Electromagnetic relay

• US 8,354,906 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anden Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anden Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagura, Hiroshi, Ito, Takashi, Takeyama, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US12/461,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 335 78- 86, 335/124, 335128-135, 335/201
• US Class Current: 335/201
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/24 Parts rotatable or rockable outside coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/443 using permanent magnets

Abstract

An electromagnetic relay includes a case, a base, a magnet coil, a movable member driven by electromagnetic force of the coil, a moving contact, a fixed contact engaged with or disengaged from the moving contact, a fixed contact holding member fixed to the base with the holding member passing therethrough and having a load circuit terminal, and a magnet applying Lorentz force to arc generated between the fixed contact and the moving contact. The case includes a guide part on its region with which arc extended in a Lorentz force application direction collides. The guide part guides arc after the collision to extend arc in a different direction from the application direction. The case includes a case partition wall between the guide part and the base. The holding member has a guide part opposing portion opposed to the guide part. The opposing portion is covered with the case partition wall.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a fixed contact;

a fixed contact holding member, wherein the fixed contact is attached on one end side portion of the fixed contact holding member so as to be positioned and held at a predetermined position;

a magnet coil configured to generate electromagnetic force when energized;

a movable member driven by the electromagnetic force of the magnet coil;

a moving contact attached on one end side portion of the movable member so as to be engaged with or disengaged from the fixed contact as a result of whether the movable member is driven or not; and

a magnet disposed on a lateral side of the fixed contact and the moving contact so as to apply Lorentz force to an arc which is generated between the fixed contact and the moving contact, wherein;

given that;

a contact alignment direction is a direction of a line passing through a center of the fixed contact and a center of the moving contact;

a magnet arrangement direction is a direction of a line which is perpendicular to the contact alignment direction and which passes through the magnet; and

a Lorentz force application direction is a direction of the Lorentz force applied to the arc in a region in which the fixed contact and the moving contact are opposed to each other,

an end face of the fixed contact holding member at the one end side portion thereof is opposed to the magnet;

at least the one end side portion of the fixed contact holding member extends in a direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction;

an end face of the movable member at the one end side portion thereof is opposed to the magnet;

at least the one end side portion of the movable member extends in a direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction;

the Lorentz force application direction is perpendicular to the contact alignment direction and the magnet arrangement direction; and

an end portion of the magnet on a side of the Lorentz force application direction extends further in the Lorentz force application direction than a side surface of the fixed contact holding member at the one end side portion thereof on a side of the Lorentz force application direction and a side surface of the movable member at the one end side portion thereof on a side of the Lorentz force application direction;

the fixed contact includes a first fixed contact and a second fixed contact;

the fixed contact holding member includes a first fixed contact holding member on which the first fixed contact is attached and a second fixed contact holding member on which the second fixed contact is attached;

the moving contact includes a first moving contact and a second moving contact which are attached on the movable member, the first moving contact being engaged with or disengaged from the first fixed contact and the second moving contact being engaged with or disengaged from the second fixed contact;

when the first moving contact is brought into contact with the first fixed contact and the second moving contact is brought into contact with the second fixed contact, the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact become conductive therebetween via the movable member;

the first fixed contact holding member extends from one end side portion thereof in a direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction, and then extends in a direction away from the second fixed contact holding member; and

the second fixed contact holding member extends from one end side portion thereof in a direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction, and then extends in a direction away from the first fixed contact holding member.

2. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising a case which accommodates the fixed contact, the fixed contact holding member, the magnet coil, the movable member, the moving contact, and the magnet, wherein:

the case includes a guide part formed on a region of an inner wall part of the case with which the arc extended in the Lorentz force application direction collides; and

the guide part guides the arc in a direction generally parallel to the contact alignment direction.

3. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a fixed contact holding member;

a fixed contact attached to a bottom side of a first end portion of the fixed contact holding member so as to be positioned and held at a predetermined position;

a magnet coil configured to generate electromagnetic force when energized;

a movable member driven by the electromagnetic force of the magnet coil;

a moving contact attached to a top side of a first end portion of the movable member so as to be engaged with or disengaged from the fixed contact as a result of whether the movable member is driven or not; and

a magnet disposed adjacent to the fixed contact and the moving contact so as to apply Lorentz force to an arc generated between the fixed contact and the moving contact,

a contact alignment direction is a direction of a line that passes through a center of the fixed contact and a center of the moving contact;

a magnet arrangement direction is a direction of a line that is perpendicular to the contact alignment direction and that passes through the magnet; and

a Lorentz force application direction is a direction of the Lorentz force applied to the arc in a region in which the fixed contact and the moving contact are opposed to each other,

wherein

a first side surface of the fixed contact holding member at the first end portion thereof is opposed to the magnet,

a portion of the fixed contact holding member extends away from the fixed contact in a direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction;

a first side surface of the movable member at the first end portion thereof is opposed to the magnet,

a portion of the movable member extends away from the moving contact in a direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction,

the Lorentz force application direction is perpendicular to both the contact alignment direction and the magnet arrangement direction,

a side portion of the magnet extending in the Lorentz force application direction extends further in the Lorentz force application direction than a second side surface of the fixed contact holding member at the first end portion thereof,

a side portion of the magnet extending in the Lorentz force application direction extends further in the Lorentz force application direction than a second side surface of the movable member at the first end portion thereof,

the second side surface of the fixed contact holding member is perpendicular to the first side surface of the fixed contact holding member, and

the second side surface of the movable member is perpendicular to the first side surface of the movable member,

the fixed contact includes a first fixed contact and a second fixed contact,

the fixed contact holding member includes a first fixed contact holding member on which the first fixed contact is attached and a second fixed contact holding member on which the second fixed contact is attached,

the moving contact includes a first moving contact and a second moving contact which are attached on the movable member, the first moving contact being engaged with or disengaged from the first fixed contact and the second moving contact being engaged with or disengaged from the second fixed contact,

when the first moving contact is brought into contact with the first fixed contact and the second moving contact is brought into contact with the second fixed contact, the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact become conductive therebetween via the movable member,

a first portion of the first fixed contact holding member extends away from the first fixed contact in a first direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction,

a second portion of the first fixed contact holding member extends in a second direction away from the second fixed contact holding member, the second direction being different than the first direction,

a first portion of the second fixed contact holding member extends away from the second fixed contact in the first direction away from the magnet along the magnet arrangement direction, and

a second portion of the second fixed contact holding member extends laterally in a third direction away from the first fixed contact holding member, the third direction being different than the first and second directions.

4. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 3, further comprising:

a case which accommodates the fixed contact, the fixed contact holding member, the magnet coil, the movable member, the moving contact, and the magnet,

wherein the case includes a guide part formed on a region of an inner wall part of the case with which the arc extended in the Lorentz force application direction collides, and

wherein the guide part guides the arc in a direction generally parallel to the contact alignment direction.