Contactor

Claim 2

A contactor comprising an insulating support, a stationary contact supported on said insulating support, a stationary magnetic yoke, a first resilient mounting means mounting said yoke on said insulating support, said first resilient mounting means comprising a first spring loading means and a first damping spring means, a coil supported on said insulating support in proximity to said yoke, a mOvable structure comprising an insulating carrier, pivot support means supported on said insulating support and supporting said insulating carrier in proximity to a first end of said insulating carrier for pivotal movement about a fixed pivot, a movable contact arm supported on said insulating carrier and comprising a movable contact in proximity to the second end of said insulating carrier, a magnetic armature, a second resilient mounting means mounting said armature on said insulating carrier intermediate the first and second ends of said insulating carrier, said second resilient mounting means comprising a second spring loading means and a second damping spring means, upon energization of said coil, said armature being attracted to said yoke to pivotally move said insulating carrier in the direction to the closed position wherein said movable contact engages said stationary contact and wherein said resiliently mounted armature engages said resiliently mounted yoke, kickout spring means, and upon deenergization of said coil said kick-out spring means pivotally moving said insulating carrier from said second position in the opposite direction to an open position wherein said movable contact is disengaged from said stationary contact and wherein said armature is spaced from said yoke.

Claim 3

A contactor according to claim 1, said first spring loading means comprising a first compression spring loading means, said first damping spring means comprising a first leaf-spring damping spring means, said second spring loading means comprising a second compression spring loading means, and said second damping spring means comprising a second leaf-spring damping spring means.

Claim 4

A contactor according to claim 1, a yoke support secured to said insulating support, said yoke support limiting movement of said yoke away from said insulating support, said first spring loading means comprising a first compression spring loading means biasing said yoke away from said insulating support into engagement with said yoke support, said first damping spring means comprising a first leaf-spring damping spring means, an armature support secured to said insulating carrier, said armature support limiting movement of said armature away from said insulating carrier, said second spring loading means comprising a second compression spring loading means biasing said armature away from said insulating carrier into engagement with said armature support, and said second damping spring means comprising a second leaf-spring damping spring means.

Claim 5

A contactor according to claim 3, said first leaf-spring damping spring means comprising a first elongated leaf-spring comprising a pair of first end parts and a first curved part intermediate the first end parts, said first compression spring loading means comprising a first pair of compression springs engaging said first end parts of said first leaf-spring damping spring to bias said yoke away from said insulating support into engagement with said yoke support, said second leaf-spring damping spring means comprising a second elongated leaf-spring comprising a pair of second end parts and a second curved part intermediate said second end parts, said second compression spring loading means comprising a second pair of compression springs engaging said second end parts of said second leaf-spring damping spring to bias said armature away from said insulating carrier into engagement with said armature support.

Claim 6

A contactor according to claim 4, said yoke being a generally U-shaped yoke, said yoke support comprising a generally U-shaped yoke support having inturned end parts engaging said yoke to limit movement of said yoke away from said insulating support, securing means securing said yoke support at the bight portion of said yoke support to said insulating support, said armature comprising a generally U-shaped armature, said armature support comprising end parts on opposite sides of said armature and a center part, securing means securing saId end parts of said armature to said insulating carrier, and said center part of said armature support engaging said armature intermediate the legs of said armature to limit movement of said armature away from said insulating carrier.

Claim 7

A contactor comprising an insulating support, a stationary contact supported on said insulating support, a stationary magnetic yoke supported on said insulating support, a coil supported on said insulating support in proximity to said yoke, a movable structure comprising an insulating carrier, a first pivot support means supported on said insulating support and supporting said insulating carrier in proximity to one end of said insulating carrier for pivotal movement about a fixed pivot, said insulating carrier comprising a molded cavity part molded integral with said insulating carrier and forming a cavity open at the back of said insulating carrier, a magnetic armature supported on said insulating carrier in said cavity, and an elongated movable contact arm, a second pivot support means pivotally supporting said movable contact arm at one end of said movable contact arm on said insulating carrier at a first end of said molded cavity part, a movable contact on said movable contact arm in proximity to the other end of said movable contact arm at the second end of said molded cavity part, said movable contact arm comprising a generally U-shaped part between the first and second ends thereof, said molded cavity part being disposed generally in said U-shaped part of said movable contact arm in a generally nested relationship, contact pressure spring means biasing said movable contact arm about said second pivot support means to provide contact pressure in the closed position of said contacts, kick-out spring means biasing said insulating carrier about said first pivot support means to an open position, upon energization of said coil, said armature being attracted to said yoke to move said movable structure from the open position to a closed position wherein said movable contact engages said stationary contact and wherein said armature engages said yoke, and upon deenergization of said coil, said kick-out spring means moving said movable structure from said closed position to an open position wherein said movable contact is spaced from said stationary contact and wherein said armature is spaced from said yoke.

Claim 8

A contactor comprising an insulating support, a stationary contact supported on said insulating support, a stationary magnetic yoke supported on said insulating support, a coil supported on said insulating support in proximity to said yoke, a movable structure comprising an insulating carrier, a first pivot support means supported on said insulating support and supporting said insulating carrier in proximity to one end of said insulating carrier for pivotal movement about a fixed pivot, said insulating carrier comprising a molded cavity part molded integral with said insulating carrier and forming a cavity open at the back of said insulating carrier, a magnetic armature supported on said insulating carrier in said cavity, and an elongated movable contact arm, a second pivot support means pivotally supporting said movable contact arm at one end of said movable contact arm on said insulating carrier at a first end of said molded cavity part, a movable contact on said movable contact arm in proximity to the other end of said movable contact arm at the second end of said molded cavity part, said movable contact arm comprising a generally U-shaped part between the first and second ends thereof, said molded cavity part being disposed generally in said U-shaped part of said movable contact arm in a generally nested relationship, contact pressure spring means biasing said movable contact arm about said second pivot support means to provide contact pressure in the closed position of said contacts, kick-out spring means biasing said insulating carrier about said first pivot support means to an open position, upon energization of said coil, said armature being attracted to said yoke to move said movable structure from the open position to a closed position wherein said movable contact engages said stationary contact and wherein said armature engages said yoke, and upon deenergization of said coil, said kick-out spring means moving said movable structure from said closed position to an open position wherein said movable contact is spaced from said stationary contact and wherein said armature is spaced from said yoke.

Claim 9

A contactor according to claim 6, and said contact pressure spring means comprising a coil spring disposed between said insulating carrier and the front of said contact arm in proximity to said other end of said contact arm to bias said contact arm about said second pivot support means toward said stationary contact.

Claim 10

A contactor according to claim 6, said contact arm being supported at said one end thereof on the end of a first leg of said generally U-shaped part, said contact arm at the end of the other leg of said generally U-shaped part being bent over to provide an extended part, said movable contact being supported on said extended part, and said contact pressure spring means comprising a coil spring disposed between the front of said extended part and said insulating carrier to provide contact pressure in the closed position of said contacts.

Claim 11

A contactor according to claim 8, an arc-hood structure supported on said insulating support and comprising an arc-hood pocket, said stationary and movable contacts being disposed generally within said arc-hood pocket, stop means on said arc-hood structure, and during opening operations of said contactor said extended part of said movable contact arm engaging said stop means to limit opening movement of said movable structure.

Claim 12

A contactor according to claim 9, said arc-hood structure being removable from said insulating support, and with said arc-hood structure removed from said insulating support said movable structure being pivotally movable past said open position to a maintenance position without requiring further disassembly of parts.