Relay Contact Spring Symmetric Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromagnetic relays face challenges in achieving uniform actuation and reduced loading on contact springs, leading to suboptimal movement of moveable contacts.
Innovation Solution
The electromagnetic relay incorporates contact springs with two sprung arms and additional abutment surfaces, allowing for symmetric actuation and improved movement, with abutment surfaces disposed on opposing sides or at identical heights to ensure uniform force distribution and efficient force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single abutment surface is used on the contact spring, then the structure is simple, but the actuation is non-uniform and loading on the contact spring is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The contact spring is divided into two separate sprung arms (first and second sprung arms) instead of a single monolithic structure. Each arm has its own abutment surface, allowing independent and uniform actuation forces to be applied to each side of the contact spring, thereby achieving symmetric and uniform actuation while reducing overall loading on the spring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The two abutment surfaces are positioned asymmetrically on opposite sides of the contact spring's central axis. This asymmetric positioning allows the actuating element to apply forces that are symmetric relative to the contact spring center, creating balanced bending moments that result in uniform actuation of the contact spring.
2Ease of operation
If the abutment surfaces are positioned at different heights on the contact spring, then the structure is simpler to manufacture, but the bending moments are non-uniform causing non-uniform actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The two abutment surfaces are positioned at identical heights relative to the contact of the moveable contact spring. This creates a symmetric configuration where equal bending moments are exerted on either side of the contact spring during actuation, ensuring uniform force distribution and consistent actuation behavior. The identical height positioning establishes an equipotential condition for force application.
3Reliability
If the contact spring is fused to the normally-open contact, then electrical connection is improved, but separation following fuse failure becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating element is designed with extraction functionality that can remove the contact spring from the normally-open contact. When a fuse fails and the contact spring becomes stuck to the contact, the actuating element can be actuated to exert extraction forces that pull the contact spring away from the fused contact, enabling separation and reset of the relay without requiring physical disassembly or replacement of the entire assembly.
4Strength
If symmetric actuation with two sprung arms is implemented, then loading on contact springs is reduced and movement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second sprung arms are integrated as part of a single contact spring component rather than being separate parts. This merging of the two arms into one monolithic contact spring structure achieves symmetric actuation and reduced loading while avoiding the complexity of assembling multiple separate components. The integrated design maintains structural integrity while providing the benefits of symmetric force distribution.
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 results in reduced loading on contact springs, improved movement of moveable contacts, and enhanced actuation, enabling efficient separation from normally-open contacts and preventing voltage flashover between springs.
Implementation Method 1
electromagnetic relay in which, depending on the current flowing through the relay, the armature can assume two different positions
Implementation Method 2
The moveable contact is moveably mounted on the relay via a spring
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Electromagnetic relay (23) with at least one moveable contact spring (2, 3), having an assigned normally-open contact (53, 54), wherein the moveable contact spring (2, 3) is connected electrically-conductively to a first electrical terminal (4, 5) and the normally-open contact (53, 54) is connected electrically-conductively to a further electrical terminal (56, 57), having a moveably mounted actuating element (33) to move the moveable contact spring (2, 3) as a function of the current flowing through the relay (23) in contact with the normally-open contact (53, 54), characterised in that the contact spring (2, 3) is equipped with two abutment surfaces (12, 15), which are spatially separated from one another, and that the actuating element (33) is equipped with two actuating surfaces (41, 43), which are brought into active connection with the two abutment surfaces (12, 15) in order to move the contact spring (2, 3).