Relay
By incorporating arc-extinguishing components and airflow channels within the relay, the problem of arc erosion of moving and stationary contacts is solved, extending the relay's lifespan and enabling a high-voltage, high-current disconnectable and miniaturized design.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAMEN HONGFA ELECTRIC POWER CONTROLS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
Smart Images

Figure CN2025098065_25062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
relay
[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent applications No. 202411896543.6 filed on December 20, 2024 and No. 202510421289.2 filed on April 3, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of electrical control device technology, and more specifically, to a relay. Background Technology
[0003] A relay is an electronic control device that has a control system (also known as an input circuit) and a controlled system (also known as an output circuit), and is commonly used in automatic control circuits. Essentially, a relay is an "automatic switch" that uses a smaller current to control a larger current. Therefore, it plays a role in automatic adjustment, safety protection, and circuit switching in circuits.
[0004] In related technologies, electric arcs are easily generated between the moving and stationary contacts of a relay during contact and separation. If the arcs are not extinguished in time, they can easily burn the moving and stationary contacts, affecting their electrical durability. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This disclosure provides a relay to solve the problem in the related art where arcing erodes the moving and stationary contacts, affecting electrical durability.
[0006] The relay of this disclosure embodiment includes:
[0007] Sealed housing;
[0008] The contact assembly includes a movable contact and two stationary contacts. The stationary contacts are mounted on the sealing housing, and the movable contact is movably disposed within the sealing housing for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts.
[0009] An arc-extinguishing assembly is disposed within the sealed housing and located around the contact assembly, for extinguishing the arc generated during the contact and separation of the moving contact and the stationary contact; the arc-extinguishing assembly includes a plurality of grid plates arranged at intervals along the movement direction of the moving contact, with gaps between adjacent grid plates, and an airflow channel communicating with the gaps between the arc-extinguishing assembly and the inner wall surface of the sealed housing.
[0010] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay includes two arc-extinguishing components, which are arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts of the contact component; the moving contact is located between the two arc-extinguishing components.
[0011] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the sealing housing includes an insulating cover made of ceramic material, the static contact is mounted on the insulating cover, the dynamic contact and the arc extinguishing assembly are disposed inside the insulating cover, and the airflow channel is formed between the arc extinguishing assembly and the inner wall surface of the insulating cover.
[0012] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the insulating cover has the same number of through holes as the static contact members, and the through holes penetrate the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the insulating cover;
[0013] The static contact is inserted into the through hole and welded to the insulating cover.
[0014] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the sealing housing further includes a frame, a yoke plate, and a metal cover. The insulating cover is connected to one side surface of the yoke plate in the thickness direction via the frame, and the metal cover is connected to the other side surface of the yoke plate in the thickness direction. The yoke plate has a through hole that penetrates the yoke plate along the thickness direction and communicates with the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover and the cavity enclosed by the metal cover, respectively.
[0015] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the insulating cover and the frame, the frame and the yoke plate, and the metal cover and the yoke plate are all connected by welding.
[0016] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the static contact of the contact assembly is provided with a first arc guide plate at one end near the moving contact. The first arc guide plate extends from the static contact towards the arc extinguishing assembly to guide the electric arc toward the arc extinguishing assembly.
[0017] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the first arc guide plate and the static contact member are either an integral structure or separate structures.
[0018] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the moving contact is provided with second arc guide plates at both ends in the length direction. The second arc guide plates extend from the moving contact towards the arc extinguishing component to guide the electric arc toward the arc extinguishing component.
[0019] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the second arc guide plate and the moving contact member are either an integral structure or separate structures.
[0020] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the number of contact components is multiple;
[0021] The relay further includes a push rod component and a coil assembly. The push rod component is movably disposed within the sealed housing. The moving contacts of the plurality of contact components are mounted on the push rod component. The coil assembly is used to drive the push rod component to move.
[0022] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the sealed housing is also filled with arc-quenching gas.
[0023] An embodiment of the above application has at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:
[0024] The relay of this disclosure, by providing an arc-extinguishing component around the contact components, can promptly extinguish the electric arc generated by the moving and stationary contacts during closing and opening. On the one hand, it prevents the electric arcs generated by adjacent contact components from merging and forming a longer arc; on the other hand, timely extinguishing of the arc can effectively prevent the arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts, thereby extending the service life of the relay; furthermore, the arc-extinguishing component is located inside the insulating cover rather than outside the insulating cover, which can reduce the size of the relay and facilitate miniaturization.
[0025] Furthermore, multiple grid plates can "cut" the electric arc into multiple shorter arc segments, which is beneficial for arc extinguishing and significantly improves the overload breaking capacity of the relay, achieving the breaking effect for high voltage and high current. Moreover, because there is an airflow channel communicating with the gap between the arc extinguishing component and the inner wall of the sealed housing, gas can pass through this channel. When the arc enters the arc extinguishing component, the gas in the gap between adjacent grid plates can be discharged into the airflow channel, allowing the arc to enter the arc extinguishing component more quickly, thus lengthening the arc more rapidly. While "cutting" the arc, it also cools the arc, achieving the purpose of extinguishing the arc. Attached Figure Description
[0026] Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a relay according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a relay according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.
[0028] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view along section line AA in Figure 2.
[0029] Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of point X1 in Figure 3;
[0030] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a relay according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view after being cut along the BB section line in Figure 5.
[0032] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the arc extinguishing assembly.
[0033] Figure 8 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the arc-extinguishing grid assembly.
[0034] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the mounting plate.
[0035] Figure 10 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the grid.
[0036] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a relay according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0037] Figure 12 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the assembled conductive and static components in Figure 11.
[0038] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a relay according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0039] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a relay according to a fifth embodiment of this disclosure.
[0040] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a relay according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0041] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 100a, sealed housing; 110a, insulating cover; 111a, top wall; 1111a, through hole; 112a, side wall; 120a, frame plate; 130a, yoke plate; 140a, metal cover; 200a, contact assembly; 210a, static contact; 220a, moving contact; 300a, arc extinguishing assembly; 310a, grid plate; 410a, first arc guide plate; 420a, second arc guide plate; 500a, coil assembly; 600a, push rod component; 710a, gap; 720a, airflow channel; 100b, contact cavity; 101b, contact chamber; 110b, insulating cover; 111b, ceramic cover; 112b, frame plate; 130b, Yoke plate; 200b, Contact assembly; 210b, Static contact; 211b, Static component; 211b-a, Insertion part; 211b-b, Exposed part; 212b, Conductive component; 2121b, First section; 2122b, Second section; 213b, Connecting part; 214b, First arc guiding part; 215b, Contact part; 220b, Moving contact; 230b, Second arc guiding part; 300b, Arc extinguishing assembly; 310b, Arc extinguishing grid assembly; 311b, Mounting component; 3111b, Mounting plate; 312b, Grid plate; 313b, Snap-in hole; 314b, Snap-in part; 320b, Isolation seat; 600b, Push rod component; 710b, Exciter; D1, First direction; D2, Second direction; D3, Third direction. Detailed Implementation
[0042] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.
[0043] It is understood that the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in the embodiments of this disclosure, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or components inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0044] First Embodiment
[0045] As shown in Figure 1, the relay of this embodiment includes a sealed housing 100a, a contact assembly 200a, a push rod member 600a, and a coil assembly 500a. The push rod member 600a is movably disposed within the sealed housing 100a, and the coil assembly 500a is configured to drive the push rod member 600a to move in response to an input signal. The contact assembly 200a includes a moving contact 220a and two stationary contacts 210a. The stationary contacts 210a are mounted on the sealed housing 100a, and the moving contacts 220a are mounted on the push rod member 600a for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts 210a to achieve the closing or opening of the relay. When the relay is in the closed state, the moving contact 220a is in contact with the stationary contacts 210a; when the relay is in the open state, the moving contact 220a is separated from the stationary contacts 210a.
[0046] Referring to Figure 1, the sealed housing 100a may include an insulating cover 110a, a frame 120a, a yoke plate 130a, and a metal cover 140a. The insulating cover 110a and the frame 120a are located on one side of the thickness direction of the yoke plate 130a, and the metal cover 140a is located on the other side of the thickness direction of the yoke plate 130a. A static contact 210a is mounted on the insulating cover 110a, and a dynamic contact 220a is movably disposed within the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover 110a.
[0047] The insulating cover 110a can be made of ceramic material. The insulating cover 110a is connected to one side surface of the yoke plate 130a in the thickness direction via a frame 120a, and the metal cover 140a is connected to the other side surface of the yoke plate 130a in the thickness direction.
[0048] As an example, the frame piece 120a can be a ring-shaped metal component, such as one made of an iron-nickel alloy. One end of the frame piece 120a is connected to the opening edge of the insulating cover 110a, and the other end is connected to the yoke plate 130a. The frame piece 120a is positioned between the insulating cover 110a and the yoke plate 130a to facilitate their connection.
[0049] The yoke plate 130a has a perforation (not shown in the figure) that extends through the yoke plate 130a along its thickness direction and communicates with both the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover 110a and the cavity enclosed by the metal cover 140a. Specifically, the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover 110a is connected to the cavity enclosed by the metal cover 140a through the perforation. The push rod member 600a is movably inserted into the perforation, and the coil assembly 500a is fitted around the outer periphery of the metal cover 140a.
[0050] In one embodiment, the insulating cover 110a is connected to the frame 120a, the frame 120a is connected to the yoke plate 130a, and the metal cover 140a is connected to the yoke plate 130a by welding.
[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the insulating cover 110a includes a top wall 111a and a side wall 112a, with the side wall 112a surrounding a plurality of contact assemblies 200a. The top wall 111a is equipped with a stationary contact 210a. One end of the side wall 112a is connected to the edge of the top wall 111a, and the other end of the side wall 112a is connected to the yoke plate 130a via a frame 120a.
[0052] The sidewall 112a can be a rectangular ring structure, a circular ring structure, or a ring structure of other shapes, and this disclosure does not make any special limitation in this regard.
[0053] In one embodiment, the top wall 111a of the insulating cover 110a has a through hole 1111a that penetrates the inner and outer wall surfaces of the top wall 111a. A static contact 210a passes through the through hole 1111a and is welded to the insulating cover 110a.
[0054] The number of contact components 200a can be one or more. When there are multiple contact components 200a, the moving contacts 220a of the multiple contact components 200a are mounted on the push rod member 600a, and the two stationary contacts 210a of each contact component 200a can be electrically connected to the load, so that each contact component 200a can control the load circuit. In this way, one relay can control multiple loads at the same time, thus simplifying the number of electrical components in the control circuit and facilitating miniaturization.
[0055] In addition, multiple moving contacts 220a are mounted on the same push rod member 600a, and each moving contact 220a corresponds to a pair of stationary contacts 210a. When the push rod member 600a moves, multiple moving contacts 220a move simultaneously, thereby achieving the effect of "single-drive multiple-action", which is conducive to the miniaturization and integration of relay size, and at the same time reduces the cost of the product to a certain extent.
[0056] In one embodiment, when there are two contact components 200a, the two contact components 200a are used to control two sets of conductive circuits respectively. When the two sets of conductive circuits are connected in series, the relay of this embodiment can achieve series voltage division, which is more conducive to arc breaking; when the two sets of conductive circuits are connected in parallel, a parallel control circuit can be formed; in addition, one of the stationary contacts 210a of one contact component 200a can be electrically connected to one of the stationary contacts 210a of the other contact component 200a, while the remaining two stationary contacts 210a are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the load, thus achieving series voltage division, which is beneficial to arc breaking.
[0057] For ease of explanation, the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts 210a of the contact assembly 200a is defined as the first direction D1, and the movement direction of the moving contact 220a is defined as the second direction D2. The first direction D1 is perpendicular to the second direction D2, and the direction that is perpendicular to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is defined as the third direction D3. That is, the first direction D1, the second direction D2 and the third direction D3 are mutually perpendicular.
[0058] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a plurality of contact components 200a are arranged along a third direction D3.
[0059] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the relay also includes an arc extinguishing component 300a, which is disposed inside the insulating cover 110a of the sealed housing 100a and located around the contact component 200a, and is used to extinguish the arc generated during the contact and separation of the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a.
[0060] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing an arc-extinguishing component 300a around the contact component 200a, the electric arc generated by the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a during the closing and opening process can be extinguished in a timely manner. On the one hand, this avoids the electric arcs generated by adjacent contact components 200a from coalescing into a longer arc; on the other hand, timely extinguishing of the arc can effectively prevent the arc from burning the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a, thereby extending the service life of the relay; furthermore, the arc-extinguishing component 300a is located inside the insulating cover 110a instead of outside the insulating cover 110a, which can reduce the size of the relay and facilitate miniaturization.
[0061] The arc-extinguishing assembly 300a includes a plurality of grid plates 310a arranged at intervals along the movement direction (second direction D2) of the moving contact 220a, with gaps 710a between adjacent grid plates 310a. An airflow channel 720a communicating with the gaps 710a is formed between the arc-extinguishing assembly 300a and the inner wall surface of the sealing housing 100a. In one embodiment, the airflow channel 720a is formed between the arc-extinguishing assembly 300a and the inner wall surface of the side wall 112a of the insulating cover 110a.
[0062] In this embodiment, multiple grid plates 310a can "cut" the electric arc into multiple shorter arc segments, which is beneficial for arc extinguishing and significantly improves the overload breaking capacity of the relay, achieving the breaking effect of high voltage and high current. Furthermore, since the arc extinguishing assembly 300a and the inner wall of the sealing housing 100a have an airflow channel 720a communicating with the gap 710a, this airflow channel 720a allows gas to pass through. When the electric arc enters the arc extinguishing assembly 300a, the gas in the gap 710a between adjacent grid plates 310a can be discharged into the airflow channel 720a, allowing the electric arc to enter the arc extinguishing assembly 300a more quickly, thereby lengthening the arc more rapidly. While "cutting" the arc, the grid plates 310a can also cool the arc, achieving the purpose of extinguishing the arc.
[0063] Furthermore, the relay in this embodiment uses a sealed housing 100a, which avoids the problem of changes in contact resistance between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a due to the influence of external ambient air. For example, increased contact resistance due to oxidation of the moving and stationary contacts can lead to excessive heat generation in the relay contacts under load, resulting in overheating and burnout of the application equipment.
[0064] In one embodiment, the grid plate 310a can be made of iron. The iron grid plate 310a can attract the electric arc, thereby facilitating the absorption of the electric arc and allowing the electric arc to enter the arc extinguishing assembly 300a more quickly.
[0065] Of course, in other embodiments, the grid 310a may also be made of other metallic materials or non-metallic materials.
[0066] In one embodiment, the sealed housing 100a is further filled with an arc-extinguishing gas. This arc-extinguishing gas can be hydrogen, nitrogen, or other mixtures of gases that facilitate arc extinguishing. Hydrogen has a high thermal conductivity, effectively absorbing the heat from the arc generated between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a and transferring the heat to the surrounding medium, thus cooling the arc. Furthermore, the arc pressure drop in hydrogen is higher, making arc extinguishing easier. Nitrogen has a high ionization energy and is less prone to breakdown, resulting in a smaller arc generated when the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a come into contact.
[0067] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the relay includes four arc-extinguishing components 300a, which are arranged in pairs. The two arc-extinguishing components 300a in a pair are arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction (first direction D1) of the two stationary contacts 210a of the contact component 200a; the moving contact 220a is located between the two pairs of arc-extinguishing components 300a.
[0068] It should be noted that the number of arc extinguishing components 300a is not limited to four.
[0069] For example, when there is only one arc-extinguishing component 300a, it can be a ring structure, and the grid plate 310a included in the arc-extinguishing component 300a is also a ring structure. The contact component 200a is located within the ring structure formed by the arc-extinguishing component 300a. In this case, the number of contact components 200a can be one or more.
[0070] For example, when there are two arc-extinguishing components 300a, the two arc-extinguishing components 300a are arranged at intervals along the first direction D1, and the contact component 200a is located between the two arc-extinguishing components 300a. In this case, the number of contact components 200a can be one or more. When there are multiple contact components 200a, the multiple contact components 200a are arranged at intervals along the third direction D3. In this case, in order for the arc-extinguishing component 300a to extinguish the arc generated by each contact component 200a, the width of the arc-extinguishing component 300a along the third direction D3 can be increased, so that the arc-extinguishing component 300a is sufficient to cover multiple contact components 200a.
[0071] As shown in Figure 3, the static contact 210a of the contact assembly 200a is provided with a first arc guide plate 410a at one end near the moving contact 220a. The first arc guide plate 410a extends from the static contact 210a toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300a and is used to guide the arc to move toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300a.
[0072] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing a first arc guide plate 410a, the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a can be elongated along the extension direction of the first arc guide plate 410a and guided by the first arc guide plate 410a to move into the arc extinguishing assembly 300a. The provision of the first arc guide plate 410a can shorten the arc extinguishing time and prevent the electric arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts for a long time. In addition, with the help of the first arc guide plate 410a, the electric arc can be transferred from the contact surface between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a to the end of the first arc guide plate 410a, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a, and reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a.
[0073] Among them, the phenomenon of "pointing out" refers to the phenomenon that, under long-term operation or high load, the contact surface develops sharp protrusions or deformations due to current, electric arc, or mechanical wear.
[0074] As shown in Figure 3, both static contacts 210a of a contact assembly 200a are provided with first arc guide plates 410a, and the two first arc guide plates 410a are symmetrically arranged along the first direction D1.
[0075] In one embodiment, the first arc guide plate 410a and the static contact member 210a can be an integral structure or a separate structure.
[0076] When the first guide arc plate 410a and the static contact 210a are integrally formed, the process of forming the first guide arc plate 410a can be to process C-angle, R-angle, or C-angle + R-angle at the end of the static contact 210a near the moving contact 220a; or, the first guide arc plate 410a can be integrally formed at the end of the static contact 210a near the moving contact 220a. The integral forming process can be machining, stamping, powder metallurgy, casting, etc.
[0077] When the first arc guide plate 410a and the static contact 210a are separate structures, the first arc guide plate 410a and the static contact 210a can be connected by welding, riveting or gluing.
[0078] As shown in Figure 3, the moving contact 220a has second arc guide plates 420a at both ends along its length. The second arc guide plates 420a and the automatic contact 220a extend toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300a to guide the arc to move toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300a.
[0079] By providing the second arc guide plate 420a, the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a can be elongated along the extension direction of the second arc guide plate 420a and guided by the second arc guide plate 420a to move into the arc extinguishing assembly 300a. The provision of the second arc guide plate 420a can shorten the arc extinguishing time and prevent the electric arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts for a long time. In addition, with the help of the second arc guide plate 420a, the electric arc can be transferred from the contact surface between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a to the end of the second arc guide plate 420a, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a and reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a.
[0080] As an example, the second guide plates 420a at both ends of the moving contact 220a along the length direction are symmetrically arranged along the first direction D1.
[0081] In one embodiment, the second arc guide plate 420a and the moving contact 220a can be an integral structure or a separate structure.
[0082] When the second guide arc plate 420a and the moving contact 220a are an integral structure, the integral molding process can be machining, stamping, powder metallurgy, casting, etc.
[0083] When the second arc guide plate 420a and the moving contact 220a are separate structures, the second arc guide plate 420a and the moving contact 220a can be connected by welding, riveting or gluing.
[0084] As shown in Figure 3, in the second direction D2, there is an included angle between the first guide arc plate 410a and the second guide arc plate 420a, so that the first guide arc plate 410a and the second guide arc plate 420a form a flared structure.
[0085] In summary, the relays of the present disclosure embodiments have at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:
[0086] The relay of this embodiment can promptly extinguish the electric arc generated by the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a during the closing and opening processes by providing an arc-extinguishing component 300a around the contact component 200a. On the one hand, it avoids the electric arc generated by adjacent contact components 200a from agglomerating and forming a longer arc; on the other hand, the timely extinguishing of the arc can effectively prevent the arc from burning the moving contact 220a and the stationary contact 210a, thereby extending the service life of the relay; furthermore, the arc-extinguishing component 300a is located inside the insulating cover 110a instead of outside the insulating cover 110a, which can reduce the size of the relay and facilitate miniaturization.
[0087] Furthermore, the multiple grid plates 310a can "cut" the electric arc into multiple shorter arc segments, which is beneficial for arc extinguishing and significantly improves the overload breaking capacity of the relay, achieving the breaking effect of high voltage and high current. Moreover, since there is an airflow channel 720a communicating with the gap 710a between the inner wall of the arc extinguishing assembly 300a and the sealing housing 100a, this airflow channel 720a allows gas to pass through. When the electric arc enters the arc extinguishing assembly 300a, the gas in the gap 710a between adjacent grid plates 310a can be discharged into the airflow channel 720a, allowing the electric arc to enter the arc extinguishing assembly 300a more quickly, thereby lengthening the arc more rapidly. While "cutting" the arc, it can also cool the arc, achieving the purpose of extinguishing the arc.
[0088] Furthermore, electric arcs are easily generated between the moving and stationary contacts of a relay during contact and separation. If the arc is not extinguished in time, it can easily burn through the moving and stationary contacts, affecting their electrical durability. To solve the problem of arc erosion of the moving and stationary contacts, related technologies use arc-extinguishing components. However, adding arc-extinguishing components to the relay increases its size, which is not conducive to miniaturization design.
[0089] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure also provides a relay to improve upon the problem of its large size.
[0090] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a relay includes: a contact cavity, at least one set of contact components, and an arc-extinguishing component. The contact components include a moving contact and two stationary contacts, the stationary contacts being mounted on the top of the contact cavity, and the moving contact being movably disposed within the contact cavity for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts; and the arc-extinguishing component being disposed within the contact cavity and located on the side of the stationary contacts facing the moving contact, for extinguishing an electric arc generated during contact and separation between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0091] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing assembly includes an arc extinguishing grid assembly, the arc extinguishing grid assembly having a portion overlapping with the orthographic projection of the stationary contact member on a target plane, the target plane being perpendicular to the contact separation direction of the moving contact member and the stationary contact member.
[0092] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing assembly includes a mounting member and a plurality of grid plates, the plurality of grid plates being mounted on the mounting member and arranged along the contact separation direction between the moving contact member and the stationary contact member, and a gap being present between two adjacent grid plates.
[0093] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the mounting component includes two oppositely disposed mounting plates, and a plurality of the grid plates are mounted between the two mounting plates.
[0094] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, one of the mounting plate and the grid plate has a locking hole, and the other has a locking portion, which engages with the locking hole.
[0095] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing assembly includes at least one pair of arc extinguishing grid assemblies, with the two pairs of arc extinguishing grid assemblies respectively located on the side of the two stationary contacts of the contact assembly facing the moving contact.
[0096] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the two pairs of arc-extinguishing grid assemblies are located at opposite ends of the moving contact in the longitudinal direction.
[0097] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the static contact includes a static component mounted on the top of the contact cavity, the portion of the static component extending into the contact cavity is an insertion portion, the farthest distance between the insertion portions of two static components is L4, and the shortest distance between a pair of arc-extinguishing grid assemblies is L2, where L4 > L2.
[0098] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the static contact includes a static component and a conductive component, the static component being mounted on the top of the contact cavity; in the contact assembly, the conductive components of the two static contacts are respectively connected to the static components of the two static contacts, and the conductive components are used to contact or separate from the moving contact.
[0099] The arc-extinguishing component is located on the side of the stationary component facing the moving contact.
[0100] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing assembly includes at least one pair of arc extinguishing grid assemblies, with the two pairs of arc extinguishing grid assemblies respectively located on the side of the stationary part of the two stationary contacts of the contact assembly facing the moving contact.
[0101] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the portion of the stationary component extending out of the outer surface of the contact cavity is an exposed portion, the shortest distance between two exposed portions is L1, and the shortest distance between a pair of arc-extinguishing grid assemblies is L2, where L2≤L1.
[0102] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the conductive element is located between the arc-extinguishing grid assembly and the stationary component.
[0103] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the stationary component has an insertion portion extending into the contact cavity, and the shortest distance between two insertion portions is L5; the conductive component has a contact portion for contacting or separating from the moving contact, and the shortest distance between two contact portions is L3, where L5 > L3.
[0104] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the conductive element has a contact portion, and the movable contact element is used to contact or separate from the two contact portions included in the contact assembly;
[0105] Wherein, the portion of the stationary component that extends out of the outer surface of the contact cavity is the exposed portion, the shortest distance between the two exposed portions is L1, and the shortest distance between the two contact portions included in the contact assembly is L3, where L3≤L1.
[0106] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, in the contact assembly, two conductive elements extend along the arrangement direction of the two stationary elements and toward each other, and the two conductive elements have contact portions at positions close to each other, and the moving contact element is used to contact or separate from the contact portions.
[0107] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the conductive element includes a first segment and a second segment connected vertically, the first segment being connected to the stationary component, and the second segment being used to contact or separate from the moving contact.
[0108] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing assembly includes an arc extinguishing grid assembly, wherein the arc extinguishing grid assembly and the stationary component have an overlapping portion on an orthographic projection onto a plane perpendicular to the contact separation direction of the moving contact and the stationary contact.
[0109] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the two conductive elements extend in a direction that brings them closer to each other.
[0110] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the static contact includes a first arc-guiding portion arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact, the first arc-guiding portion extending toward the moving contact and configured to guide the arc flow toward the arc-extinguishing assembly.
[0111] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the static contact includes a static component and a conductive component, the static component being mounted on the top of the contact cavity; in the contact assembly, the conductive components of the two static contacts are respectively connected to the static components of the two static contacts, the conductive component being used to contact or separate from the moving contact; the conductive component has the first arc-guided portion.
[0112] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the conductive member further includes a connecting portion and a contact portion. The connecting portion is connected to the stationary component. One end of the first arc-shaped portion is connected to the connecting portion, and the other end of the first arc-shaped portion is connected to the contact portion. The moving contact member is used to contact or separate from the contact portion.
[0113] The arc extinguishing assembly includes at least one pair of arc extinguishing grid assemblies, with the two pairs of arc extinguishing grid assemblies respectively located on the side of the connection portion of the two static contacts of the contact assembly facing the moving contact.
[0114] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the first guide arc portion extends from the connecting portion toward the moving contact member.
[0115] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the contact cavity includes an insulating cover and a yoke plate, the insulating cover being connected to one side surface of the yoke plate in the thickness direction, and the insulating cover and the yoke plate forming a contact cavity;
[0116] The relay further includes a push rod component, which is movable relative to the yoke plate, and the moving contact is mounted on the push rod component;
[0117] The first guide arc portion extends from the connecting portion toward the center line of the push rod member and the yoke plate.
[0118] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the contact assembly further includes a second arc guide portion connected to the moving contact and arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact, the second arc guide portion being configured to guide the arc flow to the arc extinguishing assembly.
[0119] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay further includes an exciter mounted on the contact cavity and configured to release an impactor into the contact cavity in response to an excitation signal, the impactor being capable of switching the moving contact from a state of being connected to the stationary contact to a state of being disconnected from the stationary contact.
[0120] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the contact cavity includes an insulating cover and a yoke plate, the insulating cover being connected to one side surface of the yoke plate in the thickness direction, and the insulating cover and the yoke plate forming a contact cavity;
[0121] The stationary contact is mounted on the top of the insulating cover, the moving contact is movably disposed in the contact chamber, and the arc extinguishing assembly is disposed in the contact chamber and located on the side of the stationary contact facing the yoke plate.
[0122] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, all of the static contacts are located on the same side of the dynamic contacts.
[0123] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows:
[0124] In the relay of this disclosure, the arc-extinguishing component is arranged on the side of the stationary contact facing the moving contact, so as to make full use of the space on the side of the stationary contact facing the moving contact, without occupying too much space of the relay along the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts. This ensures the arc-extinguishing effect of the arc-extinguishing component and avoids making the relay too large, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the product.
[0125] Furthermore, in the contact separation direction of the moving contact and the stationary contact, the arc-extinguishing grid assembly overlaps with the stationary contact, and the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies are located at the two ends of the length direction of the moving contact, so that the arc-extinguishing grid assembly is as close as possible to the contact position of the moving contact and the stationary contact. Thus, when an arc is generated between the moving contact and the stationary contact, the arc can enter the arc-extinguishing grid assembly with the shortest path, thus accelerating the arc extinguishing speed.
[0126] Furthermore, the shortest distance between the two exposed parts is L1, and the shortest distance between the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies is L2. Since L2≤L1, the arc-extinguishing grid assembly is closer to the moving contact to accelerate the arc extinguishing speed.
[0127] Furthermore, by setting conductive elements with contact points, since L3≤L1, the two conductive elements extend in a direction that is roughly close to each other. In this way, while ensuring that the distance between the contact points of the two conductive elements remains unchanged, the distance between the two stationary parts can be increased as much as possible. Thus, while ensuring the electrical distance, other components, such as auxiliary monitoring contacts, exciters, etc., can be arranged in the space between the two stationary parts.
[0128] Furthermore, the conductive element includes a first arc-guiding portion arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact. This first arc-guiding portion is configured to guide the arc flow towards the arc-extinguishing assembly. The conductive element not only shortens the distance between the two contact points of the contact assembly but also guides the arc flow towards the arc-extinguishing assembly, thereby increasing the arc-extinguishing speed. In addition, the first arc-guiding portion allows the arc to be transferred from the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts to the end of the first arc-guiding portion, thereby reducing the contact surface loss of the moving and stationary contacts and minimizing the occurrence of arc spikes, ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0129] Furthermore, by providing a second arc-guiding section, the electric arc generated between the moving and stationary contacts can flow along the extension direction of the second arc-guiding section, thereby lengthening the arc, shortening the arc extinguishing time, preventing the arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts for a long time, and improving the electrical durability of the moving and stationary contacts. In addition, with the help of the second arc-guiding section, the arc can be transferred from the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts to the end of the second arc-guiding section, thereby reducing the wear of the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts, reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, and ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0130] Furthermore, the relay is also equipped with an exciter. When an excitation signal is received, the exciter is activated, releasing an impactor into the contact chamber. This impactor causes the moving contact to switch from a state of conduction with the stationary contact to a state of disconnection. In this way, the exciter acts as a "fuse," promptly disconnecting the relay upon the arrival of the excitation signal. This improves the anti-sticking properties of the moving and stationary contacts, enabling rapid arc extinguishing.
[0131] Second Embodiment
[0132] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the relay of the second embodiment of this disclosure includes: a contact cavity 100b, at least one set of contact components 200b, a push rod member 600b, and an arc-extinguishing component 300b. The contact cavity 100b has a contact chamber 101b. Each set of contact components 200b includes a moving contact 220b and two stationary contacts 210b. The stationary contacts 210b are fixedly mounted on the contact cavity 100b, and the moving contact 220b is movably disposed within the contact chamber 101b for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts 210b. The push rod member 600b is movable relative to the contact cavity 100b, and a portion of the push rod member 600b is located within the contact chamber 101b. The moving contact 220b is installed in the portion of the push rod member 600b located within the contact chamber 101b. The arc extinguishing assembly 300b is disposed in the contact chamber 101b and is used to extinguish the arc generated by the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b during contact and separation.
[0133] In one embodiment, all of the stationary contact 210b are located on the same side of the moving contact 220b.
[0134] As an example, the contact cavity 100b includes an insulating cover 110b and a yoke plate 130b. The insulating cover 110b covers one side of the yoke plate 130b in the thickness direction, and the insulating cover 110b and the yoke plate 130b form a contact cavity 101b. A static contact 210b is fixedly mounted on the insulating cover 110b.
[0135] In one embodiment, the insulating cover 110b includes a ceramic cover 111b and a frame 112b. The ceramic cover 111b is made of ceramic material and is connected to the yoke plate 130b via the frame 112b. A static contact 210b is mounted on the top of the ceramic cover 111b.
[0136] As an example, the frame piece 112b can be a ring-shaped metal component, such as one made of an iron-nickel alloy. One end of the frame piece 112b is connected to the opening edge of the ceramic cover 111b, and the other end is connected to the yoke plate 130b. The frame piece 112b is positioned between the ceramic cover 111b and the yoke plate 130b to facilitate their connection.
[0137] The number of contact components 200b can be one or more groups. When the number of contact components 200b is more than one group, it can be two, three, four or other groups.
[0138] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the following explanation will take two sets of contact components 200b as an example. For ease of explanation, the arrangement direction of the two stationary contact members 210b in one set of contact components 200b is defined as the first direction D1, the movement direction of the push rod member 600b is defined as the second direction D2, and the third direction D3 is defined. The first direction D1, the second direction D2, and the third direction D3 are all perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact separation direction between the moving contact member 220b and the stationary contact member 210b is the second direction D2.
[0139] Two sets of contact components 200b are arranged along the third direction D3. The positions of the two stationary contacts 210b of one set of contact components 200b correspond to the positions of the two stationary contacts 210b of the other set of contact components 200b.
[0140] As shown in Figure 6, the arc-extinguishing component 300b is located on the side of the stationary contact 210b facing the moving contact 220b. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the arc-extinguishing component 300b is located on the side of the stationary contact 210b facing the yoke plate 130b.
[0141] In the relay of the second embodiment of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing component 300b is arranged on the side of the stationary contact 210b facing the moving contact 220b, so as to make full use of the space on the side of the stationary contact 210b facing the moving contact 220b, without occupying too much space of the relay along the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts 210b. This ensures the arc extinguishing effect of the arc extinguishing component 300b, and avoids making the relay too large, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the product.
[0142] As shown in Figure 7, the arc-extinguishing assembly 300b includes an isolation seat 320b and at least one pair of arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b. The isolation seat 320b is disposed within the contact chamber 101b, for example, the isolation seat 320b is fixedly connected to the yoke plate 130b, and the arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are mounted on the isolation seat 320b. The two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are respectively located on the side of the two stationary contacts 210b of the contact assembly 200b facing the yoke plate 130b, and are used to extinguish the arc generated by the moving contact 220b and the two stationary contacts 210b.
[0143] In one embodiment, the number of arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b is the same as the number of stationary contacts 210b. For example, the number of both arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b and stationary contacts 210b is four, but this is not a limitation.
[0144] Of course, in other embodiments, when the number of static contacts 210b is four, the number of arc extinguishing grid components 310b included in the arc extinguishing assembly 300b can also be two. The two arc extinguishing grid components 310b are arranged along the first direction D1, and each arc extinguishing grid component 310b has a larger size along the third direction D3 so as to cover multiple moving contacts 220b.
[0145] As shown in Figure 6, the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are located at opposite ends of the length direction (first direction D1) of the moving contact 220b. The corresponding arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b and the stationary contact 210b have overlapping portions on a target plane, and the target plane is perpendicular to the contact separation direction (second direction D2) of the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b.
[0146] In the second embodiment of this disclosure, in the contact separation direction of the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b, the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b and the stationary contact 210b have an overlapping portion, and the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are respectively located at both ends of the length direction of the moving contact 220b, so that the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b is as close as possible to the contact position of the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b. Therefore, when an electric arc is generated between the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b, the electric arc can enter the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b with the shortest path, thereby accelerating the arc extinguishing speed.
[0147] As shown in Figure 6, each stationary contact 210b includes a stationary component 211b and a conductive component 212b. The stationary component 211b is mounted on the top of the ceramic cover 111b. In the contact assembly 200b, the conductive components 212b of the two stationary contacts 210b are respectively connected to the stationary components 211b of the two stationary contacts 210b. The conductive components 212b are used to contact or separate from the moving contact 220b. The two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are respectively located on the side of the stationary components 211b of the two stationary contacts 210b of the contact assembly 200b facing the yoke plate 130b.
[0148] Among them, the corresponding arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b and the stationary part 211b of the stationary contact 210b have an overlapping portion on the target plane.
[0149] In one embodiment, the two conductive elements 212b extend in a direction that approaches each other.
[0150] It should be noted that "the direction of mutual approach" refers to the overall tendency of the two conductive components 212b to approach each other, which may include, but is not limited to: the two conductive components 212b approaching each other along a straight line, the two conductive components 212b approaching each other along a curve, and a part of the two conductive components 212b approaching each other, etc.
[0151] In one embodiment, the conductive component 212b and the stationary component 211b are connected separately, for example by welding, riveting, interference fit, or other methods.
[0152] Of course, in other embodiments, the conductive element 212b and the stationary element 211b can also be integrally connected, that is, the stationary contact element 210b is a single piece.
[0153] In one embodiment, the conductive element 212b can be connected to the bottom of the stationary element 211b or to the side of the stationary element 211b. Of course, the conductive element 212b can also be connected to both the bottom and the side of the stationary element 211b at the same time. This disclosure does not limit this.
[0154] When the conductive element 212b is connected to the bottom of the stationary element 211b, the conductive element 212b can be located between the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b and the stationary element 211b.
[0155] In one embodiment, the portion of the stationary component 211b that extends into the contact cavity 100b is the insertion portion 211b-a, the farthest distance between the insertion portions 211b-a of the two stationary components 211b is L4, and the shortest distance between the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b is L2, where L4 > L2.
[0156] In the second embodiment of this disclosure, since L4 > L2, the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b can be arranged below the insertion portion 211b-a to improve the space utilization rate within the contact cavity 100b, which is beneficial for product miniaturization design.
[0157] The conductive element 212b can be connected to the insertion part 211b-a.
[0158] As shown in Figure 6, the portion of the stationary component 211b that extends out of the outer surface of the contact cavity 100b is the exposed portion 211b-b. The shortest distance between the two exposed portions 211b-b is L1, and the shortest distance between the two paired arc-extinguishing grid components 310b is L2, where L2≤L1.
[0159] In the second embodiment of this disclosure, since L2≤L1, the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b is brought closer to the moving contact 220b to accelerate the arc extinguishing speed.
[0160] Please refer to Figure 6. The conductive element 212b has a contact portion 215b. The moving contact 220b is used to contact or separate from the two contact portions 215b included in the contact assembly 200b. The shortest distance between the two contact portions 215b included in the contact assembly 200b is L3, where L3 ≤ L1.
[0161] In the second embodiment of this disclosure, by providing a conductive element 212b, and having a contact portion 215b on the conductive element 212b, since L3≤L1, the two conductive elements 212b extend in a direction that is approximately close to each other. In this way, while ensuring that the distance between the contact portions 215b of the two conductive elements 212b remains unchanged, the distance between the two stationary components 211b can be increased as much as possible. Thus, while ensuring the electrical distance, other components, such as auxiliary monitoring contacts, exciters, etc., can be arranged in the space between the two stationary components 211b.
[0162] As shown in Figure 6, in one embodiment, the shortest distance between the two insertion parts 211b-a is L5, where L5 > L3.
[0163] In the second embodiment of this disclosure, since L5 > L3, the two conductive elements 212b extend in a direction that is generally close to each other, and sufficient space is reserved between the two insertion portions 211b-a. This space can accommodate other components, improve the space utilization rate within the contact cavity 100b, and facilitate the miniaturization design of the product.
[0164] In one implementation, L1 < L5.
[0165] In one embodiment, each conductive element 212b is flat. Two conductive elements 212b of a set of contact components 200b are respectively connected to two stationary parts 211b of the contact component 200b and extend along the arrangement direction (first direction D1) of the two stationary parts 211b and toward each other. The two conductive elements 212b have contact portions 215b at the positions where they are close to each other, and the moving contact 220b is used to contact or separate from the contact portions 215b.
[0166] Furthermore, the moving contact 220b is flat and is arranged in parallel with the conductive element 212b.
[0167] Of course, in other embodiments, the conductive element 212b can also be other shapes, such as an arc plate, a rod, etc., as long as the two conductive elements 212b start from the two stationary parts 211b and extend in a direction that is close to each other.
[0168] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b includes a mounting member 311b and a plurality of grid plates 312b. The plurality of grid plates 312b are mounted on the mounting member 311b and arranged along the contact separation direction (second direction D2) between the moving contact member 220b and the stationary contact member 210b. There is a gap between two adjacent grid plates 312b.
[0169] In one embodiment, the mounting member 311b includes two oppositely arranged mounting plates 3111b, and a plurality of grid plates 312b are mounted between the two mounting plates 3111b.
[0170] In one embodiment, the mounting plate 3111b and the grid plate 312b each have a locking hole 313b and a locking part 314b, which engages with the locking hole 313b.
[0171] For example, the mounting plate 3111b has a snap-fit hole 313b and the grid plate 312b has a snap-fit portion 314b; or, the mounting plate 3111b has a snap-fit portion 314b and the grid plate 312b has a snap-fit hole 313b.
[0172] It should be noted that the connection between the grid plate 312b and the mounting part 311b is not limited to a snap-fit method. For example, multiple slots can be provided on the mounting part 311b, and the grid plate 312b can be inserted into the slots.
[0173] Third Embodiment
[0174] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the relay of the third embodiment of this disclosure is similar to the relay of the second embodiment, and will not be repeated here. The difference is that the conductive member 212b includes a first arc guiding portion 214b arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact member 220b. The first arc guiding portion 214b extends toward the moving contact member 220b and is configured to guide the arc flow toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300b.
[0175] In the third embodiment of this disclosure, the conductive element 212b can not only shorten the distance between the two contact portions 215b of the contact assembly 200b, but also guide the arc flow to the arc extinguishing assembly 300b to improve the arc extinguishing speed.
[0176] The first guide arc portion 214b can extend along a straight line or along a curve, and this disclosure does not limit it in this way.
[0177] The conductive element 212b also includes a connecting portion 213b and a contact portion 215b. The contact portion 215b has a contact portion. The connecting portion 213b is connected to the stationary component 211b. One end of the first arc-guiding portion 214b is connected to the connecting portion 213b, and the other end of the first arc-guiding portion 214b is connected to the contact portion 215b. The moving contact 220b is used to contact or separate from the contact portion 215b. The two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are respectively located on the side of the connecting portion 213b of the two stationary contacts 210b of the contact assembly 200b facing the yoke plate 130b.
[0178] The first guide arc portion 214b extends from the connecting portion 213b toward the center line of the push rod member 600b and the yoke plate 130b.
[0179] It should be noted that, with the help of the first arc guide 214b, the electric arc can be transferred from the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts to the end of the first arc guide 214b, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts, reducing the occurrence of tipping phenomenon, and ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0180] Among them, the phenomenon of "pointing out" refers to the phenomenon that, under long-term operation or high load, the contact surface develops sharp protrusions or deformations due to current, electric arc, or mechanical wear.
[0181] Therefore, in this embodiment, the conductive member 212b has an inclined first arc-guiding portion 214b, which extends from the connecting portion 213b toward the moving contact member 220b. Simultaneously, the end of the conductive member 212b away from the stationary member 211b has a contact portion 215b. The arrangement of the conductive member 211b not only ensures sufficient electrical distance between the two stationary members 211b for accommodating other components, but also allows the first arc-guiding portion 214b to guide the electric arc, ensuring timely flow to the arc-extinguishing assembly 300b. Furthermore, the conductive member 212b has a reserved space on the side facing the moving contact member 220b, which can be used to arrange other components, improving the space utilization of the relay and facilitating miniaturization design.
[0182] Fourth embodiment
[0183] As shown in Figure 13, the similarities between the relay of the fourth embodiment and the relay of the second embodiment will not be repeated here. The differences are as follows:
[0184] The conductive element 212b includes a first segment 2121b and a second segment 2122b that are vertically connected. The first segment 2121b is connected to the stationary component 211b, and the end of the second segment 2122b away from the first segment 2121b has a contact portion 215b.
[0185] The contact assembly 200b also includes a second arc guide portion 230b, which is connected to the moving contact 220b and is arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact 220b. The second arc guide portion 230b is configured to guide the arc flow to the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b.
[0186] In the fourth embodiment of this disclosure, by providing a second arc-guiding portion 230b, the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b can flow along the extension direction of the second arc-guiding portion 230b, thereby lengthening the arc, shortening the arc extinguishing time, preventing the arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts for a long time, and improving the electrical durability of the moving and stationary contacts. Furthermore, with the help of the second arc-guiding portion 230b, the arc can be transferred from the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts to the end of the second arc-guiding portion 230b, thereby reducing the wear of the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts, reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, and ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0187] In one embodiment, the second guide arc portion 230b and the moving contact member 220b are integrally connected.
[0188] Of course, in other embodiments, the second guide arc portion 230b and the moving contact 220b can also be connected separately, for example by riveting, welding, interference fit, etc.
[0189] As shown in Figure 13, the second arc guide portion 230b and the automatic contact member 220b extend in a direction away from the centerline of the push rod member 600b and close to the yoke plate 130b and the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b. One end of the second arc guide portion 230b is connected to the moving contact member 220b, and the other end is close to the end of the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b near the yoke plate 130b.
[0190] As an example, there may be two second arc guide portions 230b, which are respectively connected to the two ends of the moving contact 220b in the length direction, and both second arc guide portions 230b and moving contact 220b are located between a pair of arc extinguishing grid assemblies 310b.
[0191] As shown in Figure 13, the tilt direction of the first guide arc portion 214b is arranged at an angle to the tilt direction of the second guide arc portion 230b. This angle can be either acute or obtuse.
[0192] In the fourth embodiment of this disclosure, the first arc guiding portion 214b and the second arc guiding portion 230b form a flared structure, which helps to confine the arc between the first arc guiding portion 214b and the second arc guiding portion 230b, thereby accelerating the arc flow to the arc extinguishing component 300b and shortening the arc extinguishing time.
[0193] Referring to Figure 13, the relay in this embodiment further includes an exciter 710b, which is mounted on top of the ceramic cover 111b of the contact cavity 100b. At least a portion of the exciter 710b is located within the contact cavity 101b, and the exciter 710b is located on the side of the moving contact 220b facing away from the yoke plate 130b. The exciter 710b is configured to release an impactor into the contact cavity 101b in response to an excitation signal. The impactor is capable of switching the moving contact 220b from a state of being connected to the stationary contact 210b to a state of being disconnected from the stationary contact 210b.
[0194] In the fourth embodiment of this disclosure, the relay is provided with an exciter 710b. When an excitation signal occurs, the exciter 710b is activated, thereby releasing an impactor into the contact chamber 101b. The impactor can switch the moving contact 220b from a state of being connected to the stationary contact 210b to a state of being disconnected from the stationary contact 210b. In this way, the exciter 710b acts as a "fuse," enabling the relay to disconnect in a timely manner when an excitation signal occurs, which helps to improve the anti-sticking properties of the moving and stationary contacts and achieve rapid arc extinguishing.
[0195] In one embodiment, an excitation signal is generated when a threshold current passes through the moving contact 220b.
[0196] As an example, the impactor can be a gaseous or solid substance. When the impactor is a gaseous substance, the exciter 710b can release gas into the contact chamber 101b in response to an excitation signal. The gas can impact the contact 220b to disconnect the relay. When the impactor is a solid substance, the exciter 710b can release an object into the contact chamber 101b in response to an excitation signal. This object can impact the contact 220b to disconnect the relay.
[0197] It should be noted that, regardless of whether the impactor is a gaseous or solid substance, the impactor can directly contact the moving contact 220b or indirectly contact the moving contact 220b.
[0198] In one embodiment, when the impactor is a gaseous substance, the igniter 710b may include gunpowder. When the threshold current passes through the moving contact 220b, the gunpowder is ignited and generates a large amount of gas, forming a gas impact force. This gas impact force can drive the moving contact 220b to move, thereby disconnecting the relay.
[0199] For example, the exciter 710b can be an electric detonator or an electric detonating tube, but is not limited to this.
[0200] It should be added that the excitation signal can be determined by whether the current flowing through the moving contact 220b reaches a threshold. Specifically, when the current flowing through the moving contact 220b is greater than or equal to the threshold, the exciter 710b receives an excitation signal; when the current flowing through the moving contact 220b is less than the threshold, the exciter 710b does not receive an excitation signal.
[0201] As an example, the magnitude of the current passing through the moving contact 220b can be monitored by using a Hall effect sensor to monitor the magnetic field strength near the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b. Based on the correspondence between magnetic field strength and current value, the current value can be derived from the magnetic field strength.
[0202] Of course, the monitoring of threshold current is not limited to the Hall element mentioned above. For example, it can also be a device that directly monitors the current value passing through the moving contact 220b in the current loop.
[0203] Fifth Embodiment
[0204] As shown in Figure 14, the similarities between the relay of the fifth embodiment and the relay of the first embodiment will not be repeated here. The differences are as follows:
[0205] The stationary contact 210b includes a stationary component 211b but excludes a conductive component 212b. The stationary component 211b is mounted on top of the ceramic cover 111b. The moving contact 220b is used to contact or separate from the stationary component 211b.
[0206] Sixth Embodiment
[0207] As shown in Figure 15, the similarities between the relay of the sixth embodiment and the relay of the fifth embodiment of this disclosure will not be repeated here. The differences are as follows:
[0208] The contact assembly 200b also includes a second arc guide portion 230b, which is connected to the moving contact 220b and is arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact 220b. The second arc guide portion 230b is configured to guide the arc flow to the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b.
[0209] In one embodiment, the second guide arc portion 230b and the moving contact member 220b are integrally connected.
[0210] Of course, in other embodiments, the second guide arc portion 230b and the moving contact 220b can also be connected separately, for example by riveting, welding, interference fit, etc.
[0211] As shown in Figure 15, the second arc guide portion 230b and the automatic contact member 220b extend in a direction away from the centerline of the push rod member 600b and close to the yoke plate 130b and the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b. One end of the second arc guide portion 230b is connected to the moving contact member 220b, and the other end is close to the end of the arc extinguishing grid assembly 310b near the yoke plate 130b.
[0212] As an example, there may be two second arc guide portions 230b, which are respectively connected to the two ends of the moving contact 220b in the length direction, and both second arc guide portions 230b and moving contact 220b are located between a pair of arc extinguishing grid assemblies 310b.
[0213] In summary, the relays of the present disclosure embodiments have at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:
[0214] In the relay of this embodiment, the arc-extinguishing component 300b is arranged on the side of the stationary contact 210b facing the moving contact 220b, so as to make full use of the space on the side of the stationary contact 210b facing the moving contact 220b, without occupying too much space of the relay along the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts 210b. This ensures the arc-extinguishing effect of the arc-extinguishing component 300b, and avoids making the relay too large, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the product.
[0215] Furthermore, in the contact separation direction of the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b, the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b overlaps with the stationary contact 210b, and the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b are located at opposite ends of the length of the moving contact 220b. This allows the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b to be as close as possible to the contact position between the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b. Consequently, when an arc is generated between the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b, the arc can enter the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b via the shortest path, thus accelerating the arc extinguishing speed.
[0216] Furthermore, the shortest distance between the two exposed portions 211b-b is L1, and the shortest distance between the two paired arc-extinguishing grid assemblies 310b is L2. Since L2≤L1, the arc-extinguishing grid assembly 310b is closer to the moving contact 220b to accelerate the arc extinguishing speed.
[0217] Furthermore, by providing a conductive element 212b, and having a contact portion 215b on the conductive element 212b, since L3≤L1, the two conductive elements 212b extend in a direction that is approximately close to each other. In this way, while ensuring that the distance between the contact portions 215b of the two conductive elements 212b remains unchanged, the distance between the two stationary components 211b can be increased as much as possible. Thus, while ensuring the electrical distance, other components, such as auxiliary monitoring contacts, exciters, etc., can be arranged in the space between the two stationary components 211b.
[0218] Furthermore, the conductive element 212b includes a first arc-guiding portion 214b arranged at an angle relative to the moving contact 220b. The first arc-guiding portion 214b is configured to guide the arc flow to the arc-extinguishing assembly 300b. The conductive element 212b can not only shorten the distance between the two contact portions 215b of the contact assembly 200b, but also guide the arc flow to the arc-extinguishing assembly 300b to improve the arc-extinguishing speed. In addition, with the help of the first arc-guiding portion 214b, the arc can be transferred from the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts to the end of the first arc-guiding portion 214b, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts, reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, and ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0219] Furthermore, by providing the second arc-guiding portion 230b, the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220b and the stationary contact 210b can flow along the extension direction of the second arc-guiding portion 230b, thereby lengthening the arc, shortening the arc extinguishing time, preventing the arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts for a long time, and improving the electrical durability of the moving and stationary contacts. In addition, with the help of the second arc-guiding portion 230b, the arc can be transferred from the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts to the end of the second arc-guiding portion 230b, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface of the moving and stationary contacts, reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, and ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving and stationary contacts.
[0220] Furthermore, the relay is also equipped with an exciter 710b. When an excitation signal is received, the exciter 710b is activated, thereby releasing an impactor into the contact chamber 101b. The impactor causes the moving contact 220b to switch from a state of conduction with the stationary contact 210b to a state of disconnection with the stationary contact 210b. In this way, the exciter 710b acts as a "fuse," enabling the relay to disconnect promptly when an excitation signal is received, which helps improve the anti-sticking properties of the moving and stationary contacts and achieves rapid arc extinguishing.
[0221] It is understood that the various embodiments / implementations provided in this disclosure can be combined with each other without creating contradictions, and will not be described in detail here.
[0222] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; the term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise expressly defined. The terms "install," "connect," "link," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connect" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; "link" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0223] In the description of the embodiments of the application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or unit referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the application.
Claims
1. A relay, characterized in that, include: Sealed housing; The contact assembly includes a movable contact and two stationary contacts. The stationary contacts are mounted on the sealing housing, and the movable contact is movably disposed within the sealing housing for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts. An arc-extinguishing assembly is disposed within the sealed housing and located around the contact assembly, for extinguishing the arc generated during the contact and separation of the moving contact and the stationary contact; the arc-extinguishing assembly includes a plurality of grid plates arranged at intervals along the movement direction of the moving contact, with gaps between adjacent grid plates, and an airflow channel communicating with the gaps between the arc-extinguishing assembly and the inner wall surface of the sealed housing.
2. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay includes two arc-extinguishing components, which are arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts of the contact component; the moving contact is located between the two arc-extinguishing components.
3. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealed housing includes an insulating cover made of ceramic material, the static contact is mounted on the insulating cover, the dynamic contact and the arc extinguishing assembly are disposed inside the insulating cover, and the airflow channel is provided between the arc extinguishing assembly and the inner wall surface of the insulating cover.
4. The relay according to claim 3, characterized in that, The insulating cover has the same number of through holes as the static contact, and the through holes penetrate the inner and outer wall surfaces of the insulating cover; The static contact is inserted into the through hole and welded to the insulating cover.
5. The relay according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sealing housing further includes a frame, a yoke plate, and a metal cover. The insulating cover is connected to one side surface of the yoke plate in the thickness direction via the frame, and the metal cover is connected to the other side surface of the yoke plate in the thickness direction. The yoke plate has a perforation that penetrates the yoke plate along its thickness direction and communicates with the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover and the cavity enclosed by the metal cover, respectively.
6. The relay according to claim 5, characterized in that, The insulating cover and the frame, the frame and the yoke plate, and the metal cover and the yoke plate are all connected by welding.
7. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The static contact of the contact assembly is provided with a first arc guide plate at one end near the moving contact. The first arc guide plate extends from the static contact towards the arc extinguishing assembly to guide the electric arc toward the arc extinguishing assembly.
8. The relay according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first arc guide plate and the static contact element are either an integral structure or separate structures.
9. The relay according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The moving contact has second arc guide plates at both ends along its length. The second arc guide plates extend from the moving contact toward the arc extinguishing component to guide the electric arc toward the arc extinguishing component.
10. The relay according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second guide plate and the moving contact are either an integral structure or separate structures.
11. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of contact components is multiple; The relay further includes a push rod component and a coil assembly. The push rod component is movably disposed within the sealed housing. The moving contacts of the plurality of contact components are mounted on the push rod component. The coil assembly is used to drive the push rod component to move.
12. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealed housing is also filled with arc-quenching gas.