Electromagnetic Contactor with Horizontal Electronic Board
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromagnetic contactors face challenges in reducing inrush consumption, maintaining compatibility with PLC outputs, accepting wide DC or AC supply voltage ranges, and maintaining a compact size while keeping production costs low, especially when positioned on a support rail.
Innovation Solution
The contactor features an insulating casing with a rear part fixed on a support, where the movable part passes through an opening in the electronic card and slides inside the coil, along with axisymmetric magnetic parts and a conical shape to reduce inrush power and overall volume, and an electronic card that controls the coil supply to manage voltage and current effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If an electronic card is added to control coil supply to reduce inrush consumption, then energy consumption is reduced, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic card is positioned within the plane of the magnetic circuit assembly, with the movable part passing through an opening in the electronic card. This nested arrangement allows the electronic card to be integrated into the existing contactor structure without increasing the overall device volume, while still providing the functionality to reduce inrush consumption through controlled coil supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic card is arranged in the plane of the magnetic circuit rather than extending perpendicular to it, utilizing the available lateral space. This dimensional reorganization allows the electronic components to be accommodated within the existing footprint of the contactor, avoiding volume increase while enabling reduced inrush consumption control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the movable part extends through the rear of the contactor to accommodate the electronic card, then electronic control is enabled, but the contactor cannot be fixed on a support rail
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the movable part through the rear of the contactor to reach the electronic card, the electronic card is positioned in the plane of the magnetic circuit with an opening that the movable part passes through. This inverted spatial arrangement enables electronic control functionality while preserving the rear extension necessary for support rail mounting and fixing means attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic card is nested within the magnetic circuit assembly plane, with the movable part passing through its opening. This arrangement allows the electronic card to be integrated without interfering with the rear mounting structure, enabling both electronic control compatibility and support rail installation capability.
3Ease of operation
If connection terminals are positioned above the coil as in conventional contactors, then ease of connection is maintained, but device volume is larger
Solution Approach 1:
The connection terminals are repositioned from a vertical arrangement above the coil to a lateral arrangement at the side of the magnetic circuit. This dimensional change in terminal positioning allows connections to be made from the side rather than from above, reducing the vertical dimension of the contactor while maintaining ease of connection through accessible terminal locations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves reduced inrush power and overall volume, maintaining equivalent performance to standard contactors without reduced inrush power, while allowing operation over a wide voltage range and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
a coil for generating a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
the magnetic circuit tends to close, the moving part approaching the fixed part until these two parts are in contact
Implementation Method 3
Elastic means are provided to hold the fixed and moving parts apart in the absence of power to the coil
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
electromagnetic contactor comprising a winding (6) for generating a magnetic field, a magnetic circuit comprising a stationary portion (7) and a mobile portion (8), and an electronic board (11) comprising means of controlling the power supply to the winding (6), the electronic board (11) being arranged horizontally above the stationary portion (7) of the magnetic circuit. The mobile portion (8) passes through the electronic board (11) via an opening (12) in the board and slides into the winding, the contactor comprising an insulating casing including a rear portion intended to be fastened onto a support.