Relay with high reliability

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of relays, and discloses a high-reliability relay, which comprises a dynamic arcing contact and a dynamic current-carrying contact which are separated by a middle notch and can independently and elastically move, a pushing piece step structure for controlling the opening and closing time sequence of the two contacts, and an arc chute. According to the scheme, the height difference generated by ablation is adaptively compensated through the independent movement capability of the contact, the contact reliability of the contact in long-term use is ensured, and the electrical life and the working stability of the relay are remarkably improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of relays, and particularly relates to a high-reliability relay. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a core electrical control device, relays are widely used in automatic control, power protection and communication equipment. The long-term working reliability, especially the stability of contact resistance, is directly related to the safety and performance of the entire circuit system.

[0003] To improve the current-carrying capacity and electrical life of the relay, the existing technology generally adopts a double-contact parallel structure to increase the contact area, and is equipped with an arc extinguishing grid and other devices to accelerate arc extinguishing. Further, some schemes design the double contacts as arc contact and current-carrying contact, and use different materials to meet the needs of arc ablation resistance and low resistance conduction. However, after long-term frequent on-off operation, the contacts that bear the arc extinguishing function will inevitably be ablated and worn, resulting in a gradual decrease in their physical height. The existing double-contact structure is mostly rigidly integrated or designed to move synchronously. When one group of contacts is shortened due to ablation, it will directly affect the effective contact pressure of the other group of contacts, and even cause poor contact. This makes the contact resistance of the relay increase and the temperature rise increase at the later stage of the life, and the working reliability significantly decreases, which cannot meet the increasingly stringent requirements of application scenarios on stability.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new relay structure that can adaptively compensate for contact ablation and ensure stable and reliable contact pressure throughout the life cycle. SUMMARY

[0005] The application aims to solve the technical problem that the existing relay has uneven contact pressure and increased contact resistance due to arc contact ablation after long-term use, thereby reducing reliability. Specifically, a relay scheme is provided that can automatically compensate after contact ablation and ensure stable and reliable contact throughout the electrical life.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the application provides a high-reliability relay, which comprises a base, a magnetic circuit assembly, an armature assembly, a moving contact assembly, a stationary contact assembly and a push piece.

[0007] The core improvement is: The moving contact assembly is divided into parallel moving arc contact and moving current-carrying contact by an intermediate notch, and the special structure of the intermediate notch enables the two contacts to independently perform elastic movement relative to each other. The push piece has a stepped structure and is precisely configured to realize the action timing of “moving arc contact closing first and then opening”. The relay is also provided with an arc extinguishing grid near the stationary arc contact.

[0008] Key synergistic mechanism: The aforementioned "independently elastically movable" moving contact structure, together with the "make-before-break" timing control and the arc-extinguishing grid, constitutes an adaptive compensation mechanism. Its working principle is as follows: when the moving and stationary arc-extinguishing contacts, responsible for arc extinguishing, shorten due to long-term ablation, the moving current-carrying contact can continue to move downwards under the action of the push plate, thanks to the independent degree of freedom provided by the intermediate slot. This ensures sufficient contact pressure between the moving contact and the stationary current-carrying contact, effectively compensating for the height difference caused by ablation and guaranteeing the long-term reliability of the electrical connection.

[0009] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this invention are as follows: (1) Adaptive compensation and high reliability at the end of life: Through the independent movement design of the contact points realized by the middle slot, after the arcing contact points are eroded and shortened, the current-carrying contact points can still move independently until reliable contact is made, automatically compensating for the height difference, which fundamentally solves the problem of uneven contact pressure and increased resistance at the end of life.

[0010] (2) Long electrical life: By forcibly realizing the timing of "arc contacts first close and then close" through the stepped structure of the push plate, the arc is always constrained to the arc contact pair with strong anti-ablation ability, and the arc extinguishing grid quickly extinguishes the arc, which greatly reduces the arc erosion of the current-carrying contacts, thereby extending the overall electrical life.

[0011] (3) Structural synergy and stable performance: The innovative combination of the above mechanical structure (independent moving contact arm, step push plate) and arc extinguishing function (arc extinguishing grid) forms a dual guarantee mechanism of "reducing ablation" and "compensating for ablation", ensuring that the contact resistance and temperature rise performance of the relay remain stable throughout the entire life cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein: Figure 1 An exploded view of the overall structure of the high-reliability relay provided by this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the moving contact assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the static contact assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the push plate provided by the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of section A; Figure 6 A top view of the high-reliability relay provided by the present invention after removing the top cover; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of section B; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic deceleration device provided by the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of the high-reliability relay provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0014] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the invention can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0015] Please see Figures 1 to 9 This embodiment provides a highly reliable relay.

[0016] like Figure 1 As shown, the relay includes a base 1, a magnetic circuit assembly 2, an armature assembly 3, a moving contact assembly 4, a stationary contact assembly 5, a push plate 6, an arc-extinguishing grid 8, an elastic deceleration device 9, a fixing frame 10, and an auxiliary contact device 11.

[0017] The magnetic circuit assembly 2 and the armature assembly 3 constitute an electromagnetic drive system. When the coil is energized, the armature assembly 3 is attracted and rotates, thereby driving the push plate 6, which is hinged or linked to it, to perform linear or curvilinear motion. The fixing frame 10 is used to reliably constrain the armature assembly 3 on the base 1.

[0018] See also Figure 2As shown, the core component of the moving contact assembly 4 is the moving spring 41. This moving spring 41 is formed by a stamping process, creating a through-hole central slot 410. This slot 410 divides the effective portion of the moving spring 41 into two independently movable elastic arms. At the end of each arm, a moving arc contact 42 and a moving current-carrying contact 43 are fixed, respectively. The width and length of the central slot 410 are carefully designed, and its core function is to ensure that the two contact arms (i.e., the arm containing the moving arc contact 42 and the arm containing the moving current-carrying contact 43) can produce small, independent elastic deformation and movement relative to each other, rather than being completely rigidly integrated.

[0019] The moving spring 41 shown may preferably be provided with a U-shaped bend 411 in the middle. This structure acts as an elastic hinge, which helps to reduce the reaction force of the moving spring 41 when it breaks, thereby speeding up the breaking speed.

[0020] The width and length of the intermediate slot 410 are crucial for ensuring independent elastic movement. Preferably, its width is between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. This design allows the two contact arms to generate a relative displacement on the order of micrometers to tens of micrometers when acted upon by the push plate 6, thereby providing the necessary mechanical degrees of freedom to compensate for contact erosion, achieving stable and reliable contact closure, and thus improving the stability and reliability of the relay.

[0021] Please refer to further information. Figure 3 As shown, the stationary contact assembly 5 is fixedly mounted on the base 1. It includes a stationary arcing contact 51 corresponding to the position of the dynamic arcing contact 42, and a stationary current-carrying contact 52 corresponding to the position of the dynamic current-carrying contact 43. To optimize functionality, the stationary arcing contact 51 and its paired dynamic arcing contact 42 can be made of materials with better arc erosion resistance; while the stationary current-carrying contact 52 and its paired dynamic current-carrying contact 43 can be made of materials with higher conductivity and lower resistivity. This specialization in materials aims to optimize arc tolerance and long-term current-carrying stability, respectively.

[0022] See also Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the end of the pusher piece 6 acting on the moving contact assembly 4 is constructed as a stepped structure. In this embodiment, the stepped structure specifically includes a higher breaking step 61 and a lower closing step 62. This structure is the mechanical key to realizing the "arc contact first closes then breaks" action sequence.

[0023] Closing process: When the pusher plate 6 is driven forward (towards the stationary contact) by the armature, the lower closing step 62 first contacts the arm where the dynamic arc contact 42 is located, pushing it to close with the stationary arc contact 51 first. Subsequently, the pusher plate 6 continues to advance a short distance before the higher breaking step 61 pushes the arm where the dynamic current-carrying contact 43 is located, causing it to close with the stationary current-carrying contact 52.

[0024] Disconnection process: When the pusher plate 6 moves backward (away from the stationary contact), the arm containing the moving current-carrying contact 43 first contacts the higher part of the breaking step 61, thus achieving the initial disconnection of the current-carrying contact. As the pusher plate 6 continues to move backward, the arm containing the moving arc-ignition contact 42 then contacts the pusher plate 6, achieving the subsequent disconnection of the arc-ignition contact.

[0025] With this design, the electric arc generated during the switching process is forcibly guided between the dynamic and static arcing contacts (42, 51) that are specifically optimized for this purpose.

[0026] It should be further explained that the height difference H between the breaking step 61 and the closing step 62 is designed to match the stroke of the dynamic arcing contact 42 and the dynamic current-carrying contact 43. Preferably, this height difference H is configured such that during the closing and opening process, the stroke of the push plate corresponding to the time difference between the action of the dynamic arcing contact 42 and the dynamic current-carrying contact (43) is within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. This timing control ensures that the arc is reliably guided to the arcing contact pair.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 9 As shown, the arc-extinguishing grid 8 is composed of multiple mutually insulated metal grid plates and is disposed near the static arc contact 51. When the arc contact breaks and generates an arc, the arc is quickly drawn into the grid plates of the arc-extinguishing grid 8, where it is divided, cooled, and extinguished rapidly, greatly reducing the erosion of the contact by the arc energy.

[0028] The core of this invention's improved long-term reliability lies in the synergistic effect of the aforementioned structures. The independent movement capability provided by the intermediate slot 410 is the physical basis of this mechanism. Assuming that after long-term use, the overall contact position of the moving arc contact 42 and the stationary arc contact 51 becomes "lower" due to arc erosion (i.e., the distance between the contact surfaces of the moving and stationary contacts increases compared to the initial state). In the subsequent closing action, when the pusher plate 6 pushes the moving contact assembly 4, due to the presence of the intermediate slot 410, the arm containing the moving arc contact 42 will first contact and continue to move until the entire closing action is completed (because its stroke is shortened). At this time, the arm containing the moving current-carrying contact 43 can still move forward (in the direction where the moving and stationary contacts approach each other) under the continued pushing of the pusher plate 6, relying on its own independent elasticity, until the moving current-carrying contact 43 and the stationary current-carrying contact 52 also reach a stable contact pressure.

[0029] This process automatically compensates for the height loss caused by the erosion of the arcing contacts, ensuring that the two sets of parallel contacts can maintain reliable electrical contact even in the later stages of their lifespan, thereby maintaining low and stable contact resistance. The stepped structure ensures that the arc is always borne by the arcing contacts, protecting the current-carrying contacts; while the arc-extinguishing grid 8 quickly extinguishes the arc, slowing down the erosion process. These three elements work together to ensure the long-term reliability of the relay from both the perspectives of "reducing erosion" and "compensating for erosion."

[0030] Finally, as Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the elastic deceleration device 9 is a stamped spring sheet. This spring sheet is fixed to the base 1 or a corresponding bracket via a positioning protrusion 91. The design of the positioning protrusion 91 makes it easy to form the plastic parts that mate with it in the injection mold, avoiding deep and narrow groove structures. It also plays a role in rapid positioning during actual assembly, improving production efficiency and assembly consistency. The elastic portion 92 of the spring sheet is located on the movement path of the push plate 6's tail. At the end of the closing action, the tail of the push plate 6 contacts and compresses the elastic portion 92, absorbing the remaining kinetic energy through elastic buffering, effectively reducing the impact bounce when the contact closes, further reducing the closing arc and improving mechanical life.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the auxiliary contact device 11 is linked with the armature assembly 3 or the pusher piece 6. When the main contact (moving and stationary contact assembly) is activated, the auxiliary contact device 11 synchronously switches states, providing real-time feedback signals of relay "on" or "off" to the external control system, thus meeting the needs of intelligent monitoring.

[0032] The working principle of the high-reliability relay provided by this invention is as follows: When the coil is switched on with a closed voltage, the magnetic circuit assembly 2 drives the armature assembly 3 to rotate, which in turn moves the pusher plate 6. The pusher plate 6 sequentially closes the moving arc-carrying contact 42 and the moving current-carrying contact 43, with the closing phase buffered by the elastic deceleration device 9. When the coil is switched on with a closed voltage, the armature assembly 3 releases, the pusher plate 6 retracts, and sequentially opens the moving current-carrying contact 43 and the moving arc-carrying contact 42. An arc is generated between the arc-carrying contacts and extinguished by the arc-extinguishing grid 8. Throughout its lifespan, the intermediate slot 410 structure continuously provides adaptive compensation for contact erosion.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0034] Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and systems in the embodiments of the present invention is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but also includes performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-reliability relay, comprising a base (1), a magnetic circuit assembly (2), an armature assembly (3), a moving contact assembly (4), a stationary contact assembly (5), and a pusher plate (6), characterized in that: The moving contact assembly (4) includes a moving arc contact (42) and a moving current contact (43) separated and connected in parallel by a central slot (410), the central slot (410) being configured to allow the moving arc contact (42) and the moving current contact (43) to move elastically relative to each other independently; The stationary contact assembly (5) includes a stationary arc contact (51) corresponding to the dynamic arc contact (42) and a stationary current-carrying contact (52) corresponding to the dynamic current-carrying contact (43). The push plate (6) has a stepped structure and is configured such that the dynamic arc contact (42) closes with the corresponding stationary contact before the dynamic current-carrying contact (43) and then opens with the corresponding stationary contact after the dynamic current-carrying contact (43). The relay also includes an arc-extinguishing grid (8) disposed near the static arc contact (51). The independent elastic movement capability provided by the intermediate slot (410) works in conjunction with the stepped structure and the arc-extinguishing grid (8) to ensure reliable contact between the corresponding moving and stationary contacts even when the height of one of the contacts is reduced due to ablation, thereby improving the reliability of the relay in long-term use.

2. The high-reliability relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moving spring (41) of the moving contact assembly (4) has a U-shaped bend (411).

3. The high-reliability relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an elastic deceleration device (9), which is disposed on the tail movement path of the push plate (6) and is used to provide a buffer at the end of the closing of the moving contact assembly (4).

4. The high-reliability relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an auxiliary contact device (11), which is linked with the armature assembly (3) or the push plate (6) to detect and provide feedback on the working status of the relay.

5. The high-reliability relay according to claim 3, characterized in that, The elastic deceleration device (9) is a spring sheet with a positioning protrusion (91) stamped on it. The positioning protrusion (91) is configured to cooperate with the plastic parts of the relay to avoid the narrow groove problem in injection molding and facilitate assembly positioning.

6. The high-reliability relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc-extinguishing grid (8) is composed of multiple mutually insulated metal grid sheets.

7. The high-reliability relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stepped structure on the push plate (6) includes a higher split step (61) and a lower closed step (62).

Images