Multi-phase electromagnetic relay assembly and motor assembly

• US 20060066425A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Klaus A. Gruner
• Original Assignee: Klaus A. Gruner
• Inventors: Gruner, Klaus A.
• Application Number:
  US11/237,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066425A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/128
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/30 Constructions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/002 particular to three-phase electromagnetic relays synchronous switching H01H9/563
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/021 structurally combining a relay and an electronic component, e.g. varistor, RC circuit auxiliary switch inserting resistor during closure H01H50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/041 Details concerning assembly of relays
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/54 Contact arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/546 for contactors having bridging contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/2209 with rectilinearly movable armature
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/2227 in which the movable part comprises at least one permanent magnet, sandwiched between pole-plates, each forming an active air-gap with parts of the stationary magnetic circuit H01H51/2209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/2272 comprising rockable armature, rocking movement around central axis parallel to the main plane of the armature H01H51/2227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/125 characterised by sensing elements, e.g. current transformers for differential protection H01H83/144

Abstract

An electromagnetic relay assembly enables multi-phase switching as achieved by a certain novel assemblies, including a motor assembly and a union transformer assembly, as cooperatively assembled within a housing assembly. The motor assembly comprises a union coil assembly cooperatively assembled with an actuator assembly. The union coil assembly comprises two tandemly-oriented unit coil assemblies as separated by certain stator-guiding structure. The actuator assembly comprises an actuator carriage, two sets of stator assemblies and a plurality of drive bridge assemblies. The stator-guiding structure guides the stator assemblies during actuation and the drive bridge assemblies cooperate with the union transformer assembly to selectively set and/or reset the relay assembly. The union transformer assembly comprises a plurality of unit transformer assemblies, each of which comprises a contact bridge assembly. The drive bridge assemblies are equal in number to the contact bridge assemblies and coact therewith to selectively set and/or rest the relay assembly.

Claims

1. A multi-phase, electromagnetic relay assembly, the multi-phase electromagnetic relay assembly comprising in combination:

a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising a union coil assembly and an actuator assembly, the union coil assembly comprising at least two unit coil assemblies and a coil harness assembly, the unit coil assemblies each comprising a coil, a distal end bobbin, a proximal end bobbin, and a C-frame arrangement, the proximal end bobbins being cooperatively associated for aligning the coils in end-to-end relation about a common coil axis, each C-frame arrangement comprising a distal C-frame pairing and a proximal C-shaped frame, each C-frame pairing comprising an outer C-shaped frame and an inner C-shaped frame, the C-shaped frames each comprising a top C portion, a bottom C portion, and a spine C portion, the top C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames being received by the proximal end bobbins, the bottom C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames extending toward the distal end bobbins in a common proximal bottom frame plane, the bottom C portions of the C-shaped frames comprising a first frame surface and a second frame surface, the inner C-shaped frame being nestedly received in the outer C-shaped frame, the top C portions of the inner and outer C-shaped frames being received by the distal end bobbins, the bottom C portions of the inner C-shaped frames extending toward the proximal end bobbins in a common inner bottom frame plane, the bottom C portions of the outer C-shaped frames extending toward the proximal end bobbins in a common outer bottom frame plane, the proximal bottom frame plane, the inner bottom frame plane, and the outer bottom frame plane being substantially parallel, the proximal bottom frame plane extending intermediate the inner and outer bottom frame planes, the actuator assembly comprising an actuator carriage, a pair of stator assemblies, and a plurality of drive bridge assemblies, the actuator carriage comprising stator-receiving means and bridge-receiving means, the actuator carriage receiving and spatially locating the stator assemblies and drive bridge assemblies, the stator assemblies each comprising a first RESET plate, a second SET plate, a drive magnet, a proximal stator end, and a distal stator end, the drive magnet being sandwiched intermediate the RESET and SET plates, the drive bridge assemblies each comprising a drive bridge and a bridge guide member, the bridge guide members extending orthogonally from the drive bridges away from the actuator carriage, the actuator assembly being cooperatively assembled with the union coil assembly, the distal stator ends being received intermediate the bottom C portions of the inner and outer C-shaped frames, the bottom C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames being received intermediate the RESET plate and the SET plate at the proximal stator ends;

a union transformer assembly, the union transformer assembly comprising a plurality of unit transformer assemblies, each unit transformer assembly comprising an IN-contact assembly, an OUT-contact assembly, a contact bridge assembly, a contact member assembly, and a current transformer, the IN-contact assembly comprising an IN-terminal, the OUT-assembly comprising an OUT-terminal, an insulation plate, and a first contact point, the contact bridge assembly comprising a contact bridge, second and third contact points, and a contact spring, the contact member assembly comprising a fourth contact spring; and

a housing assembly, the housing assembly comprising a base section, a housing section, and a cover section, the base section comprising transformer-receiving means, the housing section comprising base-receiving means and motor-receiving means, the base section receiving the union transformer assembly via the transformer-receiving means, the housing section receiving the motor assembly via the motor-receiving means and the base-received union transformer assembly via base-receiving means, the cover section covering the motor assembly as housing-received, the coil harness assembly being cooperatively associated with the union coil assembly for selectively directing electrical current therethrough, the electrical current for selectively driving the actuator assembly, the actuator assembly being cooperatively associated with the union transformer assembly for selectively setting the multi-phase, electromagnetic relay assembly, the SET plates interfacing with the bottom C portions of the outer C-shaped frames, the RESET plates interfacing with the first frame surface of the proximal C-shaped frames, and the bridge guide members guiding the drive bridges into spring-compressing contact with the contact bridge assemblies thus separating the second and third contact points from the first and fourth contact points when the relay assembly is selectively set, the RESET plates interfacing with the bottom C portions of the inner C-shaped frames, the SET plates interfacing with the second frame surface of the proximal C-shaped frames, and the bridge guide members guiding the drive bridges into spring-restoring contact with the contact bridge assemblies thus placing the second and third contact points into contact with the first and fourth contact points when the relay assembly is selectively reset.

2. The multi-phase electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 1 wherein the union transformer assembly comprises a neutral terminal assembly.

3. The multi-phase electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 1 comprising a select configuration, the select configuration being selected from the group consisting of a terminal-block type configuration, a dock-on type configuration, and an inside-mounted type configuration.

4. The multi-phase electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 1 wherein the top C portions of the outer C-shaped frames extend toward one another in a common outer top frame plane, the top C portions of the inner C-shaped frames extend toward one another in a common inner top frame plane, and the top C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames extend away from one anther in a common proximal top frame plane, the proximal top frame plane being sandwiched intermediate the outer top frame plane and the inner top frame plane in radially inward adjacency to the coils.

5. An electromagnetic relay assembly, the electromagnetic relay assembly comprising, in combination:

a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising at least one coil assembly and an actuator assembly, the coil assembly comprising a coil, opposing end bobbins, stator-guiding means, and a coil harness assembly, the actuator assembly comprising an actuator carriage, at least one stator assembly, and at least one drive bridge assembly, the end bobbins being cooperatively associated with the coil for forming a linear coil axis, the actuator carriage comprising stator-receiving means and bridge-receiving means, the actuator carriage receiving and spatially locating the stator assembly and the drive bridge assembly, the stator assembly comprising a first RESET plate, a second SET plate, a drive magnet, and opposite stator ends, the drive magnet being sandwiched intermediate the RESET and SET plates, the drive bridge assembly comprising a drive bridge and a bridge-guiding means, the actuator assembly being cooperatively assembled with the coil assembly, the stator ends being cooperatively guided by the stator-guiding means;

at least one transformer assembly, the transformer assembly comprising an IN-contact assembly, an OUT-contact assembly, contact bridging means, and a current transformer, the IN-contact assembly comprising an IN-terminal, the OUT-assembly comprising an OUT-terminal, and a first contact point, the contact bridging means comprising second, third, and fourth contact points, and contact-restoring means; and

a housing assembly, the housing assembly for enabling selective current-directing communication intermediate the contact points and the motor assembly, the coil harness assembly being cooperatively associated with the coil assembly for selectively directing electrical current therethrough, the electrical current for selectively driving the actuator assembly, the actuator assembly being cooperatively engageable with the transformer assembly for selectively setting the electromagnetic relay assembly, the SET plate interfacing with the stator-guiding means and the bridge-guiding means guiding the drive bridges into spring-compressing contact with the contact bridge assembly thus separating the second and third contact points from the first and fourth contact points when the relay assembly is operatively set, the RESET plate interfacing with the stator-guiding means and the bridge-guiding means guiding the drive bridges into spring-restoring contact with the contact bridge assembly thus placing the second and third contact points into contact with the first and fourth contact points when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

6. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 5 comprising multi-phasing means, the multi-phasing means being enabled by at least two tandemly-oriented coil assemblies, at least two stator assemblies, a plurality of drive bridge assemblies, and a plurality of transformer assemblies, the end-bobbins comprising cooperatively associated distal end bobbins and proximal end bobbins for aligning the coils in end-to-end relation about the coil axis, each stator assembly comprising a distal stator end and a proximal stator end, the distal stator ends of the SET plates interfacing with the stator-guiding means when the relay assembly is operatively set and the distal stator ends of the RESET plates interfacing with the stator-guiding means when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

7. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 6 wherein the stator-guiding means comprise a C-frame arrangement, the C-frame arrangement comprising a pair of C-frame pairings, each C-frame pairing comprising an outer C-shaped frame and an inner C-shaped frame, the inner C-shaped frames being nestedly received in the outer C-shaped frames, the C-shaped frames each comprising a top C portion, a bottom C portion, and a spine C portion, the top C portions of the inner and outer C-shaped frames being received by the distal end bobbins, the bottom C portions of the inner C-shaped frames extending toward the proximal end bobbins in a common inner bottom frame plane, the bottom C portions of the outer C-shaped frames extending toward the proximal end bobbins in a common outer bottom frame plane, the inner bottom frame plane and the outer bottom frame plane being substantially parallel, the distal stator ends of the SET plates interfacing with the bottom C portions of the outer C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively set and the distal stator ends of the RESET plates interfacing with the bottom C portions of the inner C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

8. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 7 wherein the stator-guiding means comprise a pair of proximal C-shaped frames, the bottom C portions of each proximal C-shaped frame comprising a first frame surface and a second frame surface, the top C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames being received by the proximal end bobbins, the bottom C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames extending toward the distal end bobbins in a common proximal bottom frame plane, the proximal bottom frame plane, the inner bottom frame plane, and the outer bottom frame plane being substantially parallel, the proximal bottom frame plane extending intermediate the inner and outer bottom frame planes, the RESET plates interfacing with the first frame surface of the proximal C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively set and the SET plates interfacing with the second frame surface of the proximal C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

9. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 8.wherein the top C portions of the outer C-shaped frames extend toward one another in a common outer top frame plane, the top C portions of the inner C-shaped frames extend toward one another in a common inner top frame plane, and the top C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames extend away from one anther in a common proximal top frame plane, the proximal top frame plane being sandwiched intermediate the outer top frame plane and the inner top frame plane in radially inward adjacency to the coils.

10. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 5 comprising a select configuration, the select configuration being selected from the group consisting of a terminal-block type configuration, a dock-on type configuration, and an inside-mounted type configuration.

11. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 5 wherein the transformer assembly comprises a neutral terminal assembly.

12. A electromagnetic motor assembly for use in combination with a relay assembly, the electromagnetic motor assembly comprising, in combination:

a union coil assembly, the union coil assembly comprising at least two unit coil assemblies and coil-energizing means, the unit coil assemblies each comprising a coil, a distal end bobbin, a proximal end bobbin, and stator-guiding means, the proximal end bobbins being cooperatively associated for aligning the coils in end-to-end relation about a common coil axis; and

an actuator assembly, the actuator assembly comprising an actuator carriage, a pair of stator assemblies, and a plurality of drive bridge assemblies, the actuator carriage comprising stator-receiving means and bridge-receiving means, the actuator carriage receiving and spatially locating the stator assemblies and the drive bridge assemblies, each stator assembly comprising a first stator plate, a second stator plate, a drive magnet, a proximal stator end, and a distal stator end, the drive magnet being sandwiched intermediate the first and second stator plates, the actuator assembly being cooperatively assembled with the union coil assembly, the stator ends being cooperatively guidable by the stator-guiding means, the coil-energizing means being cooperatively associated with the union coil assembly for selectively directing electrical current therethrough, the electrical current for selectively driving the actuator assembly, the actuator assembly being co operable with an electromagnetic relay assembly.

13. The electromagnetic motor assembly of claim 12 being outfitted in combination with the electromagnetic relay assembly, the combination electromagnetic relay assembly comprising, in combination, the electromagnetic motor assembly, a plurality of transformer assemblies, and a housing assembly, each transformer assembly comprising an IN-contact assembly, an OUT-contact assembly, contact bridging means, and a current transformer, the IN-contact assembly comprising an IN-terminal, the OUT-assembly comprising an OUT-terminal, and a first contact point, the contact bridging means comprising second, third, and fourth contact points, and a contact spring, the housing assembly for enabling selective current-directing communication intermediate the contact points and the motor assembly, the drive bridge assemblies being cooperatively associated with the transformer assemblies for selectively setting the electromagnetic relay assembly, the second stator plates interfacing with the stator-guiding means and the drive bridges compressing the contact spring thus separating the second and third contact points from the first and fourth contact points when the relay assembly is operatively set, the first stator plates interfacing with the stator-guiding means and the drive bridges restoring the contact spring thus placing the second and third contact points into contact with the first and fourth contact points when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the stator-guiding means comprise a C-frame arrangement, the C-frame arrangement comprising a pair of C-frame pairings, each C-frame pairing comprising an outer C-shaped frame and an inner C-shaped frame, the inner C-shaped frames being nestedly received in the outer C-shaped frames, the C-shaped frames each comprising a top C portion, a bottom C portion, and a spine C portion, the top C portions of the inner and outer C-shaped frames being received by the distal end bobbins, the bottom C portions of the inner C-shaped frames extending toward the proximal end bobbins in a common inner bottom frame plane, the bottom C portions of the outer C-shaped frames extending toward the proximal end bobbins in a common outer bottom frame plane, the inner bottom frame plane and the outer bottom frame plane being substantially parallel, the distal stator ends of the second stator plates interfacing with the bottom C portions of the outer C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively set and the distal stator ends of the first stator plates interfacing with the bottom C portions of the inner C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the stator-guiding means comprise a pair of proximal C-shaped frames, the bottom C portions of each proximal C-shaped frame comprising a first frame surface and a second frame surface, the top C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames being received by the proximal end bobbins, the bottom C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames extending toward the distal end bobbins in a common proximal bottom frame plane, the proximal bottom frame plane, the inner bottom frame plane, and the outer bottom frame plane being substantially parallel, the proximal bottom frame plane extending intermediate the inner and outer bottom frame planes, the second stator plates interfacing with the first frame surface of the proximal C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively set and the first stator plates interfacing with the second frame surface of C-shaped frames when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the top C portions of the outer C-shaped frames extend toward one another in a common outer top frame plane, the top C portions of the inner C-shaped frames extend toward one another in a common inner top frame plane, and the top C portions of the proximal C-shaped frames extend away from one anther in a common proximal top frame plane, the proximal top frame plane being sandwiched intermediate the outer top frame plane and the inner top frame plane in radially inward adjacency to the coils.

17. The assembly of claim 12 comprising a select configuration, the select configuration being selected from the group consisting of a terminal-block type configuration, a dock-on type configuration, and an inside-mounted type configuration.

18. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the union transformer assembly comprises a neutral terminal assembly.

19. An electromagnetic relay assembly, the electromagnetic relay assembly comprising, in combination:

a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising at least one coil assembly and an actuator assembly, the coil assembly comprising at least one coil, stator-guiding means, and coil-energizing means, the actuator assembly comprising at least one stator assembly and force-transferring means, the stator assembly extending intermediate the stator-guiding means and comprising opposite stator ends, the stator assembly comprising a first and second stator plates and at least one drive magnet, the drive magnet being sandwiched intermediate the first and second stator plates, the actuator assembly being cooperatively assembled with the coil assembly, the stator ends being cooperatively guided by the stator-guiding means;

at least one transformer assembly, the transformer assembly comprising an IN-contact assembly, an OUT-contact assembly, contact-bridging means, and a transformer, the IN-contact assembly comprising first current-directing means, the OUT-assembly comprising second current-directing means and a first contact point, the contact-bridging means comprising second, third, and fourth contact points, and contact-restoring means; and

transformer-motor-communicating means, the transformer-motor-communicating means for enabling selective current-directing communication intermediate the contact points and the motor assembly, the coil-energizing means being cooperatively associated with coil assembly for selectively directing electrical current therethrough, the electrical current for creating an actuating-force, the actuating-force for actuating the actuator assembly, the force-transferring means being cooperatively associated with the transformer assembly for directing current flow through the contact points, the current flow for enabling electrical communication away from the relay assembly via the first and second current-directing means.

20. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 19 comprising multi-phasing means, the multi-phasing means being enabled by at least two tandemly-oriented coil assemblies, at least two stator assemblies, a plurality of drive bridge assemblies, and a plurality of transformer assemblies, the stator-guiding means being cooperatively associated with the coil assemblies for aligning the coils in end-to-end relation about a common coil axis, each stator assembly comprising a distal stator end and a proximal stator end, the distal stator ends of the second stator plates interfacing with the stator-guiding means when the relay assembly is operatively set and the distal stator ends of the first stator plates interfacing with the stator-guiding means when the relay assembly is operatively reset.

21. The electromagnetic relay assembly of claim 20 comprising a select configuration, the select configuration being selected from the group consisting of a terminal-block type configuration, a dock-on type configuration, and an inside-mounted type configuration.