Wetting finger latching piezoelectric relay
First Claim
1. An electrical relay comprising:
- a relay housing enclosing a switching cavity;
a first electrical contact in the switching cavity, having a wettable surface;
a second electrical contact in the switching cavity spaced from the first electrical contact and having a wettable surface;
a first conducting liquid in wetted contact with the first electrical contact;
a second conducting liquid in wetted contact with the second electrical contact;
a beam having a fixed end attached to the relay housing within the switching cavity and a free end;
a wettable switch finger, attached to the free end of the beam and moveable to touch the first and second conducting liquids; and
a piezoelectric actuator operable to move the beam in a lateral direction to cause the switching finger to move from a non-deflected position to a first position, where the conducting liquid wets between the first and second contacts and the switch finger and completes an electrical circuit between the first and second contacts, and to a second position where the conducting liquid cannot wet between first and second contacts and the switch finger and the electrical circuit between the first and second contacts is broken.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical relay having two wettable electrical contacts, each supporting a conducting liquid. A wettable switch finger is moved from a non-deflected position to first and second positions by action of an actuator. In the first position the switch finger touches the conducting liquid and causes it to wet between the contacts and the switch and thereby complete an electrical circuit between the contacts. When the switch finger is in the second position, the conducting liquid cannot wet between first and second contacts and the switch finger and the electrical circuit between the first and second contacts is broken. The switch finger may be located at the free end of a beam that is deflected or bent by the action of piezoelectric elements.
80 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. An electrical relay comprising:
-
a relay housing enclosing a switching cavity;
a first electrical contact in the switching cavity, having a wettable surface;
a second electrical contact in the switching cavity spaced from the first electrical contact and having a wettable surface;
a first conducting liquid in wetted contact with the first electrical contact;
a second conducting liquid in wetted contact with the second electrical contact;
a beam having a fixed end attached to the relay housing within the switching cavity and a free end;
a wettable switch finger, attached to the free end of the beam and moveable to touch the first and second conducting liquids; and
a piezoelectric actuator operable to move the beam in a lateral direction to cause the switching finger to move from a non-deflected position to a first position, where the conducting liquid wets between the first and second contacts and the switch finger and completes an electrical circuit between the first and second contacts, and to a second position where the conducting liquid cannot wet between first and second contacts and the switch finger and the electrical circuit between the first and second contacts is broken. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for switching an electrical circuit in an electrical relay between a first contact wetted by a first conducting liquid and a second contact wetted by a second conducting liquid, the method comprising:
-
if the circuit is to completed;
energizing an actuator to move a wettable finger to a first position where the wettable finger touches the first and second conducting liquids and causes them to wet between the first and second contacts and the finger; and
if the circuit is to be broken;
energizing the actuator to move a wettable finger to a second position where conducting liquid cannot wet between the first and second contacts and the wettable finger. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification