MOTOR START RELAY WITH EASE OF ASSEMBLY AND REDUCED COSTS, AND ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR USING SAME

摘要

PURPOSE: A motor start relay and an electric compressor are provided to allow for ease of assembly and reduce costs by eliminating the necessity of using a special tool for assembly. CONSTITUTION: A motor start relay(100) comprises a housing(200), a cover(300), a disk type positive temperature coefficient of resistivity(PTC) thermistor, a PTC case(400), a lip portion, the first terminal/contact member(500), and the second terminal/contact member(560). The housing is made of an electrically insulative material, and has a bottom wall and side walls extended upward from the bottom wall so as to define a chamber. The cover is received on the side walls so as to close the chamber. The PTC thermistor has opposed planar surfaces, and an electrode layer formed on the planar surfaces. The PTC case is made of an electrically insulative material and accommodated in the housing. The PTC case has a top surface and a bottom surface, and a PTC thermistor accommodating opening formed at the top surface. The opening has a first portion aligned with the bottom surface of the PTC case, and the second portion extending through the PTC case. The lip portion is extended from the top surface to the first portion of the opening such that the lip portion is superimposed with the outer periphery of the PTC thermistor. The first terminal/contact member has a first spring contact portion disposed under the PTC thermistor, and is mounted on the housing. The second terminal/contact member has the second spring contact portion arranged above the PTC thermistor, and is mounted on the housing.