Relay

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure is a relay, comprising a housing, contact assemblies, arc extinguishing assemblies and valve assemblies. The housing has pressure relief holes passing through the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the housing. Each contact assembly comprises a moving contact piece and two stationary contacts, the stationary contacts being mounted on the housing, and the moving contact piece being movably arranged in the housing and used for being in contact with or separated from the two stationary contacts. The arc extinguishing assemblies are arranged in the housing and located around the contact assemblies, and are used for extinguishing arcs generated by the moving contact pieces and the stationary contacts during contact and separation. The valve assemblies are mounted on the housing and covers the pressure relief holes. The valve assemblies are configured such that, when the pressure of gas in the housing is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the valve assemblies are ruptured by the gas in the housing to open the pressure relief holes.

Description

relay

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411896651.3, filed on December 20, 2024, 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] The housing has a pressure relief hole penetrating the inner and outer walls of the housing;

[0008] A contact assembly includes a movable contact piece and two stationary contacts. The stationary contacts are mounted on the housing, and the movable contact piece is movably disposed within the housing for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts.

[0009] An arc-extinguishing assembly, disposed within the housing and surrounding the contact assembly, is used to extinguish the electric arc generated during the contact and separation of the moving contact and the stationary contact; and

[0010] A valve assembly is mounted on the housing and covers the pressure relief port. The valve assembly is configured to be ruptured by the gas in the housing and open the pressure relief port when the gas pressure in the housing is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, an airflow channel is provided between the arc extinguishing component and the inner wall surface of the housing, and the airflow channel and the valve component each have an overlapping portion on a target plane.

[0012] The target plane is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the moving contact piece.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the arc extinguishing assembly includes a plurality of arc extinguishing grids arranged at intervals along the movement direction of the moving contact piece, and there is a gap between adjacent arc extinguishing grids, the gap being in communication with the airflow channel.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the housing includes an insulating cover made of ceramic material, the stationary contact is mounted on the insulating cover, and the moving contact and the arc extinguishing assembly are disposed inside the insulating cover.

[0015] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the insulating cover has the same number of through holes as the stationary contacts, and the through holes penetrate the inner and outer wall surfaces of the insulating cover;

[0016] The stationary contact is inserted into the through hole and welded to the insulating cover.

[0017] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the valve assembly is further configured to close the pressure relief port when the gas pressure within the housing is less than the threshold.

[0018] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the structural strength of the valve assembly is less than the structural strength of the housing.

[0019] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay further includes an exciter disposed inside or on the housing and configured to release gas into the housing in response to an activation signal.

[0020] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the housing also has a through hole penetrating the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the housing;

[0021] The exciter is installed on the outer wall of the housing and seals the through hole; wherein, after the exciter is activated, it releases gas into the housing through the through hole.

[0022] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the exciter is mounted on the outer wall of the housing via an adapter.

[0023] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the adapter is made of plastic or wood.

[0024] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay further includes:

[0025] A monitoring and control component, electrically connected to the exciter, is used to monitor the current value passing through the moving contact and to send the activation signal to the exciter when the current value is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0026] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay further includes a push rod member and a coil assembly, the push rod member being movably disposed within the housing, the movable contact being mounted on the push rod member, and the coil assembly being used to drive the push rod member to move;

[0027] The monitoring and control component is also electrically connected to the coil assembly and is configured to control the coil assembly to be powered off or the exciter to be activated based on the comparison result of the current value with a first threshold and a second threshold; the first threshold is less than the second threshold;

[0028] Specifically, when the current value is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the monitoring and control component controls the coil assembly to be de-energized; when the current value is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the monitoring and control component activates the exciter.

[0029] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the monitoring and control component includes a circuit board and a Hall sensor. The circuit board is located outside the housing and is electrically connected to the coil assembly and the exciter, respectively. The Hall sensor is mounted on the circuit board and is used to monitor the current value passing through the moving contact.

[0030] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the exciter is located on the side of the moving contact facing the stationary contact and is configured to generate a gas impact force in response to an activation signal, the gas impact force being used to drive the moving contact to move, thereby switching the relay from a closed state to an open state.

[0031] When the moving contact is in contact with the stationary contact, the relay is in a closed state; when the moving contact is separated from the stationary contact, the relay is in an open state.

[0032] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay further includes a temperature monitoring component electrically connected to the monitoring and control component for monitoring the temperature of the housing.

[0033] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the relay further includes a push rod member and a coil assembly, the push rod member being movably disposed within the housing, and the coil assembly being used to drive the push rod member to move;

[0034] The number of contact components is multiple, and the movable contact piece of the multiple contact components is mounted on the push rod member.

[0035] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the stationary contact of the contact assembly has a first arc-guiding plate at one end near the moving contact piece. The first arc-guiding plate extends from the stationary contact towards the arc-extinguishing assembly to guide the arc towards the arc-extinguishing assembly; and / or,

[0036] The moving contact piece has second arc guide pieces at both ends along its length. The second arc guide pieces extend from the moving contact piece toward the arc extinguishing component to guide the electric arc toward the arc extinguishing component.

[0037] One embodiment disclosed above has at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0038] In this embodiment of the relay, the gas pressure inside the housing is high, while the gas pressure outside the housing is low. When the valve assembly is ruptured by gas, the high-pressure gas inside the housing is rapidly released through the pressure relief hole, forming a strong arc-extinguishing airflow. This allows the electric arc generated between the moving contact and the stationary contact to quickly enter the arc-extinguishing assembly for arc extinguishing. Timely arc extinguishing effectively prevents the arc from burning the moving and stationary contacts, improving their electrical durability and extending the relay's service life. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a relay according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a relay according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view along section line AA in Figure 2.

[0042] Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of point X1 in Figure 3.

[0043] Figure 5 shows an exploded view of a relay according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Wherein: 100. Housing; 110. Insulating cover; 111. Top wall; 1111. Through hole; 1112. Through hole; 112. Side wall; 120. Frame plate; 130. Yoke plate; 131. Pressure relief hole; 140. Metal cover; 200. Contact assembly; 210. Stationary contact; 220. Moving contact plate; 300. Arc extinguishing assembly; 310. Arc extinguishing grid plate; 320. Gap; 330. Airflow channel; 400. Valve assembly; 500. Exciter; 600. Adapter; 700. Monitoring and control assembly; 710. Circuit board; 720. Hall sensor; 810. Coil assembly; 820. Push rod assembly; 830. Temperature monitoring assembly; 831. Temperature sensor; 832. Mounting part; 840. First arc guide plate; 850. Second arc guide plate; D1. First direction; D2. Second direction; D3. Third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the relay of this embodiment includes a housing 100, a contact assembly 200, a push rod member 820, and a coil assembly 810. The push rod member 820 is movably disposed within the housing 100, and the coil assembly 810 is configured to drive the push rod member 820 to move in response to an input signal. The contact assembly 200 includes a moving contact 220 and two stationary contacts 210. The stationary contacts 210 are mounted on the housing 100, and the moving contact 220 is mounted on the push rod member 820 for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts 210 to achieve the closing or opening of the relay. When the relay is in the closed state, the moving contact 220 is in contact with the stationary contacts 210; when the relay is in the open state, the moving contact 220 is separated from the stationary contacts 210.

[0048] In one embodiment, the housing 100 encloses a sealed chamber. For example, the housing 100 may include an insulating cover 110, a frame plate 120, a yoke plate 130, and a metal cover 140. The insulating cover 110 and the frame plate 120 are located on one side of the thickness direction of the yoke plate 130, and the metal cover 140 is located on the other side of the thickness direction of the yoke plate 130. A stationary contact 210 is mounted on the insulating cover 110, and a movable contact 220 is movably disposed within the chamber enclosed by the insulating cover 110.

[0049] The insulating cover 110 may be made of ceramic material and is connected to one side of the yoke plate 130 in the thickness direction via a frame 120, while the metal cover 140 is connected to the other side of the yoke plate 130 in the thickness direction.

[0050] As an example, the frame piece 120 can be a ring-shaped metal component, such as one made of an iron-nickel alloy. One end of the frame piece 120 is connected to the edge of the opening of the insulating cover 110, and the other end is connected to the yoke plate 130. The frame piece 120 is positioned between the insulating cover 110 and the yoke plate 130 to facilitate the connection between them.

[0051] The yoke plate 130 has a perforation (not shown in the figure) that extends through the yoke plate 130 along its thickness direction and communicates with both the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover 110 and the cavity enclosed by the metal cover 140. Specifically, the cavity enclosed by the insulating cover 110 communicates with the cavity enclosed by the metal cover 140 through the perforation. The push rod member 820 is movably inserted into the perforation, and the coil assembly 810 is fitted around the outer periphery of the metal cover 140.

[0052] In one embodiment, the insulating cover 110 is connected to the frame 120, the frame 120 is connected to the yoke plate 130, and the metal cover 140 is connected to the yoke plate 130 by welding.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 1. The insulating cover 110 includes a top wall 111 and a side wall 112, with the side wall 112 located around the contact assembly 200. The top wall 111 is equipped with a stationary contact 210. One end of the side wall 112 is connected to the edge of the top wall 111, and the other end of the side wall 112 is connected to the yoke plate 130 via a frame plate 120.

[0054] The sidewall 112 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.

[0055] In one embodiment, the top wall 111 of the insulating cover 110 has a through hole 1111 that penetrates the inner and outer wall surfaces of the top wall 111. The stationary contact 210 passes through the through hole 1111 and is welded to the insulating cover 110.

[0056] The number of contact components 200 can be one or more. When there are multiple contact components 200, the moving contact pieces 220 of multiple contact components 200 are mounted on the push rod member 820, and the two stationary contacts 210 of each contact component 200 can be electrically connected to the load, so that each contact component 200 can control the load circuit, and thus one relay can control multiple loads at the same time, thereby simplifying the number of electrical devices in the control circuit and facilitating miniaturization.

[0057] In addition, multiple moving contacts 220 are mounted on the same push rod component 820, and each moving contact 220 corresponds to a pair of stationary contacts 210. When the push rod component 820 moves, multiple moving contacts 220 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.

[0058] In one embodiment, when there are two contact components 200, the two contact components 200 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 210 of one contact component 200 can be electrically connected to one of the stationary contacts 210 of the other contact component 200, while the remaining two stationary contacts 210 are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the load, thus achieving series voltage division, which is beneficial to arc breaking.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 100 has a pressure relief hole 131 penetrating both the inner and outer wall surfaces of the housing 100. It is understood that the pressure relief hole 131 can be located on any one of the insulating cover 110, the yoke plate 130, the metal cover 140, or the frame plate 120. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure relief hole 131 is located on the yoke plate 130.

[0060] The relay of this embodiment further includes an arc-extinguishing assembly 300 and a valve assembly 400. The arc-extinguishing assembly 300 is disposed within the insulating cover 110 of the housing 100 and located around the contact assembly 200, for extinguishing the arc generated during contact and separation of the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210. The valve assembly 400 is mounted in the housing 100 and covers the pressure relief hole 131. The valve assembly 400 is configured such that when the gas pressure inside the housing 100 is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the valve assembly 400 is ruptured by the gas inside the housing 100 and the pressure relief hole 131 is opened.

[0061] In one embodiment, the valve assembly 400 is also configured to close the pressure relief port 131 when the gas pressure inside the housing 100 is less than a threshold.

[0062] When the relay is in normal operating condition, the gas pressure inside the housing 100 is less than the threshold. At this time, the valve assembly 400 is not ruptured by the gas inside the housing 100, and the valve assembly 400 remains closed at the pressure relief port 131. When the relay is in abnormal operating condition, the gas pressure inside the housing 100 is greater than or equal to the threshold. At this time, the valve assembly 400 is ruptured by the gas. The gas pressure inside the housing 100 is high, while the gas pressure outside the housing 100 is low. When the valve assembly 400 is ruptured by the gas, the high-pressure gas inside the housing 100 will quickly escape through the pressure relief port 131, accelerating the flow of the arc-extinguishing gas. This allows the arc generated between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 to quickly enter the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 for arc extinguishing. Timely extinguishing of the arc effectively prevents the arc from burning the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210, improving the electrical durability of the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210, and extending the service life of the relay.

[0063] Furthermore, by providing an arc-extinguishing component 300 around the contact assembly 200, the arc generated by the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 during closing and opening can be extinguished in a timely manner. On the one hand, this prevents the arcs generated by adjacent contact assemblies 200 from coalescing into a longer arc; on the other hand, since the arc-extinguishing component 300 is located inside the insulating cover 110 rather than outside the insulating cover 110, the size of the relay can be reduced, which is beneficial for miniaturization.

[0064] It should be noted that the term "normal operating condition" refers to the relay's current being at its rated operating condition, while the term "abnormal operating condition" refers to the relay's current being at a high-current short-circuit moment or an overload trip moment. Furthermore, the pressure represented by the term "threshold" is slightly greater than the gas pressure inside the relay's housing when the relay is in normal operating condition. The threshold may be adjusted depending on the relay model, but it cannot exceed the structural strength of the housing.

[0065] In other words, when the relay is in normal working condition, the gas pressure inside the housing 100 will not reach this threshold, and the valve assembly 400 will not be ruptured by the gas. When the relay is in abnormal working condition, the gas pressure inside the housing 100 is greater than or equal to this threshold, and the valve assembly 400 can be ruptured by the gas.

[0066] The structural strength of the valve assembly 400 is less than that of the housing 100. In other words, the ultimate strength of the valve assembly 400 is greater than the upper limit of the strength of the housing 100 during normal operation, but less than the ultimate strength of the housing 100.

[0067] The structural strength of the valve assembly 400 is less than that of the housing 100, which can be achieved by using different materials and / or different structures for the two. For example, in one embodiment, when the valve assembly 400 and the housing 100 are made of the same material, the thickness of the valve assembly 400 can be designed to be thinner and less than the wall thickness of the housing 100; in another embodiment, when the wall thickness of the valve assembly 400 and the housing 100 is the same, the valve assembly 400 can be made of ceramic material, while the housing 100 can be made of metal material. Of course, other suitable combinations can also be used to make the structural strength of the valve assembly 400 less than that of the housing 100, which will not be listed here.

[0068] As shown in Figure 1, the valve assembly 400 can be a plate-like structure, such as a circular plate-like structure, a rectangular plate-like structure, an oval plate-like structure, an elliptical plate-like structure, etc.

[0069] In addition, the valve assembly 400 can be made of materials such as ceramics and glass. Ceramic and glass materials are more brittle, making the valve assembly 400 more likely to be broken by gas, thus releasing the gas in a timely manner.

[0070] It should be noted that the arrangement direction of the two stationary contacts 210 of the contact assembly 200 is defined as the first direction D1, and the movement direction of the moving contact 220 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.

[0071] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a plurality of contact components 200 are arranged along a third direction D3.

[0072] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, there is an airflow channel 330 between the arc extinguishing component 300 and the inner wall surface of the housing 100. The airflow channel 330 and the valve component 400 each have an overlapping portion on a target plane; wherein, the target plane is perpendicular to the movement direction (second direction D2) of the moving contact 220.

[0073] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the airflow channel 330 is available for the flow of arc-blowing air. Since the airflow channel 330 and the valve assembly 400 have overlapping portions in the second direction D2, when the valve assembly 400 is ruptured by the gas, a pressure difference is formed between the outside and inside of the housing 100 in the direction of the arc-blowing airflow, which is conducive to the rapid entry of the arc into the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 to achieve rapid arc extinguishing.

[0074] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 includes a plurality of arc-extinguishing grid plates 310 arranged at intervals along the movement direction (second direction D2) of the movable contact plate 220. Adjacent arc-extinguishing grid plates 310 have gaps 320 that communicate with the airflow channel 330. In one embodiment, the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 forms an airflow channel 330 between itself and the inner wall surface of the sidewall 112 of the insulating cover 110.

[0075] In this embodiment, multiple arc-extinguishing grid plates 310 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 there is an airflow channel 330 communicating with the gap 320 between the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 and the inner wall of the housing 100, this airflow channel 330 allows gas to pass through. When the electric arc enters the arc-extinguishing assembly 300, the gas in the gap 320 between adjacent arc-extinguishing grid plates 310 can be discharged into the airflow channel 330, allowing the electric arc to enter the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 more quickly, thereby lengthening the arc more rapidly. While "cutting" the arc, the arc-extinguishing grid plates 310 can also cool the arc, achieving the purpose of extinguishing the arc.

[0076] In one embodiment, the arc-extinguishing grid 310 can be made of iron. The iron arc-extinguishing grid 310 can attract the electric arc, thereby facilitating the absorption of the electric arc and allowing the electric arc to enter the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 more quickly.

[0077] Of course, in other embodiments, the arc-extinguishing grid 310 may also be made of other metallic materials or non-metallic materials.

[0078] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the relay includes four arc-extinguishing components 300, which are arranged in pairs. The pairs of arc-extinguishing components 300 are arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction (first direction D1) of the two stationary contacts 210 of the contact component 200; the moving contact 220 is located between the pairs of arc-extinguishing components 300.

[0079] It should be noted that the number of arc extinguishing components 300 is not limited to four.

[0080] For example, when there is only one arc-extinguishing component 300, it can be a ring structure, and the arc-extinguishing grid 310 included in the arc-extinguishing component 300 is also a ring structure. The contact component 200 is located within the ring structure formed by the arc-extinguishing component 300. In this case, the number of contact components 200 can be one or more.

[0081] For example, when there are two arc-extinguishing components 300, the two arc-extinguishing components 300 are arranged at intervals along a first direction D1, and the contact component 200 is located between the two arc-extinguishing components 300. In this case, the number of contact components 200 can be one or more. When there are multiple contact components 200, the multiple contact components 200 are arranged at intervals along a third direction D3. In this case, in order for the arc-extinguishing component 300 to extinguish the arc generated by each contact component 200, the width of the arc-extinguishing component 300 along the third direction D3 can be increased, so that the arc-extinguishing component 300 is sufficient to cover multiple contact components 200.

[0082] As shown in Figure 3, the stationary contact 210 of the contact assembly 200 is provided with a first arc guide plate 840 at one end near the moving contact plate 220. The first arc guide plate 840 extends from the stationary contact 210 toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300 and is used to guide the arc to move toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300.

[0083] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing a first arc guide plate 840, the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 can be elongated along the extension direction of the first arc guide plate 840 and guided by the first arc guide plate 840 to move into the arc extinguishing assembly 300. The provision of the first arc guide plate 840 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 840, the electric arc can be transferred from the contact surface between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 to the end of the first arc guide plate 840, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210, and reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, ensuring the electrical clearance and voltage breakdown capability between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210.

[0084] Among them, the phenomenon of sharpening 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.

[0085] As shown in Figure 3, both stationary contacts 210 of a contact assembly 200 are provided with first arc guide plates 840, and the two first arc guide plates 840 are symmetrically arranged along the first direction D1.

[0086] In one embodiment, the first arc guide plate 840 and the stationary contact 210 can be an integral structure or a separate structure.

[0087] When the first arc guide plate 840 and the stationary contact 210 are integrally formed, the process of forming the first arc guide plate 840 can be to process a C-angle, an R-angle, or a C-angle + R-angle at the end of the stationary contact 210 near the moving contact plate 220; or, the first arc guide plate 840 can be integrally formed at the end of the stationary contact 210 near the moving contact plate 220. The integral forming process can be machining, stamping, powder metallurgy, casting, etc.

[0088] When the first arc guide plate 840 and the stationary contact 210 are separate structures, the first arc guide plate 840 and the stationary contact 210 can be connected by welding, riveting or gluing.

[0089] As shown in Figure 3, the moving contact 220 has second arc guide plates 850 at both ends along its length. The second arc guide plates 850 automatically extend the contact 220 toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300 to guide the arc toward the arc extinguishing assembly 300.

[0090] By providing the second arc guide plate 850, the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 can be elongated along the extension direction of the second arc guide plate 850 and guided by the second arc guide plate 850 to move into the arc extinguishing assembly 300. The provision of the second arc guide plate 850 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 850, the electric arc can be transferred from the contact surface between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 to the end of the second arc guide plate 850, thereby reducing the loss of the contact surface between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 and reducing the occurrence of arc spikes, ensuring the electrical clearance and withstand voltage breakdown capability between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210.

[0091] As an example, the second guide arc plates 850 at both ends of the moving contact plate 220 along the length direction are symmetrically arranged along the first direction D1.

[0092] In one embodiment, the second arc guide plate 850 and the moving contact plate 220 can be an integral structure or a separate structure.

[0093] When the second guide arc plate 850 and the moving contact plate 220 are integrated into one structure, the integrated molding process can be machining, stamping, powder metallurgy, casting, etc.

[0094] When the second arc guide plate 850 and the moving contact plate 220 are separate structures, the second arc guide plate 850 and the moving contact plate 220 can be connected by welding, riveting or gluing.

[0095] As shown in Figure 3, in the second direction D2, there is an included angle between the first guide plate 840 and the second guide plate 850, so that the first guide plate 840 and the second guide plate 850 form a flared structure.

[0096] As shown in Figure 5, the relay also includes an exciter 500, which is installed inside or on the housing 100 and configured to release gas into the housing 100 in response to an activation signal.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the actuator 500 is activated, it releases gas into the housing 100, causing the internal gas pressure to rise. This rapidly raises the internal gas pressure to a threshold, causing it to break through the valve assembly 400 and open the pressure relief port 131. The gas inside the housing 100 is then released to the outside through the pressure relief port 131, achieving pressure relief and preventing the housing 100 from exploding. Therefore, the relay in this embodiment, through the synergistic action of the actuator 500 and the valve assembly 400, achieves pressure relief by having the actuator 500 "actively" release gas into the housing 100 and the valve assembly 400 "actively" burst. The bursting action of the valve assembly 400 is more timely and safer.

[0098] In addition, the gas released after the exciter 500 is activated can also be released to the outside of the housing 100 through the pressure relief hole 131. The flow of the gas released by the exciter 500 can accelerate the flow of the arc gas flow inside the housing 100, thereby enabling the arc to quickly enter the arc extinguishing assembly 300 to extinguish the arc.

[0099] In one embodiment, the igniter 500 may include gunpowder. When the gunpowder is ignited in response to an activation signal, it can instantly generate a large amount of gas, which, after being released into the housing 100, can instantly increase the gas pressure inside the housing 100.

[0100] For example, the exciter 500 can be an electric detonator or an electric detonating tube, but is not limited to this.

[0101] As shown in Figure 5, the housing 100 also has a through hole 1112 that penetrates the inner wall and outer wall of the housing 100; the exciter 500 is installed on the outer wall of the housing 100 and seals the through hole 1112; wherein, after the exciter 500 is activated, it releases gas into the housing 100 through the through hole 1112.

[0102] On the one hand, when assembling the exciter 500, it is convenient for the staff to operate from outside the housing 100, with a larger operating space and easier assembly; on the other hand, the exciter 500 is installed on the outer wall of the housing 100 rather than inside the housing 100, so it does not occupy the space inside the housing 100, which is conducive to realizing the miniaturization design of the relay.

[0103] In one embodiment, the top wall 111 of the insulating cover 110 has a through hole 1112, the yoke plate 130 has a pressure relief hole 131, the exciter 500 is mounted on the outer wall surface of the insulating cover 110, and the valve assembly 400 is mounted on the yoke plate 130.

[0104] In other embodiments, the via 1112 may also be formed on any one of the sidewall 112 of the insulating cover 110, the frame 120, the yoke plate 130, and the metal cover 140.

[0105] As shown in Figure 5, the exciter 500 is mounted on the outer wall of the housing 100 via the adapter 600.

[0106] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the exciter 500 is connected to the insulating cover 110 via the adapter 600 but is not directly connected to the insulating cover 110, which can prevent the heat generated when the relay is working from being transferred to the exciter 500 and causing the exciter 500 to be falsely triggered.

[0107] The adapter 600 can be made of a material with poor thermal conductivity, such as plastic or wood, which can further prevent the heat from the insulating cover 110 from being transferred to the exciter 500.

[0108] In one embodiment, the actuator 500 is located on the side of the moving contact 220 facing the stationary contact 210 and is configured to generate a gas impact force in response to an activation signal. The gas impact force is used to drive the moving contact 220 to move, thereby switching the relay from a closed state to an open state.

[0109] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the gas released after the exciter 500 is activated can not only increase the gas pressure inside the housing 100, thereby breaking through the valve assembly 400, but also act as a "fuse" to promptly disconnect the relay when the threshold current passes through the moving contact 220, which is beneficial to improving the anti-sticking properties of the moving and stationary contacts and achieving rapid arc extinguishing.

[0110] In one embodiment, the gas impact force generated by the exciter 500 can act on the push rod member 820 or directly on the moving contact 220.

[0111] As shown in Figure 5, the relay also includes a monitoring and control component 700, which is electrically connected to the exciter 500 and the coil assembly 810. The monitoring and control component 700 monitors the current value passing through the moving contact 220 and, based on a comparison of the current value with a first threshold and a second threshold, controls the coil assembly 810 to de-energize or sends an activation signal to the exciter 500. The first threshold is less than the second threshold. Specifically, when the current value is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the monitoring and control component 700 controls the coil assembly 810 to de-energize; when the current value is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the monitoring and control component 700 activates the exciter 500.

[0112] During operation, the monitoring and control component 700 can monitor the current value passing through the moving contact 220, compare the current value with a first threshold and a second threshold, and determine the appropriate action to take based on the comparison result.

[0113] For example, if the current value obtained by the monitoring and control component 700 is less than the first threshold, it indicates that the current value through the moving contact 220 is within the normal range, and there is no need to disconnect the relay. If the current value obtained by the monitoring and control component 700 is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, it indicates that the current value through the moving contact 220 is slightly higher than the normal current value, and disconnection can be achieved by de-energizing the control coil assembly 810. If the current value obtained by the monitoring and control component 700 is greater than the second threshold, it indicates that the current value through the moving contact 220 is much higher than the normal current value, and de-energizing the coil assembly 810 may not be sufficient for normal disconnection. Therefore, gas is released into the housing 100 by activating the exciter 500. The gas released by the exciter 500 increases the gas pressure inside the housing 100. When the gas pressure inside the housing 100 reaches the threshold, the gas can break through the valve assembly 400 to relieve pressure. In addition, the gas released by the exciter 500 can also force the moving contact 220 to move, thereby switching the relay from the closed state to the open state, achieving the purpose of disconnection.

[0114] Therefore, the relay in this embodiment employs different disconnection methods based on the magnitude of the current value through the moving contact 220 and the comparison results of this current value with a first threshold and a second threshold. Specifically, when the current value is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the coil assembly 810 is de-energized; when the current value is greater than the second threshold, the exciter 500 is activated to force disconnection, thus achieving "tiered" disconnection. On one hand, when the current value is slightly greater than the normal current value, timely de-energization of the coil assembly 810 is implemented to achieve disconnection, preventing the contact head from melting and sticking due to delayed disconnection, thus preventing disconnection by de-energizing the coil. On the other hand, the forced disconnection by the exciter 500 serves as a final safety guarantee, avoiding the problem of violent arcing of the contact head or even relay explosion caused by the inability to disconnect in time due to short-circuit current. Furthermore, when the current value through the moving contact 220 is only slightly greater than the normal current value, only de-energization of the coil is needed to complete the disconnection, without the need for forced disconnection by the exciter 500, allowing the relay to continue to be used and preventing complete failure.

[0115] The monitoring and control component 700 is located outside the housing 100 and includes a circuit board 710 and a Hall sensor 720. The circuit board 710 is electrically connected to the coil assembly 810 and the exciter 500, respectively. The Hall sensor 720 is mounted on the circuit board 710 and is used to monitor the current value passing through the moving contact 220.

[0116] It should be noted that when current flows through the moving contact 220, a magnetic field is generated around it. The Hall sensor 720, located on the outer periphery of the housing 100, senses this magnetic field and generates a Hall voltage. The magnitude of this Hall voltage is proportional to the current intensity passing through the moving contact 220. Based on this proportional relationship between current intensity and Hall voltage, the current value passing through the moving contact 220 can be obtained.

[0117] In one embodiment, the circuit board 710 is located on the outer periphery of the sidewall 112 of the insulating cover 110.

[0118] As shown in Figure 5, the relay also includes a temperature monitoring component 830, which is electrically connected to the monitoring and control component 700 and is used to monitor the temperature of the housing 100. By monitoring the temperature of the housing 100 in real time through the temperature monitoring component 830, the monitoring and control component 700 can promptly obtain information about the heat generated by the relay during operation, and thus predict abnormal operating conditions in advance.

[0119] As shown in Figure 5, the temperature monitoring component 830 includes a mounting component 832 and a temperature sensor 831. The mounting component 832 is installed on the outer wall of the housing 100, and the temperature sensor 831 is located on the mounting component 832 and is electrically connected to the monitoring and control component 700 for monitoring the temperature of the housing 100.

[0120] In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 831 can be a thermistor, and further, the thermistor can be a negative temperature coefficient thermistor or a positive temperature coefficient thermistor.

[0121] In summary, the relays of the present disclosure embodiments have at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0122] In this embodiment of the relay, the gas pressure inside the housing 100 is high, while the gas pressure outside the housing 100 is low. When the valve assembly 400 is ruptured by gas, the high-pressure gas inside the housing 100 is rapidly released through the pressure relief hole 131, accelerating the flow of the arc-extinguishing gas. This allows the electric arc generated between the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210 to quickly enter the arc-extinguishing assembly 300 for arc extinguishing. Timely arc extinguishing effectively prevents the arc from burning the moving contact 220 and the stationary contact 210, improving their electrical durability and extending the relay's service life.

[0123] 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.

[0124] In the disclosed embodiments, 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 disclosed embodiments according to the specific circumstances.

[0125] In the description of the disclosed embodiments, 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 disclosed embodiments 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 disclosed embodiments.

[0126] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the disclosed embodiments. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0127] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the disclosed embodiments and are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments. For those skilled in the art, the disclosed embodiments can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the disclosed embodiments should be included within the protection scope of the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A relay, characterized in that, include: The housing has a pressure relief hole penetrating the inner and outer walls of the housing; A contact assembly includes a movable contact piece and two stationary contacts. The stationary contacts are mounted on the housing, and the movable contact piece is movably disposed within the housing for contacting or separating from the two stationary contacts. An arc-extinguishing assembly, disposed within the housing and surrounding the contact assembly, is used to extinguish the electric arc generated during the contact and separation of the moving contact and the stationary contact; and A valve assembly is mounted on the housing and covers the pressure relief port. The valve assembly is configured to be ruptured by the gas in the housing and open the pressure relief port when the gas pressure in the housing is greater than or equal to a threshold.

2. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is an airflow channel between the arc extinguishing component and the inner wall surface of the housing, and the airflow channel and the valve component each have an overlapping portion on a target plane. The target plane is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the moving contact piece.

3. The relay according to claim 2, characterized in that, The arc extinguishing assembly includes a plurality of arc extinguishing grids arranged at intervals along the movement direction of the moving contact piece, with gaps between adjacent arc extinguishing grids, and the gaps communicating with the airflow channel.

4. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes an insulating cover made of ceramic material, the stationary contact is mounted on the insulating cover, and the moving contact and the arc extinguishing assembly are disposed inside the insulating cover.

5. The relay according to claim 4, characterized in that, The insulating cover has the same number of through holes as the stationary contacts, and the through holes penetrate the inner and outer wall surfaces of the insulating cover. The stationary contact is inserted into the through hole and welded to the insulating cover.

6. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve assembly is also configured to close the pressure relief port when the gas pressure inside the housing is less than the threshold.

7. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The structural strength of the valve assembly is less than that of the housing.

8. The relay according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The relay also includes an exciter, disposed inside or on the housing, and configured to release gas into the housing in response to an activation signal.

9. The relay according to claim 8, characterized in that, The housing also has a through hole penetrating the inner and outer walls of the housing; The exciter is installed on the outer wall of the housing and seals the through hole; wherein, after the exciter is activated, it releases gas into the housing through the through hole.

10. The relay according to claim 9, characterized in that, The exciter is mounted on the outer wall of the housing via an adapter.

11. The relay according to claim 10, characterized in that, The adapter is made of plastic or wood.

12. The relay according to claim 8, characterized in that, The relay also includes: A monitoring and control component, electrically connected to the exciter, is used to monitor the current value passing through the moving contact and to send the activation signal to the exciter when the current value is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

13. The relay according to claim 12, characterized in that, The relay further includes a push rod component and a coil assembly. The push rod component is movably disposed within the housing. The movable contact is mounted on the push rod component. The coil assembly is used to drive the push rod component to move. The monitoring and control component is also electrically connected to the coil assembly and is configured to control the coil assembly to be powered off or the exciter to be activated based on the comparison result of the current value with a first threshold and a second threshold; the first threshold is less than the second threshold; Specifically, when the current value is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the monitoring and control component controls the coil assembly to be de-energized; when the current value is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the monitoring and control component activates the exciter.

14. The relay according to claim 13, characterized in that, The monitoring and control component includes a circuit board and a Hall sensor. The circuit board is located outside the housing and is electrically connected to the coil assembly and the exciter, respectively. The Hall sensor is mounted on the circuit board and is used to monitor the current value passing through the moving contact.

15. The relay according to claim 8, characterized in that, The actuator is located on the side of the moving contact facing the stationary contact and is configured to generate a gas impact force in response to an activation signal. The gas impact force is used to drive the moving contact to move, thereby switching the relay from a closed state to an open state. When the moving contact is in contact with the stationary contact, the relay is in a closed state; when the moving contact is separated from the stationary contact, the relay is in an open state.

16. The relay according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, The relay also includes a temperature monitoring component, which is electrically connected to the monitoring and control component and is used to monitor the temperature of the housing.

17. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay further includes a push rod component and a coil assembly, the push rod component being movably disposed within the housing, and the coil assembly being used to drive the push rod component to move; The number of contact components is multiple, and the movable contact piece of the multiple contact components is mounted on the push rod member.

18. The relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stationary contact of the contact assembly has a first arc-guiding plate at one end near the moving contact piece. The first arc-guiding plate extends from the stationary contact towards the arc-extinguishing assembly to guide the arc towards the arc-extinguishing assembly; and / or, The moving contact piece has second arc guide pieces at both ends along its length. The second arc guide pieces extend from the moving contact piece toward the arc extinguishing component to guide the electric arc toward the arc extinguishing component.

Images