Coaxial relay

Details Coaxial relay Coaxial relay

2000-04-21

2001-03-20

Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)

Electricity: magnetically operated switches, magnets, and electr

Electromagnetically actuated switches

Radio frequency switch

C333S103000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06204740

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coaxial relay for switching high frequency signals, and more particular to such relay having a pivotable armature moving between two positions of switching the high frequency signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,919 discloses a coaxial relay with a pivotable armature for switching high frequency signals. The relay includes an electromagnet block and a contact block with a plurality of coaxial connectors each having a core conductor and a shield conductor. The contact block has a shield chamber into which the core conductors extend to define fixed contacts therein. Also mounted within the shield chamber is a movable blade for closing and opening the fixed contacts. The movable blade carries a dielectric actuator which projects on the contact block to be enageable with a pivotable armature and is driven thereby for opening and closing the fixed contacts. The armature is pivotally supported to a support plate fixed to the contact block for movement about a pivot axis between two positions of closing and opening the fixed contacts. The electromagnet block carries an electromagnet with a coil wound around a core and pole ends. The electromagnet block is assembled to the contact block by means of screws, while positioning the core and the pole ends in an opposed relation to the corresponding portions to the armature. In order to assure an accurate armature movement and the therefore the contacting operation in response to the eneraization of the electromagnet, it is required to give precise positioning of the core and the pole ends relative to the armature. However, since the armature is held on the contact block, while the core and the pole ends are held on the electromagnet block, the precise positioning is only made by adjusting the screws and therefore only at the time of assembling the electromagnet block to the contact block. That is, magnetic gap distances between the elements of the electromagnet and the armature is only determined at the time of screwing the electromagnet block to the contact block, so that the precise positioning of the electromagnet relative to the armature can not be always assured. This is inconvenient for manufacturing a number of the relay with reliability of the armature movement, and consequently reduces manufacturing efficiency and reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above insufficiency, the present invention has been achieved to present a coaxial relay which is capable of assuring reliable operational characteristics and is easy to manufacture. The coaxial relay in accordance with the present invention is composed of two assemblies or blocks, namely, a contact block and an electromagnet block. The contact block is made of an electrically conductive metal to have a top surface and a shield chamber. The contact block carries a plurality of coaxial connectors each composed of a core conductor and a shield conductor surrounding the core conductor. The core conductors extend into the shield chamber to define thereat respective coaxial contacts. Also included in the contact block is at least one movable blade which is disposed within the shield chamber for closing and opening the two adjacent coaxial contacts. The movable blade is provided with a dielectric actuator which projects on the top surface of the contact block and is engaged with a return spring secured to the contact block for urging the movable blade in a direction of opening the coaxial contacts.
The electromagnet block is separately formed from the contact block to be assembled thereto. The electromagnet block carries at least one electromagnet and an armature which is enageable with the actuator when the electromagnet block is assembled to the contact block. The electromagnet is composed of a coil wound around a core. The armature is responsive to an excitation of the coil to move about a pivot axis from a first position of opening the coaxial contacts to a second position of closing the same. The electromagnet includes a frame of a non-magnetic material which holds the electromagnet and has its one end secured to the contact block. The characterizing feature of the present invention resides in that the frame has a retainer mechanism for pivotally supporting the armature. With the provision of the retainer mechanism on the side of the electromagnet block, a magnetic gap distance between the electromagnet, i.e., the core and the armature can be fixed and does not vary at the time of assembling the electromagnet block to the contact block.
Accordingly, the relay can have a reliable armature movement in response to the excitation of the electromagnet.
Preferably, the frame is configured to have a top wall and a pair of opposed side walls extending from opposite sides of the tope wall. Each of the side walls is formed at its lower end with a pivot projection and with a stem. The armature is an elongated plate provided at its longitudinal center with a pair of transversely spaced brackets having respective bearing holes for loosely receiving therein the stems. The pivot projections, the stems, the brackets with the bearing holes are cooperative with a permanent magnet to define the retainer mechanism for pivotally supporting the armature. The permanent magnet is disposed between the side walls adjacent the lower ends thereof for attracting and holding the armature into a position where the stems loosely fit into the bearing holes and the pivot projections abut respectively against the brackets to define the pivot axis of the armature. Thus, the armature can be easily supported to the frame in an exact positional relation to the electromagnet for reliable armature movement without using a pivot pin and the associated fixture for the pivot pin.
In a preferred embodiment, the contact block includes three coaxial connectors and first and second movable blades. The three coaxial connectors are arranged to define, within the shield chamber, a common fixed contact by the core conductor of one of the coaxial connectors and first and second fixed contacts by the conductors of the other coaxial connectors, respectively. The first movable blade is disposed within the shield chamber to close and open the first fixed contact to and from the common fixed contact, while the second movable blade is disposed within the shield chamber to close and open the second fixed contact to and from the common fixed contact. The armature is movable about the pivot axis between the first position where the first and second movable blades close and open the first and second fixed contacts respectively from and to the common fixed contact, and the second position where the first and second movable blades open and close the first and second fixed contacts respectively from and to common fixed contact.
Preferably, the armature carries on its lower surface a spring plate having a length extending in parallel with the length of the armature. The spring plate includes an anchor section formed at the longitudinal center of the spring plate and a pair of first and second spring legs extending from the anchor section in opposite directions. The anchor sections are secured to the longitudinal center of the armature and are formed integral with the brackets extending transversely beyond width ends of the armature for pivotal connection with the lower ends of the frame. The first and second spring legs extend from the anchor section in a spaced relation with the armature to be engageable respectively with the actuators of the first and second movable blades for providing a contact pressure. Thus, the contact spring alone can combine the functions of supporting the armature to the frame and of giving the contact pressure to the first and second movable blades.
The top surface of the contact block is rectangular in shape and is formed at its four corners respectively with recesses. The frame is configured to have the top wall and a pair of end walls extending from opposite ends of the top wall. The top wall i

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