Abstract:
An electronic device capable of reducing costs for equipment is shown. Of a plurality of housings each having an electromagnetic relay body incorporated therein, the adjacent housings are unified with a disconnectable connector provided on facing outer surfaces of the housings.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to electronic devices, particularly, an electromagnetic relay, a switch, and a sensor. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Examples of a conventional electronic device include an electromagnetic relay apparatus including a plurality of electromagnetic relays each having a couple of movable contacts that swing by the excitation current flow in a coil and a couple of fixed contacts faced to the movable contacts and set in directions of movement of the movable contacts with the movable contacts set between the fixed contacts. In the electromagnetic relays, one of the movable contacts and one of the fixed contacts form a normally-open contact which is closed when excitation current is applied to the coil, and the other movable contact and the other fixed contact form a normally-closed contact which is closed when current is not passed through the coil. The electromagnetic relays are disposed in line on a base so that the plural normally-open/normally-closed contacts of adjacent electromagnetic relays are faced to each other and located in opposed outer positions in substantially point symmetrical relation with the swing center side of the movable contacts being located outward (refer to Patent Literature 1). 
         [0003]    The electromagnetic relay is a bipolar electromagnetic relay in which two sets of electromagnet blocks 1, 1 are incorporated in one housing including a base block 2 and a cover B mounted to the base block 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the Patent Literature 1. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0004]    1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-59383 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0005]    However, for example, as shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , when a bipolar electromagnetic relay  32  described above is to be assembled, it is necessary to prepare in a manufacturing process a transfer rail  30  provided with a wide guide groove  31 . Meanwhile, as shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , when a unipolar electromagnetic relay is to be assembled, it is necessary to separately prepare a transfer rail  33  provided with a narrow guide groove  34 . Hence the two kinds of transfer rails  30 ,  33  and, furthermore, two kinds of production lines, need to be prepared, thus causing a problem of high costs for equipment. 
         [0006]    In view of the above problem, an object of an electronic device according to the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of reducing costs for equipment. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0007]    In order to solve the above problem, an electronic device according to the present invention includes: an internal component; a plurality of housings each having the internal component incorporated therein; and a disconnectable connector that connects facing outer surfaces of the adjacent housings of the plurality of housings to each other to unify the adjacent housings. 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention 
       [0008]    According to the present invention, the electronic device with the internal component incorporated in each of the plurality of unified housings may be used as it is. Alternatively, the connector may be cut as needed and the electronic devices each having the internal component incorporated in one housing may be individually used. Hence, it is possible to reduce the number of production lines, leading to a reduction in costs for equipment. 
         [0009]    As an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic component may include a pair of disconnectable connectors that connect the facing outer surfaces of the adjacent housings to each other to unify the adjacent housings, and the pair of disconnectable connectors may be inclined so as to be line-symmetric. 
         [0010]    According to the present embodiment, appropriately cutting the pair of connectors enables manufacturing of a plurality of kinds of electronic devices on one production line. 
         [0011]    Further, even when the pair of connectors is cut by a cutter, only a part of a blade of the cutter is not used. Therefore, the wear of the blade is not concentrated on the same place, thus extending the life of the cutter and reducing a replacement frequency of the cutter. 
         [0012]    The pair of connectors may be inclined in a direction in which, with a symmetric axis of line-symmetry at a center, a distance increases from one end to the other end of each connector, and may also be inclined with a wider inclination angle from a bend portion, provided in a middle of each connector, toward the other end. 
         [0013]    According to the present embodiment, appropriately cutting each connector allows manufacturing of a plurality of kinds of electronic devices on one production line. 
         [0014]    Further, even when the pair of connectors is cut by a cutter, only a part of a blade of the cutter is not used. Therefore, the wear of the blade is not concentrated on the same place, thus extending the life of the cutter and reducing a replacement frequency of the cutter. 
         [0015]    Moreover, since each connector is bent with a wider inclination angle from the bend portion toward the other end, each connector has higher mechanical strength and becomes more resistant to damage. 
         [0016]    As another embodiment of the present invention, the internal component may be an electromagnetic relay body that drives a contact opening and closing mechanism by use of an electromagnet unit. 
         [0017]    According to the present embodiment, a plurality of kinds of electromagnetic relays can be obtained on one production line. 
         [0018]    As still another embodiment of the present invention, the internal component may be a switch body that drives a contact opening and closing mechanism. 
         [0019]    According to the present embodiment, a plurality of kinds of switches can be obtained on one production line. 
         [0020]    As yet another embodiment of the present invention, the internal component may be a sensor body including a detection element capable of detecting an external environment. 
         [0021]    According to the present embodiment, a plurality of kinds of sensors can be obtained on one production line. 
         [0022]    A manufacturing method for an electronic device according to the present invention may include: incorporating an internal component in each of a plurality of housings that are unified in such a manner that a disconnectable connector connects faces outer surfaces of the housings to each other; and cutting the connector to separate the housings from each other. 
         [0023]    According to the present invention, the connector is cut as needed, and electronic devices each having the internal component incorporated in one housing can be individually used. For this reason, there is an effect of obtaining a manufacturing method for an electronic device, capable of reducing the number of production lines and thereby reducing costs for equipment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  are a perspective view and a front view showing a process of manufacturing an electromagnetic relay that is an electronic device according to the present invention,  FIG. 1C  is a perspective view showing the electromagnetic relay immediately after assembly, and  FIG. 1D  is a perspective view showing a separated electromagnetic relay; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are a front sectional view and a side sectional view of the electromagnetic relay shown in  FIG. 1D ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  are front views respectively showing a second embodiment and a third embodiment of the electronic device according to the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B  are front views respectively showing a fourth embodiment and a fifth embodiment of the electronic device according to the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  are front views respectively showing a sixth embodiment and a seventh embodiment of the electronic device according to the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B  are front views respectively showing an eighth embodiment and a ninth embodiment of the electronic device according to the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B  are a perspective view and a front view showing a process of manufacturing an electronic device according to one conventional example; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  are a perspective view and a front view showing a process of manufacturing an electronic device according to another conventional example. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0032]    Embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in accordance with the attached drawings of  FIGS. 1A to 6B . 
         [0033]    An electronic device  10  according to a first embodiment is a case of applying the electronic device to an electromagnetic relay as shown in  FIGS. 1A to 2B . 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A to 1D , specifically, the electronic device  10  includes: two housings  13  each formed of a base  11  and a case  12  fitted to the base  11 ; an electromagnetic relay body  20  incorporated in each of the two housings  13 ; and disconnectable connectors  14 ,  14  that connect facing outer surfaces of the housings  13 ,  13  to each other to unify the housings  13 ,  13 . 
         [0035]    The electromagnetic relay body  20  is made up of: an electromagnet unit  21  provided upright on the base  11 ; a movable iron piece  22  that revolves based on excitation and degaussing of the electromagnet unit  21 ; a movable contact piece  23  that is bent (swaged) and fixed to the movable iron piece  22  and revolves integrally with the movable iron piece  22 ; and a normally-closed fixed contact  24   a  and a normally-open fixed contact  25   a  which a movable contact  23   a , provided on a free end of the movable contact piece  23 , alternately comes into contact with and is separated from. The normally-closed fixed contact  24   a  and the normally-open fixed contact  25   a  are respectively bent (swaged) and fixed to a normally-closed fixed contact terminal  24  and a normally-open fixed contact terminal  25  each provided upright on the base  11 . Further, a terminal part  23   b  of the movable contact piece  23  is pressed and fixed into the base  11 , and terminal parts  24   b ,  25   b  of the normally-closed fixed contact terminal  24  and normally-open fixed contact terminal  25  are each pressed and fixed into the base  11 . 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 1D , the pair of cases  12 ,  12  is unified in such a manner that the facing outer surfaces thereof are connected to each other by the pair of disconnectable connectors  14 . The connectors  14  are inclined so as to be line-symmetric, and one ends  14   a  thereof are bent outward. 
         [0037]    That is, each of the connectors  14  is inclined in a direction in which a distance increases from one end toward the other end with respect to a symmetric axis. Further, the one end  14   a  which is formed from a bend portion  14   b  provided in the middle of each connector  14  toward the other end is inclined with a wider inclination angle. 
         [0038]    This is aimed to facilitate manufacturing and molding of a mold and is also aimed to make a blade of a cutter (not shown) uniformly worn out in cutting operation after the molding. In particular, bending of the one end  14   a  of the connector  14  with a wider inclination angle from the bend portion  14   b  is aimed to enhance the mechanical strength, thereby preventing damage to be caused at the time of chucking with a chucking machine (not shown). 
         [0039]    The blade of the cutter is moved along the foregoing symmetric axis in the cutting operation. Each connector  14  at this time may be disposed in a direction in which the distance from the symmetric axis increases, or may conversely be disposed in a direction in which the distance from the symmetric axis decreases. 
         [0040]    In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , after placement of the pair of cases  12 ,  12  in a guide groove  31  of a wide transfer rail  30 , the electromagnetic relay body  20  mounted to the base  11  is incorporated in the case  12 . Subsequently, a sealing material is poured into the base  11  and solidified for resin sealing. The operation of assembling the electronic device  10  as a bipolar electromagnetic relay is thus completed. 
         [0041]    If a bipolar electromagnetic relay is required, the electronic device  10  may be used as one electromagnetic relay as it is ( FIG. 1C ). If a unipolar electromagnetic relay is required, the electronic device  10  may be used as a unipolar electromagnetic relay  15 , by cutting the pair of connectors  14  with a cutter ( FIG. 1D ). 
         [0042]    The electronic device according to the present embodiment is not restricted to the foregoing embodiment. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , each of the facing surfaces of the housings  13  may be provided with a laterally-long linear connector  14  (second embodiment) or may be provided with longitudinally-long linear connectors  14 ,  14  (third embodiment). 
         [0043]    Further, in the electronic device according to the present embodiment, for example, as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , each of the facing surfaces of the housings  13  may be provided with two laterally-long linear connectors  14  (fourth embodiment), or may be provided with two longitudinally-long linear connectors  14 ,  14  (fifth embodiment). 
         [0044]    Moreover, in the electronic device according to the present embodiment, for example, as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , each of the facing surfaces of the housings  13  may be provided with one connector  14  having a circular cross section (sixth embodiment) or may be provided with a pair of connectors  14 ,  14  each having the same cross section (seventh embodiment). 
         [0045]    Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , each of the facing surfaces of the housings  13  may be provided with one connector  14  having a quadrilateral cross section (eighth embodiment) or may be provided with a pair of connectors  14 ,  14  each having the same quadrilateral cross section (ninth embodiment). 
         [0046]    As a matter of course, the connectors according to the foregoing embodiments may be appropriately combined as needed. For example, the connector with the quadrilateral cross section and the linear connector may be provided on the outer surface of the same one housing. 
         [0047]    Further, two housings with respect to one electronic device is not restrictive, but three or four housings may be applied to one electronic device. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0048]    As a matter of course, the electronic device according to the present invention is not restricted to the foregoing electromagnetic relays, but is also applicable to other electronic devices such as a switch and a sensor. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 10:  
                 electronic device 
               
               
                   
                 11: 
                 base 
               
               
                   
                 12:  
                 case 
               
               
                   
                 13:  
                 housing 
               
               
                   
                 14:  
                 connector 
               
               
                   
                 14a: 
                 one end 
               
               
                   
                 14b: 
                 bend portion 
               
               
                   
                 15:  
                 electromagnet relay 
               
               
                   
                 20: 
                 electromagnet relay body