Snap action relay having separate arcing and contact contacts

Abstract

The application discloses a click type relay with separated arc burning contacts and contact contacts, comprising a group of arc burning contacts and a group of contact contacts arranged in parallel, and a contact opening and closing driving mechanism for driving the group of arc burning contacts to be closed first and then be disconnected from the group of contact contacts. The arc burning contacts arranged to be closed first and then disconnected can bear the arc burning energy generated when being closed or disconnected, and the contact contacts will not be ablated and damaged due to being closed later and disconnected first, so that the contact contacts are effectively protected. The contact contacts in the application can use materials with small contact resistance, and the ablation resistance is not considered, so that the loop resistance is small and the temperature rise is low. The arc burning contacts can use ablation resistant materials, and the contact resistance is slightly larger than that of the contact contacts, but the ablation resistance is high, so that the application can further optimize the product performance and ensure the stability of the product performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a relay, and more particularly to a snap-action relay having a separate arcing contact and a contact contact. Background Technology

[0002] As an electrical control device, relays play a role in automatic adjustment, safety protection, and circuit switching in circuits, and are widely used in electrical fields such as communications, automobiles, automatic control, and home appliances.

[0003] As a common type of relay, the snap-action relay is characterized by its simple structure, compact size, and low power consumption, and is widely used in the power control of household appliances.

[0004] However, existing snap-action electromagnetic relays generally use a pair of contacts. When the relay disconnects, arcing between the contacts inevitably causes burning. Therefore, with increased use, the conductivity of the contacts gradually decreases, resulting in higher circuit resistance and increased temperature rise when the relay is engaged. Consequently, the product's performance cannot remain stable. In severe cases, it can even cause the product to burn out, affecting the use of the entire equipment and on-site safety. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the above-mentioned defects, the present invention provides a snap-action relay with separate arcing contacts and contact contacts. By utilizing the different contacts to function when the product is disconnected and when it is engaged, the circuit resistance when the product is engaged is not affected by the contact erosion when disconnected.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: a snap-action relay with separate arcing contacts and contact contacts, including a set of arcing contacts and a set of contact contacts arranged in parallel, and a contact opening and closing driving mechanism for driving the set of arcing contacts to first contact and close relative to the set of contact contacts and then separate and open.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the contact opening and closing driving mechanism includes a bracket, a coil assembly fixed on one side of the bracket, an armature with one end disposed outside one end face of the coil assembly and the other end bent in an L-shape towards the other side of the bracket, and a connecting member for connecting the other end of the armature to the moving contact of the arcing contact and the contact contact to be driven, and a return spring disposed between the armature and the bracket so that the armature has a return force opposite to that of the coil assembly; wherein the armature is rotatably connected to the bracket and forms a rotation fulcrum at the connection.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the coil assembly includes a coil frame, a coil bundle wound on the coil frame, and a magnetic conductor located at the axis of the coil frame.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the armature is provided with first spring hooks on both sides of the position between the rotation fulcrum and the L-shaped bend, and the bracket is provided with corresponding second spring hooks on both sides of the middle part. The two ends of the return spring are fixed on the first spring hooks and the second spring hooks respectively.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the connector includes a first transverse piece, a second transverse piece, and a first longitudinal piece whose two ends are respectively connected to the center positions of the first transverse piece and the second transverse piece. The two ends of the transverse piece extend perpendicularly toward the direction of the second transverse piece to form a second longitudinal piece and a third longitudinal piece. The first transverse piece is fixedly connected to the armature. The second longitudinal piece and the third longitudinal piece are respectively connected to two moving contacts of a set of contact contacts. The two ends of the second transverse piece are respectively connected to two moving contacts of a set of arcing contacts.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the end of the bracket away from the armature extends vertically toward the other end face of the coil assembly, and the coil assembly is fixed on the bracket by the coil bracket.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the two moving contacts of the arcing contact are configured as an integral structure, and the two moving contacts of the contact contact are configured as an integral structure; one of the stationary contacts of the arcing contact and one of the stationary contacts of the contact contact are configured as an integral conductive structure, and the other stationary contact of the arcing contact and the other stationary contact of the contact contact are configured as an integral conductive structure.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the contact resistance of the contacting contact is less than that of the arcing contact.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By setting two sets of contact assemblies—one set of contact contacts and one set of arcing contacts—and using a contact driving mechanism, when the contact assemblies are closed, the arcing contact at the distal end closes first, followed by the contact contact at the proximal end; and when the contact assemblies are separated, the contact contact at the proximal end opens first, followed by the arcing contact at the distal end. The arcing contact, which closes first and opens later, can withstand the arcing energy generated during closing or opening, while the contact contacts, due to their later closing and earlier opening, are not subject to ablation and damage, thus effectively protecting the contact contacts. The contact contacts in this invention can use materials with low contact resistance, eliminating the need to consider ablation resistance, resulting in low circuit resistance and low temperature rise. The arcing contacts, on the other hand, can use ablation-resistant materials, which have slightly higher contact resistance than the contact contacts, but are more resistant to ablation. Therefore, this invention can further optimize product performance, ensure product stability, and reduce equipment usage risks. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the connector described in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the simultaneous disconnection of the contact contact and the arcing contact according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the arc-ignition contactor first closing the contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the simultaneous closed state of the arcing contact and the contact contact as described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the following explanations are provided:

[0022] 1. Arc contact; 2. Contact contact; 3. Contact opening and closing drive mechanism; 31. Support; 311. Second spring hook; 32. Coil assembly; 321. Magnetic conductor; 322. Coil support; 33. Armature; 331. Rotation fulcrum; 332. First spring hook; 34. Connector; 341. First transverse piece; 342. Second transverse piece; 343. First longitudinal piece; 344. Second longitudinal piece; 345. Third longitudinal piece. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] See Figure 1-6 The present invention provides a snap-action relay with separate arcing contacts and contact contacts, comprising a set of arcing contacts 1 and a set of contact contacts 2 arranged in parallel, and a contact opening and closing drive mechanism 3 for driving the set of arcing contacts to first make contact with and then separate from the set of contact contacts. The following describes the details in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0025] First, refer to Figure 1-3 This invention provides two sets of contact assemblies: an arc-ignition contact 1 and a set of contact contacts 2. The arc-ignition contact 1 includes two stationary arc-ignition contacts 12 and two moving arc-ignition contacts 11, each positioned above one of the stationary contacts 12. The two moving arc-ignition contacts 11 are integrally formed and electrically connected. During opening and closing, the two moving arc-ignition contacts and their corresponding stationary arc-ignition contacts 11 are simultaneously opened and closed by driving them to achieve the arc-ignition function. The set of contact contacts 2 includes two stationary contact contacts 21 and two moving contact contacts 22, each positioned above one of the stationary contact contacts. The two moving contact contacts 22 are integrally formed and electrically connected. During opening and closing, the two moving contact contacts and their corresponding stationary contact contacts 21 are simultaneously opened and closed by driving them to achieve the contact function.

[0026] To simplify the structure and better facilitate the parallel connection of the arcing contact and the contacting contact, one of the arcing stationary contacts of the arcing contact and one of the contacting stationary contacts of the contacting contact are configured as an integrated conductive structure. In practical implementation, this integrated conductive structure can be achieved by placing the two stationary contacts on the same stationary terminal. Similarly, the other arcing stationary contact of the arcing contact and the other contacting stationary contact of the contacting contact are configured as an integrated conductive structure. In practical implementation, the two stationary contacts of the arcing contact and the contacting contact can also be placed on a different stationary terminal.

[0027] Secondly, see Figure 2 This invention relates to a specific structure of the contact opening and closing drive mechanism 3, but is not limited thereto. The contact opening and closing drive mechanism 3 includes a bracket 31, a coil assembly 32 fixed on one side of the bracket 31, an armature 33 with one end disposed outside one end face of the coil assembly and the other end bent in an L-shape towards the other side of the bracket, and a connector 34 for connecting the other end of the armature to the moving contact of the arcing contact to be driven and the contact contact, and a return spring disposed between the armature 33 and the bracket 31 so that the armature 33 has a return force opposite to the attraction force of the coil assembly 32.

[0028] The bracket 31 extends vertically from the end away from the armature 33 towards the other end face of the coil assembly 32, and the coil assembly 32 is fixed to the bracket 31 by the coil bracket. The armature 33 is rotatably connected to the bracket 31, forming a pivot point 331 at the connection. The coil assembly includes a coil frame, a coil bundle wound on the coil frame, and a magnetic conductor 321 located at the axis of the coil frame. The armature 33 has first spring hooks 332 on both sides between the pivot point 331 and its L-shaped bend, and the bracket 31 has corresponding second spring hooks 311 on both sides of the middle part. The two ends of the return spring are fixed to the first spring hooks 332 and the second spring hooks 311 respectively (not shown in the figure).

[0029] See again Figure 3 The connector 34 includes a first transverse piece 341, a second transverse piece 342, and a first longitudinal piece 343 whose two ends are respectively connected to the center positions of the first transverse piece and the second transverse piece. The two ends of the transverse piece 341 extend vertically toward the direction of the second transverse piece 342 to form a second longitudinal piece 344 and a third longitudinal piece 345. The first transverse piece 341 is fixedly connected to the armature. The second longitudinal piece 344 and the third longitudinal piece 345 are respectively connected to two moving contacts of a set of contact contacts. The two ends of the second transverse piece 342 are respectively connected to two moving contacts of a set of arcing contacts, so that the connector connects the two moving contacts of the contact contacts and the two moving contacts of the arcing contacts into a single structure. Instead of directly connecting through a sheet-like structure, the load-bearing capacity of the connector on the far-end arcing contact can be reduced. This allows the arcing contact and the contacting contact to open and close sequentially when the contact opening and closing drive mechanism 3 drives them, meaning there is a delay between them. This better achieves the goal of the present invention that the arcing contact closes relative to the contacting contact first and then separates during the opening and closing drive.

[0030] Additionally, it should be noted that the two moving arc contacts of the arc contact and the two moving contact contacts of the contact contact described in this invention can be electrically connected as needed. That is, the two moving arc contacts of the arc contact and the two moving contact contacts of the contact contact can be electrically connected or not connected.

[0031] See Figure 4This is the state in which the two sets of contact assemblies of the snap-action relay of the present invention are simultaneously separated and disconnected. That is, at this time, the coil in the coil assembly 32 is de-energized, and the armature 33 is subjected to the action of return springs on both sides of the other end (i.e. the lower end in the figure), so that the two moving contacts 21 of the contact contact and the two arcing moving contacts 11 of the arcing contact are respectively in the space above the four corresponding stationary contacts (two stationary contacts 22 and two arcing stationary contacts 12), thus being in a state of separation and disconnection from the moving contacts and stationary contacts.

[0032] When the present invention is in operation, the contact opening and closing drive mechanism 3 is activated, that is, the coil assembly 32 is energized to generate a magnetic field, the magnetic conductor 321 is magnetized to generate a magnetic force, which acts on the armature 33. Since the middle part of the armature 33 is rotatably connected to the support 31, the magnetic force of the magnetic conductor 31 on the coil will drive the armature 33 to the end that is close to it. Figure 4 The upper end of the armature 33 is brought closer, which will cause the armature 33 to rotate around the pivot point of its rotation with the support 31 (rotating clockwise in the figure). This will cause the two pairs of contact points of the arc-ignition assembly at the far end (the two pairs of moving arc-ignition contacts and the stationary arc-ignition contacts) to close first. See reference. Figure 5 As magnet 33 rotates, the two sets of contact points (moving contact and stationary contact) of the contact assembly located at the near end close. (See reference...) Figure 6 The first contact point to come into contact with the arc will bear the arc energy, thus protecting the subsequent contacts from ablation and damage.

[0033] Similarly, when the contact assembly is disconnected, the coil in the coil assembly is de-energized, the magnetic conductor 31 loses its magnetic force, and the armature 33 rotates counterclockwise due to the force of the return spring. The contact at the near end separates first (i.e., the moving contact separates from the stationary contact), and the arcing contact at the far end separates later (i.e., the moving arcing contact separates from the stationary arcing contact). The arcing contact that separates later will bear the arcing energy of the electric arc, while the contact will not be ablated or damaged.

[0034] It should be noted that the above-mentioned contact opening and closing drive mechanism 3 is not limited to a specific structural form of the structure disclosed in this invention. As long as the drive mechanism can realize the first contact and then separation of the arcing contacts, it can realize the above-mentioned function of this invention. Therefore, this invention does not limit the specific structure of the opening and closing drive mechanism.

[0035] Therefore, this invention, by setting two sets of parallel contact assemblies—one set of regular contacts and one set of arcing contacts—and using a contact driving mechanism, ensures that when the contact assembly closes, the arcing contact at the distal end closes first, followed by the regular contact at the proximal end; and when the contact assembly separates, the regular contact at the proximal end opens first, followed by the arcing contact at the distal end. The arcing contact, closing first and opening later, can withstand the arcing energy generated during closing or opening, while the regular contacts, due to their later closing and earlier opening, are not subject to ablation or damage, thus effectively protecting the regular contacts. The regular contacts in this invention can use materials with low contact resistance, eliminating the need to consider ablation resistance, resulting in low circuit resistance and low temperature rise. The arcing contacts, on the other hand, can use ablation-resistant materials, resulting in slightly higher contact resistance but greater ablation resistance. Thus, this invention can further optimize product performance, ensure product stability, and reduce equipment usage risks.

[0036] Many specific details have been set forth in the foregoing description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed above. Furthermore, any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments, using the methods and techniques disclosed above, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the content of the present invention, shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A snap-action relay having a separate arcing contact and a contacting contact, characterized in that: It includes a set of arc contacts (1) and a set of contact contacts (2) arranged in parallel, and a contact opening and closing drive mechanism (3) for driving the set of arc contacts to first contact and close relative to the set of contact contacts and then separate and open. The contact opening and closing drive mechanism includes a bracket (31), a coil assembly (32) fixed on one side of the bracket (31), an armature (33) with one end disposed outside one end face of the coil assembly and the other end bent in an L-shape towards the other side of the bracket, and a connector (34) for connecting the other end of the armature to the moving contact of the arcing contact and the contact contact to be driven, and a return spring disposed between the armature (33) and the bracket (31) so that the armature (33) has a return force opposite to that of the coil assembly (32); wherein the armature (33) is rotatably connected to the bracket (31) and forms a rotation fulcrum (331) at the connection. The connector (34) includes a first transverse piece (341), a second transverse piece (342), and a first longitudinal piece (343) with its two ends connected to the center positions of the first transverse piece and the second transverse piece, respectively. The two ends of the first transverse piece (341) extend vertically toward the direction of the second transverse piece (342) to form a second longitudinal piece (344) and a third longitudinal piece (345), respectively. The first transverse piece (341) is fixedly connected to the armature. The second longitudinal piece (344) and the third longitudinal piece (345) are respectively connected to two moving contacts of a set of contact contacts. The two ends of the second transverse piece (342) are respectively connected to two moving contacts of a set of arc contacts.

2. The snap-action relay with a separate arcing contact and a contact contact according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coil assembly includes a coil frame, a coil bundle wound on the coil frame, and a magnetic conductor (321) located at the axis of the coil frame.

3. The snap-action relay with a separate arcing contact and a contact contact according to claim 1, characterized in that: The armature (33) is provided with first spring hooks (332) on both sides between the rotation fulcrum (331) and its L-shaped bend, and the bracket (31) is provided with corresponding second spring hooks (311) on both sides of the middle part. The two ends of the return spring are fixed on the first spring hooks (332) and the second spring hooks (311) respectively.

4. The snap-action relay with a separate arcing contact and a contact contact according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket extends vertically from one end away from the armature toward the other end face of the coil assembly, and the coil assembly is fixed on the bracket (31) by the coil bracket (322).

5. The snap-action relay having a separate arcing contact and a contacting contact according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The two moving contacts of the arc-ignition contact are configured as a single unit, and the two moving contacts of the contact contact are configured as a single unit; one stationary contact of the arc-ignition contact and one stationary contact of the contact contact are configured as a single conductive unit, and the other stationary contact of the arc-ignition contact and the other stationary contact of the contact contact are configured as a single conductive unit.

6. The snap-action relay with a separate arcing contact and a contact contact according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact resistance of the contacting contact is less than that of the arcing contact.

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