Push button relay

Claim 2

An electromagnetic relay assembly comprising: electromagnetic coil means, stationary and movable contact means, said movable contact means being mounted for movement relative to said stationary contact means into and out of contact with said stationary contact means, magnetizable armature means cooperating with said coil means and normally exerting a force on said movable contact means which urges said movable contact means out of contact with said stationary contact means, and force exerting means for urging said movable contact means into contact with said stationary means independent of energization of said coil means, said force exerting means including first urging means which exerts a counteracting force on said armature means to substantially diminish the force exerted by said armature means on said movable contact means, and second urging means which also exerts a force on said movable contact means to urge said movable contact means into contact with said stationary contact means, said second urging means also serving to maintain said movable contact means in contact with said stationary contact means when said first urging means no longer exerts its said force on said armature means, and said coil means being responsive to the Contact between said stationary and movable contacts to maintain said armature means in a position in which said force exerted upon said movable contact means by said armature means remains substantially diminished when said first urging means no longer exerts its said force on said armature means.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said coil means is responsive to the contact between said stationary and movable contact means to maintain said armature means and movable contact means separated from each other when said force exerting means no longer exerts its said force upon said armature means.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said force exerting means comprises a manually movable push button, said push button being movable from a first position toward a second position in which said push button contacts and moves said armature means relative to said movable contact means and overcomes said force exerted by said armature means on said movable contact means, said force exerting means also including urging means which exerts a force on said movable contact means to urge said movable contact means into contact with said stationary contact means and to maintain said contact independently of said armature means.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 3 wherein said push button is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the movement of said movable contact means, and wherein said urging means comprises compression spring means between said push button and said movable contact means.

Claim 6

In the assembly of claim 3 wherein said coil means is energized when said push button is moved to said second position to maintain said armature means in a position in which said force exerted by said armature means is overcome, whereby said stationary and movable contact means remain in contact with each other when said push button returns to said first position.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 5 wherein said coil means maintains said armature means in a position in which said armature means is spaced from said movable contact means when said coil means is energized, and urging means associated with said armature means for urging said armature means into impacting contact with said movable contact means to urge said stationary and movable contact means out of contact with each other when said coil means is deenergized.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said armature means comprises an elongate magnetizable member which normally contacts said movable contact means to urge said contact means out of contact with said stationary contact means, slot means on said elongate member spaced from said movable contact means and adjacent said coil means, and shading means adjacent said slot means between said elongate member and said coil means.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 1 including frame means for mounting said coil means relative to said armature, said frame means comprising a first L-shaped member the longer leg of which extends axially into said coil means over substantially the length of said coil means and the shorter leg of which extends at a substantial angle to the axis of said coil means and external of said coil, and a second elongate member also extending through said coil means, the axially extending portion of one of said members overlying and contacting the axially extending portion of the other of said members.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 8 wherein said shorter leg of said first L-shaped member includes pivotal mounting means about which said armature means is pivotally mounted, said second member extends from an end of said coil means adjacent said shorter leg of said first L-shaped member, and spring means mounted between the extended end of said second member and said armature to normally urge said movable contact means out of contact with said stationary contact means.

Claim 11

An electromagnetic relay assembly comprising: base means, an electromagnetic coil mounted on said base means, a pair of stationary contacts mounted on said base means in spAced relationship to said coil, a pair of movable contacts mounted upon elongate contact carrying means and movable into and out of contact with said stationary contacts to complete a circuit therebetween, first and second terminals mounted on said base means and electrically connected to said stationary contacts, respectively, a third terminal mounted on said base means, electrical conductor means connecting said second terminal with said coil and said coil with said third terminal, an elongate magnetizable armature mounted for pivotal movement on said base means, one end of said armature extending between said elongate contact carrying means and said base means and the other end extending between said coil and said base means, first spring means connected to said armature and exerting a force there-on to pivot said armature to a first position in which said one end of said armature contacts said elongate contact carrying means to move said movable contacts out of contact with said stationary contacts, manually operable force exerting means including a push button, armature contacting means on said push button and second spring means mounted between said push button and said elongate contact carrying means, said force exerting means being mounted on said base means for movement relative thereto between a first position in which the force exerted by said armature contacting means on said armature and said second spring means on said elongate contact carrying means is diminished and said movable contacts are out of contact with said stationary contacts, and a second position in which said armature contacting means urges said one end of said armature toward a second position adjacent said base means and said second spring means exerts a force on said elongate contact carrying means to move said movable contacts into contact with said stationary contacts, whereby a circuit is completed between said first and second terminals and said coil to energize the latter, said energized coil maintaining said one end of said armature in its said second position when said force exerting means is returned to its said first position.

Claim 12

An electromagnetic relay assembly comprising: base means, an electromagnetic coil mounted on said base means, a pair of stationary contacts mounted on said base means in spAced relationship to said coil, a pair of movable contacts mounted upon elongate contact carrying means and movable into and out of contact with said stationary contacts to complete a circuit therebetween, first and second terminals mounted on said base means and electrically connected to said stationary contacts, respectively, a third terminal mounted on said base means, electrical conductor means connecting said second terminal with said coil and said coil with said third terminal, an elongate magnetizable armature mounted for pivotal movement on said base means, one end of said armature extending between said elongate contact carrying means and said base means and the other end extending between said coil and said base means, first spring means connected to said armature and exerting a force there-on to pivot said armature to a first position in which said one end of said armature contacts said elongate contact carrying means to move said movable contacts out of contact with said stationary contacts, manually operable force exerting means including a push button, armature contacting means on said push button and second spring means mounted between said push button and said elongate contact carrying means, said force exerting means being mounted on said base means for movement relative thereto between a first position in which the force exerted by said armature contacting means on said armature and said second spring means on said elongate contact carrying means is diminished and said movable contacts are out of contact with said stationary contacts, and a second position in which said armature contacting means urges said one end of said armature toward a second position adjacent said base means and said second spring means exerts a force on said elongate contact carrying means to move said movable contacts into contact with said stationary contacts, whereby a circuit is completed between said first and second terminals and said coil to energize the latter, said energized coil maintaining said one end of said armature in its said second position when said force exerting means is returned to its said first position.

Claim 13

The assembly of claim 10 wherein said one end of said armature is spaced from said elongate contact carrying means when said one end is in its said second position and said stationary and movable contacts are in contact with each other, whereby said one end of said armature impacts said elongate contact carrying means when said coil is deenergized.