Contact point device and electromagnetic relay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031203-B2
Application number	US-201716468407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2017
Priority date	Jan 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A contact point device includes a first contactor, an oscillation supporting portion, and a second contactor. The first contactor has an outer side surface shaped in a column that surrounds a central axis. The oscillation supporting portion supports the first contactor to allow the central axis to oscillate. The second contactor is disposed opposite to the first contactor. One of the first contactor and the second contactor includes a plurality of first contact portions provided to surround the central axis on a plane perpendicular to the central axis, and the other includes a second contact portion provided to protrude toward a space surrounded by the plurality of the first contact portions. The second contact portion has a contact surface which is a curved surface exposed toward the space to surround the central axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact point device configured to switch an electric current to flow or not by relative movement between a movable portion and a fixed portion, the contact point device comprising:
a first contactor provided on one of the movable portion and the fixed portion as a conductive contact member having an outer side surface shaped in a column that surrounds a central axis along a relative movement direction of the movable portion and the fixed portion;
an oscillation supporting portion that supports the first contactor at the one of the movable portion and the fixed portion to allow the central axis to oscillate; and
a second contactor provided on the other of the movable portion and the fixed portion as a conductive contact member disposed opposite to the first contactor in the relative movement direction so as to be electrically connected to the first contactor by abutting against the first contactor, wherein
one of the first contactor and the second contactor includes a plurality of first contact portions provided to surround the central axis on a plane perpendicular to the central axis,
the other of the first contactor and the second contactor includes a second contact portion provided to protrude in the relative movement direction toward a space surrounded by the plurality of the first contact portions, and
the second contact portion has a contact surface which is a curved surface exposed toward the space to surround the central axis.

2. The contact point device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first contact portions comprises: three of first contact portions equally spaced from each other on a circumference surrounding the central axis.

3. The contact point device according to claim 1 , wherein the oscillation supporting portion includes an elastic member in close contact with the outer side surface of the first contactor.

4. The contact point device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first contactor is attached to the fixed portion through the oscillation supporting portion, and
the second contactor is provided on the movable portion.

5. The contact point device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of first contact portions are provided on the second contactor, and
the second contact portion is provided at a tip end portion of the first contactor.

6. The contact point device according to claim 5 , wherein
the second contactor has a plate shape, and
the first contact portion has a protruding shape protruding from the second contactor toward the first contactor.

7. The contact point device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of first contact portions are provided at a tip end portion of the first contactor, and
the second contact portion is provided on the second contactor.

8. An electromagnetic relay configured to switch an electric current to flow or not by a movement of a movable portion relative to a fixed portion in a coil axis direction based on an energization state of a coil, the electromagnetic relay comprising:
a first contactor provided on one of the movable portion and the fixed portion as a conductive contact member having an outer side surface shaped in a column that surrounds a central axis along the coil axis direction;
an oscillation supporting portion that supports the first contactor at the one of the movable portion and the fixed portion to allow the central axis to oscillate; and
a second contactor provided on the other of the movable portion and the fixed portion as a conductive contact member disposed opposite to the first contactor in the coil axis direction so as to be electrically connected to the first contactor by abutting against the first contactor, wherein
one of the first contactor and the second contactor includes a plurality of first contact portions provided to surround the central axis on a plane perpendicular to the central axis,
the other of the first contactor and the second contactor includes a second contact portion provided to protrude in the coil axis direction toward a space surrounded by the plurality of the first contact portions, and
the second contact portion has a contact surface which is a curved surface exposed toward the space to surround the central axis.

9. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first contact portions comprises: three of first contact portions equally spaced from each other on a circumference surrounding the central axis.

10. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , wherein the oscillation supporting portion includes an elastic member in close contact with the outer side surface of the first contactor.

11. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , wherein
the first contactor is attached to the fixed portion through the oscillation supporting portion, and
the second contactor is provided on the movable portion.

12. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of first contact portions are provided on the second contactor, and
the second contact portion is provided at a tip end portion of the first contactor.

13. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12 , wherein
the second contactor has a plate shape, and
the first contact portion has a protruding shape protruding from the second contactor toward the first contactor.

14. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of first contact portions are provided at a tip end portion of the first contactor, and
the second contact portion is provided on the second contactor.

15. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8 , wherein
the first contactor is one of a pair of first contactors arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the coil axis direction to be electrically insulated from each other in a state of being separated from the second contactor, and
the second contactor is located over the pair of first contactors in the width direction to electrically connect the pair of first contactors with each other by making contact with the pair of first contactors.

Assignees

• Denso Electronics Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sugisawa Masanao
• Motono Makoto

Classifications

• H01H1/06

  characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved · CPC title

• H01H50/546 Primary

  for contactors having bridging contacts · CPC title

• H01H1/32

  Self-aligning contacts · CPC title

• H01H50/54 Primary

  Contact arrangements · CPC title