Contact device for an electrical switch, and electrical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10727008-B2
Application number	US-201615754993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 25, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A contact device for an electrical switch, and an electrical switch are disclosed. In an embodiment the contact device includes a first connection element, a second connection element, a movable contact bridge, at least two magnets configured to quench arcs which arise during a switching of the electrical switch, wherein the magnets are configured to generate a magnetic field in a first region which comprises at least one first contact region and one second contact region, in which, when the electrical switch is in a closed switching position, the first connection element and the second connection element are in contact with the contact bridge and at least one deflection element configured to distort the magnetic field such that a first arc when formed between the first connection element and the contact bridge, and a second arc when formed between the second connection element and the contact bridge, are forced into different directions, pointing away from each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A contact device for an electrical switch, the device comprising:
a first connection element;
a second connection element;
a movable contact bridge;
at least two magnets configured to quench arcs which arise during a switching of the electrical switch, wherein the magnets are configured to generate a magnetic field in a first region which comprises at least one first contact region, in which, when the electrical switch is in a closed switching position, the first connection element is in contact with the contact bridge, and at least one second contact region, in which, when the electrical switch is in the closed switching position, the second connection element is in contact with the contact bridge; and
at least one deflection element configured to distort the magnetic field such that a first are when formed between the first connection element and the contact bridge, and a second are, when formed between the second connection element and the contact bridge, are forced into different directions, pointing away from each other, independently of a current direction in the connection elements,
wherein the at least one deflection element is situated partially around the first region in which the first connection element and the second connection element and the contact bridge are situated,
wherein at least one of the magnets is situated on a first side of the first region in which the first connection element, the second connection element and the contact bridge are situated,
wherein at least one of the magnets is situated on a second side of the first region, which is opposite the first side,
wherein the at least one deflection element comprises:
a first deflection element including a first bracket having a first bracket section and a second bracket section, wherein the first bracket section extends at least partially along a first end face of the first region and the second bracket section extends at least partially along the first side of the first region; and
a second deflection element including a second bracket having a first bracket section and a second bracket section, wherein the first bracket section extends at least partially along a second end face of the first region, wherein the second end face is opposite the first end face, and the second bracket section extends partially along the second side of the first region, and
wherein the first and second brackets are arranged diagonally to each other.

2. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first directional vector representing a direction into which the first are is forced, encloses an angle with a connection axis, which connects a center of the first contact region to a center of the second contact region, within a range of greater than 90° to less than 270°,
wherein a second directional vector representing a direction into which the second are is forced, encloses an angle with the connection axis within a range of less than 90° to greater than −90°,
wherein the first directional vector comprises a directional component along the connection axis, which points away from the second contact region, and
wherein the second directional vector comprises a directional component along the connection axis, which points away from the first contact region.

3. The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the second bracket section of the first bracket or the second bracket section of the second bracket is designed and situated such that it at least partially overlaps the at least one magnet of the first side or the at least one magnet of the second side.

4. The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one deflection element comprises magnetically conductive material.

5. The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet of the first side and the at least one magnet of the second side are situated such that homopolar sides of the magnets face each other.

6. The contact device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first magnet is situated on the first side of the first region in which the first connection element and the second connection element and the contact bridge are situated,
wherein a second magnet is situated on the second side of the first region,
wherein the first magnet and the second magnet each covers a second region which extends from the first contact region of the first connection element to the second contact region of the second connection element.

7. The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the two magnets are situated and designed such that they overlap at least the first contact region and the second contact region.

8. An electrical switch comprising:
the contact device according to claim 1 ; and
a drive unit configured to move the contact bridge of the contact device back and forth between a first position, in which the contact bridge conductively connects the first connection element and the second connection element, and a second position, in which the first connection element and the second connection element are insulated.

9. The electrical switch according to claim 8 , wherein the first deflection element comprises an L-shaped form.

10. The electrical switch according to claim 9 , wherein the second deflection element comprises an L-shaped form.

11. The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the first deflection element comprises an L-shaped form.

12. The contact device according to claim 11 , wherein the second deflection element comprises an L-shaped form.

Assignees

• Epcos Ag

Inventors

• Hoffmann Robert
• Westebbe Thomas

Classifications

• H01H33/182 Primary

  using permanent magnets (H01H33/187 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H9/443

  using permanent magnets · CPC title

• H01H1/20 Primary

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

• H01H50/546

  for contactors having bridging contacts · CPC title