Reed relay assembly employing both a permanent magnet and a saturable core

Claim 1

REED RELAY SWITCH MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE REED RELAY SWITCH COMPRISED OF FIRST AND SECOND CONDUCTIVE REED ELEMENTS SEALED WITHIN SUITABLE HOUSING MEANS AND NORMALLY BIASED OUT OF ENGAGEMENT; PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS POSITIONED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID HOUSING AND IN THE REGION OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID REED ELEMENTS FOR HOLDING SAID REED ELEMENTS IN THE ENGAGED POSITION; SATURABLE CORE MEANS HAVING AN EXCITATION WINDING WHICH, WHEN ENERGIZED, DRIVES SAID SATURABLE CORE SUBSTANTIALLY INTO A SATURATION STATE; AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF SAID SATURABLE CORE BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID HOUSING AND IN THE REGION OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID REED ELEMENTS; SAID EXCITATION WINDING BEING WOUND ABOUT A SECOND PORTION OF SAID SATURABLE CORE AND BEING LOCATED A SPACED DISTANCE FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID SATURABLE CORE GENERATING A MAGNETIC FIELD OF PREDETERMINED FIELD STRENGTH IN SAID SATURATION STATE TO OFFSET THE EFFECT OF SAID PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS PERMITTING SAID CONDUCTIVE REED ELEMENTS TO BECOME DISENGAGED; SAID SATURABLE CORE PREVENTING ANY APPRECIABLE INCREASE IN FIELD STRENGTH WHEN IN SAID SATURATION STATE THEREBY PREVENTING FALSE OPERATION OF SAID SWITCH MEANS.