Electricity: magnetically operated switches – magnets – and electr – Electromagnetically actuated switches – With housing or support means
Patent
1996-09-26
1998-09-15
Spyrou, Cassandra C.
Electricity: magnetically operated switches, magnets, and electr
Electromagnetically actuated switches
With housing or support means
H01H 902, H01H 1304
Patent
active
058085335
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a modular relay having a base, in which plug-in connecting elements for at least one load circuit, for one relay energizing circuit and for one modular circuit are anchored, having a coil former which is fitted with an electromagnet system with a coil, core and armature and which is mounted upright on the base, furthermore having at least one stationary contact element and at least one moving contact element coupled to the armature, the contact elements being connected directly to the associated connecting elements which are anchored in the base, and having a printed circuit board which stands upright on the base plane, is fitted with the modular circuit and is electrically connected to at least some of the connecting elements of the base.
For certain applications, for example in motor vehicle engineering, relays for specific functions are combined together with their drive circuit to form a compact unit, a so-called module, in a housing having plug-in connections, so that the relay can be replaced together with its drive circuit in one action. Typical examples are relays for flasher units, glow plugs and the like. However, until now, the structural connection of the relay system and the modular circuit which is arranged on a small printed circuit board required a relatively high level of complexity since a specific structure had to be developed for each application.
German reference DE 30 05 460 A1 discloses an electromagnetic switch having a basically modular structure of the type mentioned initially. This is actually a specific refinement as a glow-time relay which cannot directly be used for other operational purposes. The connections between the base and printed circuit board are not shown in detail; the connecting elements contain round connectors which must be separately riveted into holes in a connecting part in the form of a board.
German reference DE 33 06 019 C2 discloses a relay in which a printed circuit board is arranged parallel to the base, on the top of the magnet system. In this case, all the electrical connections between the printed circuit board and the base must be made via conductor parts which are in the form of bars and extend from the relay system at the side, at right angles to the base plane. If high load currents occur, such a structure could lead to heating problems, since the switching contacts on the top of the relay are also located in the region of the printed circuit board. The connecting elements are also in this case designed as round connectors which must be riveted into the base on their own.
German reference DE 38 34 413 A1 furthermore discloses the arrangement of a relay on a printed circuit board, load connecting elements being arranged in the form of flat connectors on the printed circuit board and at least some of them being connected via a stamped grid to the other components on the printed circuit board. This is actually not a plug-in module constructed on a base; instead of this, the relay is only seated in addition to other circuits on a relatively large printed circuit board, which has to have conventional printed circuit board connections, separately from the said load connectors.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,761 discloses a compact relay system, in the case of which a base which is provided with flat connectors is fitted with a printed circuit board standing upright. The relay is in this case not mounted on the base, but with all the connections on the printed circuit board, so that the load circuit must also be routed via the printed circuit board to the base connections. This not only results in heating problems but also requires additional electrical conductor elements and connecting points.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide a plug-in modular relay of the type mentioned initially, which has a compact structure with as few parts as possible and also makes it possible to carry high load currents without any problems. The structure should furthermore be designed
REFERENCES:
patent: 4400761 (1983-08-01), Hayden et al.
patent: 4971566 (1990-11-01), Adams et al.
patent: 5446626 (1995-08-01), Dittmann et al.
Buscher Thomas
Reiss Heiko
Barrera Raymond
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Spyrou Cassandra C.
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