US3291952A - Sealed contact set - Google Patents

Sealed contact set Download PDF

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Publication number
US3291952A
US3291952A US474326A US47432665A US3291952A US 3291952 A US3291952 A US 3291952A US 474326 A US474326 A US 474326A US 47432665 A US47432665 A US 47432665A US 3291952 A US3291952 A US 3291952A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
enclosure
rib
reed
spring
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US474326A
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English (en)
Inventor
Meier Heinz
Angermaier Hugo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens and Halske AG
Siemens Corp
Original Assignee
Siemens Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens Corp filed Critical Siemens Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3291952A publication Critical patent/US3291952A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H51/00—Electromagnetic relays
    • H01H51/28—Relays having both armature and contacts within a sealed casing outside which the operating coil is located, e.g. contact carried by a magnetic leaf spring or reed
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H51/00—Electromagnetic relays
    • H01H51/28—Relays having both armature and contacts within a sealed casing outside which the operating coil is located, e.g. contact carried by a magnetic leaf spring or reed
    • H01H51/287—Details of the shape of the contact springs

Definitions

  • This invention relates to sealed contact sets, and more particularly to an improvement in the type of switch contacts designed to be employed with magnetic relays and utilizing a set of reed-like contacts mounted in a protective tube.
  • the spring contacts of scaled contact sets at the present time are fabricated of round pieces of wire which are provided with tabs at their terminal ends, by a flattening operation. These tabs serve both as connection points and as contact points, opposite ends of each piece of wire being used for the two different purposes.
  • the use of sealed contact sets having flat sheet metal strips which form the contact members has also been suggested.
  • Spring contacts of this kind have the distinct advantage that fabrication is considerably simplified, since only simple punching out of the spring contacts or reeds from sheet metal material is necessary.
  • it of course is not necessary to flatten out portions of the reed, and further a plating of a special material for contact purposes can be readily made at the points of contact.
  • the flat material can be milled to exactly the correct dimensions, very readily, so that the operating characteristics of the contact sets may be maintained identical with various sets.
  • This invention concerns a sealed contact set having spring contacts fabricated of flat sheet metal strips, and has for its objective the design of a component which is mechanically robust and which has very narrow tolerances in operating values, even throughout large numbers of contact sets.
  • This objective is achieved in accordance with the invention by providing the spring contacts with ribs or ridges shaped out of the sheet metal strips themselves, which ribs extend essentially perpendicularly to the plane of the fiat reed contact and generally longitudinally of the reeds in the areas of the reeds adjacent the glassto-metal seal between the protective enclosure and the reed. These ribs extend on at least one side of the contact reeds longitudinally of the reed past the reed sealing area into the enclosure itself, to a known extent such that the desired spring characteristics may readily be achieved in each instance.
  • Another advantage of the present invention is that the characteristics of the contact set may readily be varied without variation in the type of spring contacts employed. That is, if one spring contact set is to be of different operating characteristics from another, they may both nevertheless be made with the same reed contacts, with the only difference therebetween being in the length and characteristic of the rib formed in the contact during the manufacturing process.
  • the significance of this advantage is that the same manufacturing tools and machines can be employed, with the exception of the mechanism forming the ribs, so that the cost and complexity of the manufacturing process can be materially decreased.
  • the pressed rib provided for by the invention enables close control over the operating time characteristics of the contact set, with that characteristic being changeable within rather wide limits, since the operating time is directly determined by the length of the portion of the rib which extends into the interior of the protective tube or enclosure. It will be appreciated that the time of operation of the contact set is of extreme importance when the set is to be employed, for instance, in a coordinate field or cross-point matrix, for telephone installations, since in such case the seizure possibility in dependence upon the time of operation, plays a major role in the performance of the system.
  • the ribs provided on the contact reeds protect the seal region against mechanical damage which can result through vibration of the contact reeds upon actuation thereof, but more particularly by reason of exposure of the outer portions of the spring contacts to mechanical loads during formation of electrical connections thereto. This imposition of mechanical loads occurs primarily during the soldering operation in which bending of the connection areas of the reeds is very difficult to avoid. The resulting stresses are intercepted by the ribs on the reeds if the ribs extend outwardly beyond the seal zone, as Well as inwardly within the protective enclosure or tube. In such case, the mechanical stresses on the ends of the spring contacts lying outside of the enclosure do not affect the enclosure at all.
  • the rib on each spring contact or reed is formed as a stiffening corrugation or bead which is stamped out from the center part of the spring contact and extends parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof.
  • the rib has no sharp transition regions, so that a gas tight placement of the reed in the seal zone is more readily achieved, and in particular a more perfect fiowage of the seal material, such as a pressure fused glass seal, is achieved.
  • the stiffening corrugation or bead may be formed of X or Y-shape in such fashion that the terminal portions of the forked end of the corrugation extend inwardly of the tube enclosure.
  • This fork shape of the rib is of special advantage in conjunction with reed contact members which are provided with center slots extending longitudinally of the reeds, in order that the reeds may function essentially as double contact members.
  • the inside width between the distal ends of the fork portion of the rib is greater than the width of the slot itself, and thereby it is made certain that the two individual spring contacts have a certain torsion capability in the area of the slot, and a freedom of movement independent of each other, but nevertheless that the reed contact members move synchronously upon imposition of a positive actuating stroke.
  • Another embodiment of the invention employs a formation of the rib such that the sides of the sheet metal strip or reed are bent upwardly to change the flat profile of the reed into an essentially U-shaped profile.
  • This configuration may be of particular advantage for connections to be made outside of the shield enclosure, inasmuch as the U-shaped, or a circular-shaped part, is well suited for reception of soldering material and connecting wire.
  • the actuating speed of the spring contacts can be controlled by change in the length of the ribs, inwardly of the seal between the enclosure and the reed contact. Indeed, the portions of the rib which extend into the internal part of the enclosure can extend so far into the interior thereof, that the contact member remains essentially motionless during contact actuation.
  • the duration of vibration of the spring contacts upon actuation thereof may be controlled, and thus the time of mechanical motion of the contacts can be determined beforehand in simple manner.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective simplified view of one form of reed sealed contact set constructed in accordance with the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a perspective View of one of the reed contacts, in a different embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective View of a reed contact forming a further modified embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a final modified embodiment of one of the reed contacts of the invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4.
  • two spring contact members, or reeds, of ferromagnetic material are designated 1 and 2 and extend from outside inwardly of a tube enclosure, usually of glass, designated 5.
  • the areas of contact between the reeds and the ends of the enclosure 5, or the glass-to-metal seals are respectively shown at 3 and 4.
  • the spring contact members are of different lengths and overlap inside of the tube enclosure, with an air passage 6 therebetween.
  • the longer contact member 2 is provided with a slot 7 which extends inwardly from the contact end thereof, to form a pair of contact tongues 8 and 9, so that a double contact member is formed thereby.
  • Each of the two spring contacts 2 and 3 has a corrugation-like projection or rib 10 and 11, respectively, pressed out from the reed proper, and'extending through the seal between the reed and the glass enclosure. It is evident that the effective spring length of the two spring contacts is determined only by the spacing between the end of the contact member within the tube, and the adjacent end of the rib or corrugation. Indeed, it is evident that the length and configuration of the fusion point at which the seal between the enclosure and the spring contact is made, has no effect on the effective spring length of the contact member.
  • the spring contact 2 is provided with a marking means by striking out a portion of the edge thereof to form a slot 12. This identification facilitates correct placement of the contactsprings, and simplifies automation of manufacturing steps.
  • Each of the contact springs is plated with a special contact material 13 in the area of desired contact therebetween, to provide for very low resistance engagement between the two contact members.
  • FIGS. 2-4 show three different embodiments of the ribs or ridges on the contact members.
  • FIG. 2 shows an X-shaped rib 14 on a spring contact 16 also provided with a plated layer 15.
  • FIG. 3 shows the use of a Y-shaped rib 17 on a contact member 18, with the contact member having a perforation for the reception of a connection wire, which is not shown.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 show a ribbing configuration in which the initially flat contact member is bent out into an approximately U-shaped cross section in the area designated D in FIG. 4, as well as in FIGS. 2 and 3.
  • a sealed electrical contact set having a pair of flat contact members each with a substantial portion of its length extending within a protective enclosure, the other portions of the contact members extending outwardly of the enclosure, with a junction between each contact member and the enclosure and with the contact members having opposed contacting portions in the enclosure, the improvement comprising:
  • each said rib being operative to prevent substantial flexure of the portion of its contact member in which it extends, so that the flexure characteristics of the contact members are determined by the distance between the ribs and the ends of the members, rather than by the characteristics of said junctions.
  • each said rib is formed by a pressed-out portion of the contact member itself, which extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of flatness thereof, with the rib extending longitudinally of the contact member.
  • each rib extends outward of the enclosure by a substantial distance, so that mechanical stresses on the ends of the contact members outside of the enclosures do not affect the enclosures.
  • the ridge is a stiffening corrugation which inhibits flexure of the member and which extends inwardly of the enclosure to an extent such that the contact member remains essentially motionless upon contact actuation.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
  • Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
US474326A 1964-08-11 1965-07-23 Sealed contact set Expired - Lifetime US3291952A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DES92579A DE1264613B (de) 1964-08-11 1964-08-11 Schutzrohrkontakt mit aus flachen Blechstreifen hergestellten Kontaktfedern

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3291952A true US3291952A (en) 1966-12-13

Family

ID=7517320

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US474326A Expired - Lifetime US3291952A (en) 1964-08-11 1965-07-23 Sealed contact set

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US3291952A (de)
AT (1) AT266976B (de)
BE (1) BE668181A (de)
BR (1) BR6571840D0 (de)
CH (1) CH434471A (de)
DE (1) DE1264613B (de)
DK (1) DK114359B (de)
FI (1) FI46214C (de)
GB (1) GB1103348A (de)
NL (1) NL6509525A (de)
SE (1) SE305037B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4005299A (en) * 1974-04-29 1977-01-25 Texas Instruments Incorporated Electrical contact member having low electrical resistance

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1776915U (de) * 1958-07-07 1958-11-06 Wolfgang Gruner Relais.

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4005299A (en) * 1974-04-29 1977-01-25 Texas Instruments Incorporated Electrical contact member having low electrical resistance

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FI46214B (de) 1972-10-02
AT266976B (de) 1968-12-10
NL6509525A (de) 1966-02-14
FI46214C (fi) 1973-01-10
CH434471A (de) 1967-04-30
SE305037B (de) 1968-10-14
DE1264613B (de) 1968-03-28
DK114359B (da) 1969-06-23
BR6571840D0 (pt) 1973-04-12
BE668181A (de) 1966-02-11
GB1103348A (en) 1968-02-14

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