Auxiliary contact assembly and relay

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an auxiliary contact assembly and a relay. The auxiliary contact assembly is applied to a switching device, and comprises an auxiliary movable spring and auxiliary static springs. At least two auxiliary static springs are provided, and each auxiliary static spring comprises a static spring lead-out end and a static spring contact end. The auxiliary movable spring comprises an installation fixing part and a contact part connected to each other. The contact part comprises a push region, and a first movable spring contact end and a second movable spring contact end respectively extending on two sides of the push region. The push region is configured to be pushed by a push rod mechanism of the switching device, so as to drive the first movable spring contact end and the second movable spring contact end to contact or separate from corresponding static spring contact ends. The auxiliary movable spring is connected to the push rod mechanism without moving synchronously therewith, thereby reducing the load and power consumption of the pushing assembly, simplifying installation processes, and lowering manufacturing costs.

Description

Auxiliary contact assemblies and relays

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410317246.5 filed on March 19, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of switching electrical appliances, and in particular to an auxiliary contact assembly and a relay. Background Art

[0003] In some relays, auxiliary contact components are often used to monitor the on-state of the main contacts. Because the monitoring current flowing through the auxiliary contact components is very small (milliampere level), the auxiliary contact components are relatively small.

[0004] In common relays, the active reed and auxiliary reed are integrated with the push rod mechanism. Furthermore, the auxiliary contacts and main contacts are both connected to the push rod mechanism, requiring an integral injection-molded structure. This results in a bulky product, complex molding, and high product cost. The integration of the auxiliary reed and the push rod mechanism—that is, the auxiliary reed and the push rod mechanism are operably connected—increases the load and power consumption of the push assembly, and is complex to install, occupies a large space, and has limited applicable environments. Furthermore, the auxiliary reed generates little reaction force, limited to the reaction force generated by deformation of the auxiliary reed due to overtravel of the push rod mechanism. No reaction force is generated while the push rod mechanism is within the contact gap travel, hindering the design of the magnetic latching relay's suction reaction force matching or the voltage regulation design of ordinary non-magnetic latching relays. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To this end, in order to address at least one of the above problems, the present disclosure provides an auxiliary contact assembly and a relay.

[0006] This disclosure is implemented using the following scheme:

[0007] The present disclosure provides an auxiliary contact assembly for a switching electrical appliance, comprising an auxiliary dynamic spring and an auxiliary static spring, wherein the number of the auxiliary static springs is at least two, and each of the auxiliary static springs comprises a static spring lead-out end and a static spring contact end; the auxiliary dynamic spring comprises an interconnected mounting and fixing portion and a contact portion, the contact portion comprises a pushing area and a first dynamic spring contact end and a second dynamic spring contact end respectively extending on both sides of the pushing area, the pushing area being used to be pushed by a push rod mechanism of the switching electrical appliance to drive the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end to contact or separate with the corresponding static spring contact end.

[0008] In one embodiment, there are two auxiliary static springs, and the auxiliary dynamic spring serves as a conductive bridge to achieve electrical conduction between the two auxiliary static springs. The two auxiliary static springs are connected in series by contacting the auxiliary dynamic spring, thereby forming an auxiliary contact circuit.

[0009] In one embodiment, the mounting and fixing portion includes a base portion, and a distance between the base portion and the static spring contact end is smaller than a distance between the first dynamic spring contact end, the second dynamic spring contact end, and the static spring contact end.

[0010] In one embodiment, the mounting and fixing portion is used to be assembled on a base of a switching electrical device.

[0011] In one embodiment, the two auxiliary static springs are made of rigid conductive material.

[0012] In one embodiment, both the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end are cantilevers, and the cantilevers are provided with conductive contact areas for contacting the static spring contact ends.

[0013] In one embodiment, at least one of the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end includes at least two cantilevered arms arranged side by side.

[0014] In one embodiment, the conductive contact area is provided with a bulge, and the bulge serves as a conductive contact point for contacting or separating with the static spring contact end.

[0015] In one embodiment, the pushing area is connected to the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end respectively through a first elastic segment.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first elastic section is a first C-shaped bend.

[0017] In one embodiment, the direction in which the contact portion extends is defined as a first direction, the mounting and fixing portion is connected between the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end of the contact portion, and the mounting and fixing portion extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the auxiliary dynamic spring is T-shaped.

[0018] In one embodiment, the installation and fixing portion includes a bent portion and a base portion, and a second elastic section is formed on the bent portion.

[0019] In one embodiment, the bending portion includes two support arms extending along the second direction, and both of the support arms are connected to the base portion; and the second elastic segment is formed on the support arms.

[0020] In one embodiment, the second elastic section is a second C-shaped bend.

[0021] In one embodiment, the installation and fixing portion includes a bent portion and a base portion, wherein the bent portion is connected between the pushing area and the base portion and is inclined relative to the pushing area and the base portion.

[0022] In one embodiment, the dynamic spring contact end includes two side-by-side cantilevers, namely a first cantilever and a second cantilever, and the first cantilever and the second cantilever are both provided with a bulge as a conductive contact. When the auxiliary dynamic spring is not subjected to a driving force, there is a gap between the bulges on the first cantilever and the second cantilever and the static spring contact end, and the gap between the bulge on the first cantilever and the static spring contact end is greater than the gap between the bulge on the second cantilever and the static spring contact end, so that when the pushing area of ​​the auxiliary dynamic spring is subjected to a driving force and moves, the first cantilever and the second cantilever are driven to move toward the static spring contact end, and the bulge on the first cantilever and the bulge on the second cantilever can contact the static spring contact end at the same time.

[0023] The present disclosure also provides a relay, comprising the auxiliary contact assembly as described in any one of the preceding items.

[0024] In one embodiment, the relay includes a push rod mechanism, which is used to push the pushing area of ​​the contact part of the auxiliary dynamic spring, so that the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end are in contact with or separated from the corresponding static spring contact end. The movement stroke of the push rod mechanism includes the idle stroke when the push rod mechanism and the auxiliary dynamic spring are in a non-contact state.

[0025] In one embodiment, the relay further includes a magnetic circuit mechanism and a main contact assembly, wherein the magnetic circuit mechanism controls the contact contact or separation of the main contact assembly through the push rod mechanism; the magnetic circuit mechanism includes a yoke structure, a bobbin and a coil, and the bobbin is provided with a center hole in the contact contact and separation direction of the main contact assembly, and the center hole is used for the push rod mechanism to pass through.

[0026] In one embodiment, the idle travel may be at least partially disposed within the central bore.

[0027] In one embodiment, the main contact assembly and the auxiliary contact assembly are respectively located at both ends of the push rod mechanism, and the main contact assembly and the auxiliary contact assembly are arranged along the movement direction of the push rod mechanism. The moving and static contacts of the main contact assembly and the first moving spring contact end, the second moving spring contact end and the corresponding static spring contact end of the auxiliary contact assembly can all contact or separate along the movement direction of the push rod mechanism.

[0028] The technical solution provided by this disclosure has the following technical effects:

[0029] 1. The present disclosure provides an auxiliary contact assembly in which a push rod mechanism pushes against a push zone of a contact portion of an auxiliary movable spring, thereby moving the contact portion of the auxiliary movable spring. Specifically, the auxiliary movable spring and the push rod mechanism are non-followingly connected. This reduces the weight and power consumption of the push rod assembly, simplifies the installation process, minimizes assembly tolerances, and reduces manufacturing costs. The mounting and fixing portion of the auxiliary movable spring generates a small dynamic reaction force during deformation recovery, facilitating the design of a magnetic latching relay's suction reaction force matching or a conventional non-magnetic latching relay's voltage adjustment design. The small dynamic reaction force provides initial velocity for the push rod during reverse movement, facilitating magnetic circuit suction force coordination and reducing coil power consumption. The non-following design reduces the space occupied by the auxiliary contact assembly and improves space utilization. The non-following design allows the push rod mechanism to have an idle stroke when not in contact with the auxiliary movable spring. This idle stroke can be used to partially cover the contact gap. Consequently, the presence of the idle stroke of the push rod mechanism allows the relative spacing between the auxiliary movable and static contacts to be smaller, resulting in a smaller overall space occupied by the auxiliary contact assembly and improved space utilization. At the same time, the problem of trumpet overlap caused by the excessive distance between the auxiliary moving and static contacts is not likely to occur, which makes the contact reliability of the auxiliary contact assembly disclosed in the present invention higher, and is easy to apply to the use environment where the main contact has a large gap, and has a wide range of applications.

[0030] 2. The auxiliary movable spring and the push rod mechanism are non-follow-action connected, and the push rod does not need to be engaged with the auxiliary movable spring. If the auxiliary movable spring and the push rod mechanism are connected in a follow-up manner, because the auxiliary movable spring is not convenient to be assembled into the internal space of the magnetic circuit structure, sufficient contact gaps need to be reserved in the space outside the magnetic circuit structure, resulting in a larger product size; and the push rod length must be sufficient to engage with the auxiliary movable spring, otherwise the push rod is likely to hit the inner wall of the housing. In this embodiment, the auxiliary movable spring and the push rod mechanism are non-follow-action connected, and a portion of the space inside the magnetic circuit structure can be used as the idle travel space when the push rod mechanism and the auxiliary movable spring are in a non-contact state. This makes the space utilization rate in the longitudinal direction of the relay high, the overall longitudinal dimension of the relay can be made smaller, and the product miniaturization is higher.

[0031] 3. Since the two auxiliary static springs are made of rigid materials, they can effectively avoid the problems of deformation and retreat of the flexible auxiliary static springs in the past, which may lead to a reduction in the overtravel of the push card, a decrease in the contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic spring and the auxiliary static spring, or even contact failure.

[0032] 4. The first and second dynamic spring contact ends each include a first cantilever and a second cantilever. The auxiliary dynamic spring piece has a bridge structure, and both the first and second cantilevers are provided with convex buds as contact points. This doubles the number of contacts without increasing the height of the auxiliary dynamic spring piece. Compared to the traditional dual-contact parallel solution, this embodiment provides two contact points at each of the two dynamic spring contact ends. Due to the increased number of contacts, the probability of non-conduction is greatly reduced, and the risk of contact failure is also reduced, thereby greatly improving the reliability of the micro-motion monitoring system while meeting the requirements of product miniaturization.

[0033] 5. The first C-shaped bend increases the flexibility of the first and second cantilever arms, reduces internal stresses therein, and improves contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic and static springs. It also reduces the length of the first and second cantilever arms, thereby enabling a smaller overall product size. The second C-shaped bend increases the flexibility of the support arm, facilitates deformation, reduces internal stresses therein, improves contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic and static springs, and reduces the length of the support arm, thereby enabling a smaller overall product size.

[0034] 6. The support arm is connected obliquely between the pushing area and the base part. Compared with the integrated arrangement of the support arm and the pushing area and the two being in the same plane, the support arm is connected obliquely between the pushing area and the base part. The relative inclination of the pushing area is reduced, making the contact overlap more reliable and convenient for use in situations with large contact gaps. At the same time, the relative inclination of the pushing area is reduced, and the space occupied by the pushing area is reduced, which is conducive to full utilization of the internal space of the product and smaller product molding size.

[0035] 7. The distance between the base and the static spring contact end is smaller than the distance between the dynamic spring contact end and the static spring contact end, which can reduce the swing amplitude of the auxiliary dynamic spring throughout the entire process, thereby reducing the flare angle of the overlap between the contact part and the static spring contact end, making it easier to apply to situations with large contact gaps and also conducive to product miniaturization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG1 is a perspective view of a relay according to the present embodiment;

[0037] FIG2 is a top view of the relay of this embodiment with part of the housing removed;

[0038] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG2 ;

[0039] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in FIG3 ;

[0040] FIG5 is a perspective view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in this embodiment provided at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0041] FIG6 is a perspective view of the auxiliary dynamic spring in this embodiment;

[0042] FIG7 is a perspective view of the auxiliary static spring in this embodiment;

[0043] FIG8 is a side view of the installation of the auxiliary dynamic spring and the auxiliary static spring in this embodiment;

[0044] 9 is a top view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in this embodiment in an off state and disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0045] 10 is a front view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in the present embodiment in an off state and disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0046] 11 is a top view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in this embodiment in a closed state and disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0047] 12 is a front view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in the present embodiment in a closed state and disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0048] 13 is a top view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in this embodiment in an overtravel state and disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0049] 14 is a front view of the auxiliary contact assembly of the relay in the present embodiment in an overtravel state and disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism;

[0050] FIG15 is a top view of an auxiliary dynamic spring in another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of circuit connection in this embodiment;

[0052] 17 is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection of the auxiliary dynamic spring in another embodiment of the dynamic spring lead-out terminal;

[0053] FIG18 is a circuit connection schematic diagram of another embodiment in which a plurality of auxiliary static springs are provided;

[0054] FIG19 is a circuit connection principle diagram of another way of setting multiple auxiliary static springs in other embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] To further illustrate various embodiments, the present disclosure is accompanied by accompanying drawings. These drawings form part of the disclosure and are primarily used to illustrate the embodiments and, in conjunction with the relevant description in the specification, to explain the operating principles of the embodiments. By referring to these drawings, those skilled in the art will understand other possible implementations and the advantages of the present disclosure. The components in the figures are not drawn to scale, and similar reference numerals are generally used to represent similar components.

[0056] The present disclosure will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0057] As shown in FIG2 , this embodiment provides a relay including a base 10, a push rod mechanism 20, a magnetic circuit mechanism 30, and a main contact assembly 40. The push rod mechanism 20, the magnetic circuit mechanism 30, and the main contact assembly 40 are disposed on the base 10, and the magnetic circuit mechanism 30 controls the contact or separation of the main contact assembly 40 via the push rod mechanism 20.

[0058] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the magnetic circuit mechanism 30 includes a yoke structure 310, a bobbin 320, and a coil 330. The yoke structure 310 has a chamber, and the bobbin 320 and the coil 330 are both disposed within the chamber of the yoke structure 310. The coil 330 is wound around the outer circumference of the bobbin 320. The bobbin 320 has a center hole 321 in the direction of contact and separation of the main contact assembly 40. The center hole 321 is used to allow one end of the push rod mechanism 20 to pass through. The yoke structure 310 has a through hole, which is used to allow the push rod mechanism 20 to pass through.

[0059] The magnetic circuit mechanism 30 further includes two permanent magnets 340 , which are disposed on the bobbin 320 and located on both sides of the movement direction of the push rod mechanism 20 . The permanent magnets 340 and the yoke structure 310 form a magnetic circuit structure of magnetic retention.

[0060] Of course, in other embodiments, it is also possible to not include the permanent magnet 340, but the magnetic circuit structure for magnetic retention is not formed, the electricity cost is higher, the service life is shorter, and the overall performance stability is poor.

[0061] The push rod mechanism 20 is movable relative to the base 10 in the direction of contact contact or separation. The push rod mechanism 20 includes a push rod 210 and an iron core 220, with the iron core 220 connected to the push rod 210. Under the action of the magnetic control circuit formed by the coil 330, the iron core 220 can move in the direction of contact contact or separation, thereby driving the push rod 210 to move and control the contact contact or separation of the main contact assembly 40. In other embodiments, other force transmission components may be included between the push rod 210 and the main contact assembly 40. The push rod 210 acts on the main contact assembly 40 through the force transmission components to control the contact contact or separation of the main contact assembly 40.

[0062] 2 to 4 , the main contact assembly 40 includes a movable reed 410 and a stationary reed 420 . The stationary reed 420 is fixedly mounted on the base 10 , and the movable reed 410 is mounted on the push rod 210 of the push rod mechanism 20 and moves with the push rod mechanism 20 .

[0063] In this embodiment, there are two groups of main contact assemblies 40 , and the two groups of main contact assemblies 40 are arranged along the movement direction of the push rod mechanism 20 .

[0064] Of course, in other embodiments, the main contact assembly 40 may also be a group or other quantity.

[0065] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the two ends of the movable spring 410 in the longitudinal direction serve as movable contacts, which can protrude from or be flush with the other parts of the movable spring 410. The portion of the stationary spring 420 that contacts the movable spring 410 serves as a stationary contact, which can protrude from or be flush with the other parts of the stationary spring 420.

[0066] As an example, the movable spring piece 410 includes a movable spring body 411 and a movable contact 412. The movable contact 412 and the movable spring body 411 are separate structures. The movable contact 412 and the movable spring body 411 can be connected by riveting, but the present invention is not limited to this. The stationary spring piece 420 includes a stationary spring body 421 and a stationary contact 422. The stationary contact 422 and the stationary spring body 421 are separate structures. The stationary contact 422 and the stationary spring body 421 can be connected by riveting, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0067] Of course, in another embodiment, the movable contact 412 and the movable spring body 411 may also be an integral structure, and the static contact 422 and the static spring body 421 may be an integral structure.

[0068] As shown in Figures 1, 5, and 7, Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the auxiliary contact assembly 70 of the relay in this embodiment, which is disposed at one end of the push rod mechanism 20. The relay in this embodiment also includes the auxiliary contact assembly 70, which comprises an auxiliary movable spring 800 and two auxiliary static springs 900. In this embodiment, the two auxiliary static springs 900 are made of rigid conductive material. The auxiliary static springs 900 include a static spring contact end 902 and a static spring lead end 901.

[0069] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 includes a mounting and fixing portion 810 and a contact portion 820 that are connected to each other. The mounting and fixing portion 810 is used to assist in the installation and fixing of the dynamic spring 800. The contact portion 820 includes a first dynamic spring contact end 821, a second dynamic spring contact end 822, and a push region 826. The first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 extend from opposite sides of the push region 826.

[0070] Since the two auxiliary static springs 900 are made of rigid material, compared with flexible material, rigid material has strong resistance to bending and deformation, and the deformation of rigid material under external force is very small, even negligible. The auxiliary static spring 900 made of rigid material is not easy to deform, which can effectively avoid the problem of reduced overtravel of the push card caused by deformation of the flexible auxiliary static spring in the prior art, and reduced contact reliability or even contact failure between the auxiliary dynamic spring and the auxiliary static spring.

[0071] It is understood that the auxiliary dynamic spring in this embodiment can also be used in conjunction with a non-rigid auxiliary static spring. When the auxiliary dynamic spring and the non-rigid auxiliary static spring are used together, the rigidity of the auxiliary static spring can be improved by increasing the installation height of the base, thereby reducing the deformation length of the auxiliary static spring. Of course, the rigidity can also be increased through structural design, that is, changing the shape of the auxiliary static spring.

[0072] The first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 are used to respectively contact or separate with the static spring contact ends 902 of the two auxiliary static springs 900. The auxiliary dynamic spring 800 serves as a conductive bridge to achieve electrical conduction between the two auxiliary static springs 900. The two auxiliary static springs 900 are connected in series by contacting the auxiliary dynamic spring 800, thereby forming an auxiliary contact circuit. The principle is shown in Figure 16. The static spring lead-out ends 901 of the two auxiliary static springs 900 can be electrically connected to the monitoring device. Through the contact or separation of the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 with the two static spring contact ends 902, the circuit formed by the two static spring lead-out ends 901 and the monitoring device is connected or disconnected, so that the monitoring device can monitor the contact status of the dynamic spring piece 410 and the static spring piece 420 of the main contact assembly 40.

[0073] In this embodiment, the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 of the auxiliary contact assembly 70 is connected to the base 10 via the mounting fixing portion 810 , and is pushed by the push rod mechanism 20 , while the auxiliary static spring 900 of the auxiliary contact assembly 70 is fixedly connected to the base 10 .

[0074] As shown in Figures 2 and 5 , when the magnetic circuit mechanism 30 drives the push rod mechanism 20 to move, the push rod mechanism 20 not only drives the movable spring 410 to move, but also pushes against the contact portion 820 of the auxiliary movable spring 800 to move, causing the contact portion 820 of the auxiliary movable spring 800 to contact or separate from the auxiliary static spring 900. The main contact assembly 40 and the auxiliary contact assembly 70 are located at opposite ends of the push rod mechanism 20, respectively. The main contact assembly 40 and the auxiliary contact assembly 70 are arranged along the direction of movement of the push rod mechanism 20. The movable and static contacts of the main contact assembly 40 and the auxiliary contact assembly 70 can both separate and engage along the direction of movement of the push rod mechanism 20.

[0075] 2 , 5 , and 6 , the pushing region 826 is configured to abut against an end of the push rod mechanism 20 away from the dynamic spring 410. The push rod mechanism 20 pushes against the pushing region 826 of the contact portion 820, thereby moving the contact portion 820, causing the contact portion 820 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 to contact or separate from the auxiliary static spring 900.

[0076] In this embodiment, when the movable spring piece 410 contacts the static spring piece 420 , the auxiliary movable spring 800 separates from the two auxiliary static springs 900 . When the movable spring piece 410 separates from the static spring piece 420 , the auxiliary movable spring 800 contacts the two auxiliary static springs 900 .

[0077] In other embodiments, when the dynamic spring 410 contacts the static spring 420 , the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 contacts the two auxiliary static springs 900 , and when the dynamic spring 410 and the static spring 420 separate, the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 separates from the two auxiliary static springs 900 .

[0078] In this embodiment, the push rod mechanism 20 pushes against the push zone 826 of the contact portion 820, thereby moving the contact portion 820. This means that the auxiliary movable spring and the push rod mechanism are non-followingly connected. This reduces the weight and power consumption of the push assembly, simplifies the installation process, and reduces manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the mounting portion of the auxiliary movable spring generates a small dynamic reaction force during deformation recovery, which facilitates the design of the magnetic latching relay's suction reaction force matching or the voltage adjustment design of a conventional non-magnetic latching relay. This small dynamic reaction force provides initial velocity for the push rod during reverse movement, facilitating magnetic circuit suction force coordination and reducing coil power consumption. This non-following design can reduce the space occupied by the auxiliary contact assembly, thereby improving space utilization.

[0079] As shown in Figure 10, in this embodiment, the motion stroke of the push rod mechanism 20 includes an idle stroke S when the push rod mechanism 20 and the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 are not in contact. The non-follow-up design of this embodiment allows the push rod mechanism 20 and the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 to have an idle stroke when not in contact, which can be used to cover a portion of the contact gap. The presence of the push rod mechanism's idle stroke allows the relative spacing between the auxiliary moving and static contacts to be set smaller, reducing the overall space occupied by the auxiliary contact assembly and improving space utilization. Furthermore, the problem of bell-mouth overlap caused by excessive spacing between the auxiliary moving and static contacts is less likely to occur, making the auxiliary contact assembly of this embodiment more reliable and more suitable for use in environments where the main contacts have a large gap, thus providing a wide range of applications.

[0080] The auxiliary spring and push rod mechanism are non-follow-action connected, and the push rod does not need to be engaged with the auxiliary spring. If the auxiliary spring and push rod mechanism are engaged, because the auxiliary spring cannot fit within the internal space of the magnetic circuit structure, sufficient contact clearance must be reserved outside the magnetic circuit structure, resulting in a larger product size. In addition, the push rod must be long enough to engage with the auxiliary spring, otherwise it may contact the inner wall of the housing.

[0081] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 10, the movement stroke of the push rod mechanism 20 includes an idle stroke S before contacting the auxiliary dynamic spring 800, and the idle stroke S can be at least partially set within the center hole 321 of the magnetic circuit mechanism 30. That is, the internal space of the magnetic circuit structure 30 can be used as the idle stroke space before the push rod mechanism contacts the auxiliary dynamic spring, so that the space utilization rate in the longitudinal direction of the relay is high, the overall length dimension of the relay can be smaller, and the product miniaturization is higher.

[0082] In this embodiment, the push region 826 is made of a conductive metal material and is integrally formed with the first and second spring contact ends 821, 822. In other embodiments, the push region 826 can also be made of a non-conductive material such as plastic and injection molded integrally with the first and second spring contact ends 821, 822 between the first and second spring contact ends 821, 822. The first and second spring contact ends 821, 822 are electrically connected via a mounting portion 810 made of a conductive metal material.

[0083] Referring to Figures 1 and 5 , the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and auxiliary static spring 900 are both inserted into the base 10, with the static spring leads 901 of both auxiliary static springs 900 extending out of the bottom surface of the base 10. These static spring leads 901 extend out of the bottom surface of the base 10 to facilitate connection with the circuit board. It should be noted that the bottom surface of the base 10 refers to the side of the base 10 that faces the circuit board when the relay is assembled on the circuit board.

[0084] It is readily understood that in other embodiments, a spring lead-out terminal may be provided at the lower end of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800, with the spring lead-out terminal electrically connected to any of the static spring contact terminals 902 and a monitoring device, thereby enabling the monitoring device to monitor the contact status of the main contact assembly 40. This is also a feasible technical solution, the principle diagram of which is shown in FIG17. However, in this embodiment, no spring lead-out terminal is provided at the lower end of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800, eliminating the need for riveting or welding the spring lead-out terminal to the base. External forces such as welding will not cause the position of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800's spring leaf to shift or deform, potentially leading to serious product defects. Furthermore, the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 does not need to be welded to an external circuit board, thus avoiding the generation of welding stress. Furthermore, the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 is not easily affected by external high temperatures, resulting in higher product contact reliability.

[0085] Along the movement direction of the push rod mechanism 20, the auxiliary contact assembly 70 is arranged at the end of the push rod mechanism 20 away from the dynamic spring 410. As shown in Figure 7, the auxiliary static spring 900 is a needle-type structure and is inserted into the base 10. Along the axial direction of the needle-type structure, one end of the needle-type structure is the static spring lead-out end 901, and the other end of the needle-type structure is the static spring contact end 902. The outer surface of the static spring contact end 902 is used to contact or separate with the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822. In this embodiment, the auxiliary static spring 720 is a needle-type structure, which has the advantages of simplified part structure, simple molding and easy assembly. It can be understood that the "needle-type structure" refers to a slender wire, rod, etc., whose axial dimension is much larger than the radial dimension.

[0086] As shown in FIG6 , each of the first and second movable spring contact ends 821 and 822 includes a first cantilever 8211 and a second cantilever 8212, with a gap 825 formed between the first and second cantilever 8211 and 8212. Conductive contact areas are provided on the first and second cantilever 8211 and 8212 for contacting the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902. The conductive contact areas on the first and second cantilever 8211 and 8212 are provided with protruding bumps 824, which serve as conductive contacts for contacting or separating with the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902. Since the bulge 824 is protruding from the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212, and the bulge 824 is used to contact the static spring contact end 902, when the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 contact the static spring contact end 902, the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902 is in contact with the bulge 824, and will not be in contact with the side surface of the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212 facing the static spring contact end 902.

[0087] In other embodiments, each of the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 may include two or more cantilever arms, arranged side by side. Each of the cantilever arms is configured to contact the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902. Each of the cantilever arms may be provided with a protruding bump, thereby further enhancing electrical conductivity reliability. In some embodiments, the number of cantilever arms included in each of the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 may differ. For example, the first dynamic spring contact end 821 may include two cantilever arms, while the second dynamic spring contact end 822 may include one cantilever arm. This is also a feasible technical solution.

[0088] As shown in FIG1-14 , the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 both include a first cantilever 8211 and a second cantilever 8212. The auxiliary dynamic spring piece is a bridge structure, and the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212 are both provided with a convex bud 824 as a contact point. The number of contacts can be doubled without increasing the height of the auxiliary dynamic spring piece. Compared with the traditional dual-contact parallel solution, this embodiment provides two contact points at each of the two dynamic spring contact ends. Due to the increase in the number of contacts, the probability of non-conduction is greatly reduced, thereby greatly improving the reliability of the micro-motion monitoring system, reducing the risk of contact failure, and at the same time meeting the needs of product miniaturization.

[0089] In other embodiments, there are more than two auxiliary static springs 900. As shown in Figure 18, there are four auxiliary static springs 900, two of which are connected to one pole of the monitoring device, and the other two to the other pole of the monitoring device. The connection arrangement can be as shown in Figure 18 or Figure 19. In this case, the contact portion 820' of the auxiliary dynamic spring includes a push zone and a first dynamic spring contact end group 821' and a second dynamic spring contact end group 822' extending from either side of the push zone. Each of the first dynamic spring contact end group 821' and the second dynamic spring contact end group 822' is provided with at least one dynamic spring contact end. As shown in the embodiment of Figure 18, each of the first dynamic spring contact end group 821' and the second dynamic spring contact end group 822' is provided with two dynamic spring contact ends, which are used to contact or separate with the static spring contact ends of the auxiliary static spring 900. Providing multiple auxiliary static springs 900 can increase electrical conductivity, thereby improving the reliability of the micro-motion monitoring system.

[0090] In this embodiment, the bulge 824 is formed by protruding from the surface of the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212. That is, the bulge 824 is integrally formed with the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212. In other embodiments, the bulge 824 is separate from the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212, and the bulge 824 is attached to the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212 by a connection method. For example, welding or riveting. In this embodiment, the bulge 824 is formed by protruding from the surface of the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212, without a riveting process, and is easy to manufacture. In this embodiment, the surface of the bulge 824 is silver-plated. Because the current in the auxiliary contact assembly 70 is relatively small, silver plating is used on the surface of the bulge 824 to make electrical contact, which can improve conductivity, has a simple structure, and is easy to manufacture.

[0091] As an example, the convex bulge 824 is elongated. The extension direction of the convex bulge 824 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the needle-shaped structure. By limiting the shape of the convex bulge 824 to an elongated shape and extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the needle-shaped structure, the convex bulge 824 and the needle-shaped structure are spatially orthogonal. As a result, when the first movable spring contact end 821 and the second movable spring contact end 822 contact the static spring contact end 902, even if the auxiliary movable spring 800 and the auxiliary static spring 900 are slightly misaligned, the contact between the convex bulge 824 and the static spring contact end 902 will not be affected.

[0092] Of course, the extension direction of the convex burl 824 may not be perpendicular to the axial direction of the needle-shaped structure, for example, the extension direction of the convex burl 824 may intersect with the axial direction of the needle-shaped structure. In addition, the shape of the convex burl 824 is not limited to an elongated strip, for example, the shape of the convex burl 824 may also be circular, elliptical, etc.

[0093] The push zone 826 is connected to the first and second dynamic spring contact ends 821 and 822 via a first elastic section 823. The first elastic section 823 between the push zone 826 and the first and second dynamic spring contact ends 821 and 822 is specifically a first C-shaped bend 823. The provision of the first C-shaped bend 823 can increase the flexibility of the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212, reduce the internal stress generated by the first and second cantilever 8211 and 8212, and improve the contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic spring and the auxiliary static spring; and make the length of the first and second cantilever 8211 and 8212 smaller, thereby making the overall product size smaller. In other embodiments, the first elastic section 823 can also be an elastic member, such as a spring; or it can be a bend of other shapes, such as a rectangle. The use of a C-shaped bend in this embodiment simplifies manufacturing and reduces costs.

[0094] In the embodiment shown in Figures 18 or 19, the push zone is connected to both the first and second dynamic spring contact end groups 821', 822' via a first elastic segment. Specifically, the first elastic segment is a first C-shaped bend, and the push zone is connected to both the first and second dynamic spring contact end groups 821', 822' via the first C-shaped bend. The dynamic spring contact ends within the first and second dynamic spring contact end groups 821', 822' may also be connected via a C-shaped bend.

[0095] In this embodiment, the mounting and fixing portion 810 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 is used to assist in the installation and fixing of the dynamic spring 800. The mounting and fixing portion 810 is used to be assembled to the base 10. The mounting and fixing portion 810 can be assembled to the base 10 by insertion, heat riveting, or other methods, which are not particularly limited here.

[0096] In this embodiment, the direction in which the contact portion 820 extends is defined as a first direction. The mounting portion 810 is connected between the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 of the contact portion 820. The mounting portion 810 extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 is T-shaped. The mounting portion 810 includes a connected bent portion 812 and a base portion 811.

[0097] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG15 , the mounting portion 810' can also be connected to both sides of the contact portion 820, so that the auxiliary dynamic spring 800' is arranged in a "T" shape. However, in this embodiment, the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 is arranged in a "T" shape. This provides more uniform and better force distribution when deformed, and the contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and the auxiliary static spring 900 is higher. The structural design is also simpler, making it easier to process and assemble.

[0098] As shown in FIG8 , the spacing b between the base portion 811 and the static spring contact end 902 is smaller than the spacing a between the dynamic spring contact ends 821 and 822 and the static spring contact end 902; this allows the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 to have a smaller swing amplitude throughout the entire range, thereby reducing the overlapping flare angle between the contact portion 820 and the static spring contact end 902, making it easier to apply to situations with large contact gaps and also conducive to product miniaturization.

[0099] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the bending portion 812 includes two support arms 8121 extending along the second direction, and the two support arms 8121 are connected to the base portion 811, so that a hollow structure is formed in the middle of the bending portion 812. The hollow structure in the middle can save the material of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and enhance the flexibility of the installation and fixing portion 810, which is beneficial to the deformation of the installation and fixing portion 810, thereby facilitating the contact between the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and the auxiliary static spring 900, and the hollow structure in the middle can form a space for the push rod.

[0100] As shown in FIG8 , the bent portion 812 is connected between the pushing area 826 and the base portion 811 and is inclined relative to both the pushing area 826 and the base portion 811, that is, the bent portion 812 is connected obliquely between the pushing area 826 and the base portion 811, so that when the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 is not subjected to the driving force, there is a gap between the convex buds 824 on the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212 and the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902, and the gap between the convex buds 824 on the first cantilever 8211 and the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902 is greater than the gap between the convex buds 824 on the first cantilever 8211 and the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902. The gap is larger than the gap between the bulge 824 on the second cantilever 8212 and the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902, so that when the pushing area 826 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 is moved by the pushing force, the contact part 820 rotates gradually around a center point, so that when the first cantilever 8211 and the second cantilever 8212 are driven to move toward the static spring contact end 902, the bulge 824 on the first cantilever 8211 and the bulge 824 on the second cantilever 8212 can simultaneously contact the outer surface of the static spring contact end 902, thereby improving contact reliability.

[0101] As shown in Figures 9-14, Figures 9-10 show the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and the auxiliary static spring 900 in a disconnected state, with the push region 826 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 not being acted upon by a driving force. Figures 11-12 show the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and the auxiliary static spring 900 in a closed state, with the push region 826 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 being acted upon by a driving force and moving, causing the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 to respectively contact the two static spring contact ends 902. Figures 13-14 show the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and the auxiliary static spring 900 in an overtravel state, with the push region 826 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 continuing to be acted upon by a driving force and further moving, causing significant deformation of the contact portion 820 of the auxiliary dynamic spring 800 and establishing reliable contact between the first dynamic spring contact end 821 and the second dynamic spring contact end 822 and the two static spring contact ends 902, respectively.

[0102] In this embodiment, the bending portion 812 is connected obliquely between the pushing area 826 and the base portion 811. In other embodiments, the bending portion 812 may not be provided and the pushing area 826 may be directly connected to the base portion 811. However, compared with this, in this embodiment, the bending portion 812 is connected obliquely between the pushing area 826 and the base portion 811, and the relative inclination of the pushing area 826 is reduced (the specific movement process can be referred to Figures 9-14), making the contact overlap more reliable. The arrangement of this embodiment can be applied to the situation where there is a large gap between the contact portion 820 and the auxiliary static spring 900. The relative inclination of the pushing area 826 is reduced, and the space occupied by the pushing area 826 is reduced, which is conducive to full utilization of the internal space of the product and a smaller product molding size.

[0103] As shown in Figure 6, a second elastic section 813 is also formed on the support arm 812. In this embodiment, the second elastic section 813 is a second C-shaped bend 813. The second C-shaped bend 813 increases the flexibility of the support arm 812, is conducive to the deformation of the support arm 812, reduces the internal stress generated by the support arm 812, and improves the contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic spring and the auxiliary static spring; and makes the length of the support arm 812 smaller, so that the overall product size can be smaller. In other embodiments, the second elastic section 813 can also be an elastic member, such as a spring; or it can be a bend of other shapes, such as a rectangle. The C-shaped bend is used in this embodiment, which is simple to manufacture and has lower cost.

[0104] In other embodiments, the bent portion 812 may not include the two support arms 8121, but may instead be formed as a single unit. The second elastic segment 813 formed on the bent portion 812 also facilitates deformation of the bent portion 812, reduces internal stress generated by the bent portion 812, and improves contact reliability between the auxiliary dynamic spring and the auxiliary static spring.

[0105] Although this embodiment is described by taking the auxiliary contact assembly provided in a relay as an example, the auxiliary contact assembly has the function of improving contact reliability and can also be used in other types of switching electrical appliances, such as contactors.

[0106] Although the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made to the disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims, all of which are within the scope of protection of the disclosure.

Claims

1. An auxiliary contact assembly for a switching electrical appliance, comprising an auxiliary dynamic spring and an auxiliary static spring, characterized in that: There are at least two auxiliary static springs, each of which includes a static spring lead-out end and a static spring contact end; the auxiliary dynamic spring includes a mounting and fixing portion and a contact portion that are interconnected, and the contact portion includes a pushing area and a first dynamic spring contact end and a second dynamic spring contact end respectively extending on both sides of the pushing area. The pushing area is used to be pushed by the push rod mechanism of the switching electrical appliance to drive the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end to contact or separate with the corresponding static spring contact end.

2. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: There are two auxiliary static springs, and the auxiliary dynamic spring serves as a conductive bridge to achieve electrical conduction between the two auxiliary static springs. The two auxiliary static springs are connected in series by contacting the auxiliary dynamic spring, thereby forming an auxiliary contact circuit.

3. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The mounting and fixing portion includes a base portion, and a distance between the base portion and the static spring contact end is smaller than a distance between the first dynamic spring contact end, the second dynamic spring contact end, and the static spring contact end.

4. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The installation and fixing portion is used to be assembled on the base of the switch electrical appliance.

5. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The two auxiliary static springs are made of rigid conductive material.

6. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end are both cantilevers, and the cantilevers are provided with conductive contact areas for contacting the static spring contact ends.

7. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: At least one of the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end includes at least two cantilevered arms arranged side by side.

8. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The conductive contact area is provided with a convex bud, and the convex bud serves as a conductive contact point for contacting or separating with the static spring contact end.

9. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The pushing area is connected to the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end respectively through a first elastic segment.

10. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first elastic section is a first C-shaped curved portion.

11. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The direction in which the contact portion extends is defined as a first direction, the mounting and fixing portion is connected between the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end of the contact portion, and the mounting and fixing portion extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the auxiliary dynamic spring is T-shaped.

12. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that: The installation and fixing portion includes a bent portion and a base portion, and a second elastic section is formed on the bent portion.

13. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 12, wherein: The bending portion includes two support arms extending along the second direction, and both of the support arms are connected to the base portion; the second elastic section is formed on the support arms.

14. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The second elastic section is a second C-shaped curved portion.

15. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 11, wherein: The installation and fixing portion includes a bending portion and a base portion. The bending portion is connected between the pushing area and the base portion and is inclined relative to the pushing area and the base portion.

16. The auxiliary contact assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that: The dynamic spring contact end includes two cantilevers arranged side by side, namely a first cantilever and a second cantilever. The first cantilever and the second cantilever are both provided with a bulge as a conductive contact. When the auxiliary dynamic spring is not subjected to a driving force, there is a gap between the bulges on the first cantilever and the second cantilever and the static spring contact end, and the gap between the bulge of the first cantilever and the static spring contact end is greater than the gap between the bulge on the second cantilever and the static spring contact end, so that when the pushing area of ​​the auxiliary dynamic spring is subjected to a driving force and moves, the first cantilever and the second cantilever are driven to move toward the static spring contact end, and the bulge on the first cantilever and the bulge on the second cantilever can contact the static spring contact end at the same time.

17. A relay, characterized in that: Comprising the auxiliary contact assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The relay according to claim 17, wherein: The relay includes a push rod mechanism, which is used to push the pushing area of ​​the contact part of the auxiliary dynamic spring, so that the first dynamic spring contact end and the second dynamic spring contact end are in contact with or separated from the corresponding static spring contact end. The movement stroke of the push rod mechanism includes the idle stroke when the push rod mechanism and the auxiliary dynamic spring are in a non-contact state.

19. The relay according to claim 18, wherein: The relay also includes a magnetic circuit mechanism and a main contact assembly, and the magnetic circuit mechanism controls the contact or separation of the main contact assembly through the push rod mechanism; the magnetic circuit mechanism includes a yoke structure, a bobbin and a coil, and the bobbin is provided with a center hole in the contact contact and separation direction of the main contact assembly, and the center hole is used for the push rod mechanism to pass through.

20. The relay according to claim 19, characterized in that: The idle travel is at least partially arranged within the central bore.

21. The relay according to claim 19, wherein: The main contact assembly and the auxiliary contact assembly are respectively located at both ends of the push rod mechanism, and the main contact assembly and the auxiliary contact assembly are arranged along the movement direction of the push rod mechanism. The moving and static contacts of the main contact assembly and the first moving spring contact end, the second moving spring contact end and the corresponding static spring contact end of the auxiliary contact assembly can all be in contact or separated along the movement direction of the push rod mechanism.

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