0027] Figure 15 shows a state in which the card 30 has been displaced beyond its normal range of motion. The card 30 is displaced between the set state shown in Figure 6 and the reset state shown in Figure 7. Relays other than those of this embodiment include, for example, a relay in which a notch is formed in a member corresponding to the rib of this embodiment, and a member corresponding to the hook of this embodiment is inserted into this notch from above to attach the member corresponding to the card of this embodiment to a member corresponding to the base block. In such a relay, depending on the position of the card, the member corresponding to the hook and the member corresponding to the rib may not be engaged. Therefore, if the relay is subjected to some kind of impact and the positions of the member corresponding to the hook and the notch align, the card may come off the base block. Furthermore, if the card comes off the base block, or if the card is displaced further toward the fixed contact side from the set state relative to the base block, the member corresponding to the rib-shaped projection of this embodiment may detach from the member corresponding to the slit of this embodiment, causing the card to float. In addition, the member corresponding to the rib-shaped projection may not fit into the slit and get caught, which may cause a malfunction of the relay.

[0028] In this embodiment, the card 30 is attached to the base block 22 by pushing it down from directly above the base block 22, causing the first wall portion 68 to elastically deform and engage the hook 70 with the rib 74. In this embodiment, since there is no notch formed in the rib 74 through which the hook 70 is inserted, the hook 70 does not come off the notch in the rib 74 regardless of the position of the card 30, and the engagement between the rib 74 and the hook 70 is maintained, so the card 30 does not easily come off the base block 22.

[0029] Furthermore, because the wall surface of the base block 22 on which the rib 74 is formed is recessed, when the card 30 is displaced toward the fixed contact 28a, the end face of the card 30 toward the movable contact 32a comes into contact with the wall surface of the base block 22 toward the fixed contact 28a, thereby restricting the movement of the card 30. Therefore, even if the card 30 is displaced toward the fixed contact 28a, it is possible to prevent the rib-shaped projection 80 from coming out of the slit 84.

[0030] In this way, the hook 70 and rib 74 provide a function to prevent the card 30 from floating, so even if the anti-float function of the rib-shaped projection 80 and slit 84 is impaired, the card 30 will not be displaced in the z direction relative to the base block 22, and stable operation of the card 30 will be ensured. In order to ensure the anti-float function of the hook 70 and rib 74, it is preferable that the length d1 in the x direction of the hook 70 (Figures 8 and 9) or the length d2 in the x direction of the rib 74 (Figure 10) is longer than the stroke length d3 (Figures 6 and 7), which is the normal range of motion of the card 30. In this way, the hook 70 can be kept engaged with the rib 74 no matter what position the card 30 is in. Similarly, it is preferable that the length of the slit 84 in the x direction is also longer than the stroke length d3 of the card 30. In this embodiment, the range of movement of the card 30 is limited by the x-direction end face of the first wall portion 68 of the card 30 contacting the base block 22, so that the rib-shaped projection 80 does not detach from inside the slit 84.

[0031] As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the first wall portion 68 has no change in thickness or shape along the x-direction, that is, it has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the x-direction. In other words, since there is no hole through which the rib 74 passes through the first wall portion 68, the mold can be simplified when manufacturing the card 30 by injection molding. Conversely, a hole (not shown) can be formed in the first wall portion 68 so that the tip of the rib 74 can be seen through the hole when the card 30 is attached to the base block 22. In that case, the thickness of the first wall portion 68 can be made less than or equal to the height of the rib 74, which is advantageous when there are constraints in the y-direction for the installation space of the relay 10.

[0032] The following describes a mechanism for improving the mounting and operation of the electromagnet 16 and actuator 18 to the base assembly 12. Figure 16 is a perspective view of the actuator 18, and Figure 17 is a perspective view of the actuator 18 from a different direction than that in Figure 16. The actuator 18 has an actuator base 56 having a rotating shaft portion 60 that is rotatably supported in a bearing hole 58 (Figure 2) formed in the base block 22, a pair of axles 58a and 58b held on the actuator base 56 and arranged opposite each other at a predetermined distance apart, and a permanent magnet 62 inserted into the actuator base 56.

[0033] As shown in Figures 10 and 18, the base block 22 has a pair of second walls 82 extending in the z direction, each wall 82 being elastically deformable outward in the y direction and having a bearing hole 58 that rotatably receives the shaft 60 of the actuator 18. The second walls 82 have grooves 89 extending upward in the z direction from the bearing hole 58. The depth of each groove 89 is determined so that the second walls 82 can receive the rotating shaft 60 of the actuator 18 without elastic deformation, but the grooves 89 have inclined surfaces 90 directly above the bearing hole 58 such that the depth decreases as it moves downward in the z direction.

[0034] Figure 19 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of attaching the electromagnet 16 and actuator 18 to the base assembly 12. With the electromagnet 16 and actuator 18 assembled, by moving them downward in the z direction relative to the base block 22 as indicated by arrow 97, the rotational shaft portion 60 of the actuator 18 first enters the groove 89 of the second wall portion 82.

[0035] When the actuator 18 is moved further downward in the z direction, the rotating shaft portion 60 is guided by the groove 89 and rides up onto the inclined surface 90 of the second wall portion 82, and as a result, at least one of the pair of second wall portions 82 elastically deforms outward in the y direction. When the actuator 18 is moved further downward in the z direction from this state, the rotating shaft portion 60 is received in the bearing hole 58, and the elastically deformed second wall portion 82 returns to its original state due to its restoring force, and the actuator 18 becomes rotatably fixed to the base block 22.

[0036] Because the pair of second wall portions 82 are elastically deformable, during the manufacturing and assembly of the relay, the actuator 18 can be rotatably attached to the base block 22 by a simple operation of moving the actuator 18 toward the base block 22 in the z direction. Furthermore, since the rotating shaft portion 60 is integrally formed with the actuator base 56, the number of relay parts can be reduced compared to when the rotating shaft is a separate component from the actuator 18. Moreover, when the rotating shaft is a separate component, when attaching the actuator 18 to the base block 22, it is necessary to accurately align the rotation center of the actuator 18 with the bearing hole 58 of the second wall portion 82 before inserting the rotating shaft into the bearing hole 58. However, in this embodiment, since the rotating shaft portion 60 is guided to the bearing hole 58 by the groove 89, such alignment work is unnecessary.

[0037] When the actuator 18 is fixed to the base block 22, the engaging portion 88 formed at the tip of the arm 86 extending upward in the z direction from the actuator base 56 is rotatably received in a recess 78 (Figure 9) formed in the arm 76 of the card 30. Here, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, it is preferable that the cross-section of the engaging portion 88 in the y direction has a semicircular shape with the upper part cut off in the z direction. In this way, the curved surface of the lower half of the engaging portion 88 allows rotational movement within the recess 78, and by cutting off the upper half which does not contribute to the rotational movement, the z-direction dimension of the actuator 18 can be reduced, and the relay 10 can be miniaturized.

[0038] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, it is preferable that the rotating shaft 60 is positioned equidistant from both axoles 58a and 58b in the x-direction where the pair of axoles face each other, and also centrally located in the z-direction height of each axole, that is, equidistant from the upper and lower ends of each axole in the z-direction. In this way, the magnetic pole areas at the top and bottom of the axole become equal, so the operation of the relay becomes stable.

[0039] Since the first wall portion 68 and the second wall portion 82 are elastically deformable, if a large force or impact is applied to the relay 10, the first wall portion 68 or the second wall portion 82 may deform outward in the y-direction, potentially causing the hook 70 to detach from the rib 74 or the rotating shaft portion 60 to detach from the bearing hole 58. Therefore, by forming the case 20 so that its inner surface is close to at least one of the first wall portion 68 or the second wall portion 82, and the inner surface of the case 20 suppresses the elastic deformation of at least one of the first wall portion 68 or the second wall portion 82, such problems can be prevented. For example, as shown in Figure 20, which shows a cross-section of the relay 10 in the y-direction, and Figure 21, which is an enlarged view of section F in Figure 20, the tip 83 of the second wall portion 82 is configured to contact the inner top surface 21 of the case 20, and it is preferable that the distance d4 between the outer surface 85 of the tip 83 in the y-direction and the inner surface 23 of the case 20 is smaller than the length d5 ​​of the entry of the second projection 80 of the card 30 into the slit 84 of the second wall portion 82 in the y-direction. In this way, displacement or detachment of the card 30 due to deformation of the wall portion 82 of the base block 22 outward in the y-direction can be prevented. In addition, a rib (not shown) may be provided on the inner surface of the case 20 adjacent to at least one of the first wall portion 68 or the second wall portion 82.

[0040] To securely fix the electromagnet 16 to the base block 22, a rib-shaped third projection 94 may be provided in the groove 89 located below the bearing hole 58 in the z-direction, projecting inward in the y-direction and contacting the lower yoke 52. The rib 94 allows the lower yoke 52 to be fixed to the base block 22 by press-fitting, thereby stabilizing the fixing of the electromagnet 16 to the base block 22.

[0041] As described above, when the actuator 18 is attached to the base block 22, the second wall portion 82 undergoes elastic deformation, causing stress to concentrate at the base of the second wall portion 82. Stress also acts on the wall portion 82 due to the press-fitting of the lower yoke 52. Therefore, as shown in Figures 10 and 18, it is preferable that the base 96 on the y-direction inner side of the second wall portion 82 is rounded in order to prevent damage to the second wall portion 82. Furthermore, the base portion 92 of the second wall portion 82 is thicker than the tip portion. This structure of the wall portion 82 allows for stress to be distributed and prevents damage to the wall portion 82.

[0042] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view along the EE line in Figure 10. The distance between the two end faces of the rotating shaft portion 60 in the y-direction is shorter than the distance in the y-direction between the outer surfaces of the pair of second wall portions 82. A permanent magnet 62 is inserted into the actuator base 56, but the permanent magnet 62 is positioned offset from the center of the axis (which in this embodiment coincides with the center of the rotating shaft portion 60).

[0043] The manufacturing and assembly sequence for the relay 10 is as follows: First, as shown in Figure 2, the base assembly 12 is constructed by fixing the fixed terminals 26a etc. to the base block 22. Next, as shown in Figure 3, the card assembly 14 is constructed by attaching the movable contacts 32a etc. to the card 30. The card assembly 14 is then moved downward in the z direction relative to the base block 22, and the hook 70 and rib 74 are latched together by utilizing the elastic deformation of the first wall portion 68.

[0044] Next, as shown in Figure 19, with the electromagnet 16 and actuator 18 assembled, they are moved downward in the z direction relative to the base block 22, causing the rotating shaft portion 60 of the actuator 18 to enter the groove 89 of the second wall portion 82. Next, the actuator 18 is moved further downward in the z direction, causing the rotating shaft portion 60 to ride up onto the inclined surface 90 of the second wall portion 82, elastically deforming the second wall portion 82. From this state, the actuator 18 is moved further downward in the z direction, fitting the rotating shaft portion 60 into the bearing hole 58 and pressing the lower yoke 52 into the rib 94 of the wall portion 82 to fix the electromagnet 16 to the base block 22. The installation of the card 30 and actuator 18 to the base block 22 can be done manually or automatically. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 10 relays, 12 base assemblies, 14 card assemblies, 16 electromagnets, 18 actuators, 20 cases, 22 base blocks, 26a, 26b Fixed terminals, 28a, 28b Fixed contacts, 30 Card, 32a, 32b movable contacts, 34a, 34b conductive plates, 40 coil, 42 bobbin, 44 Iron core, 50, 52 Yoke, 54 Coil terminal, 56 Actuator base, 58a, 58b Attack pole, 60 Rotating shaft, 62 Permanent magnet, 66 Main body, 68 First wall section, 70 Hook, 74 First projection, 76 Arm, 78 Recess, 80 Second projection, 82 Second wall, 84 Slit, 86 Arm, 88 Engaging part, 89 Groove, 94 Rib, 96 Base

Claims

1. A base block having fixed contacts, A card having a movable contact opposite the fixed contact, and mounted so as to be displaceable in a first direction relative to the base block, An electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the second direction, The system comprises an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and which drives the card by the action of the electromagnet, The relay is characterized in that the card is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions, and has a first wall portion with a hook, the hook engaging with a first projection formed on the base block such that the card does not displace relative to the base block in the second direction.

2. The relay according to claim 1, wherein the card has a second projection extending in the first direction, and the base block has a second wall portion that is elastically deformable in the third direction and has a slit into which the second projection engages.

3. The relay according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the length of the first projection of the base block in the first direction and the length of the hook of the card in the first direction is longer than the length by which the card can be displaced in the first direction.

4. The relay according to claim 2, wherein the length of the slit in the first direction is longer than the length over which the card can be displaced in the first direction.

5. The relay according to claim 2, wherein the tip of the second wall is configured to contact the inner top surface of the case covering the base block, the card, the electromagnet and the actuator, and the distance between the outer surface of the tip of the second wall and the inner top surface of the case in the third direction is smaller than the amount of overlap between the slit and the second projection in the third direction.

6. The relay according to claim 1, wherein the first wall portion of the card has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the first direction.

7. The relay according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first projection of the base block and the hook of the card has an inclined surface.

8. A base block having fixed contacts, A card having a movable contact opposite the fixed contact, and mounted so as to be displaceable in a first direction relative to the base block, An electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the second direction, The system comprises an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and which drives the card by the action of the electromagnet, The base block is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions, and has a second wall portion having a bearing hole for receiving the rotating shaft portion of the actuator and a groove extending from the bearing hole in the second direction, wherein the relay.

9. The relay according to claim 8, wherein the portion of the groove in the base block below the bearing hole in the second direction has a third projection that protrudes inward in the third direction and contacts the electromagnet.

10. The relay according to claim 8, wherein the second wall portion is thicker at the base than at the tip.

11. The relay according to claim 8, wherein the inner base portion of the second wall portion is rounded in the third direction.

12. The relay according to claim 8, wherein the actuator has an engaging portion that engages with the card, and the cross-section of the engaging portion in the third direction has a semicircular shape with the upper side cut off in the second direction.

13. The relay according to claim 8, wherein the rotating shaft portion is positioned at an equidistant distance from each axole in the first direction in which a pair of axoles held by the actuator face each other, and is positioned at an equidistant distance from the upper and lower ends of each axole in the second direction.

14. The relay according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the card has two conductive plates, each having two movable contacts, and the base block has four fixed terminals, each having one fixed contact.

15. A base block having fixed contacts, A card having a movable contact opposite the fixed contact, and mounted so as to be displaceable in a first direction relative to the base block, An electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the second direction, A method for manufacturing a relay comprising: an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and driving the card by the action of the electromagnet, The card is provided with a first wall portion that is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions and has a hook, The card is moved toward the base block in the second direction such that the hook contacts the first projection formed on the base block and the first wall portion elastically deforms outward in the second direction. Further moving the card toward the base block in the second direction such that the hook engages with the first projection by the restoring force of the first wall, A manufacturing method that includes this.

16. A base block having fixed contacts, A card having a movable contact opposite the fixed contact, and mounted so as to be displaceable in a first direction relative to the base block, An electromagnet fixed to the base block and having an iron core having an axial direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the second direction, A method for manufacturing a relay comprising: an actuator rotatably supported on the base block and driving the card by the action of the electromagnet, The base block is provided with a second wall portion having a bearing hole that is elastically deformable in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions, and that rotatably receives the rotating shaft portion of the actuator, and a groove that extends upward from the bearing hole in the second direction. The actuator is moved toward the base block in the second direction such that the rotating shaft portion enters the groove, The actuator is further moved in the second direction toward the base block so that the rotating shaft portion is rotatably supported in the bearing hole by the restoring force of the second wall portion, A manufacturing method that includes this.

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