US-12620539-B2 - Electromagnetic relay and method of manufacturing the same

US12620539B2US 12620539 B2US12620539 B2US 12620539B2US-12620539-B2

Abstract

An electromagnetic relay includes a contact device; a driving device including a coil, a spool, and first and second yokes; and a coil terminal. The second yoke, which is attached to the first yoke, includes a first side portion, a second side portion, a center portion extending therebetween, and a notch. The center portion of the second yoke is disposed between the contact device and the spool. The notch is located in the first side portion of the second yoke, at a position closer to the contact device than to the portion of the first side portion in contact with the first yoke. The coil terminal extends out of the electromagnetic relay via the notch.

Inventors

Ryota Minowa
Shinichi Ogawa

Assignees

OMRON CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220118
Priority Date: 20210305

Claims (9)

1 . An electromagnetic relay, comprising: a contact device including a movable contact piece; a driving device including a coil arranged in a first direction with respect to the contact device, a spool around which the coil is wound, a first yoke arranged in the first direction with respect to the coil, and a second yoke arranged around the coil, the spool extending in an axial direction along the first direction and the second yoke being connected to the first yoke, the second yoke being a separate body from the first yoke, the second yoke being a single unitary one-piece member; and a coil terminal connected to the coil, the second yoke including a first side portion extending in the axial direction and in contact with the first yoke; a second side portion arranged opposite the first side portion, extending in the axial direction, and in contact with the first yoke; a center portion disposed between the contact device and the spool; and a notch through which the coil terminal extends, the center portion connecting the first side portion and the second side portion, the notch being located in the first side portion at a position closer to the contact device than to a portion of the first side portion that is in contact with the first yoke, the first side portion including a wide portion in contact with the first yoke and a narrow portion having a dimension, in a lateral direction of the movable contact piece, smaller than a dimension of the wide portion in the lateral direction of the movable contact piece, and the notch being located in the narrow portion.
2 . An electromagnetic relay, comprising: a contact device including a movable contact piece; a driving device including a coil arranged in a first direction with respect to the contact device, a spool around which the coil is wound, a first yoke arranged in the first direction with respect to the coil, and a second yoke arranged around the coil, the spool extending in an axial direction along the first direction and the second yoke being connected to the first yoke, the second yoke being a separate body from the first yoke, the second yoke being a single unitary one-piece member; and a coil terminal connected to the coil, the second yoke including a first side portion extending in the axial direction and in contact with the first yoke; a second side portion arranged opposite the first side portion, extending in the axial direction, and in contact with the first yoke; a center portion disposed between the contact device and the spool; and a notch through which the coil terminal extends, the center portion connecting the first side portion and the second side portion, the notch being located in the first side portion at a position closer to the contact device than to a portion of the first side portion that is in contact with the first yoke, the spool including a first flange portion disposed between the center portion of the second yoke and the coil, a second flange portion disposed between the coil and the first yoke, a trunk portion disposed between the first flange portion and the second flange portion, and a terminal holding portion disposed on the first flange portion, the terminal holding portion configured to hold the coil terminal.
3 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2 , wherein the first flange portion includes a peripheral edge portion and a relief portion located on the peripheral edge portion to avoid interference with a boundary between the center portion and the first side portion and with a boundary between the center portion and the second side portion, the first flange portion having a thickness, in the axial direction, greater than the second flange portion.
4 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2 , wherein the first side portion is opposite to the second side portion in a longitudinal direction of the movable contact piece.
5 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2 , further comprising a connector housing, the connector housing including an opening to which a connector connected to the coil terminal is inserted, the opening being opened in a direction from the second side portion of the second yoke toward the first side portion of the second yoke.
6 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2 , wherein the driving device further includes a fixed iron core fixed to the center portion of the second yoke, the spool further includes a receiving portion having a cylindrical shape, the receiving portion extending in the axial direction, the receiving portion configured to receive the fixed iron core, and the notch extends to one end of the first side portion in a lateral direction of the movable contact piece.
7 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 6 , wherein the spool is positioned relative to the first yoke by rotating relative to the second yoke at a position between the first side portion and the second side portion.
8 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2 , wherein a boundary part between the center portion and the first side portion of the second yoke is rounded in an arc shape.
9 . The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2 , wherein the notch extends through the first side portion and opens toward an end of the first side portion in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the first direction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is the U.S. National Phase of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/001514, filed on Jan. 18, 2022. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-035749, filed Mar. 5, 2021. The contents of those applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. FIELD The claimed invention relates to electromagnetic relays and a method for use in manufacturing electromagnetic relays. BACKGROUND Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-176728 discloses an electromagnetic relay that includes a contact device and a driving device configured to drive the contact device by electromagnetic force. The contact device includes a movable contact piece. The driving device includes a coil, a spool around which the coil is wound, a first yoke disposed between the contact device and the spool, and a U-shaped second yoke connected to the first yoke. The first yoke and the second yoke are arranged around the coil. The second yoke includes a pair of side portions constructed and arranged to be in contact with the first yoke. The pair of side portions include an opening through which a terminal of the coil is pulled out, and are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the movable contact piece. The opening is formed at a portion where the first yoke and the second yoke come in contact. SUMMARY In such a conventional electromagnetic relay, the opening for pulling out the coil terminal is formed at a portion where the first yoke and the second yoke come in contact. Thus, the contact area between the first yoke and the second yoke is small, and thereby the magnetic efficiency of the electromagnet decreases. The claimed invention aims to provide an electromagnetic relay in which the magnetic efficiency of electromagnet is less likely to decrease. Solution to Problems An electromagnetic relay according to one aspect of the claimed invention includes a contact device, a driving device, and a coil terminal. The contact device includes a movable contact piece. The driving device includes a coil, a spool, a first yoke and a second yoke. The coil is arranged in a first direction with respect to the contact device. The spool extends in the axial direction along the first direction and the coil is wound around the spool. The first yoke is arranged in the first direction with respect to the coil. The second yoke is arranged around the coil and connected to the first yoke. The second yoke includes a first side portion, a second side portion, a center portion, and a notch through which the coil terminal extends. The first side portion extends in the axial direction and is in contact with the first yoke. The second side portion is arranged opposite the first side portion and is configured to be in contact with the first yoke. The center portion is disposed between the contact device and the spool. The center portion connects the first side portion and the second side portion. The notch is located in the first side portion at a position closer to the contact device than to the portion in contact with the first yoke. In this electromagnetic relay, the notch for pulling out the coil terminal is located in the first side portion at a position closer to the contact device than to the portion in contact with the first yoke. As such, the contact area between the first yoke and the second yoke can be increased than in conventional relays, and thereby the magnetic efficiency of the electromagnet becomes less likely to decrease. In addition, the coil terminal is pulled out from a position closer to the contact device than to the first yoke, and thereby the coil terminal can be connected to an external terminal that is connected to the coil terminal more easily than before. The first side portion may include a wide portion to be in contact with the first yoke, and a narrow portion having a dimension, in the lateral direction of the movable contact piece, smaller than that of the wide portion in the lateral direction of the movable contact piece. The notch may be formed in the narrow portion. In this case, the narrow portion secures space for a jig that is used to caulk the first yoke to the second yoke. Also, since the notch is located in the narrow portion, the notch can be downsized. That is, while securing space for a jig, effectively the magnetic efficiency of electromagnet becomes unlikely to decrease. The spool may include a first flange portion positioned between the center portion of the second yoke and the coil, a second flange portion positioned between the coil and the first yoke, a trunk portion between the first flange portion and the second flange portion, and a terminal holding portion positioned on the first flange portion and configured to hold the coil terminal. In this case, the coil terminal can be held by the spool. In addition, since the coil terminal is placed at a position close to the contact device, the connection