Relay Base Leg Structure for Armature Shock Limiting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Relays used in applications susceptible to shock and vibration, such as electric vehicles, face challenges in maintaining contact force and preventing plastic deformation of springs due to impact, which can lead to malfunction.
Innovation Solution
The relay design incorporates a leg extending from the base of the fixed contact part that contacts the yoke, limiting the movement of the armature and reducing the force applied to the contacts and return spring, thus preventing plastic deformation and ensuring accurate positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the armature is made rotatable relative to the yoke to prevent displacement under impact, then the relay can withstand shock and vibration, but the structure becomes more complex requiring shafts and bearings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rotational function from a complex shaft-bearing assembly and implements it through a simple groove structure in the base. The groove allows the armature to rotate relative to the yoke without requiring separate shaft and bearing components, thus achieving vibration resistance while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The base structure is merged with the rotational support function. Instead of having separate components for support and rotation, the base incorporates a groove that simultaneously provides structural support and enables the armature to rotate relative to the yoke, combining multiple functions into a single component
2Manufacturing precision
If the leg is positioned close to the armature to limit movement, then positioning accuracy improves, but the force on the contact spring increases causing plastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The leg is designed with a specific local geometry where the width is smaller than the groove width, creating a localized constraint that allows controlled rotation while limiting excessive movement. This local quality difference enables the leg to provide positioning accuracy without over-constraining the armature, preventing excessive force on the contact spring
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 effectively prevents damage and plastic deformation of components due to impact, maintains appropriate contact force, and ensures accurate positioning of contacts, thereby enhancing the reliability of relays in vibration-prone applications.
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.