High-voltage direct current relay
By introducing support and limiting structures into the high-voltage DC relay, along with elastic elements, the problem of the moving and stationary contacts being forced apart by electric repulsion is solved, achieving miniaturization, low cost, and high resistance to short-circuit current and voltage.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAMEN HONGFA ELECTRIC POWER CONTROLS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing high-voltage DC relays suffer from arcing and damage when the moving and stationary contacts are blown apart by excessive electric repulsion during short circuits or overloads. Furthermore, increasing the number of coil turns to improve holding force using traditional methods increases size and cost.
A high-voltage DC relay was designed, which uses a support structure and a limiting structure in conjunction with an elastic element. The support structure provides support when the moving and stationary contacts spring open, the limiting structure restricts the movement of the moving spring mechanism, reduces the spring opening distance, and the elastic element buffers the impact force, thereby reducing the holding force requirement of the electromagnetic components.
It effectively reduces the spring-off distance between moving and stationary contacts, avoids arcing and damage, reduces the cost and size of electromagnetic components, and achieves miniaturization and low-cost design.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025132259_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
High voltage DC relay
[0001] Related applications
[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2024115697163, filed on November 5, 2024, entitled "High Voltage DC Relay", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This application relates to the field of relay technology, and in particular to a high-voltage DC relay. Background Technology
[0004] High-voltage DC relays, as a new type of automatic electrical switch, can achieve normally open or normally closed states through electromagnetic holding force. Current high-voltage DC relays typically consist of an electromagnetic component, a moving component, and a stationary contact. The moving contact on the moving spring of the moving component and the stationary contact on the stationary contact together form the contact part of the high-voltage DC relay. The electromagnetic component includes a coil, an upper iron core, and a lower iron core. When the coil is energized, it magnetizes the lower iron core, causing the lower iron core to attract the upper iron core, thereby driving the moving component closer to the stationary contact until the moving contact on the moving component and the stationary contact on the stationary contact make contact, thus completing the circuit.
[0005] However, current high-voltage DC relays, when a short circuit or overload occurs, will have their moving and stationary contacts spring apart due to excessive electrodynamic repulsion, causing arcing between them and leading to relay damage. Industries using high-voltage circuits, such as the new energy sector, are increasingly demanding miniaturization and short-circuit protection for high-voltage DC relays. Summary of the Invention
[0006] According to various embodiments of this application, a high-voltage DC relay is provided.
[0007] A high-voltage DC relay includes a stationary contact and a moving assembly. The stationary contact has a stationary contact point; the moving assembly includes a moving spring mechanism, a pushing mechanism, and an elastic element. The moving spring mechanism includes a main body and a support structure. The pushing mechanism includes a pushing seat and a limiting structure. The main body has a moving contact point opposite to the stationary contact point. The main body is elastically engaged with the pushing seat through the elastic element. The support structure protrudes from the side of the main body facing the pushing seat, and the limiting structure protrudes from the side of the pushing seat facing the main body. When the moving contact point and the stationary contact point spring apart under the action of a short-circuit current, the support structure is used to abut against the limiting protrusion on the path of the main body moving away from the stationary contact.
[0008] In one embodiment, the elastic element is located between the body and the push seat, with its two ends abutting against the moving spring mechanism and the push mechanism, respectively.
[0009] In one embodiment, the two ends of the elastic element are respectively sleeved on the support structure and the limiting structure.
[0010] In one embodiment, the push seat has a limiting groove on the side facing the main body, which surrounds the limiting structure, and one end of the elastic element is embedded in the limiting groove and sleeved on the limiting structure.
[0011] In one embodiment, both the support structure and the limiting structure are located between the main body and the push seat, and the support structure and the limiting structure are arranged opposite to each other.
[0012] In one embodiment, the surfaces of the support structure and the limiting structure are parallel to each other.
[0013] In one embodiment, the main body includes a movable spring and a lower armature connected to the movable spring, the movable contact is located on the side of the movable spring facing the stationary contact, and the support structure is connected to the lower armature.
[0014] In one embodiment, the lower armature includes a first armature portion and a second armature portion connected to each other. The first armature portion is located on the side of the movable spring facing the push seat, and the second armature portion is located on the periphery of the movable spring relative to the direction of movement of the push seat. The support structure is connected to the side of the first armature portion facing away from the movable spring.
[0015] In one embodiment, the support structure is integrally formed with the first armature portion.
[0016] In one embodiment, the moving component further includes two first arms, which are located on opposite sides of the elastic element in the axial direction. Both first arms are connected to the push seat and slide in cooperation with the main body.
[0017] In one embodiment, the high-voltage DC relay further includes an upper armature opposite to the lower armature. When the moving contact and the stationary contact are opposite each other, the upper armature and the lower armature can be magnetized and attract each other.
[0018] The upper armature is located outside the moving assembly and is fixed relative to the stationary contact; or...
[0019] The moving component also includes a second arm connected to the two first arms. The second arm is located on the side of the main body facing away from the pushing mechanism, and the upper armature is fixed to the second arm.
[0020] In one embodiment, the push base can drive the main body to move toward the stationary contact, so that the high-voltage DC relay has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the moving contact is in contact with the stationary contact. In the second state, the moving contact is pressed against the stationary contact by the elastic element. During the switching from the first state to the second state, the push base moves relative to the main body toward the stationary contact. The distance between the limiting structure and the supporting structure is smaller in the second state than in the first state.
[0021] In one embodiment, in the second state, the difference between the length of the elastic element and the ultimate compression length of the elastic element is greater than the distance between the limiting structure and the supporting structure.
[0022] In one embodiment, the moving spring mechanism is able to spring away from the stationary contact under the electric repulsive force generated by the short-circuit current, so that the high-voltage DC relay switches from the second state to the third state. In the third state, the support structure abuts against the limiting structure to prevent the main body and the push seat from getting close to each other, and the length of the elastic element is greater than the ultimate compression length of the elastic element.
[0023] In one embodiment, the high-voltage DC relay further includes an electromagnetic component disposed on the side of the push seat opposite to the moving spring mechanism. The electromagnetic component includes an upper iron core and a lower iron core. The push mechanism further includes a push rod connected to the side of the push seat opposite to the moving spring mechanism. The push rod is connected to the lower iron core. The lower iron core can move toward or away from the upper iron core so as to drive the push seat toward or away from the stationary contact via the push rod.
[0024] Details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description
[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the disclosed drawings without creative effort.
[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the high voltage DC relay in the initial state in some embodiments.
[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the moving component in the high-voltage DC relay shown in Figure 1.
[0028] Figure 3 is an explosion diagram of the moving component shown in Figure 2.
[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the moving spring mechanism in the moving assembly shown in Figure 2.
[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the high-voltage DC relay in the first state in some embodiments.
[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the high voltage DC relay in the second state in some embodiments.
[0032] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the high-voltage DC relay in the third state in some embodiments. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0034] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0035] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0037] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0038] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0039] As high-voltage DC relays are increasingly used in various fields, the industry's requirements for their heat loss resistance, short-circuit protection, and voltage are also becoming more stringent. Specifically, the current and voltage of the circuits in which high-voltage DC relays are used are increasing. For example, in new energy vehicles, as the required driving range increases, the capacity of battery packs in these vehicles is also increasing, leading to higher current and voltage requirements for the high-voltage DC relays used in the battery pack circuits. Therefore, when the circuit is short-circuited or overloaded, the electro-repulsive force generated between the moving and stationary contacts of the high-voltage DC relay is relatively large, which can easily cause the moving and stationary contacts to spring apart by a large distance. For example, the moving and stationary contacts may spring apart to the point where the moving spring mechanism compresses the elastic element to its limit, and then transmit the impact force to the push mechanism and electromagnetic component. At this point, if the impact force is too large, it can easily cause the electromagnetic component and the moving component to detach from the stationary contact, resulting in damage to the high-voltage DC relay. Alternatively, it can cause the moving and stationary contacts to spring apart too far, resulting in an electric arc phenomenon between the moving and stationary contacts that generates excessive heat and burns out the high-voltage DC relay, or even causes the high-voltage DC relay to explode. However, in traditional high-voltage DC relays, to increase the holding force of the electromagnetic component on the moving component to avoid insufficient holding force causing the moving component to detach from the stationary contact or to reduce the spring-off distance between the moving and stationary contacts, it is usually necessary to increase the number of turns of the coil winding. This increases the cost and size of the electromagnetic component, thus increasing the size and cost of the high-voltage DC relay.
[0040] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a high-voltage DC relay.
[0041] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, and 3. Figure 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of the high-voltage DC relay 10 in its initial state in some embodiments of this application. Figures 2 and 3 show a structural schematic diagram and an exploded schematic diagram of the moving component 13 in the high-voltage DC relay 10 shown in Figure 1, respectively. In some embodiments, the high-voltage DC relay 10 includes a yoke plate 11, an electromagnetic component 12, a moving component 13, stationary contacts 14, and an insulating cover 142. The insulating cover 142 is disposed on the yoke plate 11, and the stationary contacts 14 are disposed on the insulating cover 142. Two stationary contacts 14 may be arranged at intervals, and each of the two stationary contacts 14 is provided with a stationary contact point 141. The insulating cover 142 includes, but is not limited to, an insulating cover such as a ceramic cover. The moving component 13 includes a moving spring mechanism 131, an elastic element 132, and a pushing mechanism 133. The main body 1310 of the moving spring mechanism 131 is provided with two moving contacts 1313 that are one-to-one opposite to the two stationary contacts 141. The pushing mechanism 133 is provided with a pushing seat 1331. The main body 1310 of the moving spring mechanism 131 is elastically connected to the pushing seat 1331 through an elastic element 132. That is, the main body 1310 can move towards the pushing seat 1331 to squeeze the elastic element 132 together with the pushing seat 1331, or it can move away from the pushing seat 1331 to release the elastic element 132. The electromagnetic component 12 is provided on the side of the yoke plate 11 facing away from the moving spring mechanism 131. It can drive the pushing mechanism 133 to move, causing the moving component 13 as a whole to move towards or away from the stationary contact 141, so that the moving contact 1313 contacts the stationary contact 141 to realize the circuit conduction, or the moving contact 1313 disengages from the stationary contact 141 to realize the circuit disconnection.
[0042] It is understood that the high-voltage DC relay 10 can be used as a switching element in a circuit. The stationary contact 14 may have a lead-out terminal electrically connected to the two stationary contacts 141, and the lead-out terminal is electrically connected to the circuit. When the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 are in contact one by one, the moving contact 1313 conducts the two stationary contacts 141 to make the circuit conduct, and the high-voltage DC relay 10 is turned on. When the moving contact 1313 is disengaged from the stationary contact 141, the two stationary contacts 141 are electrically isolated, the circuit is broken, and the high-voltage DC relay 10 is turned off. In some embodiments, the high-voltage DC relay 10 may also include a housing (not shown) covering the insulating cover 142 and the stationary contact 14. The stationary contact 14 can be led out to the outside of the housing through conductive structures such as electrodes and leads to be electrically connected to the circuit. The material of the housing includes, but is not limited to, insulating materials such as plastic. The housing can isolate the stationary contact 14, the insulating cover 142 and the moving component 13 from the outside world to achieve insulation protection.
[0043] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism 133 further includes a pushing rod 1332 connected to the side of the pushing seat 1331 facing away from the moving spring mechanism 131. The electromagnetic component 12 may be disposed on the side of the yoke plate 11 facing away from the moving spring mechanism 131. The electromagnetic component 12 may include an upper iron core 121, a lower iron core 122, and a coil surrounding the upper iron core 121 and the lower iron core 122. The upper iron core 121 is fixedly disposed on the yoke plate 11, the coil is fixed relative to the yoke plate 11, and the lower iron core 122 is opposite to the upper iron core 121 and can move relative to the yoke plate 11 towards or away from the upper iron core 121. The pushing rod 1332 passes through the yoke plate 11 and the upper iron core 121 and is inserted into the lower iron core 122. The pushing rod 1332 is slidably engaged with the upper iron core 121 and is fixed relative to the lower iron core 122. When the coil is energized, it can magnetize the upper iron core 121 and the lower iron core 122, causing the upper iron core 121 and the lower iron core 122 to attract each other and drive the lower iron core 122 to move closer to the upper iron core 121, thereby driving the push rod 1332 to drive the entire moving assembly 13 to move closer to the stationary contact 141.
[0044] In some embodiments, the moving assembly 13 further includes two first arms 1351, which are located on opposite sides of the elastic element 132 in the axial direction and are directly or indirectly connected to the push seat 1331. The two first arms 1351 slide against the body 1310 on opposite sides of the moving spring mechanism 131 in the direction of movement relative to the push seat 1331, allowing the moving spring mechanism 131 to move relative to the push seat 1331 towards or away from the stationary contact 141. When the body 1310 and the push seat 1331 are relatively close, they can compress the elastic element 132, causing it to elastically deform. The sliding limit provided by the two first arms 1351 on the body 1310 guides the movement of the moving spring mechanism 131 relative to the push seat 1331, improving the performance stability of the high-voltage DC relay 10. In some embodiments, the moving assembly 13 may further include a second arm (not shown) connected to the two first arms 1351. The second arm may be disposed on the side of the main body 1310 facing away from the push mechanism 133 and located between the main body 1310 and the insulating cover 142. The second arm can limit the extreme position of the moving spring mechanism 131 away from the push seat 1331 on the side of the main body 1310 facing the stationary contact 141, preventing the moving spring mechanism 131 from disengaging from the elastic element 132 and the push seat 1331, thereby improving the performance stability of the high-voltage DC relay 10.
[0045] In some embodiments, the main body 1310 of the moving spring mechanism 131 includes a moving spring 1311 and a lower armature 1314 fixedly connected to the moving spring 1311. The high voltage DC relay 10 also includes an upper armature 143 opposite to the lower armature 1314. The moving contact 1313 is located on the side of the moving spring 1311 facing the stationary contact 14. The upper armature 143 and the lower armature 1314 together form a short-circuit protection ring structure. The upper armature 143 is located on the side of the lower armature 1314 facing away from the push seat 1331. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the upper armature 143 is disposed outside the moving assembly 13 and fixed relative to the stationary contact 14. For example, the upper armature 143 can be disposed on the insulating cover 142. The upper armature 143 is disposed corresponding to the stationary contact 141 and located between the insulating cover 142 and the moving spring 1311. In this case, the moving assembly 13 does not need to be provided with a second support arm. The upper armature 143 can limit the main body 1310 of the moving spring mechanism 131 on the side of the moving spring mechanism 131 facing away from the push seat 1331, limiting the extreme position of the moving spring mechanism 131 away from the push seat 1331. In some embodiments, the insulating cover 142 is disposed on the moving assembly 13 and on the yoke plate 11. The stationary contact 14 and the upper armature 143 are both fixedly disposed on the insulating cover 142. The stationary contact 14 faces away from the moving spring mechanism 131, that is, the side facing away from the stationary contact 141 protrudes outside the insulating cover 142. In other embodiments, when the moving assembly 13 is provided with a second arm, the upper armature 143 can be fixed to the second arm and located between the second arm and the moving spring mechanism 131.
[0046] When the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 come into contact, the magnetic field generated by the moving spring 1311 and the stationary contact 14 can magnetize the upper armature 143 and the lower armature 1314, causing them to attract each other. This provides a holding force for the contact between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141, which helps reduce the holding force required for the electromagnetic assembly 12, and also helps reduce the cost and size of the electromagnetic assembly 12. It should be noted that when the upper armature 143 is located on the insulating cover 142, the moving assembly 13 can also be provided with a second arm. The upper armature 143 and the moving spring 1311 can be separated by the second arm, which limits the movement of the moving spring mechanism 131 away from the extreme position of the push seat 1331.
[0047] Furthermore, referring to Figures 1, 3, and 4, in some embodiments, the moving spring mechanism 131 further includes a support structure 136 connected to the main body 1310, and the pushing mechanism 133 further includes a limiting structure 1334 connected to the pushing seat 1331. The support structure 136 protrudes from the side of the main body 1310 facing the pushing seat 1331, and the limiting structure 1334 protrudes from the side of the pushing seat 1331 facing the main body 1310. When the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 spring open under the action of a short-circuit current, causing the moving spring mechanism 131 to move away from the stationary contact 141, for example, towards the pushing seat 1331, the support structure 136 is used to abut against the limiting structure 1334 on the path of the main body 1310 moving away from the stationary contact 141. When the support structure 136 abuts against the limiting structure 1334, the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 can provide support for the main body 1310, preventing the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331 from continuing to approach each other. In some embodiments, the moving spring mechanism 131 moves in the same direction away from the stationary contact 14 as it moves towards the push seat 1331.
[0048] Referring again to Figure 1, in this application, the state in which the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 are spaced apart, and the electromagnetic component 12 does not apply force to the push rod 1332, i.e., the high-voltage DC relay 10 is disconnected, is called the initial state of the high-voltage DC relay 10. In the initial state, the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 are spaced apart. When it is necessary to bring the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 into contact to conduct the circuit, the coil in the electromagnetic component 12 is energized, and the lower iron core 122 moves towards the upper iron core 121, which can drive the push rod 1332 to drive the push seat 1331, and then drive the moving spring mechanism 131 to move towards the stationary contact 141, so that the moving component 13 has a first state and a second state. As shown in Figure 5, when the moving component 13 moves to the first state, the moving contact 1313 is just in contact with the stationary contact 141, and the high-voltage DC relay 10 conducts the circuit. In the first state, the length of the elastic element 132 is the same as the length in the initial state. In other words, during the process of the push mechanism 133 driving the spring mechanism 131 to move towards the stationary contact 141 to switch from the initial state to the first state, the spring mechanism 131, the first support arm 1351, the elastic element 132 and the push mechanism 133 move synchronously, and the distance between the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331 does not change.
[0049] Please refer to Figure 6. After the electromagnetic component 12 drives the moving spring mechanism 131 to move to the first state via the pushing mechanism 133, the electromagnetic component 12 continues to drive the pushing mechanism 133 to move towards the stationary contact 141 to the second state. During the transition from the first state to the second state, since the moving contact 1313 is in contact with the stationary contact 141, the moving spring mechanism 131 and the stationary contact 14 are relatively fixed, while the pushing mechanism 133 continues to move towards the stationary contact 141, which causes the distance between the pushing seat 1331 and the main body 1310 to decrease. That is to say, during the transition from the first state to the second state, the main body 1310 and the pushing seat 1331 are relatively close. The relative closeness between the main body 1310 and the pushing seat 1331 will compress the elastic element 132, causing the length of the elastic element 132 to decrease and the elastic element 132 to undergo elastic deformation. Understandably, in both the first and second states, the moving contact 1313 is in contact with the stationary contact 141. In the second state, the elastic element 132 can apply an elastic force to the body 1310 to press it firmly against the stationary contact 14, improving the stability and reliability of the contact between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141. Simultaneously, the elastic element 132, in conjunction with the electromagnetic assembly 12, can counteract at least part of the electrodynamic repulsion between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141, which helps reduce the holding force required by the high-voltage DC relay 10 on the electromagnetic assembly 12, and consequently reduces the cost and size of the electromagnetic assembly 12.
[0050] Understandably, during the transition from the initial state to the first state, and during the transition from the first state to the second state, the lower iron core 122 gradually approaches the upper iron core 121. In the first state, the lower iron core 122 and the upper iron core 121 are spaced apart. In the second state, the lower iron core 122 can just make contact with the upper iron core 121, which is beneficial to enhance the magnetic attraction between the upper iron core 121 and the lower iron core 122 in the second state, thereby enhancing the holding force of the electromagnetic component 12 on the moving component 13.
[0051] In some embodiments, by designing the length of the support structure 136 protruding from the main body 1310 and the length of the limiting structure 1334 protruding from the push seat 1331, the support structure 136 remains spaced apart from the limiting structure 1334 in the second state, and the distance between the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 is smaller in the second state than in the first state. Furthermore, in the second state, the difference between the length of the elastic element 132 and its ultimate compression length is greater than the distance between the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334. In some embodiments, the length of the elastic element 132 may be equal to the vertical distance between the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331.
[0052] Referring to Figure 7, it can be understood that when the circuit is short-circuited or overloaded (taking a current exceeding 8kA as an example in this application), the electrodynamic repulsion between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 is greater than the elastic force exerted by the elastic element 132 on the moving spring mechanism 131. This causes the moving contact 1313 to spring apart from the stationary contact 141, causing the moving spring mechanism 131 to move towards the push seat 1331 and further compress the elastic element 132 until the support structure 136 abuts against the limiting structure 1334. At this time, the support structure 136 provides support for the main body 1310, preventing the main body 1310 from moving towards the push seat 1331 relative to it. In this application, the state in which the support structure 136 abuts against the limiting structure 1334 to provide support for the main body 1310 is referred to as the third state of the high voltage DC relay 10. In the third state, the moving spring mechanism 131, the first support arm 1351 and the pushing mechanism 133 are relatively fixed, and the electromagnetic component 12 bears the impact force of the moving spring mechanism 131.
[0053] It is understood that in this application, the support structure 136 only contacts the limiting structure 1334 in the third state to provide support for the main body 1310. In other states, the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 will not interfere with the relative movement of the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331. This helps to avoid the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 causing other types of interference to the movement of the main body 1310, such as sliding fit or limiting fit, which would increase the risk of the main body 1310 getting stuck, uneven force, or wear and scraping. While providing support, it also helps to maintain the structural reliability of the moving component 13.
[0054] In the aforementioned high-voltage DC relay 10, when the circuit connected to the high-voltage DC relay 10 is short-circuited or overloaded, causing the moving contact 1313 of the main body 1310 and the stationary contact 141 of the stationary contact 14 to spring open due to electric repulsion, and the moving spring mechanism 131 moves away from the stationary contact 14, the main body 1310 can first compress the elastic element 132 until the support structure 136 abuts against the limiting structure 1334 to prevent the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331 from continuing to approach each other. Since the electric repulsion between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 disappears after the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 spring open, the elastic element 132 can effectively slow down the kinetic energy of the moving spring mechanism 131 during the process of the main body 1310 moving away from the stationary contact 141 until the support structure 136 abuts against the limiting structure 1334. Furthermore, due to the supporting effect of the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 on the main body 1310, the maximum spring-off distance between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 can be shortened. This ensures that when the support structure 136 abuts against the limiting structure 1334, the elastic element 132 will not be compressed to its maximum compression length, and the impact of the main body 1310 on the push seat 1331 will not be too great. This avoids damage to the high-voltage DC relay 10 caused by the moving component 13 being completely separated from the stationary contact 14 due to excessive impact.
[0055] Furthermore, the contact between the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 can prevent the main body 1310 from moving further away from the stationary contact 141, which helps to reduce the maximum spring-off distance between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141. Combined with the buffering of the elastic element 132 to prevent the moving component 13 from detaching from the stationary contact 14, the spring-off distance between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 will not be too far. This helps to avoid the arcing phenomenon between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141 generating excessive heat, which could lead to damage or even explosion of the high-voltage DC relay 10.
[0056] In addition, the buffering effect of the elastic element 132 on the moving spring mechanism 131 can also reduce the holding force requirement of the moving component 13 on the electromagnetic component 12, so that the electromagnetic component 12 can support the entire moving component 13 with a smaller holding force. This is beneficial to reducing the number of coil turns and / or the volume of the iron core of the electromagnetic component 12, and is beneficial to the miniaturization and low-cost design of the high-voltage DC relay 10.
[0057] Furthermore, by utilizing the support structure 136 protruding from the moving spring mechanism 131 and the limiting structure 1334 protruding from the pushing mechanism 133 to abut against each other on the movement path of the moving spring mechanism 131, no additional parts are needed to support the main body 1310. This helps to reduce the number of parts, simplify the structure and manufacturing process of the moving component 13, and also helps to achieve miniaturization and low cost of the high voltage DC relay 10.
[0058] Therefore, during the transition from the second state to the third state, the aforementioned high-voltage DC relay 10 first buffers the impact of the moving spring mechanism 131 through the elastic element 132, and then the electromagnetic component 12 bears the impact of the moving spring mechanism 131. This helps reduce the holding force required by the electromagnetic component 12, reduces its cost and size, and also reduces the spring-off distance between the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141, thereby reducing the heat generated by the arcing phenomenon. The aforementioned high-voltage DC relay 10 achieves a balance between small size, low cost, and high resistance to short-circuit current and voltage. Based on this, the high-voltage DC relay 10 provided in this application can be used in circuits with high current, such as circuits with operating currents below 8kA. The high-voltage DC relay 10 includes, but is not limited to, applications in battery pack circuits of new energy vehicles. The high-voltage DC relay 10 can also be used as a switching element in circuits of any other applicable equipment, which will not be elaborated upon in this application.
[0059] In some embodiments, the elastic element 132 is disposed between the push seat 1331 and the main body 1310, with its two ends abutting against the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331 respectively. The two ends of the elastic element 132 can be connected to the moving spring mechanism 131 and the push mechanism 133 of the push seat 1331 respectively. This arrangement allows for a reasonable spatial layout between the moving spring mechanism 131, the elastic element 132, and the push mechanism 133, making the structure of the moving assembly 13 more compact and improving the space utilization efficiency of the moving assembly 13. It also helps to keep the elastic element 132 relatively far away from the contact position of the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141, reducing the impact of high temperature and ablation spatter on the elastic element 132, and reducing the assembly difficulty of the elastic element 132 with other components.
[0060] In some embodiments, the support structure 136 is connected to the lower armature 1314. For example, the lower armature 1314 includes a first armature portion 1315 and a second armature portion 1316 connected to each other. The first armature portion 1315 is located on the side of the movable spring 1311 facing the push seat 1331, and the second armature portion 1316 is located on the periphery of the movable spring 1311 relative to the direction of movement of the push seat 1331. The support structure 136 is connected to the side of the first armature portion 1315 facing away from the movable spring 1311. The second armature portion 1316 may include two parts located on opposite sides of the movable spring 1311, which are respectively connected to the two ends of the first armature portion 1315. Further, in some embodiments, the support structure 136, the first armature portion 1315, and the second armature portion 1316 can be integrally formed, eliminating the need for additional parts to form the support structure 136. This simplifies the manufacturing process of the moving assembly 13 and reduces manufacturing costs.
[0061] In some embodiments, the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 are both located between the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331, and are positioned opposite each other. The opposing surfaces of the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 can be parallel to each other to improve structural stability when they abut, preventing relative swaying between the moving spring mechanism 131 and the push mechanism 133. It is understood that the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 are located between the main body 1310 and the push seat 1331, and are both far from the contact positions of the moving contact 1313 and the stationary contact 141. This helps reduce the impact of high temperatures and ablation debris on the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334, for example, preventing the distance between the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334 from decreasing due to debris, thus affecting the transition from the second state to the third state.
[0062] In some embodiments, the two ends of the elastic element 132 are respectively sleeved on the support structure 136 and the limiting structure 1334. For example, the end of the elastic element 132 away from the push seat 1331 is sleeved on the support structure 136, and the push seat 1331 has a limiting groove 1335 around the limiting structure 1334 on the side facing the main body 1310. The end of the elastic element 132 away from the main body 1310 is embedded in the limiting groove 1335 and sleeved on the limiting structure 1334. This arrangement can rationally plan the connection relationship between the moving spring mechanism 131, the elastic element 132, and the push mechanism 133, which can not only improve the connection reliability between the elastic element 132 and the moving spring mechanism 131 and the push mechanism 133, but also simplify the assembly difficulty of the elastic element 132 and the moving spring mechanism 131 and the push mechanism 133, and reduce the assembly cost.
[0063] In this application, the sliding engagement between the first arm 1351 and the main body 1310 can be described as follows: the two sides opposite to the lower armature 1314, i.e., the two sides opposite to the second armature portion 1316, can be in sliding engagement with the surfaces opposite to the two first arms 1351; the two sides opposite to the movable spring 1311 can be in sliding engagement with the two first arms 1351; or a portion of the movable spring 1311 or the second armature portion 1316 can be inserted into and slidably disposed on the first arm 1351, as long as the first arm 1351 can provide guidance and limiting function for the movement of the main body 1310 relative to the push seat 1331. In some embodiments, the first arm 1351 can be directly connected to the push seat 1331, for example, by insert injection molding and integrally formed with the push seat 1331. The moving component 13 can also include a fixing piece (not shown in the figure) connected to the first arm 1351 and the push seat 1331, and the first arm 1351 is indirectly connected to the push seat 1331 through the fixing piece.
[0064] In the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, the moving spring 1311 is an integral spring structure. In other embodiments, the moving spring 1311 may also include two sub-springs arranged side by side and spaced apart from each other. The lower armature 1314 can be connected to both sub-springs simultaneously. The lower armature 1314 may also include two spaced-apart sub-armatures, with each sub-armature corresponding to one of the two sub-springs. Each moving contact 1313 of the moving spring 1311 can be formed by the corresponding positions of the two sub-springs. With this arrangement, the two sub-springs can provide more stable electrical contact, reduce poor contact caused by wear or damage to a single spring, share the mechanical load of the moving contact 1313, reduce the stress of a single spring, improve the durability of the high-voltage DC relay 10, and provide a more uniform current distribution, reduce arcing and contact resistance, and improve electrical contact performance. Furthermore, when one sub-spring fails, the other sub-spring can still achieve on / off control of the circuit with the stationary contact 141, improving the performance reliability of the high-voltage DC relay 10.
[0065] In this application, the elastic element 132 is not limited to any suitable elastic component such as a helical spring or a leaf spring. In the figures of this application, a helical spring is used as an example. The connection and orientation of the elastic element 132 with the moving spring mechanism 131 and the pushing mechanism 133 are not limited, as long as the elastic cooperation between the moving spring mechanism 131 and the pushing mechanism 133 can be achieved, so as to buffer the moving spring mechanism 131 during the transition from the second state to the third state.
[0066] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0067] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A high-voltage DC relay, comprising: The stationary contact is equipped with a stationary contact point; as well as, The moving component includes a moving spring mechanism, a pushing mechanism, and an elastic element. The moving spring mechanism includes a main body and a support structure. The pushing mechanism includes a pushing seat and a limiting structure. The main body has a moving contact opposite to the stationary contact. The main body is elastically engaged with the pushing seat through the elastic element. The support structure protrudes from the side of the main body facing the pushing seat, and the limiting structure protrudes from the side of the pushing seat facing the main body. When the moving contact and the stationary contact spring apart under the action of a short-circuit current, the support structure is used to abut against the limiting protrusion on the path in which the main body moves away from the stationary contact.
2. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic element is located between the main body and the push seat, and its two ends abut against the moving spring mechanism and the push mechanism, respectively.
3. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 2, wherein, The two ends of the elastic element are respectively sleeved on the support structure and the limiting structure.
4. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 1, wherein, The push seat has a limiting groove on the side facing the main body, which surrounds the limiting structure. One end of the elastic element is embedded in the limiting groove and sleeved on the limiting structure.
5. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 1, wherein, Both the support structure and the limiting structure are located between the main body and the push seat, and the support structure and the limiting structure are arranged opposite to each other.
6. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 5, wherein, The surfaces of the supporting structure and the limiting structure are parallel to each other.
7. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 1, wherein, The main body includes a movable spring and a lower armature connected to the movable spring. The movable contact is located on the side of the movable spring facing the stationary contact, and the support structure is connected to the lower armature.
8. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 7, wherein, The lower armature includes a first armature portion and a second armature portion connected to each other. The first armature portion is located on the side of the movable spring facing the push seat, and the second armature portion is located on the periphery of the movable spring relative to the direction of movement of the push seat. The support structure is connected to the side of the first armature portion facing away from the movable spring.
9. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 8, wherein, The support structure is integrally formed with the first armature part.
10. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 7, wherein, The moving component also includes two first arms, which are located on opposite sides of the elastic element in the axial direction. Both first arms are connected to the push seat and slide in cooperation with the main body.
11. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 10, wherein, The high-voltage DC relay also includes an upper armature opposite to the lower armature. When the moving contact and the stationary contact are opposite each other, the upper armature and the lower armature can be magnetized and attract each other. The upper armature is located outside the moving component and is fixed relative to the stationary contact.
12. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 10, wherein, The moving component also includes a second arm connected to the two first arms. The second arm is located on the side of the main body facing away from the pushing mechanism, and the upper armature is fixed to the second arm.
13. The high-voltage DC relay according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, The push base can drive the main body to move towards the stationary contact, so that the high-voltage DC relay has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the moving contact is exactly in contact with the stationary contact. In the second state, the moving contact is pressed against the stationary contact by the elastic element. During the switching process from the first state to the second state, the push base moves relative to the main body towards the stationary contact. The distance between the limiting structure and the supporting structure is smaller in the second state than in the first state.
14. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 13, wherein, In the second state, the difference between the length of the elastic element and the ultimate compression length of the elastic element is greater than the distance between the limiting structure and the supporting structure.
15. The high-voltage DC relay according to claim 13, wherein, The moving spring mechanism can spring away from the stationary contact under the electric repulsive force generated by the short-circuit current, so that the high-voltage DC relay switches from the second state to the third state. In the third state, the support structure abuts against the limiting structure to prevent the main body and the push seat from getting close to each other, and the length of the elastic element is greater than the limit compression length of the elastic element.
16. The high-voltage DC relay according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, The high-voltage DC relay also includes an electromagnetic component disposed on the side of the push seat opposite to the moving spring mechanism. The electromagnetic component includes an upper iron core and a lower iron core. The push mechanism also includes a push rod connected to the side of the push seat opposite to the moving spring mechanism. The push rod is connected to the lower iron core. The lower iron core can move towards or away from the upper iron core, so as to drive the push seat towards or away from the stationary contact through the push rod.