Relay

Abstract

The invention provides a relay, which comprises a shell, a pushing piece, at least two groups of contact assemblies and a driving part, the pushing part is suitable for moving in the first direction relative to the shell. Each group of contact assemblies comprises a movable contact assembly and a static contact piece; the at least one movable contact assembly supports the pushing piece in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and is in limiting fit with the pushing piece in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the third direction; the driving part is arranged on the shell, and the driving part is matched with one end of the pushing piece in the first direction and used for pushing the pushing piece to move in the first direction so as to drive the movable contact assemblies to be connected or disconnected with the corresponding static contact pieces.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a relay. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the prior art of relays, some designs adopt long pusher design, i.e. the pusher is matched with the magnetic circuit part at one end of the pusher. For example, in a single-layer three-phase relay, the magnetic circuit part is usually arranged in the middle of the contact part, so that the forces on both sides of the pusher are balanced, making the push-pull more stable, but the distance between the contacts in the contact part is lengthened, making it difficult to match the pin with the pin position of the customer's PCB board, and an external connecting piece or special design of the pin is needed to overcome this problem, which is inconvenient to connect and has large copper consumption. In some prior art of three-phase relays, the magnetic circuit part is arranged on one side of the contact part. The long pusher has the problem of cracking deformation during injection molding, and the reliability and stability during movement are poor. SUMMARY

[0003] One of the main purposes of the present disclosure is to overcome at least one of the defects of the prior art, and to provide a relay with balanced contact pressure, low energy consumption and good system stability.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a relay is provided, comprising a housing, a pusher, at least two groups of contact assemblies, and a driving part; the pusher is adapted to move in a first direction relative to the housing; each group of contact assemblies comprises a moving contact assembly and a stationary contact; at least one moving contact assembly supports the pusher in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction, and limits the cooperation with the pusher in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to the third direction; the driving part is arranged in the housing, and the driving part is matched with one end of the pusher in the first direction, for pushing the pusher to move in the first direction, to drive each moving contact assembly to close or open the corresponding stationary contact.

[0005] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the driving part comprises a magnetic circuit part, and the magnetic circuit part comprises a coil assembly and a magnetic rotating member; the magnetic rotating member is rotatably arranged in the housing and matched with one end of the pusher in the first direction, and the magnetic rotating member is adapted to accept the magnetic force of the coil assembly in a preset swing range back and forth when the coil assembly is supplied with forward and reverse pulse voltages, and to push the pusher to move.

[0006] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the axis of the coil assembly extends along the first direction; the magnetic rotating member has a driving end portion located on a side away from the coil assembly along the second direction, and the driving end portion is used to push the pushing member to move along the first direction.

[0007] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the pushing member is provided with a matching hole matched with the magnetic rotating member; when the magnetic rotating member rotates to two limit positions, two side walls of the matching hole along the first direction respectively have abutting positions matched with the magnetic rotating member, and the two abutting positions are symmetrically arranged about a reference plane passing through the rotation axis of the magnetic rotating member and parallel to the second direction.

[0008] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the pushing member comprises a body portion and a first end portion connected to an end of the body portion along the first direction; along the third direction, at least one side edge of the first end portion is beyond a same side edge of the body portion and is connected with a reinforcing rib.

[0009] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the magnetic rotating member has a driving end portion matched with the matching hole; wherein: the driving end portion and the side wall of the matching hole are in point contact or line contact; and / or, at least one end of the driving end portion along the third direction has a gap with the corresponding side wall of the matching hole along the third direction.

[0010] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, both ends of the driving end portion along the third direction have gaps with the two side walls of the matching hole along the third direction; at least two dynamic contact assemblies support the pushing member along the third direction.

[0011] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the pushing member is provided with at least two clamping groove groups corresponding to the dynamic contact assemblies respectively along the first direction, each of the clamping groove groups comprises two clamping grooves arranged along the third direction, and the clamping grooves penetrate the pushing member along the second direction; the dynamic contact assembly has two first abutting end portions respectively extending into the two clamping grooves to support the pushing member along the third direction.

[0012] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the relay is a three-phase relay; wherein, the pushing member is provided with three clamping groove groups, the relay comprises three contact assemblies, and the three contact assemblies are located on the same side of the driving portion along the first direction.

[0013] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one of the card slots is provided with a reinforcing connecting arm on a side away from another card slot in the third direction, and two ends of the reinforcing connecting arm are connected to two sides of the opening of the corresponding card slot, respectively.

[0014] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one of the card slots comprises a first part and a second part, and the second part is connected to the end of the first part away from the second card slot; wherein the second part is recessed relative to the same side slot wall of the first part at least on the side slot wall for abutting the movable contact assembly.

[0015] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the card slot provided with the reinforcing connecting arm comprises a first part and a second part; in the first direction, the size of the first part is equal to the size of another card slot, and the size of the second part is greater than the size of the first part.

[0016] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, in each of the card slot groups, two card slots are respectively provided with the reinforcing connecting arm; in the third direction, the sizes of the two first parts are equal; or in each of the card slot groups, one card slot is provided with the reinforcing connecting arm; in the third direction, the size of the first slot part is equal to the size of another card slot.

[0017] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, in the third direction, the size of the first slot part is greater than or equal to one half of the size of the first abutting end.

[0018] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one of the movable contact assemblies has two limiting parts spaced apart in the second direction; the two limiting parts are located on two sides of the pusher in the second direction, so as to limit the movement range of the pusher in the second direction.

[0019] According to one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the movable contact assemblies comprises a movable contact piece and a compression spring; the movable contact piece can be closed or disconnected with the stationary contact piece; the compression spring is used to provide a contact pressure of the movable contact piece towards the stationary contact piece based on deformation when the movable contact piece is closed with the stationary contact piece; and the two limiting parts are provided on the compression spring.

[0020] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the compression spring is connected to the moving contact member at its center along the second direction, and the compression spring has a contact portion on one side of the center along the second direction; two limiting portions are disposed on the side of the contact portion away from the center; the compression spring has a damping portion on the other side of the center along the second direction; the damping portion extends obliquely from the center away from the pusher member along the second direction and along the first direction away from the moving contact member, so as to be abutted upon during breakage and to provide a buffering force to the moving contact member.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the moving contact assembly has a limiting portion on one side of the pusher and at least two limiting portions on the other side of the pusher (200), the at least two limiting portions being arranged at intervals along the third direction.

[0022] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the pusher has a rib on at least one side surface along the second direction.

[0023] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the protruding rib extends along a continuous zigzag path to form a triangular rib structure, the zigzag path extending entirely along the first direction.

[0024] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a groove is provided on the surface of the pusher perpendicular to the second direction; the protruding rib is provided at the bottom of the groove, and the end of the protruding rib away from the bottom of the groove is flush with the opening of the groove.

[0025] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the advantages and positive effects of the relay proposed in this disclosure are as follows: In existing solutions, the push card is slidably mounted on the housing or overlapped with the pins of the contact portion. However, because the magnetic circuit is located on one side of the contact portion, the overall length of the push card is very large. Furthermore, the radial friction between the armature assembly and the push card during its swing causes vertical swaying, which is amplified at the end of the push card furthest from the magnetic circuit, making it prone to jamming. If the push card is directly overlapped with the contact portion, the swaying amplitude is large, affecting the contact pressure of each phase. Specifically, the phase furthest from the magnetic circuit has lower contact pressure, resulting in excessive contact resistance, overheating, and reduced contact performance and contact lifespan. The relay proposed in this disclosure includes a push member, at least two sets of contact components, and a drive portion. The drive portion engages with one end of the push member, meaning the push member employs a long push structure design. Based on this, the moving contact component supports the push member along a third direction, and the moving contact component is limited to engage with the push member along a second direction perpendicular to both the first and third directions. Moreover, all contact components of the relay are located on the same side of the drive portion. Through the above design, this disclosure arranges all contact components on the same side of the drive section, allowing multiple sets of contact components to be spaced as needed, facilitating pin matching, reducing installation difficulty, and minimizing copper consumption. This disclosure utilizes the support of the moving contact component. Since the moving contact component supports the pusher in a third direction perpendicular to the bottom wall of the housing, the pusher can be suspended within the housing, preventing friction between the pusher and the housing in the third direction, thus reducing the probability of jamming. Furthermore, this disclosure utilizes the limiting cooperation between the moving contact component and the pusher to limit the displacement of the pusher in the second direction, ensuring smooth movement of the pusher and reducing sway. This solves the problems of terminal positions not meeting customer requirements, inconvenient connection, and high copper consumption, as well as the problems of easy jamming of the pusher, unbalanced phase contact parameters, inconsistent heating, and poor service life. It also avoids excessive stress on the armature of the coil assembly, which can easily deform or break. Moreover, this disclosure facilitates the implementation of strong and weak current isolation designs for customers. In addition, by setting up a reinforced connecting arm, the injection molding process of the pusher can be facilitated, improving the convenience of the process. At the same time, it can make the injection stress distribution in the process more uniform, avoiding the problem of injection stress concentration, preventing the pusher from deforming, warping or cracking in the above process, and ensuring the process effect. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The various objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are merely illustrative illustrations of the disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, the same reference numerals always denote the same or similar parts. Wherein: Figure 1This is a perspective view of a relay according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded three-dimensional view of the relay is shown. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top view of the relay is shown; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A top view of part of the structure is shown; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of part A in the image; Figure 6 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line BB in the diagram; Figure 7 yes Figure 2 An enlarged view of the pusher component is shown; Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The front view of the pusher component is shown; Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A partially enlarged view of the actuating component is shown; Figure 10 It is along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the line CC in the diagram; Figure 11 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of the area after removing some of the structure; Figure 12 This is a magnified view of the mating part between the pusher and the magnetic circuit. Figure 13 This is a magnified view of the contact area between the compression spring and the pusher.

[0027] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows: 100. Outer casing; 110. Shell; 120. Cover plate; 200. Pushing component; 211. First card slot; 2111. Part One; 2112. Part Two; 212. Second card slot; 221. First connecting arm; 222. Reinforced connecting arm; 230. Protruding rib; 240. Groove; 250. Ontology part; 260. First end; 261. Mating hole; 2611. Arrival location; 270. Reinforcing ribs; 310. Flexible arm; 311. Moving contact; 312. First abutting end; 313. Compression spring; 3131.Contact part; 3132. Vibration damping unit; 3141. Limiting part; 320. Static contact component; 321.Static contact; 400. Magnetic circuit section; 410. Coil; 420. Magnetic rotating component; 421. Drive end; H1~H2. Dimensions; W1~W3. Dimensions. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this disclosure can have various variations in different embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and the descriptions and drawings therein are illustrative in nature and not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0029] In the following description of various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this disclosure, and which illustrate by way of example different exemplary structures, systems, and steps that can implement various aspects of this disclosure. It should be understood that other specific embodiments of the components, structures, exemplary devices, systems, and steps may be used, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, while the terms “above,” “between,” “within,” etc., may be used in this specification to describe different exemplary features and elements of this disclosure, these terms are used herein only for convenience, such as the orientation according to the examples described in the accompanying drawings. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of the structure to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0030] See Figure 1 The illustration shows a perspective view of the relay proposed in this disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, the relay proposed in this disclosure is described using a three-phase relay as an example. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below in order to apply the relevant designs of this disclosure to other types of relays, and these changes shall still be within the scope of the principles of the relay proposed in this disclosure.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the relay includes a housing 100, a pusher 200, three sets of contact assemblies, and a drive section. (See also...) Figures 2 to 13 , Figure 2 The image shows a representative exploded three-dimensional view of a relay; Figure 3 The image shows a top view of a relay. Figure 4 China representatively shows Figure 3 A top view of part of the structure is shown; Figure 5 China representatively shows Figure 4 An enlarged view of part A in the image; Figure 6 The middle section represents the way along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line BB in the diagram; Figure 7 An enlarged view of the pusher 200 is shown in the figure. Figure 8 The front view of the pusher 200 is shown in the figure. Figure 9 A partial enlarged view of the pusher 200 is shown in the figure. Figure 10 The middle section represents the way along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the line CC in the diagram; Figure 11 China representatively shows Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the structure after removing certain parts (e.g., removing the portion of the shielding cover that obscures the magnetic circuit section 400); Figure 12 The image shows a partial enlarged view of the mating part of the pusher 200 and the magnetic circuit part 400; Figure 13 The figure shows a partially enlarged view of the contact area between the compression spring 313 and the pusher 200. The structure, connection method, and functional relationship of the main components of the relay disclosed herein will be described in detail below with reference to the above figures.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the housing 100 includes a housing 110 and a cover plate 120 disposed on the housing 110. The pusher 200 is adapted to move relative to the housing 100 in a first direction, which is parallel to the bottom wall of the housing 100. The first direction can be referred to as direction D1 shown in the figures. Each set of contact components includes a moving contact component and a stationary contact component 320 arranged along the first direction. At least one moving contact component supports the pusher 200 in a third direction, and the moving contact component is engaged with the pusher 200 in a second direction, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction, specifically, for example, perpendicular to the bottom wall of the housing 100, and the third direction can be referred to as direction D3 shown in the figures. The second direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the third direction, and the second direction can be referred to as direction D2 shown in the figures. That is, all contact components of the relay are located on the same side of the drive portion. The driving part is disposed in the housing 100 and cooperates with one end of the pusher 200 along the first direction. The driving part is used to push the pusher 200 to move along the first direction, thereby causing each moving contact component (e.g., moving contact 311) to close or open with the corresponding stationary contact component (e.g., stationary contact 321). Through the above design, this disclosure arranges all contact components on the same side of the driving part, allowing multiple sets of contact components to be spaced as needed, facilitating pin matching, reducing installation difficulty, and minimizing copper consumption. This disclosure utilizes the support of the moving contact components. Since the moving contact components support the pusher along a third direction perpendicular to the bottom wall of the housing, the pusher 200 can be suspended within the housing 100, preventing friction between the pusher 200 and the housing 100 in the third direction, thereby reducing the probability of jamming. Furthermore, this disclosure utilizes the limiting cooperation between the moving contact assembly and the pusher 200 to limit the displacement of the pusher 200 in the second direction, thereby ensuring smooth movement of the pusher 200 and reducing sway. This solves the problems of terminal positions not meeting customer requirements, inconvenient connection, and high copper consumption. It also addresses issues such as easy jamming of the pusher 200, unbalanced phase-to-phase contact parameters, inconsistent heating, and poor service life. Simultaneously, it avoids excessive stress on the armature of the coil assembly, which could lead to deformation or breakage. Moreover, this disclosure facilitates the implementation of strong and weak current isolation designs for customers.

[0033] It should be noted that, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the pusher 200 can be manufactured using injection molding. Based on this, the pusher 200, by providing a reinforcing connecting arm 222, facilitates injection molding, improves process convenience, and ensures a more uniform distribution of injection stress during the process, avoiding stress concentration and preventing deformation, warping, or cracking of the pusher 200 during the process, thus guaranteeing the desired process effect. Furthermore, the protruding ribs 230 and reinforcing ribs 270 in the following embodiments also achieve the aforementioned effects of facilitating injection molding and preventing deformation, warping, or cracking of the pusher 200 during the injection molding process.

[0034] like Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the elastic arm 310 includes a first abutting end 312 and a movable contact 311 disposed on the first abutting end 312. One end of the first abutting end 312 extends into a slot of the pusher 200. Furthermore, the first abutting end 312 is also provided with a compression spring 313 and a latching portion. One end of the compression spring 313 is connected to the first abutting end 312, and the other end extends into the slot. The latching portion is connected to the other end of the compression spring 313 and engages with one edge of the slot (e.g., one edge of the slot near the magnetic circuit portion 400).

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving portion may include a magnetic circuit portion 400, which may include a coil assembly and a magnetic rotating member 420. The magnetic rotating member 420 is rotatably disposed in the housing 100 and engages with one end of the pusher 200 along a first direction (e.g., the first end 260 shown in the figures). The magnetic rotating member 420 is adapted to receive the magnetic force of the coil assembly and reciprocate within a preset swing range when the coil assembly is subjected to a positive and a reverse pulse voltage, thereby driving the pusher 200 to move. Based on this, the axis of the coil assembly may extend along the first direction; in other words, the coil assembly (e.g., its armature) is arranged in a "transverse" manner, i.e., the axial direction of the coil assembly is parallel to the extension direction (or movement direction) of the pusher 200. The magnetic rotating member 420 has a driving end 421 located on the side opposite to the coil assembly along a second direction, the driving end 421 being used to drive the pusher 200 to move along the first direction. Through the above design, this disclosure enables the magnetic rotating component 420 to be shorter, with lower torque, stronger structural strength, better structural stability, and less prone to breakage, thereby ensuring long-term, reliable drive for the longer actuating component 200. Furthermore, this disclosure reduces the space occupied by the coil assembly in the second direction, which is beneficial for meeting the miniaturization requirements of the overall relay design.

[0036] like Figure 3 and Figure 12As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the pusher 200 includes a body portion 250 and a first end portion 260. The aforementioned slot and the aforementioned protruding rib 230 can be provided on the body portion 250. The first end portion 260 is connected to the end of the body portion 250 along a first direction. The first end portion 260 is provided with a mating hole 261, which mates with the magnetic rotating member 420. Based on this, when the magnetic rotating member 420 rotates to two extreme positions (e.g., the open position and the closed position), the two sidewalls of the mating hole 261 in the first direction each have abutment positions 2611 that mate with the magnetic rotating member 420. The two abutment positions 2611 are symmetrically arranged about a reference plane passing through the rotation axis of the magnetic rotating member 420 and parallel to the second direction. Through the above design, this disclosure enables the magnetic rotating component 420 to exert more force mainly in the direction of motion, with a smaller radial movement component in the vertical direction, further reducing the sway of the pusher 200, and making the limiting fit between the pusher and the moving contact assembly in the second direction more reliable and less prone to failure, thereby improving motion accuracy and optimizing the contact pressure distribution.

[0037] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the pusher 200 includes a body portion 250 and a first end portion 260, the first end portion 260 being connected to the end portion of the body portion 250 along a first direction. Along a third direction, at least one edge of the first end portion 260 (e.g., an edge away from the bottom wall) extends beyond the same edge of the body portion 250 away from the bottom wall, and is connected to a reinforcing rib 270. Through this design, this disclosure utilizes the reinforcing rib 270 to enhance the structural strength of the pusher 200 between the body portion 250 and the first end portion 260, making it less prone to deformation at the connection between the body portion 250 and the first end portion 260 during movement.

[0038] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 12 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the magnetic rotating member 420 has a driving end 421 that mates with the mating hole 261. The driving end 421 and the sidewall of the mating hole 261 can be in point contact or line contact. For example, at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the driving end 421 is a cylindrical surface, and the axis of the cylinder is parallel to a third direction. Through the above design, this disclosure enables the driving end 421 to contact the sidewall of the mating hole 261 with its own cylindrical surface (e.g., abutment position 2611). Combined with the frictionless design of the moving contact assembly supporting the pusher 200 in a third direction, this disclosure achieves low-energy-consumption motion.

[0039] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 12As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, at least one end of the drive end 421 in the third direction has a gap with the corresponding sidewall of the mating hole 261 in the third direction. Through the above design, this disclosure can reduce the contact area between the magnetic rotating component 420 and the pushing component 200, reduce vertical rotational friction, further reduce the amount of sway of the pushing component 200 driven by the armature assembly, further ensure the smoothness of the pushing component 200's movement, ensure balanced contact pressure for each group, and improve the system's contact reliability and service life.

[0040] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the two ends of the drive end 421 in the third direction have gaps with the two sidewalls of the mating hole 261 in the third direction. At least two moving contact components support the pusher 200 along the third direction.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the pusher 200 is provided with at least two slot groups spaced apart along a first direction, each corresponding to a moving contact component. For example, but not less than the pusher 200 shown in the figures, is provided with three slot groups spaced apart along the first direction. Specifically, each slot group includes two slots spaced apart along a third direction (e.g., the first slot 211 and the second slot 212 shown in the figures). The slots penetrate the pusher 200 along a second direction, and the moving contact components of at least two sets of contact components extend into the slots of at least two slot groups. The moving contact components have two first abutting ends 312, which extend into two slots to support the pusher 200 along a third direction. For example, the moving contact components include two elastic arms 310 arranged along a third direction, each end of which extends into two slots of the same slot group in the second direction, and each end of the elastic arm 310 is provided with two first abutting ends 312. Through the above design, this disclosure utilizes the two slots of the same slot group to respectively engage with the two elastic arms 310 of the moving contact assembly, achieving bilateral push-pull between the pusher 200 and the contact assembly. This more easily meets the structural strength requirements of the pusher 200 when the drive part is arranged on one side, enhancing the structural strength of the pusher 200, making its movement more stable and reliable, and facilitating assembly. Furthermore, through the limiting engagement between the slots of the pusher 200 and the moving contact assembly, this disclosure can precisely control the movement trajectory of the pusher 200, reducing sway and ensuring balanced contact pressure in each group.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the relay proposed in this disclosure is a three-phase relay. Based on this, the pusher 200 may be provided with three slot groups, and the relay includes three sets of contact components, with these three sets of contact components located on the same side of the magnetic circuit portion 400 (i.e., the drive portion) in the first direction. It should be noted that this embodiment uses a three-phase relay as an example. It should be understood that in other various possible embodiments conforming to the design concept of this disclosure, the relay may also be other types of multi-phase relays, in which case the relay may include at least two sets of contact components, and the pusher 200 may be provided with at least two slot groups, and these are not limited to this embodiment.

[0043] like Figures 6 to 9 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, at least one card slot is provided with a reinforcing connecting arm 222 on the side facing away from another card slot along a third direction. The two ends of the reinforcing connecting arm 222 are respectively connected to the two sides of the opening of the corresponding card slot. For example, the two card slots in the same card slot group are a first card slot 211 and a second card slot 212. The first card slot 211 opens towards the bottom wall (in the embodiment shown in the figure, it is actually not open), and the second card slot 212 opens away from the bottom wall. Based on this, a reinforcing connecting arm 222 can be provided at the opening of the first card slot 211. The reinforcing connecting arm 222 extends along a first direction, and the two ends of the reinforcing connecting arm 222 are respectively connected to the two sides of the opening of the first card slot 211. In other words, due to the provision of the reinforcing connecting arm 222, the first card slot 211 is actually a closed slot structure. Of course, in other embodiments, when the first card slot 211 is not provided with the reinforcing connecting arm 222, the first card slot 211 is still a card slot or slotted structure. Accordingly, this disclosure implements a connection structure of two connecting arms at the location where the slot is provided on the pusher 200. One connecting arm is the part of the pusher 200 located between the first slot 211 and the second slot 212, namely the first connecting arm 221 shown in the figure. The other connecting arm is the aforementioned reinforcing connecting arm 222, i.e., the second connecting arm. Through the above design, this disclosure utilizes the first connecting arm 221 and the second connecting arm to realize a "double connecting arm" reinforced connection structure at the location where the slot is provided on the pusher 200. This allows the force on the pusher 200 at the location where the slot is provided to be distributed into two areas (i.e., the areas corresponding to the first connecting arm 221 and the second connecting arm, respectively) during the push-pull process. This solves the problem that existing pushers using only a single connecting structure in the middle are prone to bending and deformation on both sides after being subjected to force. At the same time, it prevents the elastic arm 310 that cooperates with the first slot 211 from dislodging during the push-pull process, ensuring the push-pull stability and reliability of the pusher 200. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the first slot 211 may also be an opening facing the bottom wall, that is, the opening of the first slot 211 may not be provided with the reinforcing connecting arm 222, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0044] likeFigure 9 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, at least one slot (e.g., a first slot 211) may include a first portion 2111 and a second portion 2112, the second portion 2112 communicating with the end of the first portion 2111 away from the second slot 212 (i.e., the end of the first portion 2111 near the bottom wall in a third direction). Furthermore, the second portion 2112 is recessed at least on the side of the slot wall used for abutment by the movable contact assembly relative to the same side of the slot wall of the first portion 2111.

[0045] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the slot with only the reinforcing connecting arm 222 includes a first part 2111 and a second part 2112. Along a first direction, the size W1 of the first part 2111 can be equal to the size W2 of another slot (e.g., the second slot 212), and the size W3 of the second part 2112 can be larger than the size W1 of the first part 2111. Through this design, this disclosure utilizes the edge of the first part 2111 to engage with the elastic arm 310 extending to the first slot 211 in a push-pull engagement, and the same applies to the edge of the second slot 212 to engage with the elastic arm 310 extending to the second slot 212. Accordingly, this disclosure uses an enlarged design for the second part 2112 of the first slot 211, which facilitates the installation of the elastic arm 310, reduces the risk of metal and plastic parts scraping and dropping foreign objects, and prevents these foreign objects from affecting the operation of the pusher 200 or falling onto the contacts and affecting the relay performance.

[0046] like Figure 9 As shown, based on the design of the first card slot 211 including a first part 2111 and a second part 2112, in one embodiment of this disclosure, along the third direction, the size H1 of the first part 2111 can be equal to the size H2 of another card slot (e.g., the second card slot 212), and the size H1 of the first part 2111 can be greater than or equal to half the size of the elastic arm 310 (specifically, the size of the end of the elastic arm 310 extending into the card slot along the third direction). Through the above design, during the simultaneous operation of the two elastic arms 310 corresponding to the first card slot 211 and the second card slot 212, this disclosure can ensure that the force point of the elastic arm 310 is located at its center position in the third direction, so that the movement consistency of the two elastic arms 310 (i.e., the moving contacts 311 on both sides) of the contact component is better during the movement, thereby further ensuring contact stability, avoiding deformation of the elastic arm 310 on one side, and more easily meeting the strength requirements of the pusher 200 and the elastic arm 310 when the magnetic circuit part 400 is arranged on one side. Furthermore, when the two card slots are each provided with a strong connecting arm 222, the dimensions of the first part 2111 of the two card slots can be equal along the third direction.

[0047] like Figure 6As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the size of the first slot 211 along the third direction can be larger than the size of the first abutting end 312 of the elastic arm 310. Through the above design, when the reinforcing connecting arm 222 is provided, this disclosure can prevent the first abutting end 312 extending to the first slot 211 from contacting the edge of the first slot 211 in the third direction (including the inner edge of the reinforcing connecting arm 222), thus avoiding pressure deformation of the first abutting end 312 and ensuring the stability and accuracy of the pusher 200 pushing and pulling the elastic arm 310. In other embodiments of this disclosure, for example, when the reinforcing connecting arm 222 is not provided at the opening of the first slot 211, the size of the first slot 211 along the third direction can also be equal to the size of the first abutting end 312, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0048] like Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the size of the second slot 212 along the third direction can be less than or equal to the size of the elastic arm 310. Through this design, this disclosure avoids the top height of the second slot 212 being too high, for example, exceeding the top of the elastic arm 310, thus preventing wasted space in the height direction (i.e., the third direction), which is beneficial for meeting the design requirements of thinner and smaller relays. Furthermore, this disclosure avoids the top of the second slot 212 contacting the cover plate 120 or other structures, preventing contact friction and scratches during installation.

[0049] In one embodiment of this disclosure, at least one moving contact component has two limiting portions 3141 spaced apart along a second direction. The two limiting portions 3141 are located on both sides of the pusher 200 along the second direction to limit the range of movement of the pusher 200 along the second direction. Through this design, this disclosure utilizes the limiting portions 3141 on both sides to prevent the pusher 200 from flipping (which may have a certain amount of movement), further achieving a balance of contact pressure.

[0050] like Figure 5 and Figure 13As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, each moving contact assembly includes a moving contact member and a compression spring 313. The moving contact member can close or open with the stationary contact member. The compression spring 313 is used to provide contact pressure toward the stationary contact member to the moving contact member based on deformation when the moving contact member closes with the stationary contact member. Two limiting portions 3141 are provided on the compression spring 313. In addition, the moving contact member includes an elastic arm 310. The elastic arm 310 includes a first abutting end 312 and a moving contact 311 provided on the first abutting end 312. One end of the first abutting end 312 extends into a slot of the pusher 200. Based on this, the compression spring 313 connects to the first abutting end 312 at its middle portion in the second direction, and one side of the middle portion of the compression spring 313 in the second direction is the contact portion 3131. It should be noted that the so-called "middle portion" is not limited to the middle position of the compression spring 313 in the second direction, but can be understood as any other position of the compression spring 313 in the second direction other than the two ends. The contact portion 3131 extends into the slot and engages with it, and two limiting portions 3141 can be provided on the contact portion 3131. Through the above design, this disclosure utilizes the contact portion 3131 to provide a portion of the reaction force during the operation (from closing to opening) (this reaction force is provided, for example, mainly by a compression spring).

[0051] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a compression spring 313 is connected to a moving contact member at its center along a second direction, and a contact portion 3131 is provided on one side of the center along the second direction. Two limiting portions 3141 are provided on the side of the contact portion 3131 away from the center. A damping portion 3132 is provided on the other side of the center along the second direction. The damping portion 3132 extends obliquely from the center away from the pusher 200 along the second direction and along the first direction away from the moving contact member, so as to be abutted during breakage and to provide a buffering force to the moving contact member. Through the above design, this disclosure utilizes the damping portion 3132 to achieve vibration reduction and arc control, that is, to reduce the amplitude during the breakage process, thereby achieving arc control.

[0052] like Figure 5 and Figure 13 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, two limiting portions 3141 are provided at the end of the contact portion 3131 away from the aforementioned middle portion of the compression spring 313.

[0053] like Figure 5 and Figure 13 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the contact assembly has a limiting portion 3141 on one side of the pusher 200 and at least two limiting portions 3141 (e.g., but not limited to the two limiting portions 3141 shown in the figures) on the other side of the pusher 200, with the at least two limiting portions 3141 spaced apart along a third direction. Through this design, this disclosure utilizes the limiting portions 3141 on both sides to prevent the pusher 200 from flipping (which may have a certain amount of movement), further achieving a balance of contact pressure.

[0054] like Figures 6 to 8 , Figure 10 As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, at least one surface of the pusher 20 along the second direction may be provided with a protruding rib 230. Through the above design, this disclosure can use the protruding rib 230 to enhance the structural strength and push-pull reliability of the pusher 200. It is particularly suitable for the long push structure adopted in this disclosure, so that the pusher 200 is not easily deformed during movement, and the pusher 200 is not easily warped or deformed when manufactured by injection molding.

[0055] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, based on the design of the protruding ribs 230 on the surface of the pusher 200, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the protruding ribs 230 can extend along a continuous zigzag path, that is, the protruding ribs 230 are roughly in the form of triangular ribs. Based on this, the aforementioned zigzag path of the protruding ribs 230 extends along a first direction (i.e., the overall extension direction of the pusher 200 and its direction of movement). Through the above design, since the triangular structure has more stable structural strength, this disclosure can further enhance the strengthening effect of the protruding ribs 230 on the structural strength of the pusher 200. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the protruding ribs 230 can also be arranged in other ways, such as extending along paths of other shapes (e.g., quadrilateral or other polygonal paths), or in the form of multiple protruding ribs 230 arranged at intervals, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0056] like Figures 6 to 8 , Figure 10 As shown, based on the design of the protruding rib 230 on the surface of the pusher 200, in one embodiment of this disclosure, a groove 240 can be provided on the surface of the pusher 200 perpendicular to the second direction. The protruding rib 230 can be provided at the bottom of the groove 240, and the end of the protruding rib 230 away from the bottom of the groove is flush with the opening of the groove 240. Through the above design, when the pusher 200 is manufactured using injection molding, the flush design of the groove 240 and related parts facilitates the formation of an integral structure of the protruding rib 230 on the surface of the pusher 200, which is beneficial to improving the connection strength of the protruding rib 230 on the surface of the pusher 200, reducing manufacturing difficulty, and improving process yield.

[0057] It should be noted that the relays shown in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification are merely a few examples of many relays capable of employing the principles of this disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of this disclosure are by no means limited to any detail or component of the relays shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification.

[0058] In summary, existing solutions involve push cards that are slidably mounted on the housing or overlapped with the pins of the contact portion. Because the magnetic circuit is located on one side of the contact portion, the overall length of the push card is significant. Furthermore, the radial friction between the armature assembly and the push card during oscillation causes vertical swaying, which is amplified at the end of the push card furthest from the magnetic circuit, making it prone to jamming. If the push card is directly overlapped with the contact portion, the swaying amplitude is large, affecting the contact pressure of each phase. Specifically, the phase furthest from the magnetic circuit experiences lower contact pressure, leading to excessive contact resistance, overheating, and reduced contact performance and contact lifespan. The relay proposed in this disclosure includes a pusher 200, at least two sets of contact assemblies, and a drive unit. The drive unit engages with one end of the pusher 200, meaning the pusher 200 employs a long pusher structure design. Based on this, the moving contact assembly supports the pusher 200 along a third direction perpendicular to the bottom wall of the housing 100, and the moving contact assembly is limited and engaged with the pusher 200 along a second direction perpendicular to both the first and third directions. Furthermore, all contact components of the relay are located on the same side of the drive section. Through the above design, this disclosure arranges all contact components on the same side of the drive section, allowing multiple sets of contact components to be spaced as needed, facilitating pin matching, reducing installation difficulty, and minimizing copper loss. This disclosure utilizes the support of the moving contact assembly; since the moving contact assembly supports the pusher along a third direction perpendicular to the bottom wall of the housing, the pusher 200 can be suspended within the housing 100, preventing friction between the pusher 200 and the housing 100 in the third direction, thereby reducing the probability of jamming. Furthermore, this disclosure utilizes the limiting cooperation between the moving contact assembly and the pusher 200 to limit the displacement of the pusher 200 in the second direction, thereby ensuring smooth movement of the pusher 200 and reducing sway. This solves the problems of terminal positions not meeting customer requirements, inconvenient connection, and high copper consumption. It also addresses issues such as easy jamming of the pusher 200, unbalanced phase contact parameters, inconsistent heating, and poor service life. Simultaneously, it avoids excessive stress on the armature of the coil assembly, which can easily lead to deformation or breakage. Moreover, this disclosure facilitates the implementation of strong and weak current isolation designs for customers. In addition, by providing the reinforcing connecting arm 222, the injection molding process of the pusher 200 is facilitated, improving process convenience. Simultaneously, it ensures a more uniform distribution of injection stress during the process, avoiding stress concentration and preventing deformation, warping, or cracking of the pusher 200 during the aforementioned processes, thus guaranteeing the process effect.

[0059] The exemplary embodiments of relays proposed in this disclosure have been described and / or illustrated in detail above. However, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein; rather, components and / or steps of each embodiment may be used independently and separately from other components and / or steps described herein. Each component and / or step of one embodiment may also be used in combination with other components and / or steps of other embodiments. In describing the elements / components / etc. described and / or illustrated herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the above” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that additional elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to those listed. Furthermore, the terms “first” and “second” in the claims and description are used only as illustrative marks and are not intended to limit the numerical scope of the subject matter.

[0060] Although the relays proposed in this disclosure have been described according to different specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the implementation of this disclosure within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A relay, characterized in that, include: Outer shell (100); A pusher (200) is adapted to move relative to the housing (100) in a first direction; At least two sets of contact components, each set of contact components including a moving contact component and a stationary contact component; at least one of the moving contact components supports the pusher (200) in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and is limited to cooperate with the pusher (200) in a second direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the third direction. The driving part is disposed in the housing (100). The driving part cooperates with one end of the pusher (200) along the first direction and is used to push the pusher (200) to move along the first direction so as to drive each of the moving contact components to close or open with the corresponding stationary contact component.

2. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving part includes a magnetic circuit part (400), which includes a coil assembly and a magnetic rotating element (420). The magnetic rotating element (420) is rotatably disposed on the housing (100) and cooperates with one end of the pusher (200) along the first direction. The magnetic rotating element (420) is adapted to receive the magnetic force of the coil assembly when the coil assembly is subjected to a positive pulse voltage and a reverse pulse voltage, and to reciprocate within a preset swing range, thereby driving the pusher (200) to move.

3. The relay according to claim 2, characterized in that, The axis of the coil assembly extends along the first direction; the magnetic rotating member (420) has a driving end (421) located on the side opposite to the coil assembly along the second direction, the driving end (421) being used to push the pusher (200) to move along the first direction.

4. The relay according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pusher (200) is provided with a mating hole (261), which mates with the magnetic rotating member (420); wherein, when the magnetic rotating member (420) rotates to two extreme positions, the mating hole (261) has abutting positions (2611) on two side walls in the first direction that mate with the magnetic rotating member (420), and the two abutting positions (2611) are symmetrically arranged about a reference plane that passes through the rotation axis of the magnetic rotating member (420) and is parallel to the second direction.

5. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher (200) includes a body (250) and a first end (260), the first end (260) being connected to the end of the body (250) along the first direction; along the third direction, at least one edge of the first end (260) extends beyond the same edge of the body (250) and is connected to a reinforcing rib (270).

6. The relay according to claim 4, characterized in that, The magnetic rotating component (420) has a driving end (421) that mates with the mating hole (261); wherein: The driving end (421) and the sidewall of the mating hole (261) are in point contact or line contact; and / or The drive end (421) has a gap with the mating hole (261) on the corresponding sidewall in the third direction at at least one end in the third direction.

7. The relay according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive end (421) has gaps at both ends in the third direction and the mating hole (261) on the two side walls in the third direction, respectively; at least two of the moving contact components support the pusher (200) along the third direction.

8. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher (200) is provided with at least two slot groups at intervals along the first direction, each corresponding to a moving contact component. Each slot group includes two slots arranged at intervals along the third direction. The slots penetrate the pusher (200) along the second direction. The moving contact component has two first abutting ends (312), which extend into the two slots to support the pusher (200) along the third direction.

9. The relay according to claim 8, characterized in that, The relay is a three-phase relay; wherein the pusher (200) is provided with three slot groups, the relay includes three sets of contact components, and the three sets of contact components are located on the same side of the drive part in the first direction.

10. The relay according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least one of the card slots is provided with a reinforcing connecting arm (222) on the side opposite to the other card slot along the third direction, and the two ends of the reinforcing connecting arm (222) are respectively connected to the two sides of the opening of the corresponding card slot.

11. The relay according to claim 10, characterized in that, At least one of the slots includes a first portion (2111) and a second portion (2112), the second portion (2112) communicating with the end of the first portion (2111) away from the second slot (212); wherein the second portion (2112) is recessed at least on one side of the slot wall for the moving contact assembly to abut against the same side of the first portion (2111).

12. The relay according to claim 11, characterized in that, The slot provided with only the reinforcing connecting arm (222) includes a first part (2111) and a second part (2112); along the first direction, the size (W1) of the first part (2111) is equal to the size (W2) of the other slot, and the size (W3) of the second part (2112) is greater than the size (W1) of the first part (2111).

13. The relay according to claim 12, characterized in that: In each of the aforementioned slot groups, two slots are respectively provided with the reinforcing connecting arm (222); along the third direction, the dimensions of the two first parts (2111) are equal; or In each of the card slot groups, one of the card slots is provided with the reinforcing connecting arm (222); along the third direction, the size (H1) of the first slot (2111) is equal to the size (H2) of the other card slot.

14. The relay according to claim 12, characterized in that, Along the third direction, the size (H1) of the first groove (2111) is greater than or equal to half the size of the first abutment end (312).

15. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the moving contact components has two limiting portions (3141) spaced apart along the second direction; the two limiting portions (3141) are located on both sides of the pusher (200) along the second direction to limit the range of movement of the pusher (200) along the second direction.

16. The relay according to claim 15, characterized in that, Each of the moving contact components includes a moving contact element and a compression spring (313); the moving contact element can close or open with the stationary contact element; the compression spring (313) is used to provide a contact pressure toward the stationary contact element to the moving contact element based on deformation when the moving contact element closes with the stationary contact element; two limiting portions (3141) are provided on the compression spring (313).

17. The relay according to claim 16, characterized in that, The compression spring (313) is connected to the moving contact member at its center along the second direction. The compression spring (313) has a contact portion (3131) on one side of the center along the second direction. Two limiting portions (3141) are provided on the side of the contact portion (3131) away from the center. The compression spring (313) has a damping portion (3132) on the other side of the center along the second direction. The damping portion (3132) extends obliquely from the center away from the pusher (200) along the second direction and along the first direction away from the moving contact member, so as to be abutted upon during breakage and to provide a buffering force to the moving contact member.

18. The relay according to claim 15, characterized in that, The moving contact assembly has a limiting part (3141) on one side of the pusher (200) and at least two limiting parts (3141) on the other side of the pusher (200), with the at least two limiting parts (3141) arranged at intervals along the third direction.

19. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher (200) has a protruding rib (230) on at least one side surface along the second direction.

20. The relay according to claim 19, characterized in that, The protruding rib (230) extends along a continuous broken line path to form a triangular rib structure, the broken line path extending along the first direction as a whole.

21. The relay according to claim 19, characterized in that, The surface of the pusher (200) perpendicular to the second direction is provided with a groove (240); the protruding rib (230) is provided at the bottom of the groove (240), and the end of the protruding rib (230) away from the bottom of the groove is flush with the opening of the groove (240).

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