Electromagnetic Relay Slide Lever Stopper Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electromagnetic relays are prone to unintentional changes in contact state due to user error, leading to potential malfunctions and device failures, such as short circuits, when the contact is required to be in an OFF state.
Innovation Solution
An electromagnetic relay design incorporating a slide switch with a cover, slide lever, elastic test button, and stopper, where the stopper restricts the slide lever to a return position, preventing erroneous operation and maintaining the contact mechanism in a stable state, and can be set to a restriction or release position for user confirmation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple turn lever is used for contact operation, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to unintentional activation
Solution Approach 1:
The slide lever is designed to move dynamically between a horizontal inactive position and a vertical active position. The lever transitions from a state where it cannot activate the contact (horizontal) to a state where it can (vertical), providing both ease of operation and protection against unintentional activation through its dynamic positioning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The operating mechanism is segmented into distinct positional states: the slide lever can be positioned horizontally (inactive) or vertically (active). This segmentation allows the system to separate the operational state from the protective state, enabling reliable control while maintaining ease of use
2Ease of operation
If the slide lever is made freely movable for easy operation, then ease of operation is improved, but stability deteriorates allowing erroneous operation
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is pre-positioned to restrict the slide lever to the horizontal inactive position before operation begins. This preliminary restriction prevents erroneous operation, and only when the stopper is intentionally moved does the lever gain freedom to move to the vertical active position, thus maintaining both stability and ease of operation
3Reliability
If a stopper mechanism is added to prevent erroneous operation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper and slide lever are merged into a single integrated component rather than separate parts. The stopper function is combined with the lever body, allowing the same component to serve both as the operating lever and the element that restricts movement, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The slide lever serves multiple functions: it acts as the operating element that activates the contact when moved vertically, and simultaneously serves as the stopper that restricts its own movement to the horizontal position when not in use. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, maintaining simplicity while enhancing reliability
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
Prevents unintentional changes in the open and close states of the contact, ensuring the contact mechanism remains in a stable state, thereby preventing device malfunctions and ensuring user safety by clearly indicating the slide lever's position.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic test button (90), and a stopper (100). The cover (70) is mounted on one surface of the case (40). The slide lever (80) is housed in the cover (70) and is configured to be slidable via an operation hole (71) formed in the cover (70). The elastic test button (90) is housed in the cover (70) and is actuated in a direction crossing one surface of the case (40) in accordance with the sliding operation of the slide lever (80)
Data Source
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AI summary
An electromagnetic relay (1) includes a slide switch (2; 202) capable of preventing an unintentional change in open and close states of a contact (31 b, 32b, 33b). The electromagnetic relay (1) also includes a cover (70; 270), a slide lever (80; 280) and an elastic test button (90) each housed in the cover (70; 270), and a stopper (100; 300) mounted on the cover (70; 270). The stopper (100; 300) is disposed to restrict the position of the slide lever (80; 280). The stopper (100; 300) is capable of restricting the slide lever (80; 280) to a return position of the slide lever (80; 280) to return a contact mechanism (30) to a return state.