Automatic Switch Company

James E Greame

David J Vollmer

Terence L Johnson

A solenoid actuator including a coil of electrically conductive wire, a yoke of magnetic material surrounding the coil, and a non-electrically and non-magnetically conductive material encapsulating the coil and yoke. A pair of terminals connected to the ends of the coil project outwardly beyond an exterior surface of the encapsulation. Any of a variety of electrical connection modules is adapted to receive the coil terminals and electrically connect them to standard electrical connectors projecting from the module. Different modules have different forms of standard electrical connectors, so that regardless of the type of connector available at the source of electric power, a suitable module can be connected to the encapsulated coil for cooperation with the power source connector. The body of each module is formed of resilient material so that when the module is tightly attached to the coil encapsulation, a seal is formed completely surrounding the coil terminals. Particular modules may incorporate rectifiers, time delay circuits, power-enhancing circuits, and radio controlled switches.

Solenoid actuator with electrical connection modules

A solenoid actuator including a coil of electrically conductive wire having a central opening, a yoke of magnetic material permanently surrounding the coil, and a stationary armature permanently secured to the yoke and projecting from the yoke into the central opening in the coil. A core tube of non-magnetic material is removably retained within the central opening in the coil, the core tube having a closed end engaging the stationary armature and the core tube being separable from the coil-yoke-armature assembly. A movable armature within the core tube is slidable toward and away from the stationary armature. A stationary armature extension of magnetic material surrounds the exterior of the core tube, the extensions being an element independent of the stationary armature. The extension may be an annular element, coaxial with the core tube, which engages the stationary armature. The extension may be a ring having a wall of uniform or non-uniform thickness along its length. Stationary armature extensions of different lengths are used, depending upon the size of the air gap between the movable armature and the stationary armature when the solenoid coil is deenergized.

Solenoid actuator with stationary armature extension

A solenoid actuator including a coil of electrically conductive wire wound about an axis, an enclosure for the coil, a receptacle carried by the enclosure for accommodating a mounting member of a device to be controlled by the solenoid actuator, a slideway carried by the enclosure extending transverse to the coil axis, and a fastener movable within the slideway for latching and unlatching the enclosed coil to the device to be controlled. The coil enclosure is a plastic encapsulation, the receptacle is an opening in a surface of the encapsulation, and the slideway is a chamber within the encapsulation intersecting the recess. The mounting member, which may be secured to a core tube within which the movable armature of the solenoid actuator is located, has an annular slot, and the fastener is a clip formed of sheet metal having edges which slide into the slot to latch the enclosed coil to the mounting member. The clip is formed with resilient detents for pressing the core tube against a stationary armature fixed within the solenoid coil. The clip is generally U-shaped, so that its arms straddle the mounting member, and the arms carry lugs which cooperate with shoulders within the slideway chamber to prevent complete removal of the clip from the slideway. The entry into the slideway is shaped to cooperate with the lugs so that the clip can be inserted into the slideway in only a single orientation.

Solenoid actuator with fastener

A solenoid arrangement including a coil of electrically conductive wire and a yoke of magnetic material surrounding the coil. The coil is completely encapsulated by a thermosetting resin, the resin being located between the coil and the yoke, and the yoke being encapsulated by a thermoplastic resin. Preferably, the thermosetting resin is an epoxy resin, and the thermoplastic resin is nylon. The yoke includes a side wall extending around the entire periphery of the coil, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the side, top, and bottom walls forming a box-like housing which substantially completely encloses the coil. A stationary armature extends from the top wall of the yoke into the center of the spool upon which the coil is wound, and a sleeve for accommodating a core tube extends from the bottom wall into the center of the spool.

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Long Valley, NJ, United States of America

James E Greame