Small electrical contactor with low contact resistance

Abstract

The present invention provides a motor-driven contactor comprising a fixed contact (600), a movable contact (500) moved by a carriage (400), and an electric motor (100) for reversibly controlling the movement of the movable contact (500) between a closest position P2 where the movable contact (500) establishes mechanical and electrical contact with the fixed contact (600) and an open position P1 where the contacts (500, 600) are furthest apart, the travel having a movement area (1) where the movable contact (500) and the fixed contact (600) are spaced apart, and a contact area (2) where one conductive surface of the movable contact (500) is applied against a conductive surface of the fixed contact (600), the electric motor (100) driving a mechanism having a deceleration coefficient that varies as a function of position, the deceleration coefficient C I is the deceleration coefficient at the interface between the moving area (1) and the contact area (2) of the contact point (500, 600), and the deceleration coefficient C I is the deceleration coefficient C at the end of the moving area (1) and the contact area (2) I1 and C I2 The present invention relates to a motor-driven contactor characterized in that the

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a circuit breaker, which comprises a device for controlling the opening and closing of a circuit in a high voltage power supply, in particular a battery.

[0002] Electric vehicles require batteries with a relatively high voltage, typically 400 or 800 volts, and therefore for safety reasons it is essential that certain parts of the vehicle are automatically switched off, for example in the event of an accident, a long stop or when the hood is opened, to avoid any risk of accident to the user.

[0003] Typically, expensive and relatively heavy solenoid relays are used for such interruption.

[0004] Electrical switches, such as circuit breakers, have also been proposed in which an electromechanical actuator moves a contact piece between a closed position, ensuring electrical continuity between two contact studs, and an open position, in which the two studs are electrically isolated.

[0005] Such electrical circuit breakers must not only ensure contact with very low electrical resistance, but also be robust against arcing that can occur when contact is not yet fully established. Various solutions have been proposed in the prior art to extinguish arcs or prevent their formation.

[0006] [Prior Art] In the state of the art, it is known that U.S. Pat. No. 9,859,078 (B2) describes an electromagnetic relay with a contact plate formed by a single continuous metal part having a first portion with a first thickness and a second portion with a second thickness less than the first thickness. This relay applies a magnetic field in both directions transverse to the fixed contact and the movable contact b, generating a Lorentz force to extinguish the arc that occurs during discharge. This solution is not satisfactory, as it requires additional, complexly controlled electromagnetic components to perform the function of preventing the formation of a discharge arc.

[0007] A similar solution using the Lorentz force is proposed by US Pat. No. 8,514,037 or US Pat. No. 9,336,965.

[0008] U.S. Patent No. 10,777,374 provides a switching device including a first circuit breaker mechanism in a current output path from a DC power source and a second circuit breaker mechanism in parallel with the first circuit breaker mechanism in the current output path from the DC power source, the second circuit breaker mechanism being connected before the first circuit breaker mechanism when an output current from the DC power source is supplied and being disconnected after the first circuit breaker mechanism when the current output from the DC power source is interrupted. This solution proposes providing a capacitor between the DC power source and the second circuit breaker mechanism to prevent arcing, and connecting a discharge section in parallel with the capacitor to discharge the charge accumulated in the capacitor when the output current from the DC power source is interrupted. This solution also involves adding additional bulky components to reduce arcing.

[0009] International Patent Application No. 2006024718 proposes a device for controlling the opening and closing of a battery circuit, comprising a first terminal intended to be connected to a battery and a second terminal intended to be connected to a supplied electric circuit, each terminal comprising a contact stud and a contact piece intended to cooperate with the stud on the one hand to close the circuit and to move away from the stud and open the circuit on the other hand. The contact piece is carried by a piston that can move against the action of a spring and is guided within a casing housing and controlled by a disk with an integral gear that is driven by a worm screw that is connected to the output shaft of an electric motor with a reduction gear. The disk has cams located on its radius, one cam located near the periphery of the disk and a second cam located near the axis of rotation of the disk.

[0010] U.S. Patent No. 9,548,174 describes a contactor comprising current-carrying contacts and a connecting element. The connecting element includes conductive pads for engaging the current-carrying contacts and a contact jumper extending between the conductive pads. An actuator assembly moves the connecting element between a closed position in which the conductive pads of the connecting element engage the current-carrying contacts and an open position in which the conductive pads of the connecting element disengage from the current-carrying contacts. When the actuator assembly approaches or is in the closed position, an electromagnetic force is generated between the contact jumper and the conductive pad to resist the electromagnetic repulsion generated between the current-carrying contacts and the conductive pad.

[0011] EP 1680793 B1 describes an alternative solution for controlling the switching off and closing of a battery circuit, characterized in that it comprises a terminal connected to a stud, a contact bar supported by a piston movable against the action of a spring, an electric motor with a gearbox kinematically connected to the piston, and means for controlling the motor in one and opposite directions of rotation, wherein rotation in one direction controls the contact of the bar with the stud and rotation in the opposite direction moves the bar away from the stud.

[0012] International Patent Application No. 2006024718 describes another solution for a battery disconnection and circuit closure device, in which a geared motor controls the displacement of a piston terminated in a contact that is pressed against a shoulder of the piston by a spring. The spring tends to keep the contact at a distance from two studs that are designed to cooperate to close the circuit. However, this solution does not solve the problem of arcing and may even increase it, since arcing can occur at both ends of the contact.

[0013] [Disadvantages of the Prior Art] Most of the prior art solutions are unable to combine high contact forces with good dynamics in the contact approach phase without complex and heavy-duty mechanisms.

[0014] In practice, the double contact solution is not entirely satisfactory, since, due to manufacturing tolerances and local deformations resulting from wear, the surface types are rarely consistent at the contact point, which means that the contact area is often smaller than expected, resulting in a higher than expected electrical resistance. The use of solenoid-type actuators, as is very common in the prior art, generates limited forces at the contact points, which makes it impossible to achieve very low contact resistances when space and mass are major issues.

[0015] As an example, electrical contactors with dual contacts and associated solenoid actuators result in relatively large contact resistances, thus limiting the contactor's ability to carry high currents (a typical contact resistance of 300 μΩ represents a loss of 18.75 W at 250 A).

[0016] Solution provided by the present invention The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art and proposes, as the most generally accepted, a motor-driven contactor having the features of claim 1.

[0017] The contactor according to the invention comprises, in particular, a fixed contact, a movable contact moved by a carriage, and an electric motor for reversibly controlling the movement of the movable contact between a closest position P2 where the movable contact establishes mechanical and electrical contact with the fixed contact and an open position P1 where the contacts are most separated, the travel having a movement region where the movable contact and the fixed contact are separated and a contact region where one conductive surface of the movable contact is applied against a conductive surface of the fixed contact, the electric motor driving a mechanism having a deceleration coefficient that varies as a function of position, the deceleration coefficient C I is the deceleration coefficient at the interface between the moving area (1) of the contact and the contact area, and the deceleration coefficient C I is the deceleration coefficient C at the edge of the moving area (1) and the contact area I1 and C I2 is characterized by being smaller than

[0018] According to a variant, the contactor also has the following characteristics, alone or in combination:

[0019] an electric motor is connected to the carriage supporting the movable contact by a direct push-pull drive means;

[0020] The movable contact is formed by the end of a conductive flexible busbar the movable contact is moved by a rotatable carriage, the carriage connected to the movable contact at one end and articulated to a pivot located at the other end, the flexible bus bar having a second end attached to the contactor housing to form an electrical connection terminal, and the position dependent reduction factor mechanism coupled to the movable carriage. -The moving contact is moved by a linear motion carriage The motor-driven contactor includes a thrust spring interposed between the carriage and the movable contact. The movable contact supports a conductive pad that cooperates with a conductive pad supported by the fixed contact. The movable contact is provided with two tongues that support a conductive pad and a sacrificial pad, respectively. The contactor comprises an electronic circuit for controlling the electric motor. -The travel area is extended by the parking area -The contact area includes the parking area The mechanism with a variable reduction coefficient is created by a moving reducer, the last moving part of which is provided with a cam, which cooperates with a direct drive means integral with the carriage. the cam is provided with two cam profiles, one of which cooperates with a leg of the direct drive means to move the carriage in one direction of rotation of the movable part, and another of which cooperates with a second leg of the direct drive means to move the carriage in the other direction of rotation of the movable part; the cam and each of said legs have complementary means for securing stops that define the extent of travel of the movable part in each of the directions of rotation; The electronic circuit includes a position sensor for measuring the position of the carriage. the position sensor is a two-state sensor consisting of two flexible conductive blades and means located on the electronic board for measuring the electrical resistance between said blades, the switching between the two states being identified by measuring the electrical resistivity between said blades, obtained for a given relative position between the carriage and the electronic board;

[0021] The invention also relates to a mechatronic electrical connection assembly having a housing containing a motor-driven contactor according to claim 1.

[0022] In a particular embodiment, the housing contains an electronics board having means for controlling the two motor-driven contactors.

[0023] Optionally, the housing includes a second fixed contact and a second movable contact that is also moved by the electric motor.

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to non-limiting exemplary embodiments that identify the advantages and considerations discussed above. A more specific description of the invention is briefly presented below.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a housing of an example of a motor-driven contactor according to the present invention, with the cover removed.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a view of a cover according to the first embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 4 is an axial view of a stator assembly molded into a housing and including an electronic board.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the gearbox of the first embodiment taken along a plane including an axis of the gearbox.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the travel area.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment shown at the interface between the travel area and the contact area, with a direct push-pull drive.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the contact area.

[0033] FIG. 9 is a schematic chart of the angular position, angular velocity, and force of the traveling carriage over the entire travel of the traveling carriage.

[0034] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment excluding the housing.

[0035] FIG. 11 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a housing of an alternative embodiment of a motor-driven contactor according to the present invention, with the cover removed.

[0036] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the carriage and cam support movable part of the modified example shown in the previous figure.

[0037] 13 is a detailed view of the cam of the modified example shown in FIG. 11.

[0033] FIG.

[0038] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the travel range.

[0039] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment with a direct push-pull drive, shown at the interface between the movement area and the contact area.

[0040] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the contact area.

[0041] FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment having an auxiliary contact, with the housing removed.

[0042] FIG. 18 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment shown in the previous figure.

[0043] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a modified embodiment of the auxiliary contact.

[0044] FIG. 20 shows an alternative embodiment having two contactors in a single housing.

[0045] FIG. 21 shows an alternative embodiment having two contactors in a single housing and sharing the same motorization.

[0046] FIG. 22 shows an alternative embodiment with two contactors in a single housing, sharing the same motorization and reduction.

[0047] FIG. 23 is a view of an alternative embodiment of a motor-driven contactor according to the present invention with the cover removed.

[0048] [General principle] The contactor described with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 10 comprises a housing (700) made of an electrically insulating material. This housing (700) has on its inner surface receiving areas (701, 702) for the shaft (111) of the rotor (110) of the electric motor (100) and the shaft (201) of the reduction stage of the gearbox (200). A further receiving area (703) is designed to receive a guide bearing for the pivot pin (410) of the carriage (400) supporting the moving contact part (500). This housing (700) with receiving areas (701, 702, 703) is advantageously manufactured by molding a plastic material.

[0049] The housing (700) is closed by a cover plate (750) having shaft receiving areas (751, 752, 753) on its inner surface, as well as stops limiting the travel of the cam (222). Advantageously, the stops are formed by forcing the cam (222) against the same fixed surface (760) of the cover plate (750), allowing 180° of travel between these two stops.

[0050] The connection terminal 601 is molded into one side of the housing 700. In the exemplary embodiment described, the fixed contact 600 is a silver alloy pad 602, or more generally, a pad of a material with good electrical conductivity soldered to the inner surface of the connection terminal 601. An electrical connection cable can be connected to this terminal 601 in a known manner.

[0051] The housing (700) also features an opening (710) for the passage of an electrical terminal (501) connected to a movable contact supported by the moving carriage (400). This second electrical terminal (501) is also designed to connect an electrical cable.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the motor (100) includes a stator (120) formed from a stack of laminations cut to have three wound protrusions (121, 122, 123) and an unwound protrusion (124) extending radially from a peripheral yoke (125). The stator (120), including the coils (130), is held to the bottom of the housing (700) by an overmold (720).

[0053] In the example described, the stator (120) is asymmetrical and can be positioned at an angle relative to the housing (700), opening up space for positioning the gearbox (200).

[0054] This gearbox (200), which can be seen in particular in Figure 5, comprises two reduction stages formed by the association of a rotor with two moving parts (210, 220), the first stage being driven by a pinion (112) connected to the rotor (110), which rotates freely relative to a fixed shaft (111).

[0055] This pinion (112) drives a gear (211) to form a first reduction stage. The gear (211) is connected to the pinion (212) to form a first moving part (210) that drives a second gear (221) connected to an eccentric protrusion forming a cam (222). The association between the second gear (221) and the cam (222) forms a second moving part (220) that is guided by a rotor axis (111) that is offset from the center of the cam (222).

[0056] Typically, the reduction ratio between the rotor and the cam is 12:1, and preferably 4:1 to 30:1.

[0057] In the variant shown in Figure 2, the housing (700) and its cover plate (750) are fitted with connection terminals (501, 601) that provide both electrical and mechanical connection to the application, as well as mounting lugs (705, 755) for securing the contactor to the application. However, given the low weight of the actuator, one skilled in the art could consider removing the lugs (705, 755) and leaving the connection terminals (501, 601) to withstand all mechanical stresses.

[0058] [Control of electric motor (100)] The electric motor (100) is a permanent magnet motor controlled by an electronic circuit (800) integrated into the housing (100). This electronic circuit (800) is connected on the one hand to the ground pin of the housing connector (700) and, on the other hand, includes a conductive track that contacts the end of a spring (810) that passes through a bore formed in the stator yoke of the motor, as can be seen in Figure 5. When the electronic circuit is applied to this spring (810), the electronic circuit compresses the spring, causing the coil of the spring to deform laterally and come into contact with the inner surface of the bore, allowing the stator yoke to be at the same potential as the ground pin of the connector.

[0059] [Direct drive of the carriage (400) carrying the moving contact (500)] The role of this geared motor is to control the movement of the carriage (400) carrying the movable contact (500) between a position where the movable contact (500) is separated from the fixed contact (600) and a position where the movable contact (500) is applied to the fixed contact (600) by a first rapid movement with low torque in the so-called approach region, followed by a movement with slow speed and high torque in the so-called contact region.

[0060] The purpose is to ensure a short reaction time when the contactor is actuated, in particular to reduce the time that the contact parts are close enough together to trigger an arc.

[0061] This object is achieved in the described example by direct push-pull drive means shown in Figures 6 to 8 at the end of the moving area, at the interface between the moving area and the contact area, and at the end of the contact area, respectively.

[0062] The direct drive means (300) has an oblong slot (310) defining a cam track in which a cam (222) engages to control constrained movement and converts the rotational movement of the cam (222) into movement along an arcuate path of the carriage (400), which is connected to the housing (700) by a pivot connection guided by a pin (410) inserted in receiving areas (703, 753) and cover plate (750) of the housing (700). The entire assembly forms a disk cam with an internal profile.

[0063] The oblong slot (310) has a shape determined by two straight line segments connected by a circular arc, for example of the rectangular type with rounded corners, the sides are typically semicircular, and the width of the slot is slightly greater than the diameter of the cam (222). As the cam (222) crosses the edge of the oblong slot (310), the cam (222) controls movement with a continuously variable transmission ratio as a function of the position of the cam (222) relative to the oblong slot (310).

[0064] In contactor versions based on direct drive of the carriage by a drive means, "direct drive" means that the position of the carriage is directly and solely coupled to the angular position of the drive means (a cam in the example described) in all positions, within manufacturing tolerances. In any position, the carriage has no freedom of movement relative to the direct drive (300), except for clearances resulting from manufacturing tolerances. This definition contrasts with drives in which the carriage has stages of movement and is moved by means added to the carriage, e.g., springs.

[0065] The movement of the carriage (400) is a rotation through an angular sector, commanding the end supporting the movable contact (500) to follow an arcuate trajectory between the extreme position where the movable contact (500) is furthest from the fixed contact (600) and the angular region where the surface of the movable contact (500) is applied against the surface of the fixed contact (600).

[0066] It should be noted that the mobile carriage 400 may be rotatably guided by a pin 410 that is mounted in a fixed position relative to the carriage and that is rotatably guided by the receiving area 703, although other solutions may be envisioned by those skilled in the art. For example, the guide may be provided by a plastic protrusion on the mobile carriage 400 that is inserted directly into the receiving areas 703, 753 of the housing 700 and cover plate 750.

[0067] [Movable contact (500)] The movable contact (500), seen particularly in the exploded view of Figure 2, is supported by the moving carriage (400) via thrust springs (450, 451) disposed between the back surface of the movable contact (500) and the carriage (400) housing in which the movable contact (500) is positioned.

[0068] The carriage (400) consists of a guide section guided at its rear on a pivot pin (410) inserted into a receiving area of ​​the housing (700). The carriage (400) is made of a rigid insulating material so that high voltage can be applied to its front end, which contains the electrical contacts (500). The front part of the carriage (400) opposite the pin (410) is extended by a lug (420) in which an oblong slot (310) is cut, the perforated end of which forms the direct drive means (300).

[0069] In one embodiment, the movable contact (500) is a flexible bus bar (510).

[0070] This flexible busbar (510) can be formed by a stack of copper foils welded together only at the ends, or by one or more braided layers of copper wire or similar conductors, or by any other reversibly deformable conductive connection.

[0071] This flexible busbar (510) is attached to the housing (700) so as to pass through an opening (710) directly above the rear of the carriage (400), allowing the carriage (400) to pivot without dragging this rear portion of the flexible busbar (510). The rear connection terminal (501) of the flexible busbar (510) has a bore (521) for receiving a threaded insert for attaching a connection cable that makes electrical contact with the top of the connection terminal (501) at the rear of the flexible busbar (510).

[0072] The flexible busbar (510) features alternating curved sections (511, 512, 513) configured to allow deformation of the bar, with the stress distribution between the upper and lower leaf sections being substantially identical.

[0073] The movable contact (500) can be realized in other ways than by a flexible busbar (510), for example by two conductive parts joined together by a flexible connection.

[0074] The forward contact area (530) of the movable contact (500) has an upper surface facing the underside of the fixed contact (600), so that when the carriage (400) is in the contact position, this contact area (530), preferably with a conductive pad (531), applies flush against the underside of the fixed contact (600), preferably with a conductive pad (602). The opposite surface rests against the carriage surface (400), either directly or via one or more thrust springs (450). Typically, this spring (450) has a travel of a few millimeters, typically 1 to 4 mm, after preload.

[0075] A metal rider 460, having a folded sheet to form two side tabs 461 connecting the top surface 463, is clipped to the side of the front end of the carriage 400. The metal rider 460 closes the housing for the front contact area 530 of the movable contact 500 at the top surface 463 and has an opening 464 cut into it for the pad 531 to pass through. The rider 460 holds the front contact 530 at the front end of the carriage 400 under stress from the spring 450 which pushes the front contact 530 back against the top surface 463.

[0076] The bottom of the front end of the carriage (400) has one or more cavities (405) into which the rear ends of one or more springs (450) are engaged.

[0077] [Kinematics] When the contactor is in the "open" position, interrupting the flow of current between the two cables connected to the terminals (501, 601), the carriage (400) has its front end at the farthest position from the fixed contact (600), and there is an air gap between the pad (531) of the movable contact (500) and the pad (602) of the fixed contact (600).

[0078] Conversely, when the contactor is in the "closed" position, the carriage (400) is in a position where its front end presses the pad (531) of the movable contact (500) against the pad (602) of the fixed contact (600).

[0079] Figure 9 shows the contactor kinematics, more specifically: - curve (50) shows the angular position of the moving carriage (400) as a function of the angular position of the cam (222); - Curve (51) represents the variation of the angular velocity of the moving carriage (400) as a function of the angular position of the cam (222). - Curve (52) shows the variation of the force exerted by the moving contact (500) on the fixed contact (600) as a function of the angular position of the cam (222).

[0080] Pivoting of the moving carriage (400) sweeps first the moving area and then the contact area.

[0081] In the travel area (1), the cam (522) pivots the travel carriage (400) with a low torque and an accelerated travel due to the low reduction ratio in order to reach maximum speed as it approaches the contact area.

[0082] The travel region (1) indicates the stroke during which the travelling carriage (400) moves the moving contact (500) closer to the fixed contact (600) or moves them apart, but the two moving contacts (500) and the fixed contact (600) are not yet in contact.

[0083] In front of this travel area (1) there may be a parking area (3) where the force applied to the travel carriage (400) in the absence of power from the electric motor (100) irreversibly pulls the travel carriage (400) against a rear stop.

[0084] Contact region (2) corresponds to the portion of the stroke of the travelling carriage (400) covered after contact surface (530), where, if applicable, the upper surface of the conductive pad (531) is applied against the lower surface of the fixed contact (600). In this contact region (2), cam (522) continues to pivot travelling carriage (400) in a decelerating motion with a higher torque than in the approach region in order to compress spring(s) (450) and reach zero velocity at the end of contact region (2).

[0085] The contact area (2) may include a second parking area (4).

[0086] To close the contacts, the electric motor (100) is rotated, which drives the gearbox (200) and the drive means (300), causing the mobile carriage (400) to pivot first from the parking area (3) between position Po and point of no return P1, where the carriage (400) is in an "open" abutment, and then into the mobile area (1) to point P2, where the upper surface of the conductive pad (531) is applied against the lower surface of the fixed contact (600), establishing electrical and mechanical contact.

[0087] The carriage (400) then continues to pivot in the contact area (2), first between points P2 and P3 where the contact force is greatest, and finally in the second parking area (4), until the cam (222) comes to rest at point P4, which is also a point of no return.

[0088] The parking regions (3, 4) are areas where the cams (222) are fixed against their respective stops when there is no power to the electric motor (100).

[0089] [Modification of two contacts] In one variation shown in FIG. 10, the contactor can control the opening and closing of two (or more) power contacts simultaneously or with a slight offset.

[0090] In this case, the housing is fitted with either a single fixed contact having two contact pads soldered to a conductor common to the two movable contacts, or two fixed contacts (600). The mobile carriage (400) has two movable contacts (500) arranged in parallel.

[0091] To this end, one of the contacts provides good resistance to arcing but less electrical conductivity and features a sacrificial pad.

[0092] The other contact provides good electrical conductivity but is less resistant to arcing and features a pad made of a material that is a good electrical conductor.

[0093] The first contact, which ensures arc resistance, closes first and opens last.

[0094] To this end, one embodiment shown in Figure 10 is to provide a busbar (510) with slots formed at the end at the front contact (530) to form two parallel tongues (534, 533), one supporting a sacrificial pad (532) and the other supporting a good conductive pad (531).

[0095] The tongue (534) supporting the sacrificial pad (532) is preloaded by a spring (451) that is less stiff than the spring (450) on the other tongue (533), so that the sacrificial pad (532) is closer to the sacrificial pad (603) on the surface of the fixed contact (600) than the good conductive pad (531) is to the good conductive pad (602) on the surface of the fixed contact (600), ensuring closure of the electrical circuit before the good conductive pads (531, 602) enter the arc discharge area within the moving area (1).

[0096] Direct Drive Modification An alternative embodiment of the direct drive means (300) is shown in Figures 11-16. This embodiment differs from those shown in Figures 1, 2-6, 7, and 8 in that the oblong slot (310) opens to form a "C," which is achieved by two legs (320, 330) extending through the body of the direct drive means (300). This embodiment also differs in that the cam (222) has two protrusions (223, 226) on the continuous axial extension of the moving part (220), as can be seen in Figures 12 and 13, where Figure 12 shows an exploded view of the moving part (220) and the carriage (400) that cooperates via the direct drive means (300), and Figure 13 shows a detailed view of the moving part (220). Said protrusions (223, 226) therefore cooperate with respective legs (320, 330), one of the protrusions (223, 226) ensuring movement of the direct drive means (300) during clockwise rotation of the cam (222), and the other of the protrusions (223, 226) ensuring movement during counterclockwise rotation.

[0097] Figures 14-16 show successive stages in the movement of the direct drive means (300) as the contacts are closed by counterclockwise rotation of the cam (222). As the cam (222) rotates counterclockwise, the cam profile (224) of the protrusion (223) comes into contact with the leg (320), causing the carriage (400), which is mechanically coupled to the direct drive means (300), to rotate about the pin (410) of the carriage (400). Figure 14 shows the fully open state of the contacts, Figure 15 shows the state corresponding to electrical contact between the pads (602, 531) of the fixed contact (600) and the movable contact (500), and Figure 16 shows the fully closed state, where the force exerted between the fixed contact (600) and the movable contact (500) is maximum to obtain the lowest possible contact resistance. The final closed position shown in Figure 16 is achieved by abutting one side (228) of the projection (226) against the end (335) of the leg (330).

[0098] From the position shown in Figure 16, the contacts are opened by rotating the cam (222) clockwise. The cam profile (227) of the projection (226) then rests on the leg (330) and rotates the carriage (400), which is mechanically coupled to the direct drive means (300), about the pin (410) of the carriage (400). The final open position shown in Figure 14 is achieved by abutting one end (225) of the projection (226) against one side (325) of the leg (320).

[0099] Although two different cam profiles (224, 227) are used to open and close the contacts, carriage movement is always guaranteed by the cooperation of the cam (222) and the direct drive means (300). The use of two cam profiles (224, 227) advantageously benefits from a stroke close to 360° to ensure contact opening and closing, thus making it possible to obtain better control of the displacement in terms of manufacturing precision and to reduce the deceleration factor required to obtain the same angular travel of the carriage from the rotation of the moving part (220). As in the first embodiment, it is necessary to provide a high deceleration ratio at the beginning and end of the travel to obtain an irreversible equilibrium position in the absence of motor power, but it is also necessary to minimize the contact resistance in the closed position, and yet it is also necessary to maximize the opening and closing speed to improve actuator responsiveness and reduce arcing problems. For this purpose, the cam tracks (230, 240), characterized by the variation of the distances R1 and R2 from the axis of rotation (229) of the movable part (220), have a first region (231, 241) in which the distances R1 and R2 start at a minimum and increase slightly, followed by a second region (232, 242) in which the distances R1 and R2 increase rapidly, followed by a final region (233, 243) in which the distances R1 and R2 are approximately at a maximum and increase slightly up to this maximum.

[0100] It should be noted that the cam tracks (230, 240) are only able to move the direct drive means (300) when the rotation of the movable part (222) results in an increase in the distance R1 or R2 of the contact point on this cam track (230, 240) between the projections (223, 226) and the associated legs (320, 330). In this way, one cam track (240) increases for clockwise rotation of the movable part (220) and the other cam track (230) increases for counterclockwise rotation of the movable part (220).

[0101] In the above example, the direct drive means (300) are provided by a cam, which may of course also be provided by equivalent means such as a connecting rod, a toothed sector or a lever.

[0102] The following example describes the movement of a moving carriage with a pivoting movement. Of course, the displacement can also be linear.

[0103] [Modification with auxiliary contacts] The invention also relates to a system for detecting the specific position of the opening or closing stroke of an electrical contact, for example, for safety reasons during handling, it is important to ensure that galvanic isolation is present when the contactor is open and that contact is made when the contactor is closed.

[0104] A possible means of detecting these positions is via a sensor located on the electronic board (800), which switches between two voltages when a position of the contactor stroke is reached, i.e. the sensor is in a high state for a continuous part of the stroke and in a low state for the remainder of this stroke.

[0105] A first embodiment of this feature is shown in Figures 17 and 18, where Figure 17 shows a perspective view of the electronic board (800), stator and carriage (400), and Figure 18 shows a side view of these elements with the stator further overmolded within the housing (700).

[0106] The detection means consists of two parallel blades (810, 820), one end of which is attached to the electronic board (800) and the other end of which remains free. Each free end can contact a deformable blade (480, 490) attached to the carriage (400). The blades (810, 820, 480, 490) are electrically conductive, and the complementary deformable blades (480, 490) attached to the carriage (400) are electrically connected, preferably by being cut from the same piece of conductive metal. The complementary deformable blades (480, 490) attached to the carriage (400) are also parallel and positioned to simultaneously contact the blades (810, 820) attached to the electronic board (800) at position Pc when the main contacts are opened and the carriage moves towards the corresponding electronic board. Thus, at position Pc, the blades (810, 820) are in electrical contact via the complementary deformable blades (480, 490) mounted on the carriage (400). Position Pc can therefore be detected by measuring the resistivity between said blades (810, 820). For this purpose, the ends of the blades (810, 820) mounted on the electronic board (800) can be electrically connected to appropriate components on the electronic board for this measurement.

[0107] The blades (810, 820) are "J" shaped, with two parallel legs (814, 816) separated by an angled portion (815). One of the legs (816) is short and has an end attached to the electronics board, while the other leg (814) is long and terminates at a free end that contacts a complementary deformable blade (480, 490) attached to the carriage (400). In this manner, the blades (810, 820) terminate with a press-fit connection for insertion into the circuit board on the opposite side of the carriage (400). This allows the angled portion (815) of the blade to be overmolded directly into the housing (700), resulting in maximum control over the positioning of the blade relative to the carriage (400). The electrical ends of the stator coil (120) are also provided with press-fit connectors that extend toward the carriage (400), so that the stator and blades (810, 820) can be overmolded together within the housing (700), and the electronic board can be inserted onto the overmolded assembly (720) in one operation to establish all electrical connections.

[0108] The blades 810, 820 are placed on the edges of the electronic board 800, which is locally provided with notches 850 to leave sufficient space for their overmolding. It should be noted that overmolding the stator 120 and the blades 810, 820 is in no way limiting to this embodiment, the purpose being to precisely index these elements relative to the housing. It is also conceivable that the housing is provided with precise positioning elements, and the stator or blades are set, screwed, or shrink-fitted into the housing.

[0109] The implementation aspect providing a high state from the opening stroke position Pc is merely one specific example of an embodiment. It is easy to imagine configurations in which the blades (810, 820, 480, 490) are positioned to provide a high value when the closing stroke position is reached, or even configurations in which the number of sensors of this type is increased to provide information about reaching multiple positions. The deformable blades can also have sufficient flexure travel to measure multiple positions during a single stroke, such as a contact closing stroke. It is conceivable to have a sensor that switches to a high state from the moment the conductive pads of the fixed and moving contacts make electrical contact, and a second sensor that switches to a high state at the end of the stroke when the contact force is sufficient to minimize electrical resistance. Of course, it is also useful to utilize the sensor's state and its transition from one state to another. Relevant positions measured also include electrical contact with the main contactor, the positions of the open and closed travel ends, reaching a sufficient distance between the fixed and moving contacts to ensure sufficient dielectric strength between these components at the operating voltage, and reaching a portion of the travel with a high deceleration factor to potentially adapt a control strategy for shutdown.

[0110] Finally, while the illustrated design suggests the use of rigid blades (810, 820) and complementary flexible blades (480, 490), those skilled in the art can easily imagine variations in which the blades (810, 820) are flexible and contact rigid metallized portions of the carriage. It can also be envisioned that all blades (810, 820, 480, 490) are flexible. The essential condition is that this auxiliary contact must be flexible enough to provide a high state over the desired range of stroke of the carriage (400) while avoiding fracture.

[0111] A variation of the position detection system is shown in Figure 19, which shows a perspective view of the carriage (400) and flexible blades (810, 820) positioned on an electronic board (800), which is shown transparent. This design differs from previous designs in that the flexible blades (810, 820) are integrated into SMD-type components mounted on the electronic board (400). These flexible blades (810, 820) cooperate with a rigid metal insert (470) integral with the carriage (400), and the whole is positioned to detect the position of the opening stroke.

[0112] This variation also features a second pair of flexible blades (830, 840) cooperating with a second rigid metal insert (475) integral with the carriage (400), all of which are positioned to detect the position of the closing stroke.

[0113] Position detection is not limited to these examples and those skilled in the art can easily imagine other possible variations, such as the use of a mechanical contactor placed on the electronics board and having an arm that cooperates with a stop on the carriage, or a magnetic detection means such as a Hall probe that can be placed on the electronics board to measure the magnetic field of a magnet placed on the carriage or on one of the elements of the travel reducer assembly.

[0114] Position sensors can also be used to calibrate the stroke of a stepper motor. By using two sensors to detect the position of two stops, it is possible to know how many motor control steps there are between these two stops, and the position of the carriage between these two stops can be determined by counting the number of steps taken from one stop and knowing the change in the deceleration factor during the carriage stroke.

[0115] The position sensor can also be used during the opening stroke to detect whether the process is completed correctly and whether the movable contact has stuck to the fixed contact. Because the carriage is driven directly by the motor, if the conventional opening procedure fails to lift the movable contact from the fixed contact, the contacts can be forced open by increasing the motor supply current.

[0116] Variations for Closing Multiple Contacts The present invention also relates to motor-driven contactors for closing multiple different circuits in various configurations, some of which are shown in Figures 20, 21, and 22. Therefore, it is proposed to pool a larger or smaller percentage of components to close multiple circuits to meet different needs. In particular, Figure 20 shows an arrangement of two contactors in the same housing (700) and sharing common electronics (800). These electronics independently control the windings of the stators (120) of two motors, which in turn drive two gearboxes (200) that move two carriages (400) to close two independent electrical circuits. The advantage of this solution is that it maximizes the number of components pooled while providing completely independent control of the closure of the two electrical circuits.

[0117] This independence of contact closure is not necessary; in some cases, it may be useful to provide joint circuit closure, either synchronously or asynchronously. Thus, Figure 21 shows a dual-contact variant in which the housing (700), electronic board (800), and rotor (110) and stator (120) forming the electric motor are shared. The rotor (110) therefore drives two sets of gearboxes (200), each of which moves a carriage (400) to close two different contacts. This configuration is advantageous for proposing different asynchronous closing strategies. For example, by selecting different cam profiles for the direct drive means (300) of each carriage (400), it is possible to first open and close one contact and then the second.

[0118] The requirements involved may be multiple; for example, it may be desirable to start each movement of the carriage (400) at a different time so that the torque peaks associated with starting each motor are not synchronized. This can be achieved by using one of the cams with a constant radius at the start of travel to avoid generating motion. Asynchronous closure can also be used to pause electric motor control after one of the circuits has been opened or closed, before initiating or continuing the closing or opening sequence of the second circuit.

[0119] Finally, it is also possible to open the two circuits independently, ensuring the respective movement of the carriage 400 to an angular sector of the module 220's rotation. For example, the cam 222 can be specifically profiled to drive the associated direct drive means 300 by an angle less than 180° over the entire stroke. Several scenarios and adapted cam profiles can then be imagined to sequentially close both contacts while driving the motor in the same direction, thus creating several states where both contacts are open on one side, one contact open and the other closed on the other side, and a final state where both contacts are closed. Another possibility is to generate a cam profile that closes the associated contacts for rotation in the opposite direction. In this case, there is an intermediate position in the entire rotation stroke where both contacts are open. From this position, rotation in one direction closes only one contact, and rotation in the other direction closes only the other contact.

[0120] Finally, Figure 22 shows the assembly of all components except for the fixed contact (630) and the movable contact (500). In contrast to the embodiment shown in Figure 10, this configuration allows two electrical circuits to be closed that are independent of each other but can originate from the same control command. It is also possible to close the circuits synchronously or asynchronously by choosing different distances between the fixed and movable contacts of the two circuits.

[0121] Direct Drive Variations A variant of the direct drive means (300) is shown in Figure 23. This embodiment differs from the previous ones in that the direct drive means (300) is a connecting rod fixed with one degree of freedom of rotation at one end to the last moving part (220) eccentric to the axis of rotation of said moving part (220) and at the other end to the carriage (400) so as to provide a variable reduction ratio between the motor (100) and the carriage (400). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0122] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of an example motor-driven contactor according to the present invention, with the cover removed and the housing shown; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a view of the cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an axial view of a stator assembly molded into a housing and including an electronics board. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including an axis of the gearbox of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the travel area. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment with a direct push-pull drive and shown at the interface between the running area and the contact area. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the contact area. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic chart of the angular position, angular velocity, and force of the traveling carriage over the entire travel of the traveling carriage. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment excluding the housing. [Figure 11] 10 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the housing of an alternative embodiment of a motor-driven contactor according to the present invention, with the cover removed; FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the carriage and cam support movable part of the modified example shown in the previous figure. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a detailed view of the cam of the modified example shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the travel region. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the interface between the movement area and the contact area. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment with a direct push-pull drive shown at the end of the contact area. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment having an auxiliary contact, with the housing removed. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment shown in the previous figure. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B show alternative embodiments of auxiliary contacts; [Figure 20] FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment having two contactors in a single housing. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment with two contactors in a single housing, sharing the same motorization. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment with two contactors in a single housing, sharing the same motorization and reduction. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a view of an alternative embodiment of a motor-driven contactor according to the present invention with the cover removed.

Claims

1. A fixed contact (600), a movable contact (500) moved by a carriage (400), and the movement of the movable contact (500) is determined as a closest position P where the movable contact (500) establishes mechanical and electrical contact with the fixed contact (600). ２ and an open position P in which the contacts (500, 600) are maximally spaced apart. １ and an electric motor (100) for reversibly controlling a stroke between a movable contact (500) and a fixed contact (600), the stroke having a movement region (1) in which the movable contact (500) and the fixed contact (600) are separated, and a contact region (2) in which a conductive surface of the movable contact (500) is applied against a conductive surface of the fixed contact (600), the electric motor (100) driving a mechanism having a deceleration coefficient that varies as a function of position, Deceleration coefficient C Ｉ is the deceleration coefficient at the interface between the moving area (1) and the contact area (2) of the contact point (500, 600), and the deceleration coefficient C Ｉ is the deceleration coefficient C at the ends of the movement area (1) and the contact area (2) Ｉ１ and C Ｉ２ 10. A motor-driven contactor comprising:

2. 2. A motor-driven contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric motor (100) is connected to the carriage (400) supporting the moving contact (500) by a direct push-pull drive means (300).

3. 2. The motor drive contactor of claim 1, wherein the movable contact (500) comprises an end of a conductive flexible bus bar (510).

4. 4. The motor-driven contactor of claim 3, wherein the movable contact (500) is moved by a carriage (400) having a rotational movement, the carriage (400) is connected to the movable contact (500) at one end and articulated to a pivot (410) located at the other end, the flexible busbar (510) has a second end attached to a contactor housing (700) to form an electrical connection terminal (501), and a position-dependent reduction coefficient mechanism is coupled to the movable carriage (500).

5. 2. A motor-driven contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable contact (500) is moved by a carriage (400) driven by a connecting rod.

6. 6. The motor-driven contactor of claim 5, wherein the connecting rod is fixed with one rotational degree of freedom to provide a variable reduction ratio between the motor (100) and the carriage (400).

7. 2. A motor drive contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable contact (500) carries a conductive pad (531) which cooperates with a conductive pad (602) carried by the fixed contact (600).

8. 2. The motor-driven contactor of claim 1, wherein the movable contact (500) is provided with two tongues (533, 534) supporting a conductive pad (531) and a sacrificial pad (532), respectively.

9. 2. The motor-driven contactor of claim 1, characterized in that the motor-driven contactor comprises an electronic circuit (800) for controlling the electric motor (100).

10. 2. A motor-driven contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the movement area (1) is extended by a parking area (3).

11. 2. A motor-driven contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact area (2) comprises a parking area (4).

12. 2. The motor-driven contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanism with a variable deceleration coefficient is generated by a moving reducer (200), the last moving part (220) of which is provided with a cam (222), which cooperates with direct drive means (300) integral with the carriage (400).

13. 13. A motor-driven contactor according to claim 12, characterized in that the cam (222) is provided with two cam profiles (224, 227), the cam profile (224) cooperating with a leg (320) of the direct drive means (300) to move the carriage in one direction of rotation of the movable part (220), and the cam profile (227) cooperating with a second leg (330) of the direct drive means (300) to move the carriage in the other direction of rotation of the movable part (220).

14. 14. The motor-driven contactor of claim 13, wherein the cam (222) and each of the legs (320, 330) have complementary means for ensuring stops that define the extent of travel of the moving part (220) in each direction of rotation.

15. The motor-driven contactor of claim 9, wherein the electronic circuit (800) includes a position sensor for measuring the position of the carriage (400).

16. 16. The motor-driven contactor of claim 15, wherein the position sensor is a two-state sensor consisting of two flexible conductive blades (810, 820, 480, 490) and means located on the electronic board (800) for measuring the electrical resistance between the blades, and the switching between the two states is identified by measuring the electrical resistivity between the blades and is obtained for a given relative position between the carriage (400) and the electronic board (800).

17. A mechatronic electrical connection assembly having a housing (700) containing the motor-driven contactor of claim 1.

18. 18. The mechatronic electrical connection assembly of claim 17, wherein the housing houses the second motor-driven contactor of claim 1, the housing including an electronics board having means for controlling the two motor-driven contactors.

19. 18. The mechatronic electrical connection assembly of claim 17, wherein the housing (700) includes a second fixed contact (600) and a second movable contact (500) that is also moved by the electric motor (100).

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