Contact point organization

Abstract

To provide a contact mechanism that can further suppress the electromagnetic repulsive force that may occur when current is applied. [Solution] A contact mechanism 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a movable element 110, a first stator 120, a second stator 130, a connecting member 140 that connects the movable element 110 and the movable iron piece 150 and drives the movable element 110 with an electromagnet having a movable iron piece 150, and an auxiliary yoke 160 that is positioned inside the first stator 120 and the second stator 130 in a first direction and on the first surface side of the movable element 110, wherein the first stator 120 extends in the first direction from a first connection to a first fixed contact, the second stator 130 extends in the first direction from a second connection to a second fixed contact, and the movable element 110 is planar when viewed from the first direction at the location on the first surface corresponding to the location where the auxiliary yoke 160 is positioned.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a contact mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] Electromagnetic relays having a contact mechanism are widely used in fields such as communication equipment, automotive electrical components, and electrical appliances. The contact mechanism includes a stator and a rotor movable relative to the stator. In the energized state where the rotor and the stator are connected, an electromagnetic repulsive force may be generated in the direction of opening the rotor. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a contact mechanism capable of suppressing the electromagnetic repulsive force acting in the direction of opening the rotor during energization.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, by arranging an auxiliary yoke on one surface of the rotor, the electromagnetic repulsive force generated when the rotor and the stator come into contact is suppressed. There has been a demand for more efficiently suppressing the electromagnetic repulsive force.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a contact mechanism capable of more suppressing the electromagnetic repulsive force that may occur during energization.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A contact mechanism according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a movable element having a first movable contact and a second movable contact provided on both ends in the first direction of a conductive plate extending in a first direction; a first stator having a first fixed contact at one end that is connectable to the first movable contact and a first connection portion to the outside at the other end; a second stator having a second fixed contact at one end that is connectable to the second movable contact and a second connection portion to the outside at the other end; and driving the movable element by an electromagnet having a movable iron piece. The device comprises a connecting member for connecting the movable element and the movable iron piece, and an auxiliary yoke positioned inside the first stator and the second stator in the first direction and on the first surface side of the movable element, wherein the first stator extends in the first direction from the first connecting portion to the first fixed contact point, the second stator extends in the first direction from the second connecting portion to the second fixed contact point, and the movable element is planar when viewed from the first direction at the location on the first surface corresponding to the location where the auxiliary yoke is positioned. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure provides a contact mechanism that can further suppress the electromagnetic repulsive force that may occur when current is applied. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 8]This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 6. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism according to Embodiment 6. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view along the line XI-XI in Figure 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Embodiment 1> Figures 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, showing an example configuration of the contact mechanism 100 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the contact mechanism 100 cut at the position shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1, the contact mechanism 100 comprises a movable element 110, a first stator 120, a second stator 130, a connecting member 140, and an auxiliary yoke 160. In addition to the contact mechanism 100, Figure 1 also shows a movable iron piece 150 provided by the electromagnet. Hereinafter, the first stator 120 and the second stator 130 may be collectively referred to as "stators 120 and 130".

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, the movable element 110 includes a conductive plate 111 extending in the X-axis direction (first direction), and a first movable contact 112 and a second movable contact 113, respectively, provided on both ends of the first surface (the surface on the positive z-axis side) of the conductive plate 111 in the X-axis direction. The first movable contact 112 and the second movable contact 113 of the movable element 110 are formed by providing convex-shaped members on the first surface of the conductive plate 111 at both ends in the X-axis direction. Each member constituting the movable element 110 is made of a conductive material such as a metal material. Note that the first movable contact 112 and the second movable contact 113 may be formed integrally with the conductive plate 111.

[0011] The first stator 120 includes a conductive plate 121 extending in the X-axis direction and a first fixed contact 122 provided to be connectable to the first movable contact 112 of the movable element 110. The first fixed contact 122 of the first stator 120 is located at the X-axis negative end of the conductive plate 121 and is formed by providing a convex-shaped member on the Z-axis negative surface of the conductive plate 121. A first connecting portion 123 is provided at the end of the first stator 120 on the side where the first fixed contact 122 is not provided. The first connecting portion 123 is a member for connecting to the outside of the contact mechanism 100. Each component constituting the first stator 120 is made of a conductive material such as a metal. The first fixed contact 122 may be formed integrally with the conductive plate 121.

[0012] The second stator 130 includes a conductive plate 131 extending in the X-axis direction and a second fixed contact 132 provided to be connectable to the second movable contact 113 of the movable element 110. The second fixed contact 132 of the second stator 130 is formed by providing a convex-shaped member on the Z-axis negative side of the conductive plate 131, which is the positive X-axis side end of the conductive plate 131. A second connecting portion 133 is provided at the end of the second stator 130 on the side where the second fixed contact 132 is not provided. The second connecting portion 133 is a member for connecting to the outside of the contact mechanism 100. Each component constituting the second stator 130 is made of a conductive material such as a metal material. The second fixed contact 132 may be formed integrally with the conductive plate 131.

[0013] The contact mechanism 100 becomes energized when the electromagnet is switched on. The electromagnet rotates the movable iron piece 150 by energizing the coil. The movable iron piece 150 is connected to the connecting member 140. The connecting member 140 is, for example, an L-shaped member when viewed in the X-axis direction. One end of the connecting member 140 is connected to the movable iron piece 150, and the other end is connected to the movable element 110.

[0014] When the switch of the electromagnet having the movable iron piece 150 is turned on, the movable iron piece 150 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the plus side in the X-axis direction due to the excitation of the coil provided in the electromagnet. The connection member 140 and the mover 110 move as the movable iron piece 150 rotates. That is, by turning on the switch of the electromagnet having the movable iron piece 150, the mover 110 is moved toward the stator 120, 130 side, and the first movable contact 112 and the first fixed contact 122 are brought into contact with each other, and the second movable contact 113 and the second fixed contact 132 can be brought into contact with each other. By bringing the first movable contact 112 and the first fixed contact 122 into contact with each other and bringing the second movable contact 113 and the second fixed contact 132 into contact with each other, the first stator 20 and the second stator 30 are energized via the mover 110. Thus, the contact mechanism 100 is brought into an energized state by turning on the switch of the electromagnet having the movable iron piece 150. Note that FIG. 2 shows the case where the contact mechanism 100 is in an energized state.

[0015] In the contact mechanism 100, the mover 110, the first stator 120, and the second stator 130 are configured to extend in the X-axis direction. That is, when the contact mechanism 100 is in an energized state, the energization directions of the mover 110, the first stator 120, and the second stator 130 are the same. The arrows shown in FIG. 2 are an example of the energization directions of the mover 110, the first stator 120, and the second stator 130 when in an energized state. When a current flows in the contact mechanism 100, a magnetic field in the Y-axis direction (third direction) is generated in the mover 11 . More specifically, when a current flowing toward the plus side in the X-axis direction flows in the contact mechanism 100, a magnetic field toward the plus side in the Y-axis direction is generated in the mover 110 by the stators 120, 130. On the other hand, when a current flowing toward the minus side in the X-axis direction flows in the contact mechanism 100, a magnetic field toward the minus side in the Y-axis direction is generated in the mover 110 by the stators 120, 130.

[0016] When the contact mechanism 100 is in an energized state, a Lorentz force is generated in the direction in which the mover 110 (conductive plate 111) maintains the energized state (plus side in the Z-axis direction) by the magnetic field generated by the stators 120 and 130. Therefore, by using the Lorentz force acting on the plus side in the Z-axis direction, the electromagnetic repulsive force (the force acting on the minus side in the Z-axis direction) acting between the mover 110 and the stators 120 and 130 in the energized state can be effectively suppressed.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary yoke 160 is disposed inside the stators 120 and 130 in the first direction (X-axis direction), that is, between the stators 120 and 130, and on the side of the first surface (the surface on the plus side in the Z-axis direction) of the conductive plate 111. The arrows shown in FIG. 3 indicate the magnetic field created by the current flowing through the mover 110. By disposing the auxiliary yoke 160 on the surface where the movable contacts 112 and 113 are disposed, the magnetic fields on the plus and minus sides in the Z-axis direction of the mover 110 can be controlled, and the electromagnetic repulsive force (the force acting on the minus side in the Z-axis direction) acting between the mover 110 and the stators 120 and 130 in the energized state can be further effectively suppressed.

[0018] The effect of the auxiliary yoke 160 increases as the mover 110 and the auxiliary yoke 160 approach each other in the Z-axis direction (second direction). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first surface of the mover 110 is planar when viewed from the first direction in the region overlapping the auxiliary yoke 160 when viewed from the plus side in the Z-axis direction. Here, the region overlapping the auxiliary yoke 160 when viewed from the plus side in the Z-axis direction is the portion of the first surface of the mover 110 corresponding to the location where the auxiliary yoke 160 is disposed. Also, being planar when viewed from the first direction means that there is no convex portion protruding toward the auxiliary yoke 160 side when viewed from the first direction. Specifically, the region overlapping the auxiliary yoke 160 when viewed from the plus side in the Z-axis direction may be planar or may have a concave portion. Since the portion of the first surface of the mover 110 corresponding to the auxiliary yoke 160 is planar when viewed from the first direction, the mover 110 and the auxiliary yoke 160 can be brought close to each other.

[0019] <Embodiment 2> Figure 4 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism 200 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the contact mechanism 200 cut at the position shown in Figure 4. The contact mechanism 200 differs from the contact mechanism 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3 in that it includes a movable element 210 instead of a movable element 110, and a connecting member 240 instead of a connecting member 140. The other configurations are the same as those of the contact mechanism 100, so their explanation will be omitted as appropriate.

[0020] As shown in Figure 5, the movable element 210 has a conductive plate 211 extending in a first direction, and a first movable contact 212 and a second movable contact 213 provided on both ends of the first surface of the conductive plate 211 in the X-axis direction. The conductive plate 211 is provided with protrusions 212a and 212b on the surface opposite to the first surface (the surface on the negative side in the Z-axis direction). In the example shown in Figure 5, two protrusions 212a and 212b are shown, but the number of protrusions is not particularly limited and may be one or three or more. The method of forming the protrusions 212a and 212b is not particularly limited, and for example, the protrusions 212a and 212b may be formed by embossing, which applies force from the positive side in the Z-axis direction of the movable element 210 toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, in Embodiment 2, the connecting member 240 is positioned on the negative Z-axis side of the movable element 210. The connecting member 240 is a plate-shaped member and has through holes 241a and 241b. The through holes 241a and 241b are provided in positions and shapes corresponding to the protrusions 212a and 212b. The connecting member 240 and the movable element 210 are connected by fitting the protrusions 212a and 212b into the through holes 241a and 241b.

[0022] <Embodiment 3> Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism 300 according to Embodiment 2. The contact mechanism 300 differs from the contact mechanism 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3 in that it includes a movable element 310 instead of a movable element 110, and a connecting member 340 instead of a connecting member 140. The other configurations are the same as those of the contact mechanism 100, so their explanation will be omitted as appropriate.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, the movable element 310 has a conductive plate 311 extending in a first direction, and a first movable contact 312 and a second movable contact 315, respectively, provided on both ends of the first surface of the conductive plate 311 in the X-axis direction. A recess 313 is provided on the first surface of the conductive plate 311. As shown in Figure 6, in embodiment 3, the connecting member 240 is positioned on the positive Z-axis side of the movable element 210. The connecting member 240 is a plate-shaped member. The end of the connecting member 240 that connects to the movable element 210 is fitted into the recess 313. In other words, the recess 313 is provided to be large enough to accommodate the end of the connecting member 240 that connects to the movable element 210. Specifically, the recess 313 is provided such that its thickness in the Z-axis direction is greater than that of the end of the connecting member 240. The connecting member 340 and the movable element 310 are connected by fitting the end of the connecting member 340 into the recess 313.

[0024] The bottom surface of the recess 313 may be provided with protrusions 314a and 314b. In the example shown in Figure 6, two protrusions 314a and 314b are shown, but the number of protrusions is not particularly limited and may be one or three or more. The method of forming the protrusions 314a and 314b is not particularly limited and may be formed by embossing, for example, by applying force from the negative Z-axis side surface to the positive Z-axis side surface of the bottom of the recess 313. When protrusions 314a and 314b are provided on the bottom surface of the recess 313, through holes 341a and 341b are provided at the ends of the connecting member 240. The through holes 341a and 341b are provided in positions and shapes corresponding to the protrusions 314a and 314b. In this case, the connecting member 340 and the movable member 310 are connected by fitting the protruding parts 314a and 314b into the through holes 341a and 341b, and then fitting the end of the connecting member 340 into the recess 313. When fitting the protruding parts 314a and 314b into the through holes 341a and 341b, the parts of the protruding parts 314a and 314b that protrude from the through holes 341a and 341b may be crimped.

[0025] <Embodiment 4> Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the contact mechanism 400 according to Embodiment 4. The contact mechanism 400 differs from the contact mechanism 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3 in that it includes a movable element 410 instead of a movable element 110, and a connecting member 440 instead of a connecting member 140. The other configurations are the same as those of the contact mechanism 100, so their explanation will be omitted as appropriate.

[0026] As shown in Figure 7, the movable element 410 has a conductive plate 411 extending in a first direction, and a first movable contact 412 and a second movable contact 413 provided on both ends of the first surface of the conductive plate 411 in the X-axis direction. The conductive plate 411 is provided with movable element through holes 413a and 413b. The movable element through holes 413a and 413b are provided with head housing portions at the ends on the first surface side. The head housing portions are provided so that their diameter is larger than the other parts of the movable element through holes 413a and 413b. In the example shown in Figure 5, a case is shown in which two movable element through holes 413a and 413b are provided, but the number of movable element through holes is not particularly limited and may be one or three or more.

[0027] As shown in Figure 7, in Embodiment 4, the connecting member 440 is positioned on the negative Z-axis side of the movable element 410. The connecting member 440 is a plate-shaped member and has connecting member through holes 441a and 441b. The connecting member through holes 441a and 441b are provided in positions and shapes corresponding to the movable element through holes 413a and 413b. The movable element 210 and the connecting member 240 are connected by passing rivets 470a and 470b through the movable element through holes 413a and 413b and the connecting member through holes 441a and 441b, respectively.

[0028] The rivets 470a and 470b have their heads on the positive Z-axis side, i.e., on the movable element 410 side. The heads of the rivets 470a and 470b are housed in the head-receiving portions of the movable element through holes 413a and 413b, i.e., the ends on the first face side of the movable element through holes 413a and 413b, where the diameter is larger than the other parts. For example, the heads of the rivets 470a and 470b have a smaller diameter than the ends on the first face side of the movable element through holes 413a and 413b, but a larger diameter than the other parts of the movable element through holes 413a and 413b. In addition, the portions of the rivets 470a and 470b that protrude from the connecting member through holes 441a and 441b may be crimped.

[0029] In the example shown in Figure 7, the case where the heads of the rivets 470a and 470b are positioned on the movable element 410 side has been described. However, the heads of the rivets 470a and 470b may also be positioned on the connecting member 440 side. In this case, the tips of the rivets 470a and 470b are positioned so as not to protrude from the ends on the first side of the movable element through holes 413a and 413b. For example, the tips of the rivets 470a and 470b are crimped after passing through the connecting member through holes 441a and 441b and the movable element through holes 413a and 413b.

[0030] <Embodiment 5> Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the contact mechanism 500 according to Embodiment 5. In addition to the configuration of the contact mechanism 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the contact mechanism 500 includes a first permanent magnet 580a, a second permanent magnet 580b, and a base 590.

[0031] As shown in Figure 8, the first permanent magnet 580a is positioned on the positive X-axis side of the first movable contact 112 and the first fixed contact 122. The second permanent magnet 580b is positioned on the negative X-axis side of the second movable contact 113 and the second fixed contact 132. The base 590 holds the first stator 120, the second stator 130, the auxiliary yoke 160, the first permanent magnet 580a, and the second permanent magnet 580b in place.

[0032] <Embodiment 6> Figures 9 and 10 are perspective and cross-sectional views, respectively, showing an example configuration of the contact mechanism 600 according to Embodiment 5. Figure 11 is a cutaway view of the contact mechanism 600 shown in Figure 10. The contact mechanism 600 includes a movable element 610 in place of the movable element 110, a connecting member 640 in place of the connecting member 140, and a second auxiliary yoke 661 in addition to the configuration of the contact mechanism 500 shown in Figure 8. Note that some components are omitted from the illustration in Figures 9 to 11.

[0033] As shown in Figure 10, the movable element 610 includes a conductive plate 611 extending in a first direction, and first movable contacts 612 and second movable contacts 613 provided on both ends of the first surface of the conductive plate 611 in the X-axis direction. The conductive plate 611 is provided with movable element through holes 613a and 613b. The ends of the movable element through holes 613a and 613b on the first surface side are provided to have a larger diameter than the other parts. In the example shown in Figure 10, two movable element through holes 613a and 613b are shown, but the number of movable element through holes is not particularly limited and may be one or three or more.

[0034] In Embodiment 6, the connecting member 640 is positioned on the negative Z-axis side of the movable element 610. The connecting member 640 is a plate-shaped member and has connecting member through holes 641a and 641b. The connecting member through holes 641a and 641b are provided in positions and shapes corresponding to the movable element through holes 613a and 613b.

[0035] As shown in Figure 9, the second auxiliary yoke 661 is provided so as to surround the faces of the movable element 610 other than the first face. For example, the second auxiliary yoke 661 may be a U-shaped member when viewed from the X-axis direction. As shown in Figure 10, the second auxiliary yoke 661 is positioned between the movable element 610 and the connecting member 640. The second auxiliary yoke 661 has yoke through holes 662a and 662b. The yoke through holes 662a and 662b are provided in positions and shapes corresponding to the movable element through holes 613a and 613b and the connecting member through holes 641a and 641b.

[0036] The movable element 610, the second auxiliary yoke 661, and the connecting member 640 are connected by passing rivets 670a and 670b through the movable element through holes 613a and 613b, the yoke through holes 662a and 662b, and the connecting member through holes 641a and 641b, respectively. Since rivets 670a and 670b have the same function and shape as rivets 470a and 470b described with reference to Figure 7, their description is omitted.

[0037] The arrows shown in Figure 11 indicate the magnetic field created by the current flowing through the movable element 610. By arranging the auxiliary yoke 160 and the second auxiliary yoke 661, a magnetic attractive force is generated between the auxiliary yoke 160 and the second auxiliary yoke 661, which further effectively suppresses the electromagnetic repulsive force (force acting on the negative side in the Z-axis direction) acting between the movable element 610 and the stators 120 and 130 when energized.

[0038] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined with others.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above in reference to the embodiments described above, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and of course includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that can be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the claims of the present patent application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 100 contact mechanism 110 Mover 111 Conductive plate 112 1st movable contact 113 2nd movable contact 120 1st stator 121 Conductive plate 122 1st fixed contact 123 First connection section 130 Second stator 131 Conductive plate 132 2nd fixed contact 133 Second connection section 140 Connecting Members 150 movable metal pieces 160 Auxiliary Yoke 200 Contact mechanism 210 Mover 211 Conductive plate 212a, 212b protrusion 240 Connecting Members 241a,241b Through hole 300 Contact mechanism 310 Mover 311 Conductive plate 313 Recess 314a,314b protrusion 340 Connecting Members 341a,341b through hole 400 Contact mechanism 410 Mover 411 Conductive plate 413a,413b Mover through hole 440 Connecting Members 441a, 441b Through-holes for connecting members 470a, 470b rivets 500 contact mechanism 590 base 600 Contact mechanism 610 Mover 611 Conductive plate 613a,613b Mover through hole 640 Connecting Member 641a, 641b Through-holes for connecting members 662a, 662b Yoke through holes 670a, 670b rivets

Claims

1. A movable element having a first movable contact and a second movable contact provided on both ends in the first direction of the first surface of a conductive plate extending in a first direction, A first stator having a first fixed contact at one end that is connectable to the first movable contact, and a first connection portion to the outside at the other end, A second stator having a second fixed contact at one end that is connectable to the second movable contact, and a second connection portion to the outside at the other end, A connecting member that connects the movable element and the movable iron piece, which drives the movable element with an electromagnet having a movable iron piece, The system comprises an auxiliary yoke positioned inside the first stator and the second stator in the first direction and on the first surface side of the movable member, The first stator extends in the first direction toward the first connection portion, The second stator extends in the first direction toward the second connection portion, The movable element is planar when viewed from the first direction at the location on the first surface corresponding to the location where the auxiliary yoke is positioned. Contact mechanism.

2. The connecting member is a plate-shaped member and has a through hole. The movable element has a projection that protrudes from the surface opposite to the first surface, The movable element is connected to the connecting member by passing the protruding portion through the through hole. The contact mechanism according to claim 1.

3. The connecting member is a plate-shaped member, The movable element has a recess on its first surface that is large enough to accommodate the end of the connecting member. The movable element is connected to the connecting member by fitting the connecting member into the recess. The contact mechanism according to claim 1.

4. The connecting member is a plate-shaped member and has a through-hole for the connecting member. The movable element has the connecting member positioned on the side opposite to the first surface and has a movable element through hole. The movable element is connected to the connecting member by passing rivets through the movable element through hole and the connecting member through hole. The contact mechanism according to claim 1.

5. A first permanent magnet is disposed on the outside of the first movable contact and the first fixed contact in the first direction, A second permanent magnet is disposed on the outside of the second movable contact and the second fixed contact in the first direction, The system further comprises the first stator, the second stator, the auxiliary yoke, the first permanent magnet, and a base for holding the second permanent magnet. The contact mechanism according to claim 1.

6. The system further comprises a second auxiliary yoke joined to the aforementioned movable element. The contact mechanism according to claim 5.

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