An electromagnetic relay includes a fixed contact, a movable contact piece, a drive shaft, and a movable iron core. The movable contact piece is movable in a first direction and in a second direction. The drive shaft that extends in the first direction and the second direction and that is coupled to the movable contact piece. The movable iron core is coupled to the drive shaft so as to be integrally movable at a position beyond the movable contact piece in the first direction or at a position beyond the movable contact piece in the second direction. The drive shaft includes a first contact portion configured to contact the movable contact piece, a second contact portion configured to contact the movable iron core, and an insulating portion made from an insulating material and configured to insulate the movable contact piece and the movable iron core from each other.

A switching device includes: a first and a second fixed contact; a contact bridge; a first movable contact and a second movable contact that are arranged at the contact bridge; a first terminal contact on which the first fixed contact is mounted; and a second terminal contact on which the second fixed contact is mounted. The first fixed contact is in contact with the first movable contact and the second fixed contact is in contact with the second movable contact in a switched-on state of the switching device. The first fixed contact is free of contact with the first movable contact and the second fixed contact is free of contact with the second movable contact in a switched-off state of the switching device. A path of a load current flowing through the contact bridge between the first and second movable contacts in the switched-on state extends in a first plane.

An electromagnetic relay includes a first movable contact piece, a moving member, a coil, and a movable iron core. The movable iron core is connected to the moving member and is configured to move by a magnetic force generated by the coil. The moving member is made of an electrical insulator. The moving member includes a support portion and a connecting portion. The support portion holds a first movable contact piece. The connecting portion is connected to the movable iron core. The connecting portion includes a locking groove and a locking projection. An end of the movable iron core is disposed in the locking groove. The locking projection presses the end of the movable iron core in the locking groove. The locking projection extends in a support direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the moving member.

This auxiliary contact unit includes a case and a case that are divided from each other in the width direction. The case includes a side wall portion and a partition wall portion protruding from a wall surface of the side wall portion toward the case. The case includes a side wall portion having a wall surface with which a tip end of the partition wall portion comes into contact when the case is assembled to the case. A space surrounded by the side wall portion, the partition wall portion, and the side wall portion serves as a contact housing portion. The side wall portion includes a pass-by wall portion protruding from a wall surface toward the side wall portion along the partition wall portion.

An auxiliary contact unit to be attached on a side surface of an electromagnetic contactor by a snap-fit, wherein the snap-fit includes: a projecting piece projecting toward the electromagnetic contactor and having a tip end portion engaging with the electromagnetic contactor, the tip end portion being formed in a hook shape; and a release operating portion formed on a base end side of the projecting piece and configured to, by bending when pressed from an outside, cause the tip end portion engaged with the electromagnetic contactor to be released.

A base of a relay has a leg extending in a contact/separation direction between contacts, and the leg is configured to come into contact with a yoke when the base is incorporated into a case. The leg is spaced away from an upper part of an armature by a distance. This distance is determined so that an upper surface of the armature does not come into contact with the leg in a normal operation of the armature, but the upper surface of the armature comes into contact with a lower surface of the leg when the armature jumps up beyond a movable range thereof due to, for example, a strong impact applied to a vehicle on which the relay is mounted.

In an embodiment a switching device includes at least one stationary contact in a switching chamber containing a gas comprising H.sub.2 and one movable contact in the switching chamber, wherein the switching chamber has a switching chamber wall and a switching chamber base, and wherein the switching chamber at least partially comprises a polymer material configured to release hydrogen when heated.

An electromagnetic contactor includes a stationary contact element including a stationary contact, a movable contact element including a movable contact configured to be able to contact and separate from the stationary contact, an arc-extinguishing chamber that contains a contact portion that includes the stationary contact and the movable contact, and an arc runner provided in the arc-extinguishing chamber. The arc-extinguishing chamber includes an insulating wall portion that is situated beside the stationary contact element in a first direction that is a width direction of the stationary contact element. The arc runner is situated beside the contact portion in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

An electromagnetic switch, including a driving apparatus and a contact apparatus. The contact apparatus includes a moving contact assembly, a chamber, and two spaced fixed contacts disposed on a top part of the chamber. The moving contact assembly includes an insulating part, a push rod, a moving contact, and an elastic part. One end of the push rod is mounted on the driving apparatus, and the other end of the push rod is mounted on the insulating part. The moving contact is mounted on one side that is of the insulating part and that is back to the push rod. The elastic part is clamped between the insulating part and the moving contact, so that the moving contact is in contact with or separated from the pair of fixed contacts under the action of the push rod.

A relay includes a housing, a fixed terminal, a screw receiving member, and at least one female screw member. The fixed terminal has a plate shape. The fixed terminal includes a fastening portion having at least one screw insertion hole. The fastening portion is exposed from the housing to an outside and is screwed to an external terminal. The screw receiving member overlaps with the fastening portion in a penetrating direction of the at least one screw insertion hole and is provided in proximity to the fastening portion. The at least one female screw member is provided integrally with or separately from the screw receiving member and is prevented from rotating by the screw receiving member.