Patent ID: 8436701

Claim:
An electromechanical relay comprising: a multi-layered printed circuit board; an electrically conductive terminal formed through the multi-layered printed circuit board; one or more electrically conductive contacts; and one or more magnetic actuators respectively associated with the one or more electrically conductive contacts and each actuator comprising (i) a magnetic core formed within at least one via extending through one or more layers of the multi-layered printed circuit hoard, and (ii) an electrical coil disposed around the magnetic core and formed from one or more patterned metallic layers of the multi-layered printed circuit board; wherein activation of the one or more actuators causes electrical contact between the terminal and an associated one of the one or more electrically conductive contacts, and wherein at least one of the magnetic cores comprises: a first magnetic conductor within a first via: a second magnetic conductor within a second via; and a third magnetic conductor physically connected to top portions of the first and second magnetic conductors, and wherein bottom portions of the first and second magnetic conductors are connected to a bottom metal layer of the multi-layered printed circuit board, wherein the first magnetic conductor the second magnetic conductor, the third magnetic conductor, and the bottom metal layer form a closed magnetic loop, and wherein the bottom metal layer of the multi-layered printed circuit board provides a return path for the one or more electrically conductive contacts.