Electromagnetic Switch Jump Mechanism for Arc Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electromagnetic switches require a significant pressing force to overcome the resistance of the jump mechanism, leading to arcing issues when the contacts are not connected quickly enough, which can result in contact burnout.

Innovation Solution

The electromagnetic switch incorporates a jump mechanism and a trip mechanism with a bridge plate that has multiple locked, unlocked, and critical states. The jump mechanism abuts against the bridge plate, pushing it to a locked state and storing energy to drive the trip mechanism to a critical state, allowing the jump mechanism to connect the circuit swiftly and reliably.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If a jump mechanism with resistance is arranged on the spring button, then the circuit connection speed is improved and arcing is avoided, but the pressing force required increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecircuit connection speedVSAvoidpressing force required
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The jump mechanism performs preliminary action by creating resistance during the initial pressing phase, forcing the button to accumulate sufficient kinetic energy before release. This preliminary resistance ensures that when the circuit closes, the contacts move at high speed to avoid arcing, while the user only needs to overcome the resistance momentarily rather than maintain continuous high force

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The jump mechanism dynamically changes the force characteristics during operation. The spring-loaded jump mechanism provides high resistance during compression, then releases this resistance suddenly to propel the button at high speed. This dynamic force transformation allows the system to achieve high connection speed without requiring the user to apply continuously high pressing force

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Speed

If manual pressing is used to close the circuit quickly, then the circuit connection speed is improved, but the reliability decreases due to operator habits and arcing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecircuit connection speedVSAvoidswitching reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The jump mechanism makes the system self-servicing by automatically providing the necessary acceleration and speed for reliable contact closure. Once the button is pressed, the jump mechanism self-activates to propel the button at high speed, eliminating dependence on operator skill or reaction time. This ensures consistent, reliable operation regardless of human factors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The jump mechanism applies preliminary anti-action by creating controlled resistance during the pressing phase, which prevents slow or incomplete button travel that would lead to arcing. This preliminary resistance ensures that sufficient energy is stored and that the button will traverse the full distance at high speed, preventing the harmful arcing condition before it can occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Ease of operation

If the button is pressed slowly due to operator habits, then ease of operation is improved, but arcing occurs and contact burnout is caused

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebutton pressing easeVSAvoidarcing and contact burnout
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The jump mechanism performs preliminary action by accumulating elastic energy in the spring during the pressing phase. Even if the user presses slowly or with minimal force, the spring continuously stores energy until release, ensuring that the button is propelled at high speed to close the circuit quickly and avoid arcing, regardless of the operator's pressing speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The jump mechanism provides self-service by automatically compensating for slow or weak pressing actions. The spring-loaded mechanism self-activates to provide the necessary acceleration, making the system insensitive to operator habits. This ensures that even easily pressed buttons will achieve the required closing speed to prevent arcing and contact damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 enables the electromagnetic switch to connect the circuit quickly and reliably, preventing arcing and increasing the switch's service life, while also eliminating the need for manual pressing to establish the connection.

Implementation Method 1

the jump biasing member is adapted to store energy during movement to the critical state, and cause the jump lever to jump to connect the circuit with the energy stored in the unlocked state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic potential energy storage and release: Spring

Implementation Method 2

When energized, the electromagnet coil generates electromagnetic attraction, and a movable iron core pushes or pulls switch contacts for connection

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3792948B1An electromagnetic switch
Publication Date: 2025.01.29 KEDU ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP3792948B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3792948B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3792948B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present application relates to the field of switch technology, in particular to an electromagnetic switch, comprising a housing, a jump mechanism, movably arranged on the housing; a trip mechanism, arranged on the housing and opposite to the jump mechanism, adapted to move relative to the housing, and comprising a bridge plate located on a moving path of the jump mechanism and having multiple locked states, unlocked states, and critical states when shifting from the locked state to the unlocked state; the jump mechanism is adapted to abut against the bridge plate when moving downward, push the bridge plate to move to the locked state, store energy by continuing moving to drive the trip mechanism to move to the critical state, and cause the jump mechanism to jump to connect a circuit with the energy stored in the unlocked state. The electromagnetic switch is connected via the release of energy stored by the jump mechanism, free of human interference, making the connection of the switch more reliable. The present application further provides another electromagnetic switch, comprising: a housing, an electromagnetic component, a contact mechanism and an armature, two spring buttons are arranged in parallel on the housing, a first spring button is internally provided with a jump structure for providing resistance at a start moment when the first spring button is pressed; in the electromagnetic switch of the present application, a jump structure is arranged on the spring button above the electromagnetic component, when being pressed down by a force not sufficient enough, the spring button is unable to move down, causing the electromagnetic component to produce no attraction force, and the contact will not be in a state very close to be connected. Only when the pressing force on the button is enough to overcome the resistance of the jump mechanism, can the button move downward, and once the button surmounts the resistance of the jump mechanism, the resistance will no longer by produced be the jump mechanism to the button. The button can be pressed down to reach the final position quickly once for all due to inertia, allowing the contacts to be connected, effectively avoiding the arcing phenomenon.