Relay

Claim 2

A relay comprising electrically insulating base means, a first conductive member mounted on said base means, a second conductive member formed of a single sheet of electrically conductive sheet material having a pair of spaced first portions secured to said base means, having a contact arm portion extending in cantilever relation from the remainder of said second member between said first portions of said second member and movable at its distal end between an open circuit position spaced from said first conductive member and a closed circuit position engaging said first conductive member, and having spring means integrally formed in said sheet material respectively connecting said first member portions with an opposite end of said contact arm portion of said second conductive member and normally biasing said contact arm portion to one of said circuit positions, and an actuator wire element secured between said opposite end of said contact arm portion and said base means, said actuator element being formed of a metal alloy adapted to be deformed from an original configuration to a second configuration as said contact arm portion is moved to said one circuit position by said spring bias while said metal alloy displays a relatively low modulus of elasticity below a transition temperature and to abruptly return to said original configuration and to display a relatively higher of elasticity to move said contact arm portion to the other of said circuit positions against said spring bias when said metal alloy is heated above said transition temperature.

Claim 3

A relay as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator element is formed of a nickel-titanium alloy.

Claim 4

A relay as set forth in claim 2 wherein said nickel-titanium alloy has a composition, by weight, of from about 54 to 56 percent nickel and the balance titanium.

Claim 5

A relay as set forth in claim 3 wherein said actuator element comprises a wire of said nickel-titanium alloy having a cross-sectional area of less than about 1.5 X 10 5 square inches.

Claim 6

A relay comprising a base means of electrically insulating matErial having a bottom and having a pair of upstanding side walls and an end wall forming a base wall portion of generally U-shaped configuration, a first electrically conductive terminal member cantilever mounted on said end wall and mounting a first electrical contact at the distal end thereof over said bottom of said base means, a second member formed of a single sheet of electrically conductive spring material having a terminal portion including two leg portions thereof secured to said side walls of said base means, having a contact arm portion extending in cantilever relation from the remainder of said second member and mounting a second electrical contact means thereon at the distal end of said contact arm portion for movement between an open circuit position spaced from said first contact and a closed circuit position engaging said first contact, and having spring portions integrally formed from said sheet material extending between respective leg portions and an opposite end of said contact arm portion of said second conductive member over said bottom of said base means and normally biasing said contact arm portion to said open circuit position, a bell-crank arm secured to said opposite end of said contact arm portion and rotatable with said contact arm portion around an axis extending through said spring portions, control terminals secured to said base means, and a metal actuator wire connected between said control terminals and secured in electrically conductive relation to said bell-crank arm, said wire being formed of a nickel-titanium alloy adapted to be deformed from an original length to a greater length as said contact arm portion is moved to said open circuit position in response to said spring bias while said alloy displays a relatively low modulus of elasticity below a transition temperature and to abruptly return to its original length and to display a relatively higher modulus of elasticity to rotate said contact arm and bell-crank arm on said axis to move said contact arm portion to said closed circuit position against said spring bias when said alloy is heated above said transition temperature by directing electrical current through said wire between said control terminals.

Claim 7

A relay comprising a base means of electrically insulating matErial having a bottom and having a pair of upstanding side walls and an end wall forming a base wall portion of generally U-shaped configuration, a first electrically conductive terminal member cantilever mounted on said end wall and mounting a first electrical contact at the distal end thereof over said bottom of said base means, a second member formed of a single sheet of electrically conductive spring material having a terminal portion including two leg portions thereof secured to said side walls of said base means, having a contact arm portion extending in cantilever relation from the remainder of said second member and mounting a second electrical contact means thereon at the distal end of said contact arm portion for movement between an open circuit position spaced from said first contact and a closed circuit position engaging said first contact, and having spring portions integrally formed from said sheet material extending between respective leg portions and an opposite end of said contact arm portion of said second conductive member over said bottom of said base means and normally biasing said contact arm portion to said open circuit position, a bell-crank arm secured to said opposite end of said contact arm portion and rotatable with said contact arm portion around an axis extending through said spring portions, control terminals secured to said base means, and a metal actuator wire connected between said control terminals and secured in electrically conductive relation to said bell-crank arm, said wire being formed of a nickel-titanium alloy adapted to be deformed from an original length to a greater length as said contact arm portion is moved to said open circuit position in response to said spring bias while said alloy displays a relatively low modulus of elasticity below a transition temperature and to abruptly return to its original length and to display a relatively higher modulus of elasticity to rotate said contact arm and bell-crank arm on said axis to move said contact arm portion to said closed circuit position against said spring bias when said alloy is heated above said transition temperature by directing electrical current through said wire between said control terminals.

Claim 8

A relay as set forth in claim 5 having an additional electrically conductive terminal member cantilever mounted on said base means and mounting an additional electrical contact at the distal end thereof to normally engage said second contact means and to be disengaged from said second means when said actuator wire is heated to said transition temperature.

Claim 9

A relay as set forth in claim 5 having a plurality of said conductive terminal members mounting respective electrical contacts and mounted on said base means, having a plurality of said members of electrically conductive spring material mounted on said base means and having respective contacts mounted on the contact arm portions thereof, and having means for connecting said contact arm portions of said spring members together for common movement to engage respective spring member contacts with respective contacts mounted on said terminal members.