Contact bridge arrangement for an electrical switching element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10020129-B2
Application number	US-201615200095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A contact bridge arrangement for an electrical switch, such as a contactor or a relay, is disclosed. The contact bridge arrangement comprises a contact bridge having a contact bridge body, an actuating member on which the contact bridge is held that is movable with respect to the contact bridge along an actuating direction, the actuating member having a stop and a spring base, and a spring disposed between the spring base and the contact bridge body pressing the stop against the contact bridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact bridge arrangement for an electrical switch, comprising:
a contact bridge having a contact bridge body;
an actuating member on which the contact bridge is held that is movable with respect to the contact bridge along an actuating direction, the actuating member having a stop and a spring base, the stop extending through an aperture of the contact bridge; and
a spring disposed between the spring base and the contact bridge body pressing the stop against the contact bridge.

2. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the stop and the spring base are disposed on a side of the spring opposite the contact bridge body.

3. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the stop is formed monolithically with the spring base.

4. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the spring base and the stop are part of a flange-shaped section of the actuating member.

5. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the spring is received within a volume defined by the contact bridge.

6. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the aperture guides motion of the stop in the actuating direction.

7. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the stop is pressed against a central wall section of the aperture extending transverse to the actuating direction.

8. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the central wall section and two lateral wall sections of the aperture extending parallel to the actuating direction form a seat.

9. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the stop is disposed in the seat.

10. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the aperture has a mounting slot extending away from the seat substantially transverse to the actuating direction.

11. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the aperture and stop form a bayonet connection.

12. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the contact bridge has a leg extending counter to the actuating direction.

13. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the aperture is disposed in the leg.

14. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the leg is formed monolithically with the contact bridge body.

15. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the contact bridge has two legs positioned opposite one another and extending transverse to the actuating direction.

16. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the stop has a first dimension at least as long as an outer width of the legs.

17. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the stop has a second dimension smaller than an inner spacing of the legs.

18. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

19. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the actuating member extends through the spring and the contact bridge body.

20. A contact bridge arrangement for an electrical switch, comprising:
a contact bridge having a contact bridge body;
an actuating member on which the contact bridge is held that is movable with respect to the contact bridge along an actuating direction, the actuating member having a stop and a spring base; and
a spring disposed between the spring base and the contact bridge body pressing the stop against the contact bridge, the stop and the spring base disposed on a side of the spring opposite the contact bridge body.

21. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 20 , wherein the stop is formed monolithically with the spring base.

22. The contact bridge arrangement of claim 21 , wherein the spring base and the stop are part of a flange-shaped section of the actuating member.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Kroeker Matthias
• Sandeck Peter
• Gabel Udo
• Haehnel Thomas

Classifications

• H01H1/20 Primary

  Bridging contacts {(for circuit breakers H01H73/045)} · CPC title

• H01H1/26

  with spring blade support · CPC title

• H01H50/546

  for contactors having bridging contacts · CPC title

• H01H1/2008

  Facilitate mounting or replacing contact bridge and pressure spring on carrier (H01H11/0012 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H50/56

  Contact spring sets · CPC title