Power relay for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10366852-B2
Application number	US-201615357156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A power relay for a vehicle is disclosed. The power relay has a housing formed by a connector base and a housing can set thereon, two connection bolts being inserted into the connector base for contacting a load circuit. The power relay further has a coil subassembly arranged in the housing and containing a solenoid coil and an armature. The armature is coupled by a force-transmission member to a contact bridge and can shift in the housing, under the effect of a magnetic field generated by the solenoid coil, in such a way that the contact bridge can be reversibly moved between a closing position, in which the contact bridge bridges the connection bolts in an electro conducting manner, and an opening position, in which the contact bridge is not in contact with the connection bolts. The housing can is configured as an injection-molded component made of plastic.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power relay for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing having a connector base and a housing can mounted on said connector base, said housing can being an injection molded component made of plastic;
two terminal studs for contacting a load circuit and inserted into said connector base;
a coil subassembly disposed in said housing and containing a solenoid coil, an armature, a force-transmission member and a contact bridge, said armature is coupled by said force-transmission member to said contact bridge and can be moved in said housing, under an action of a magnetic field generated by said solenoid coil, such that said contact bridge can be moved reversibly between a closed position, in which said contact bridge bridges said terminal studs in an electrically conducting manner, and an open position, in which said contact bridge is not in contact with said terminal studs; and
said coil subassembly further having a magnet yoke, which has a torsionally stable structure, which is accommodated nonrotatably in said housing can over an entire axial height of said housing can.

2. The power relay according to claim 1 , wherein said magnet yoke has, as said torsionally stable structure, an integral hoop angled in a U shape with legs which fit around said solenoid coil, parallel to a coil axis of said solenoid coil.

3. The power relay according to claim 1 , wherein said connector base is coupled to said magnet yoke in a manner secure against rotation.

4. A power relay for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing having a connector base and a housing can mounted on said connector base, said housing can being an infection molded component made of plastic;
two terminal studs for contacting a load circuit and inserted into said connector base;
a coil subassembly disposed in said housing and containing a solenoid coil, an armature, a force-transmission member and a contact bridge, said armature is coupled by said force-transmission member to said contact bridge and can be moved in said housing, under an action of a magnetic field generated by said solenoid coil, such that said contact bridge can be moved reversibly between a closed position, in which said contact bridge bridges said terminal studs in an electrically conducting manner, and an open position, in which said contact bridge is not in contact with said terminal studs;
a potting compound, said connector base is connected fluid tightly to said housing can by means of said potting compound; and
said housing can has, on an opening side, an encircling shoulder, on which said connector base rests by means of an encircling radial web, said housing can surrounding said encircling radial web on an outside by means of a collar and projects axially beyond said radial web, with a result that a trough-type receptacle for said potting compound is formed by said collar of said housing can and said connector base.

5. The power relay according to claim 4 , wherein:
said collar has at least one radial contour formed therein in a form of a radial recess or of a radial projection in a region of said trough-type receptacle;
said connector base has at least one mating contour in said region of said trough-type receptacle; and
said housing can and said connector base are locked relative to one another in a circumferential direction by a formation of a form-locking joint by said potting compound with said radial contour and said mating contour.

6. The power relay according to claim 5 , wherein said radial contour and said mating contour each have at least one undercut formed therein, with a result that said housing can and said connector base are locked relative to one another in a radial direction by a formation of a form-locking joint by said potting compound with said radial contour and said mating contour.

7. A power relay for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing having a connector base and a housing can mounted on said connector base, said housing can being an infection molded component made of plastic;
two terminal studs for contacting a load circuit and inserted into said connector base;
a coil subassembly disposed in said housing and containing a solenoid coil, an armature, a force-transmission member and a contact bridge, said armature is coupled by said force-transmission member to said contact bridge and can be moved in said housing, under an action of a magnetic field generated by said solenoid coil, such that said contact bridge can be moved reversibly between a closed position, in which said contact bridge bridges said terminal studs in an electrically conducting manner, and an open position, in which said contact bridge is not in contact with said terminal studs; and
said housing having an excess pressure safeguard, which opens a gas expulsion opening in a case of a critical excess pressure in said housing.

8. The power relay according to claim 7 , wherein said excess pressure safeguard is formed by a separately produced valve, which is inserted into said housing can or said connector base.

9. The power relay according to claim 7 , wherein said excess pressure safeguard is formed by a predetermined breaking point molded into said housing.

10. The power relay according to claim 9 , wherein said predetermined breaking point surrounds a tab-type section of said housing from three sides, and wherein a fourth side of said tab-type section is formed as a film hinge along a connecting line extending between ends of the predetermined breaking point.

11. The power relay according to claim 9 , further comprising an electric safety line being coupled mechanically to said predetermined breaking point such that said electric safety line is severed or switched through electrically if said predetermined breaking point fails, wherein said electric safety line is in operative connection with said solenoid coil such that a severing or switching through of said electric safety line which takes place if said predetermined breaking point fails brings about permanent forced electric switching off of the power relay.

12. The power relay according to claim 1 , wherein said coil subassembly has, as said force transmission member between said armature and said contact bridge, a coupling rod extending along a coil axis of said solenoid coil.

13. A power relay for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing having a connector base and a housing can mounted on said connector base, said housing can being an injection molded component made of plastic;
two terminal studs for contacting a load circuit and inserted into said connector base;
a coil subassembly disposed in said housing and containing a solenoid coil, an armature, a force-transmission member and a contact bridge, said armature is coupled by said force-transmission member to said contact bridge and can be moved in said housing, under an action of a magnetic field generated by said solenoid coil, such that said contact bridge can be moved reversibly between a closed position, in which said contact bridge bridges said terminal studs in an electrically conducting manner, and an open position, in which said contact bridge is not in contact with said terminal studs; and
said coil subassembly is configured as an inherently stable and coherent modular unit, and said coil subassembly having a support body, which is an integral injection molding made of plastic and onto which said solenoid coil is directly wound.

14. The power relay according to claim 13 , further comprising a holder for a thermal cutoff for protecting the power relay from overheating is molded onto said support body.

15. The power relay according to claim 13 , further comprising at

Assignees

• Ellenberger & Poensgen

Inventors

• Birner Markus
• Engewald Manuel
• Pimenta Ricardo
• Kraus Helmut
• Weiss Wolfgang
• Schwarz Matthias
• Rothmayr Sebastian
• Singer Thomas

Classifications

• H01H47/001

  Functional circuits, e.g. logic, sequencing, interlocking circuits · CPC title

• H01H50/36

  Stationary parts of magnetic circuit, e.g. yoke · CPC title

• H01H50/30

  Mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock, e.g. by balancing of armature · CPC title

• H01H47/002

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title

• H01H50/546

  for contactors having bridging contacts · CPC title