Relay structure

Claim 1

A relay structure comprising in combination: a generally L-shaped yoke comprising an upright yoke leg and an upper yoke member substantially at right angle thereto, said upper member being formed with a longitudinally extending slot which is open at both longitudinal ends and divides the upper yoke member into lateral side segments; an energizing coil including a solenoid winding on a core which is disposed below said upper yoke member in substantially parallel relationship therewith, one end of the core being connected to said upright yoke leg; a generally L-shaped armature comprising a tab confronting the other end of the core and an actuator arm extending through said slot and having at its corner a transverse hinge axis by which the armature is hingedly supported onto the free end of the upper yoke member; a relatively thin contactor plate made of electrically conductive material secured onto the upper yoke member and having a center spring blade extending integrally therefrom to overlie said actuator arm of the armature to bias it downwardly; and a contact structure comprising a movable contact carried on the free end of said central blade and at least one fixed contact to be in engageable arrangement with the movable contact, said contact assembly located within the height of said yoke; said center spring blade biasing the armature in the direction of releasing the tab away from the core, whereby in response to the coil being energized the armature hinges about said hinge axis against the biasing force of the center blade in one direction to press the center spring blade up for engaging the movable contact with the fixed contact and in response to the coil being deenergized the armature hinges in the opposite direction by that biasing force to disengage the movable contact from the fixed contact, and said actuator arm being received substantially within the depth of said slot in the upper yoke member during the hinging movement of the armature.