Electromagnetic Relay Armature Positioning Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electromagnetic relays face stability issues due to the uneven distribution of forces acting on the armature, leading to incomplete swinging motion and operational instability, primarily caused by the configuration of the support and magnetic poles' centers of gravity and the pressure projection's alignment.
Innovation Solution
The electromagnetic relay design includes an armature with a pressure projection located on a segment connecting the centers of gravity of the support and magnetic poles, ensuring balanced forces and improved stability by positioning the support portion accurately using the iron core and coil frame, and incorporating a restriction mechanism to prevent the armature from lifting during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the operation projection presses the arm body at a portion shifted from the center toward the support portion, then the structure is simplified, but the force distribution becomes uneven causing the lower side of the armature to lift up and preventing smooth swinging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by intentionally positioning the operation projection offset from the center of the arm body toward the magnetic pole side (not the support portion side). This asymmetric positioning creates a counterbalancing effect where the pressure force generates a moment that prevents the lower side of the armature from lifting up during swinging motion, thereby maintaining smooth operation despite the simplified single-point pressure structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the support portion and magnetic pole are positioned using both base and coil frame, then the positioning is more stable, but dimensional errors accumulate causing unevenness and unstable swing strokes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from the dual-support system (base and coil frame) and consolidates it to a single support portion fixed only to the base. By removing the coil frame from the positioning chain, the invention eliminates the accumulation of dimensional errors from multiple manufacturing steps, thereby achieving both stable positioning and uniform swing strokes.
3Device complexity
If the pressure force acts on the armature at a shifted position, then the structure is simpler, but the force acting on the support portion to move away from the iron core becomes larger than the force on the magnetic pole
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric positioning of the operation projection to create a deliberate imbalance in force distribution. By placing the pressure point offset toward the magnetic pole side, the resulting moment counteracts the natural tendency for the support portion to lift away from the iron core, achieving force balance through controlled asymmetry rather than symmetric positioning.
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 enhances the operational stability of the electromagnetic relay by ensuring smooth and consistent swinging motion of the armature, reducing the likelihood of incomplete contact and separation, and minimizing the impact of dimensional errors.
Implementation Method 1
a coil block including an iron core having a body portion extending in the horizontal direction and a pair of leg portions extending downward from both ends of the body portion, a spool to which the iron core is fixed, and a coil wound on the spool provided with the iron core
Implementation Method 2
The armature includes an armature extending in the horizontal direction, having one end and the other end opposed to the respective leg portions of the iron core, and configured to swing on the one end serving as an axis
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electromagnetic relay (1), comprising: a contact block (60) including a fixed contact (660) and a movable contact (610) brought into contact with and separated from the fixed contact (660); a drive block (40) configured to bring the movable contact (610) into contact with the fixed contact (660) and separate the movable contact (610) from the fixed contact (660); and a base (200) to which the contact block (60) and the drive block (40) are fixed, the drive block (40) including: an iron core (800) including a body portion (810) extending in one direction, and leg portions (820,830) extending downward from both ends in an extending direction of the body portion (810) in a state in which the extending direction of the body portion (810) conforms to a horizontal direction; a coil frame (700) to which the iron core (800) is fixed; a coil (72) wound on the body portion (810) of the iron core (800) with the coil frame (700) interposed therebetween; and an armature (510) arranged across the iron core (800) from one leg portion (820) to another leg portion (830) and configured to swing on one end serving as an axis (512a), the armature (510) including: a support portion (512) opposed to the one leg portion (820) of the iron core (800) to serve as the axis (512a); a magnetic pole (513) opposed to the other leg portion (830) of the iron core (800); and an arm portion (511) extending to connect the support portion (512) and the magnetic pole (513) and configured to cause the magnetic pole (513) to swing on the support portion (512) so as to come close to and separate from the other leg portion (830) of the iron core (800), the support portion (512) being positioned by the one leg portion (820) of the iron core (800) and a positioning portion (743,281) provided in at least one of the coil frame (700) and the base (200).