Magnetic latching relay

Abstract

The present application relates to a magnetic latching relay, comprising a housing, an armature assembly, and a microswitch. The armature assembly is movably mounted in the housing; the microswitch is triggered under a motion action of the armature assembly; a cavity used for mounting the armature assembly is formed in the housing; a mounting slot is formed in a position adjacent to the cavity; the microswitch comprises a shell, a contact reed, and pins; the contact reed and the pins are respectively arranged on two ends of the shell; a first notch and a second notch are respectively formed in the slot wall of the side of the mounting slot close to the cavity and in the slot wall of the other side of the mounting slot distant from the cavity; the shell is fitted and fixed in the mounting slot; and the first notch and the second notch respectively provide clearance for the contact reed and the pins. The present application can facilitate the mounting and positioning of the microswitch, thereby preventing the pins from bending and deforming due to abutment against the inner wall of the mounting slot during mounting of the microswitch, or avoiding generating debris due to the friction between the pins and the inner wall of the mounting slot during mounting of the microswitch; and the microswitch is arranged vertically in the up-down direction, thereby ensuring reliable contact between the contact reed and the armature assembly.

Description

Magnetic latching relay

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 17, 2024, with application number 202420115796.4 and application name “Magnetic Latching Relay”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of switching electrical appliances, and in particular to a magnetic latching relay. Background Art

[0003] The magnetic holding relay in the prior art includes structures such as a magnetic circuit system, a contact system and a push card. The magnetic circuit system usually includes a yoke, a coil, and an armature assembly. The contact system includes a moving spring and a static spring. The moving spring has a moving contact, and the static spring has a static contact. The armature assembly is connected to the push card, and the push card is connected to the moving spring part. When the relay coil is connected to a positive pulse voltage, the magnetic circuit system works, and the armature assembly drives the push card to push the moving spring to shift, so that the moving contact contacts the static contact, and the relay is in the on state; when the relay coil is connected to a reverse pulse voltage, the magnetic circuit system works again, the armature assembly drives the push card to return to its position, and the push card drives the moving spring to return to its position, the moving contact is disengaged from the static contact, so that the contacts are disconnected, and the relay is in the off state.

[0004] To determine whether the moving and stationary contacts are in contact or separated, some magnetic latching relays incorporate a microswitch. This microswitch can be triggered by the movement of the armature assembly, and the state of the moving and stationary contacts is determined by the closing or opening of the microswitch contacts. For example, patent application CN110610834A proposes a magnetic latching relay with a microswitch. An assembly area is provided near the armature assembly, and the microswitch is positioned and installed in this assembly area using positioning posts. The microswitch pins bend upward and extend through the relay cover. This structure requires two positioning posts to position the microswitch, requiring high assembly alignment accuracy. Furthermore, the pins of the microswitch face the inner wall of the assembly area. During assembly, the pins may collide with the inner wall of the assembly area, causing them to bend and deform or generate friction debris. On the other hand, the micro switch in this patent application is placed horizontally, which requires a large space in the width direction of the relay housing. In addition, the trigger reed of the horizontally placed micro switch may not be reliably matched with the armature assembly. If the position accuracy of the armature assembly is slightly offset, there may be a problem of not being able to trigger the micro switch.

[0005] Application Contents

[0006] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present application proposes a magnetic latching relay with an optimized structure.

[0007] This application is implemented using the following technical solutions:

[0008] The present application proposes a magnetic latching relay, comprising a housing, an armature assembly and a micro switch, wherein the armature assembly is movably assembled in the housing, and the micro switch is used to be triggered in conjunction with the movable action of the armature assembly. A cavity for mounting the armature assembly is provided in the housing, and a mounting groove is provided at a position adjacent to the cavity. The micro switch comprises a shell, a touch spring and a pin, wherein the touch spring and the pin are respectively provided at two ends of the shell, and a first notch and a second notch are respectively provided on a groove wall on one side close to the cavity and on a groove wall on the other side away from the cavity, wherein the shell is fixed in the mounting groove, and the first notch and the second notch respectively make way for the touch spring and the pin.

[0009] In one embodiment, preferably, the shell includes a base body and a cover body, the base body and the cover body are joined and fixed to form the cavity therebetween, the base body is defined as being relatively below the cover body, and the cover body is defined as being relatively above the base body, and the outer surface of the shell between the lower end face of the base body and the upper end face of the cover body is further defined as the shell side wall, and at least part of the pins of the micro switch pass through the shell side wall.

[0010] In one embodiment, preferably, a pin passage groove penetrating to the side wall of the shell is provided outside the second notch, and at least part of the pins of the micro switch are bent and extended in the pin passage groove so as to eventually pass through the side wall of the shell.

[0011] In one embodiment, preferably, the mounting groove is adjacent to the side wall of the shell.

[0012] In one embodiment, preferably, at least one raised rib is provided on the inner side of the groove wall of the installation groove, and the housing is pressed tightly against the rib.

[0013] In one embodiment, preferably, the rib extends along the depth direction of the mounting groove.

[0014] In one embodiment, preferably, one end of the rib close to the entrance of the installation slot is provided with a guide slope for guiding the micro switch into the installation slot.

[0015] In one embodiment, preferably, the mounting slot is integrally formed in the housing.

[0016] In one embodiment, preferably, the shell is interference-fitted with a groove wall of the installation groove to achieve fixing of the shell in the installation groove.

[0017] In one embodiment, preferably, the micro switch is placed vertically in the up and down directions.

[0018] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. This application facilitates the installation and positioning of the micro switch by providing a first notch and a second notch in the mounting slot. In particular, the second notch is provided to provide space for the pin, allowing the pin to extend out of the mounting slot. This prevents the pin from interfering with the inner wall of the mounting slot when the micro switch is fixed in the mounting slot, thereby preventing the pin from bending and deforming due to contact with the inner wall of the mounting slot, or preventing the pin from rubbing against the inner wall of the mounting slot to generate debris.

[0020] 2. The pins of the micro switch of the present application extend from the side wall of the relay housing, which is more convenient for wiring the micro switch to the external structure and the micro switch wire path is shorter;

[0021] 3. This application incorporates raised ribs within the mounting slot, which improve the tightness of the microswitch and effectively prevent scraping during installation. The ribs also serve as guides during installation. Ribs are easily injection molded and less susceptible to deformation, ensuring precise fit. Furthermore, the ribs provide a margin for the microswitch's overall dimensions. If the microswitch's dimensions change, the fit can be adjusted by remolding the ribs, reducing manufacturing costs.

[0022] 4. The micro switch of the present application is arranged vertically in the up and down directions, which can reduce its occupied space in the width direction of the shell. Moreover, such an arrangement can better adapt to the action of the armature assembly to ensure reliable contact between the trigger spring and the armature assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG1 is an exploded view of the structure of a magnetic latching relay in an embodiment;

[0024] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a seat body in an embodiment;

[0025] FIG3 is a partial enlarged view of point A in FIG2 ;

[0026] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a micro switch in an embodiment;

[0027] 5 is a schematic diagram of the assembled magnetic latching relay in the embodiment (the cover is hidden to show the internal structure);

[0028] FIG6 is a partial enlarged view of point B in FIG5. Specific embodiments

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] It should be understood that references throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the appearances of "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0031] To further illustrate various embodiments, this application includes accompanying drawings. These drawings form part of the disclosure and are primarily used to illustrate the embodiments and, in conjunction with the relevant description in the specification, to explain the operating principles of the embodiments. By referring to these drawings, those skilled in the art will understand other possible implementations and the advantages of this application. The components in the figures are not drawn to scale, and similar reference numerals are generally used to represent similar components.

[0032] The present application will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0033] Referring to Figures 1-6, as a preferred embodiment of the present application, a magnetic latching relay is provided, comprising a housing 10, wherein the housing 10 comprises a base 11 and a cover 12. The base 11 and the cover 12 are joined and fixed together. Specifically, in this embodiment, the base 11 and the cover are fixed together by snapping. The base 11 is a box-shaped structure having a depth, and the cover 12 covers the base 11, forming a substantially closed cavity 100 between the base 11 and the cover 12. The main functional components of the relay, such as the magnetic circuit system, the contact system, and the push card (not shown in the figure), are installed in the cavity 100. The magnetic circuit system includes an armature assembly 3, which is movably assembled in the housing 10. The armature assembly 3 is used to connect to the push card and drive the movable contact of the contact system through the push card so that the movable contact engages or separates with the static contact. As shown in Figure 2 , in this embodiment, a pivot hole 113 is provided on the housing 10, and a pivot shaft (not shown) is provided on the armature assembly 3. This pivot shaft is pivotally connected to the pivot hole 113, allowing the armature assembly 3 to swing along its pivot axis. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2 , the pivot hole 113 is a square hole. Therefore, when the pivot shaft is pivotally connected to the pivot hole 113, it is equivalent to a cylindrical pivot shaft pivoting to the square pivot hole 113. This reduces friction and ensures reliable movement of the pivot shaft relative to the pivot hole 113, thereby reducing the risk of failure.

[0034] The magnetic latching relay also includes a microswitch 2, which is triggered in response to the movement of the armature assembly 3. This allows the relay's contact system to be determined to be in the on or off state by determining whether the microswitch 2 is triggered (i.e., whether the contacts of the microswitch 2 are closed or open). As shown in Figure 2-6, the base 11 has a mounting slot 4 adjacent to the cavity 100. The microswitch 2 includes a housing 21, a trigger spring 22, and a plurality of pins 23. The trigger spring 22 and the pins 23 are disposed at opposite ends of the housing 21. In this embodiment, the mounting slot 4 is a rectangular slot adapted to the outer shape of the housing 21. A first notch 41 and a second notch 42 are defined on the side of the mounting slot 4 proximal to the cavity 100 and on the side of the mounting slot 4 facing away from the cavity 100, respectively. The housing 21 is secured within the mounting slot 4 with an interference fit. The first notch 41 and the second notch 42 respectively provide clearance for the trigger spring 22 and the pins 23. The trigger spring 22 extends into the cavity 100 through the first notch 41, thereby engaging with the armature assembly 3. When the armature assembly 3 swings and presses against the trigger spring 22, the microswitch 2 is triggered. The provision of the first notch 41 and the second notch 42 in this embodiment facilitates the installation and positioning of the microswitch 2. In particular, the provision of the second notch 42 provides space for the pin 23, allowing the pin 23 to extend out of the mounting slot 4. This prevents the pin 23 from interfering with the inner wall of the mounting slot 4 during the process of securing the microswitch 2 therein, thereby preventing the pin 23 from bending and deforming due to contact with the inner wall of the mounting slot 4, or preventing the pin 23 from rubbing against the inner wall of the mounting slot 4 and generating debris.

[0035] In this embodiment, the base 11 is defined as being relatively below the cover 12, and the cover 12 is relatively above the base 11. That is, in Figure 1, direction T1 is upward and direction T2 is downward. The outer surface of the housing 10 between the lower end surface of the base 11 and the upper end surface of the cover 12 is further defined as the housing sidewall, such as the housing sidewall 115 of the portion of the base 11 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The mounting slot 4 opens upward, and the microswitch 2 is inserted downward into the mounting slot 4. A pin passage slot 5 is provided outside the second notch 42, extending through the housing sidewall 115. Some pins 23 of the microswitch 2 bend and extend within the pin passage slot 5, ultimately extending through the housing sidewall 115. Unlike conventional microswitch pins that extend upward or downward through the housing 10, the pins 23 of the microswitch 2 in this embodiment extend through the housing sidewall, which facilitates connection between the microswitch 2 and external structures (such as a switch status display device). In this embodiment, the mounting groove 4 is adjacent to the housing side wall 115 , so that the pin passage groove 5 and the pin 23 can be set shorter, that is, the outgoing line path of the micro switch 2 is shorter.

[0036] In this embodiment, a raised rib 43 is provided on the inner side of the groove wall of the mounting groove 4. In this embodiment, there is only one rib 43, but other embodiments may also provide multiple ribs. The housing 21 of the microswitch 2 is pressed tightly against the rib 43. The provision of the rib 43 can improve the tightness of the microswitch 2. Compared to direct contact between the housing 21 and the groove wall, the contact area between the housing 21 and the rib 43 is smaller, which can effectively prevent the generation of scraping during the installation of the housing 21. The rib 43 extends along the depth direction (i.e., the vertical direction) of the mounting groove 4, so that the rib 43 can also serve as a guide during the installation of the microswitch 2. In this embodiment, a guide ramp 431 is provided at one end of the rib 43 near the entrance of the mounting groove 4. The guide ramp 431 can further enhance the guiding effect of the rib 43, and its inclined surface guides the microswitch 2 into the mounting groove 4. The rib 43 is easy to be injection molded and not easily deformed by injection, thus ensuring the accuracy of the fitting dimensions. On the other hand, the rib 43 is provided to leave a margin for the outer dimensions of the micro switch 2. If the outer dimensions of the micro switch 2 change, the fitting dimensions of the two can be changed by remolding the rib 43, thus reducing the cost of the modification.

[0037] In this embodiment, the base body 11 and the cover body 12 are both made by injection molding, and the mounting groove 4 is integrally injection molded on the base body 11 , which can simplify the production process.

[0038] In this embodiment, the micro switch 2 is arranged vertically in the vertical direction, which can reduce its occupied space in the width direction of the housing 10. Moreover, such an arrangement can better adapt to the action of the armature assembly 3 to ensure reliable contact between the trigger spring 22 and the armature assembly 3.

[0039] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same and similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0040] Although alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they become aware of the basic inventive concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including alternative embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0041] The above is a detailed introduction to the technical solution provided by the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the principles and implementation methods of the present application, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present application.

Claims

1. Magnetic latching relay, comprising a housing, an armature assembly and a microswitch, the armature assembly being assembled in the housing in a movable manner, and the microswitch being triggered in cooperation with the movement of the armature assembly, wherein: A cavity for mounting the armature assembly is provided inside the housing. An installation groove is provided adjacent to the cavity. The microswitch includes a housing, a trigger reed and pins. The trigger reed and the pins are respectively arranged at two ends of the housing. A first notch and a second notch are respectively formed on the side wall of the installation groove close to the cavity and on the other side wall away from the cavity. The housing is fixedly fitted in the installation groove, and the first notch and the second notch respectively provide spaces for the trigger reed and the pins.

2. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes a base body and a cover body. The base body and the cover body are joined and fixed to form the cavity therebetween. Defining that the base body is relatively located below the cover body, then the cover body is relatively located above the base body, and further defining the outer surface of the housing between the lower end surface of the base body and the upper end surface of the cover body as the housing side wall. At least part of the pins of the microswitch pass through the housing side wall.

3. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 2, wherein: A pin through slot communicating with the housing side wall is provided outside the second notch. At least part of the pins of the microswitch are bent and extended in the pin through slot and finally pass through the housing side wall.

4. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 3, wherein: The installation groove is adjacent to the housing side wall.

5. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 1, wherein: At least one raised rib is provided on the inner side of the groove wall of the installation groove, and the housing is pressed against the rib.

6. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 5, wherein: The rib extends along the depth direction of the installation groove.

7. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 5, wherein: A guiding slope for guiding the microswitch into the installation groove is provided at one end of the rib close to the entrance of the installation groove.

8. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 1, wherein: The installation groove is integrally formed in the housing.

9. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 1, wherein: The housing is in interference fit with the groove wall of the installation groove to fix the housing in the installation groove.

10. The magnetic latching relay according to claim 2, wherein: The microswitch is vertically placed in the up and down direction.

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