Electromagnetic relay

• US 9,076,617 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Yamashita, Tsukasa, Shinkai, Tetsuo, Masui, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail, Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/982,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 335/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/00 Details of electromagnetic relays H01H51/28 takes precedence; electric circuit arrangements H01H47/00; details of electrically-operated selector switches H01H63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/02 Bases; Casings; Covers frames for mounting two or more relays or for mounting a relay and another electric component H02B1/01, H04Q1/08, H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/26 Parts movable about a knife edge
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/28 Parts movable due to bending of a blade spring or reed
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/305 damping vibration due to functional movement of armature in air-gap H01H50/163
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/38 Part of main magnetic circuit shaped to suppress arcing between the contacts of the relay
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/54 Contact arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/40 Multiple main contacts for the purpose of dividing the current through, or potential drop along, the arc
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/443 using permanent magnets

Abstract

An electromagnetic relay including a contact switching unit formed by arranging at least two contact groups, in parallel with each other and perpendicular to the touch/separation direction of the contacts, each of the contact group includes a pair of contacts that can touch and separate; an electromagnet block that drives the contact switching unit to open and close the contacts; and an arc-extinguishing member comprising a connection member made from a magnetic material and formed by a connection of protrusions that respectively protrude from both sides of a middle part in the direction of the parallel arrangement of the contact groups and between the contact groups, and also comprising permanent magnets respectively disposed at least on the opposing positions of the protrusions located on both sides of the middle part.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a contact switching unit formed by arranging at least two contact groups in parallel with each other and perpendicular to a touch/separation direction of the contacts, each of the contact groups includes a pair of contacts which are adapted to touch each other and separate from each other;

an electromagnet block adapted to drive the contact switching unit to open/close the contacts; and

an arc extinguishing member including a connection member made from a magnetic material and formed by a) a connection of projecting sections that respectively project out from both sides of a middle part of said connection member in the direction of the parallel arrangement of the contact groups and between the contact groups, and b) opposing walls that respectively project out from ends of said connection member, and permanent magnets respectively affixed by their magnetic force to the opposing walls.

2. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising a case to be attached to a base to cover the contact switching unit and the electromagnet block, the case includes a recessed portion to which the projecting sections and the permanent magnet of the arc extinguishing member are arranged.

3. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2, wherein

a polarity of an opposing surface of each permanent magnet and a direction in which an arc current generated at a time of contact opening/closing flow are determined so that a force of displacing toward the middle part of the connection member is generated on the arc current.

4. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 2, wherein

a polarity of an opposing surface of each permanent magnet and a direction in which an arc current generated at a time of contact opening/closing flow are determined to be opposite directions between the adjacent contact open/close positions.

5. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein

a polarity of an opposing surface of each permanent magnet and a direction in which an arc current generated at a time of contact opening/closing flow are determined so that a force of displacing toward the middle part of the connection member is generated on the arc current.

6. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein

a polarity of an opposing surface of each permanent magnet and a direction in which an arc current generated at a time of contact opening/closing flow are determined to be opposite directions between the adjacent contact open/close positions.

7. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising a base to be attached with the contact switching unit and the electromagnet block, wherein

the contact is fixed to one end section of a touch piece that projects out from the base, and

the arc extinguishing member has the middle part of the connection member arranged near the contact on a projecting direction side of the touch piece.

8. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein

the connection member of the arc extinguishing member is formed by an opposing wall at both ends of an intermediate wall, and side parts are raised from the opposing wall side on opposite sides with respect to a central part to form the projecting section located between the contact groups at the central part of the intermediate wall.

9. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein

the connection member of the arc extinguishing member includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, each connecting portion being configured by forming a first side wall and a second side wall at both ends of the intermediate wall so as to face each other;

and

the projecting section located between the contact groups is configured by the second side walls.

10. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 9, wherein

the second side wall of the first connecting portion and the second side wall of the second connecting portion define a flat plate-shaped wall surface portion.

12. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein

the connection member of the arc extinguishing member is formed by an opposing wall at both ends of an intermediate wall, and side parts are raised from the opposing wall side on opposite sides with respect to a central part to form the projecting section located between the contact groups at the central part of the intermediate wall.

13. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12, wherein

a flat plate-shaped wall surface portion is configured by the projecting sections.

11. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a contact switching unit having a fixed touch piece and a movable touch piece facing the fixed touch piece;

an electromagnet block adapted to be magnetized or demagnetized and to drive the movable touch piece so that a movable contact arranged in the movable touch piece opens/closes with respect to a fixed contact arranged in the fixed touch piece, wherein at least two fixed touch pieces have the fixed contact;

the movable touch piece includes at least a pair of contact piece portions including the movable contact, and

an arc extinguishing member including a) a connection member having projecting sections projecting out from both sides of each touch piece portion and connected with each other via a middle part of said connection member between the open/close positions of the contact, and b) opposing walls that respectively project out from ends of said connection member, and permanent magnets respectively affixed by their magnetic force to the opposing walls.