Relay Contact Assembly With Avoidance Notch for Lower Heat Rise

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Solution Overview

Problem

Relays face issues with temperature rise, accelerated aging of plastics and insulating materials, difficulty in arc extinguishing due to oxidation corrosion of contacts, and reduced reliability, particularly in high-load and miniaturized applications.

Innovation Solution

The relay design incorporates a contact part with movable and static contact units, a push rod assembly, and a magnetic circuit, featuring an avoidance notch in the movable contact leading-out pieces to form a multi-contact parallel structure, which reduces temperature rise and improves structural strength and assembly parameters.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If the relay is miniaturized and designed for high load, then the load capacity is improved, but the temperature rise increases and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload capacityVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The movable contact leading-out piece is divided into multiple segments (first, second, third segments) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the contact structure to flex and distribute mechanical stress, preventing single-point failure and improving overall reliability under high load conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The contact structure transitions from a rigid fixed structure to a dynamic flexible structure. The movable contact leading-out piece can dynamically adjust its position and shape during operation, allowing it to absorb thermal expansion and mechanical stress, thereby maintaining reliability at high temperatures and loads

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If the relay is miniaturized, then the size is reduced, but the temperature rise problem worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesizeVSAvoidtemperature rise
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The movable contact leading-out piece uses a flexible thin-walled structure that can deform elastically under thermal stress. This flexible structure dissipates heat more effectively through deformation and maintains structural integrity despite temperature rise, solving the thermal management problem in miniaturized relays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The contact structure extends in multiple dimensions with the movable leading-out piece having length, width, and thickness components. This multi-dimensional structure increases the surface area for heat dissipation while maintaining a compact overall volume, effectively managing temperature in miniaturized designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If the static contact unit and movable contact unit are closely arranged, then the structure is compact, but the assembly precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural compactnessVSAvoidassembly precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The movable contact leading-out piece is designed as a flexible component that can dynamically adjust its position during assembly and operation. This flexibility compensates for minor assembly variations and maintains reliable contact despite reduced manufacturing tolerances, enabling compact design without excessive precision requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The contact structure is segmented into movable and static units with intermediate flexible elements. This segmentation creates natural adjustment zones that accommodate assembly variations, reducing the overall precision requirements while maintaining compact dimensions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4465324A1relay
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 XIAMEN HONGFA ELECTRIC POWER CONTROLS CO LTD
  • EP4465324A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4465324A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4465324A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A relay includes a contact part (20) including two sets of movable contact parts (20a), each set including a movable contact piece (210), a movable contact unit (220), a static contact unit (230) and a movable contact leading-out piece (240), at least one movable contact leading-out pieces (240) is provided with an avoidance notch (241); the static contact unit (230) having the avoidance notch (241) including at least two static contacts (231); and a push rod assembly (40) including a first and second push rods (420), the first push rod (410) being movably passing through the avoidance notch (241) of one of the movable contact leading-out pieces (240) and connected with the movable contact piece (210) of the other the movable contact part (20a); the second push rod (420) being connected with the movable contact piece (210) of the movable contact part (20a).