Relay having rows of contacts that are separated by an isolation configuration

Abstract

A relay is provided having a contact set that is disposed in a cover and in a spring bracket, wherein the rows of contacts are isolated by an isolation configuration comprising at least one fixed partition provided on the cover and at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition provided on the spring bracket, and additionally at least one movable actuator is disposed in the space between the cover and the spring bracket, wherein the isolation configuration comprises two mutually parallel and mutually spaced-apart partitions provided on the cover and one partition provided on the spring bracket engaging between the partitions provided on the cover.

Claims

1. A relay having a contact set, first and second members, one of said members being a cover and in the other of said members being a spring bracket separated from the cover by a space, at least one movable actuator is disposed in the space between the cover and the spring bracket, and an isolation configuration, wherein the contact set is disposed between the cover and the spring bracket and the contact set has rows of contacts, wherein said isolation configuration separates said rows of contacts and comprises: two mutually parallel and mutually spaced apart fixed partitions provided on said first member and spaced from said second member; and at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition provided on said second member and spaced from said first member, and wherein, said isolation configuration is interposed between two of the rows of contacts, said at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition is interposed between said two mutually parallel and mutually spaced apart fixed partitions, and said partitions are disposed relative to one another to form an elongated electrical isolation path between said rows of contacts, said relay further comprising flanges having a length parallel to a plane in which said two mutually parallel and mutually spaced-apart partitions lie, wherein said flanges are integrally formed on the actuator and are disposed to retard burning of the contacts.

2. The relay having a contact set according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is disposed at the level of the at least one partition or of the at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition.

3. The relay having a contact set according to claim 1, wherein the at least one movable actuator is disposed outside the isolation configuration.

4. A relay having a contact set that is disposed between first and second members, one of the members being a cover and in the other of said members being a spring bracket, wherein the contact set is composed of first and second rows of contacts that are separated by an isolation configuration, said relay comprising: at least one fixed partition provided on the first member; at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition provided on the other member, and at least one movable actuator disposed in the space between the cover and the spring bracket, wherein the isolation configuration comprises: said at least one fixed partition comprising two mutually parallel and mutually spaced-apart partitions each having a free edge that is spaced from the second member, said at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition consisting of one oppositely oriented partition having a free edge that is spaced from the first member and engaging between the partitions provided on the cover, and said partitions are disposed relative to one another to form an elongated electrical isolation path between said rows of contacts, said relay further comprising flanges having a length parallel to a plane in which said two mutually parallel and mutually spaced-apart partitions lie, wherein said flanges are integrally formed on the actuator.

5. The relay having a contact set according to claim 4, wherein the actuator is disposed at the level of the two partitions provided on the first member or at the level of the one partition provided on the other member.

6. The relay of claim 4, wherein said isolation configuration forms a labyrinth.

7. The relay of claim 4, wherein each said flanges has a portion that extends upwardly from the actuator and a portion that extends downwardly from the actuator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described in detail with reference to a drawing illustrating just one way of carrying out the invention. Further features essential to the invention and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and from their description.

(2) In the drawings,

(3) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an isolation configuration according to the prior art, with two partitions,

(4) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an isolation configuration according to the prior art, with four vertical partitions,

(5) FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an isolation configuration according to the invention, according to a first embodiment,

(6) FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an isolation configuration according to the invention, according to a second embodiment,

(7) FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an isolation configuration of the invention, according to a third embodiment,

(8) FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an isolation configuration of the invention, according to a fourth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The drawings according to the invention in FIGS. 3 to 6 show possible first embodiments of the arrangement of partitions provided on the cover and on the spring bracket.

(10) However, it is not shown in the drawings in which the partition arrangement shown here is exactly reversed. That is to say, if one turns the drawings of FIGS. 3 to 6 upside down and assumes that in the upside-down drawings the cover 2 is always located at the top and the spring bracket 3 at the bottom, then this is a further embodiment for all of the drawings according to FIGS. 3 to 6, which is likewise intended to be encompassed by the claims.

(11) As a result this means that the embodiment of the covers and spring brackets as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 can be reversed, so that reference numerals 2 and 3 are then switched.

(12) Just as FIG. 3 compared with FIG. 4 shows the kinematic reversal of the partition arrangement, this can be done also in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 5 and 6 therefore do not depict the kinematic reversal, which is intended however, to fall within the scope of the invention.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment according to the invention. Here, the cover 2 and the spring bracket 3 are disposed in parallel and spaced apart from one another.

(14) In all of the embodiments of FIGS. 3 to 6 it is shown, however, that the fixed partitions provided on the cover and on the spring bracket form a larger overlap because the actuator is disposed outside this overlap region. The isolation properties of a relay of this type can be significantly improved in this manner.

(15) FIG. 3 shows as an embodiment that a right contact row 11 is disposed on the right side of the isolation configuration and a left contact row 12 is disposed on the opposite side of the isolation configuration. The contacts of a contact row 11, 12 in this arrangement extend perpendicular to the drawing plane.

(16) According to a first embodiment of the invention, it is provided in all of the embodiments that the partitions provided on the cover are integrally formed onto the underside of the cover and form one piece therewith in terms of material. According to a second embodiment of the invention, it is provided for all of the following embodiments that the partitions provided on the cover are not integrally formed directly onto the underside of the cover itself, but that these partitions are mounted on a separate support and that the underside of the cover is smooth and is snapped onto the relay.

(17) The same embodiments as for the partitions provided on the cover also apply for the partitions provided on the spring bracket. Here, too, it is not essential to the invention that these form an integral part with the spring bracket in terms of material. Instead, they can be disposed on a separate support and can be implemented separately from the spring bracket.

(18) The focus of the invention is therefore to improve the isolation capacity between the first contact row 11 and the second contact row 12 disposed opposite thereto.

(19) As shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the cover 2 has two vertically extending partitions 5, 5 that extend toward the spring bracket 3. A single vertically extending partition 6 which extends between the two partitions 5, 5 of the cover 2 is disposed on the opposed spring bracket 3. The partition 6 thus dips down between the two partitions 5 and 5.

(20) With the present embodiment, the isolation is achieved exclusively by means of the fixed partitions 5 and 5 and the partition 6 dipping down between them.

(21) The at least one movable actuator 4, 4 is disposed for the first time outside the isolation configuration created by the partitions 5, 5 and 6. The movable actuator 4, 4 preferably has at least one vertical flange 8, 8. The at least one vertical flange 8, 8 adjoins at least one end of the actuator 4, 4 perpendicular to the length of the actuator, so as to form an extension of the actuator.

(22) It is now novel in the present invention for the first time that the isolation configuration is formed exclusively by the partitions 5, 5 and the partition 6 dipping down between these partitions. The movable actuators 4, 4 having the flanges 8 and 8 are then disposed outside this isolation configuration.

(23) FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention. The embodiment is a mirrored version of the embodiment according to FIG. 3.

(24) From the cover 2, a vertical partition 5 now extends downward toward the spring bracket 3 extending parallel to the cover. The spring bracket 3 has two vertical partitions 6, 6 extending upward toward the cover. The partitions 6, 6 are disposed in such a way that they enclose the partition 5. The partition 5 thus dips down between the two partitions 6, 6. This ensures the isolation between the rows of contacts.

(25) In the configuration that is essential according to the invention, the movable actuators 4, 4 are disposed outside the isolation configuration created by the partitions 5, 6 and 6.

(26) In a further preferred embodiment, the movable actuator 4, 4 has a vertical flange 8, 8 that is integrally formed on the actuator and serves to improve the isolation.

(27) FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment according to the invention. In this embodiment, the cover 2 has two vertically downwardly extending partitions 5, 5 extending toward the spring bracket 3 that is situated parallel to the cover. The spring bracket 3 has a single partition 6 extending vertically toward the cover and dipping down between the two partitions 5, 5. The embodiment of FIG. 3 corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 5, except that now at least one additional flange 9, 9 is integrally formed on the movable actuator 4, 4.

(28) FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment according to the invention. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6 it is novel that the actuator 4, 4 is disposed beside or at the level of the partitions 5, 5.

(29) In the embodiments according to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, movable actuators 4, 4 are disposed at the level of the respective single partition 5 or 6. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, each of the movable actuators 4, 4 is disposed at the level of the partition pairs 5, 5 or 6 and 6.

(30) It is essential to the invention that the isolation configuration is achieved exclusively by means of fixed partitions. The movable actuator generally does not serve to provide any isolation and is disposed outside the isolation configuration essential to the invention.

DRAWING LEGEND

(31) 1 Isolation configuration 2 Cover 3 Spring bracket 4 Actuator (4, 4) 5 Partition (5, 5) 6 Partition (6, 6) 7 Flange (7, 7) 8 Flange (8, 8) 9 Flange (9, 9) 10 Direction of arrow 11 Contact row 12 Contact row