JPH02265136A - Bimetal switch and manufacture thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the manufacture and certainly open and close a contact by positioning 2 predetermined portions including the respective ends of a first and a second terminal members on 2 planes paralleled with each other. CONSTITUTION:A plate member 3D consisting of a plurality of sets of a pair of terminal portions 21, 22 and a connecting portion 23 to connect them is made of a sheet of hoop material by punching, and this punched plate member 30 is bent to form 2 terminal members 31, 32. That is, 2 tip-side portion 24, 25 including the tips 21A, 22A of the respective terminal portions 21, 22 are formed such that the 2 tip-side portions 24, 25 exist on 2 planes parallel with each other. The movable contact 41 of a bimetal member 40 is, therefore, on a plane different from the plane of the first terminal members 31, 32 where the bimetal 40 is fixed. Thereby, when the bimetal member 40 generates heat to make inversion, it is possible to certainly make abutting and separating between the movable contact 41 and a fixed contact 42.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a bimetal switch in which when a current flows through the bimetal member, the bimetal member heats up and performs a reversal operation, opening the contacts. Regarding the manufacturing method.

(Prior art) British Patent No. 657.434@, also British Patent No. 9038
The invention of No. 07 relates to this type of bimetal switch. Based on these documents, the appearance of a conventional bimetal switch is shown in Fig. 4. This bimetal switch includes two plate-shaped terminal parts $, 11.2, a holding member 3 that holds the intermediate part of these parts and is formed by molding.
It consists of a bimetal member 4. Bimetal member 4
is rectangular, and in the center thereof there is a tongue piece 5 formed by a U-shaped slit. Two points on one end side of this bimetal member 4 are fixed to one end 20 of the terminal member 2. A fixed contact 6 is provided at one end 10 of the terminal member 1, and a movable contact 7 provided on the tongue piece 5 of the bimetal member 4 is provided at a position facing the fixed contact 6. When the bimetal member 4 is not energized, the contacts 6 and 7
are in contact. The two terminal members 1 and 2 are plate-shaped,
The two terminal members 1 and 2 are respectively located on two planes parallel to each other, and the intermediate portions of the two terminal members 1 and 2 held by the holding member 3 are in a state of being superimposed in a direction perpendicular to the two planes.

When mass producing such bimetal switches, conventionally, as shown in FIG. , the terminal member 2 is the terminal part 2A or the connecting part 1
3, a plurality of second hoop members 14 were required.

Then, the connecting portions 11.13 of the first hoop material 12 and the second hoop material 14 are overlapped with a predetermined gap, and a predetermined portion between the terminal portions 1A and 2A is overlapped,
As shown in FIG. 6, a holding member 15 is formed by molding at a predetermined portion between the terminal parts 1A and 2A, and the holding member 15 holds the terminal parts 1A and 2A.
A and 2A were separated from the connecting parts 11° and 13.

On the other hand, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-58730, a bimetal switch in which two heir members are on the same plane has also been proposed.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The bimetal switches shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 have the following drawbacks at the manufacturing stage.

(1) Since two sheets of hoop material are required, it is very difficult to automatically insert a predetermined portion into a mold, and there are many operational errors.

(2) The part where the molding is performed is the part where the two terminal members face each other and overlap.

When forming a molded article containing these two hoop materials, the mold must be approached from a direction perpendicular to the planes of these hoop materials. These hoop materials are then held between a pair of opposing molds. At this time, a movable core (insert) is required to maintain a predetermined gap between the mutually opposing and overlapping portions and to fill the gap.

On the other hand, the bimetal switch disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-58730 allows two types of terminal members to be made from one hoop material, so the above-mentioned drawbacks are eliminated. However, this bimetal switch has the following drawbacks.

(1) Since the two terminal members are on the same plane, it is not compatible with the conventional bimetal switch ring.

(2) The two terminal members are on the same plane, and the bimetal member is fixed to one end of one of the terminal members in an overlapping manner. Therefore, the fixed contact provided at one end of the other terminal member is on substantially the same plane as the above-mentioned plane. Therefore, the movable contact of the bimetal member is pressed more than necessary by the fixed contact, and when the bimetal member generates heat and performs a reversal operation, it becomes difficult to completely separate these two contacts.

The present invention was made in order to eliminate the drawbacks of these conventional bimetal switches, and its purpose is to provide a bimetal switch that is easy to manufacture, fits in a conventional socket, and whose contacts open and close reliably. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing such a bimetal switch.

[Structure 1 of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) The bimetal switch of the present invention includes a bimetal member that has a movable contact and generates heat and performs a reversing operation when energized through the movable contact, and this bimetal member. A plate-shaped first terminal member fixed to one end to support the bimetal member, and a plate-shaped first terminal member disposed in parallel to the first terminal member and provided with a fixed contact corresponding to the movable contact at one end. a second terminal member; and a holding member that is molded to include intermediate portions of the first and second terminal members and holds these two intermediate portions; The two predetermined portions including the respective other ends are located on two mutually parallel planes and are arranged at positions that do not overlap in a direction perpendicular to these two planes, and the two intermediate portions are arranged on two planes that are parallel to each other and do not overlap in a direction perpendicular to these two planes. They are formed so as not to overlap in orthogonal directions, and the two predetermined portions including the one end of each of the first and second terminal members are configured to lie on two mutually parallel planes. .

The method of the present invention is a method of manufacturing the above-mentioned bimetal switch, in which two strip-shaped terminal portions serving as the first and second terminal members are connected at one end through a connecting portion. is punched out from a plate-like member of The connecting member is bent in such a manner that the intermediate portions of the two terminal portions are formed so as not to overlap in a direction perpendicular to the two planes, and the two predetermined portions including the other ends of the two terminal portions are mutually arranged. It is formed so that it lies on two planes parallel to .

(Function) In the bimetal switch of the present invention, since the two predetermined portions including one end of each of the first and second terminal members are on two mutually parallel planes, the bimetal member is fixed to the movable contact of the bimetal member. is on a plane different from the plane of the first terminal member.

Therefore, when the bimetal member generates heat and performs a reversal operation, it is possible to ensure that the movable contact and the fixed contact contact and separate from each other. Further, the two predetermined portions including the other ends of each terminal member can be arranged to be compatible with the socket of a conventional bimetal switch. Furthermore, when the intermediate portions of the first and second terminal members are held between a pair of molds and molded to include these intermediate portions, the two intermediate portions are overlapped in the pair of molds, It is possible to set it in a state where they do not face each other.

In the method of the present invention, since the first and second terminal members are formed from a single plate-like member, positioning when automatically inserted into a mold is easy, and there are no parts that overlap or face the mold part. can do.

(Example) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of a bimetal switch of the present invention. First, a method for manufacturing this bimetal switch will be explained.

In order to manufacture this bimetal switch, as shown in FIG. 1, a plate-like member 30 consisting of a plurality of pairs of terminal parts 21 and 22 and a connecting part 23 connecting them is made from one hoop material. After stamping, the stamped plate member 30 is bent to form two terminal members 31 and 32. That is, the two distal end portions 24.25 including the distal ends 21A and 22A of the terminal portions 21.22 are formed so as to exist on two mutually parallel planes. Terminal part 21.22
proximal portion 26.27 including respective proximal ends 21B, 22B;
are respectively located on two planes parallel to the above two planes, and are formed so as not to overlap in a direction orthogonal to these two planes.

The intermediate portions 28, 29 of the terminal portions 21, 22 are also in a state in which they do not overlap in the direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned plane.

A hole 35.36 provided in the proximal portion 26.27 engages a projection provided in the socket of a bimetallic switch when this portion is inserted into the socket.

Next, molding is performed to include the intermediate portions 28 and 29 to form a holding member 37 as shown in FIG. This molding is performed from a direction perpendicular to two planes including the proximal portions 26, 27, and the intermediate portions 28, 27, respectively.
A pair of molds holding 29 are used. At this time, since the intermediate portions 28 and 29 do not overlap in the direction perpendicular to the two planes, there is no need for a movable core to maintain a predetermined distance between the two planes.

The terminal portions 21, 22 are then separated from the connecting portion 23 at their proximal ends 21B, 22B. If a bimetal member 40 similar to that shown in FIG. 4 is fixed to the distal end portion 24, and a fixed contact 42 corresponding to the movable contact 41 of the bimetal member 40 is provided on the distal end portion 25, as shown in FIG. The bimetal switch is completed.

Base end portion 2 of the terminal member 32 of this bimetal switch
When current flows in from 7, this current reaches the distal end portion 25 of the terminal member 32, passes through the fixed contact 42, the movable contact 41, and the bimetal member 40, reaches the distal end portion 24 of the terminal member 31, and then reaches the proximal end portion 25 of the terminal member 32. It reaches 26. The bimetal member 40 generates heat and performs a reversal operation when the temperature reaches a certain temperature. At this time, the movable contact 41 and the fixed contact 42 are separated, and no current flows through the bimetal member 40. Therefore, the bimetal member 40 is cooled by heat radiation, and when the temperature reaches room temperature, the bimetal member 40 performs an inversion operation and returns to its original state.

According to the bimetal switch of this embodiment, since the molding is performed in a state that includes the bent portions of the two terminal members, the holding member made of the molded product can reliably hold the two terminal members. Become.

[Effects of the Invention] The bimetal switch of the present invention is easy to mass produce, is compatible with the sockets of conventional bimetal switches, and has reliable opening and closing of contacts. Furthermore, according to the method of the present invention,
When molding is performed, a movable core is not required, and the process of automatically inserting the terminal member into the mold is facilitated, thereby reducing work errors.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams of the method for manufacturing a bimetal switch of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an external view of the bimetal switch of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an external view of a conventional bimetal switch.
FIGS. 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of a conventional method of manufacturing a bimetal switch. 30... Plate member 21.22... Terminal part 23... Connection part 31.32... Terminal member 37... Holding member 40... Bimetal member 41-... Movable contact 42...・Fixed contact agent Patent attorney Book 1) Takashi

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A bimetal member that has a movable contact and generates heat and performs a reversal operation when energized through the movable contact, and a plate-shaped first terminal that is fixed to one end of the bimetal member and supports the bimetal member. a plate-shaped second terminal member disposed in parallel to the first terminal member and provided at one end with a fixed contact corresponding to the movable contact; and the first and second terminal members.
and a holding member that is molded to hold the two intermediate portions of the terminal member, and the two predetermined portions including the other ends of the first and second terminal members are mutually are arranged on two parallel planes so as not to overlap in a direction perpendicular to these two planes, the two intermediate portions are formed so as not to overlap in a direction perpendicular to the two planes, and the Two predetermined portions including the one end of each of the first and second terminal members are on two mutually parallel planes. (2) A bimetal member that has a movable contact and generates heat and performs a reversal operation when energized through the movable contact, and a plate-shaped first terminal that is fixed to one end of the bimetal member and supports the bimetal member. a plate-shaped second terminal member disposed in parallel with the first terminal member and provided at one end with a fixed contact corresponding to the movable contact; and the first and second terminal members.
a holding member that is molded to include an intermediate portion of the first and second terminal members and holds these two intermediate portions;
A member having a shape in which two band-shaped terminal portions, each of which will become a terminal member, are connected at one end through a connecting portion is punched out from a single plate-like member, and the two strip-shaped terminal portions including the one end of each of the two terminal portions are punched out from a single plate-like member.
The connecting portion is bent so that the two predetermined portions are on two mutually parallel planes and do not overlap in a direction perpendicular to these two planes, and the intermediate portion of the two terminal portions is A method for manufacturing a bimetal switch, wherein the bimetal switch is formed so as not to overlap in a direction perpendicular to a plane, and two predetermined portions including the other ends of the two terminal portions are formed on two mutually parallel planes.