Patent ID: 7046107

Claim:
A contact device comprising: fixed terminals respectively provided with fixed contacts; a movable plate carrying movable contacts each making a contacting engagement with each one of said fixed contacts; a drive mechanism which drives said movable plate to make the contacting engagement of said movable contacts with said fixed contacts; a housing which accommodates therein said fixed contacts, said movable plate, and said drive mechanism; wherein said movable plate being a Z-shape having a contact member carrying said movable contacts, a leg upstanding from said contact member, and a supporting member which is coupled at its one end to said leg and is fixed at the other end to said drive mechanism, said movable contacts being given a first force by said drive mechanism along a direction for bringing said movable contacts into contact with said fixed contacts and given a second force by deformation of said supporting member resulted from an overtravel of the movable plate through said leg, said fixed contacts and said movable contacts being arranged such that a resultant force of said first force and second force acts in a direction normal to a contact surface defined between said fixed contacts and said movable contacts.