US3858140A — Time-delay relay and method of assembling same

Claim 1

Independent Claim 189 words

A time-delay relay comprising: a housing having a chamber and terminal receiving slots therein; a thermally responsive switch assembly mounted within said chamber and having contacts and a thermostatic element, said contacts being movable into and out of engagement with one another in response to actuation of the thermostatic element when the latter is subjected to predetermined temperature conditions thereby to make and break a first circuit; a heater in heat-transfer relation with said switch assembly for heating said thermostatic element, said heater being energized by a second circuit; a pair of terminals adapted for conductive electrical contact with said heater, said terminals constituting a portion of said second circuit, said heater and said switch assembly being mounted within said chamber and said terminals being received by said terminal receiving slots in said housing; a cover overlying said chamber and having means engageable with said terminals thereby to retain the terminals within said housing; and a retainer engageable with said housing adapted to be forced into position at the mouth of the chamber thereby to hold the cover, switch assembly, heater and terminals in assembled relation within said housing.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 189 words

A time-delay relay comprising: a housing having a chamber and terminal receiving slots therein; a thermally responsive switch assembly mounted within said chamber and having contacts and a thermostatic element, said contacts being movable into and out of engagement with one another in response to actuation of the thermostatic element when the latter is subjected to predetermined temperature conditions thereby to make and break a first circuit; a heater in heat-transfer relation with said switch assembly for heating said thermostatic element, said heater being energized by a second circuit; a pair of terminals adapted for conductive electrical contact with said heater, said terminals constituting a portion of said second circuit, said heater and said switch assembly being mounted within said chamber and said terminals being received by said terminal receiving slots in said housing; a cover overlying said chamber and having means engageable with said terminals thereby to retain the terminals within said housing; and a retainer engageable with said housing adapted to be forced into position at the mouth of the chamber thereby to hold the cover, switch assembly, heater and terminals in assembled relation within said housing.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 66 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 1 wherein said chamber is a blind hole in one face of the housing, this one face of the housing constituting the top of the housing, said terminal-receiving slots being adjacent said chamber and extending generally parallel to the chamber, each said slot having a portion thereof opening into saiD chamber substantially along the length of said slot.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 57 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 2 wherein each terminal has a shank portion adapted to be received by said slot upon insertion of its lower end into the slot from above, a contact portion extending from the shank portion through said slot portion and into the chamber for conductive electrical contact with said heater.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 62 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 3 wherein each terminal has a tab struck from its shank portion, said tab angling away from said shank portion and inwardly and upwardly toward said chamber, said tab being received within said portion of said slot and being engageable by said means on said cover thereby to retain the terminals within the housing.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 55 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 4 wherein each said slot has a stop therewithin engageable by a respective terminal inserted therein for positioning the terminal in a desired installed position within the slot relative to the housing in which said contact portion is in position for conductive electrical contact with said heater.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 45 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means on said cover engageable with said terminal comprises a pair of lugs, one for each terminal, each lug extending into said portion of said terminal-receiving slot and being engageable with a respective terminal.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 30 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cover is engageable with said thermally responsive switch assembly thereby to hold the switch in position within said housing.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 7 in which said thermally responsive switch assembly is an enclosed unitary assembly and said heater is secured to the undersurface thereof.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 88 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 1 wherein said retainer is made of a relatively stiff, resilient material and is of a length somewhat longer than the distance from one side to the other of the mouth of said chamber, portions of said retainer adjacent the sides of the chamber being forced into engagement with opposing surfaces of the housing at the mouth of the chamber, said portions of the retainer preventing removal of the retainer from the housing once it has been forced into position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 81 words

A time-delay relay as set forth in claim 9 wherein the mouth of said chamber is rectangular in cross section and said retainer is generally in the shape of a rectangle having a plurality of tabs extending endwise therfrom, said tabs being bent up from the plane of said retainer and being engageable with opposite sides of the mouth of the chamber thereby to lock the retainer relative to the housing upon inserting the retainer into the mouth of the chamber.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 173 words

A method of assembling a time-delay relay, said relay comprising a housing with a chamber and with openings for the reception of terminal members, a thermostatic switch assembly, a heater for heating said switch assembly, and a pair of terminal members for supplying electrical power to the heater, said method comprising the steps of: inserting said terminal members into said openings in the housing, portions of said terminals extending into said chamber; inserting said heater and said switch assembly into said chamber with the heater in conductive electrical contact with said portions of the terminals and in heat-transfer relation with the switch assembly; installing a cover in said chamber to overlie the switch assembly and heater, said cover being engageable with said terminal members; and applying a retainer across the mouth of the chamber to span the cover and engage the housing at the sides of the mouth of the chamber thereby positively securing the terminal members, the heater, the switch assembly and the cover in an assembled position relative to the housing.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 173 words

A method of assembling a time-delay relay, said relay comprising a housing with a chamber and with openings for the reception of terminal members, a thermostatic switch assembly, a heater for heating said switch assembly, and a pair of terminal members for supplying electrical power to the heater, said method comprising the steps of: inserting said terminal members into said openings in the housing, portions of said terminals extending into said chamber; inserting said heater and said switch assembly into said chamber with the heater in conductive electrical contact with said portions of the terminals and in heat-transfer relation with the switch assembly; installing a cover in said chamber to overlie the switch assembly and heater, said cover being engageable with said terminal members; and applying a retainer across the mouth of the chamber to span the cover and engage the housing at the sides of the mouth of the chamber thereby positively securing the terminal members, the heater, the switch assembly and the cover in an assembled position relative to the housing.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-12-30	1978-07-01	1978-12-31	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-12-30	1982-07-01	1982-12-31	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-12-30	1986-07-01	1986-12-31	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Time-delay relay and method of assembling same

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