Positive action magnetic latching relay

Claim 1

A positive action latching relay comprising: a relatively stationary magnetic armature and a relatively movable magnetic armature, one of said armatures comprising an electromagnet having a ferromagnetic core bar and an electric current-conducting coil wound therearound, and the second armature comprising a permanent magnet having longitudinally disposed north pole and south pole, the two armatures being so disposed in relation to each other that one pole of the permanent magnet is in opposing relationship to one end of the core bar, at least one electric current-conducting contact member firmly attached to the movable armature and movable with the movable armature, stationary electric current conducting contact means fixedly connected to the stationary armature and juxtaposed opposite the movable contact member so as to contact the movable contact member when the two move toward each other, a spring-biasing means operatively connected to the movable armature so as to bias the movable armature away from the ferromagnetic core bar, whereby the stationary and movable armatures are brought together by temporarily activating the coil by passing electric current therethrough so as to induce a magnetic polarity in the core which results in attraction between the opposing ends of the permanent magnet and the core bar, causing the movable armature to move toward the stationary armature, and whereby the armatures can be separated by activating the coil in a reverse direction, by reversing the current flow therethrough, so as to reverse the polarity in the core, thus repelling the permanent magnet therefrom, thus moving the contact member in and out of contact with the stationary contact means; the spring-biasing means maintaining the separation of the magnet and core when they are separated, but the attraction between the peRmanent magnet and the core bar being sufficient to overcome the biasing means when the permanent magnet and the core are in contact and to maintain the contact without maintaining current in the coil.