Relay Armature Stop Structure for Shock-Resistant Contact Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Relays used in shock and vibration-prone environments, such as electric vehicles, face issues with spring deformation and increased complexity and cost due to the need for additional reinforcing members to withstand impacts, leading to compromised contact forces and assembly complications.
Innovation Solution
A relay design featuring a case with integrated ribs and a leg extending from the base to limit armature displacement, a post with bent portions to prevent spring deformation, and a base with integrated arc-extinguishing components to reduce part count and enhance reliability under impact and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional reinforcing members are added to withstand impacts, then reliability under shock and vibration is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the reinforcing function directly into the existing base structure by adding a leg that extends between contacts, rather than adding separate reinforcing members. This merging of functions reduces component count while maintaining impact resistance and reliability under shock and vibration.
2Reliability
If additional reinforcing members are added to withstand impacts, then reliability under shock and vibration is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leg is integrated into the base as a single component, eliminating the need for separate reinforcing members. This reduces part count, simplifies assembly, and lowers manufacturing cost while providing the necessary structural support against impacts and vibrations.
3Reliability
If the leg is positioned close to the armature to limit displacement, then reliability under impact is improved, but the leg may interfere with armature movement
Solution Approach 1:
The leg is positioned to extend between the contacts at a specific location that provides structural support without interfering with the armature's rotational path. This localized positioning ensures the leg limits armature displacement under impact while maintaining smooth armature operation during normal switching cycles.
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
The design ensures accurate positioning, prevents plastic deformation of springs, reduces component count, and maintains contact integrity under strong impacts, while minimizing relay size and preventing malfunctions due to resonance and arc-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnet having a yoke; a movable contact part having an armature configured to operate corresponding to an activation of the electromagnet
Data Source
AI summary
A base of a relay has a leg extending in a contact/separation direction between contacts, and the leg is configured to come into contact with a yoke when the base is incorporated into a case. The leg is spaced away from an upper part of an armature by a distance. This distance is determined so that an upper surface of the armature does not come into contact with the leg in a normal operation of the armature, but the upper surface of the armature comes into contact with a lower surface of the leg when the armature jumps up beyond a movable range thereof due to, for example, a strong impact applied to a vehicle on which the relay is mounted.