Electrical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101086-B2
Application number	US-201816649970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

An electrical switch for interrupting a current path. The switch includes a contact point formed from a first and a second contact piece mounted such that it can move about a rotation axis. The contact point is closed when the two contact pieces are in contact and is electrically opened when the two contact pieces are not in contact. The electrical switch includes an actuator unit and an electrically non-conductive separating element which can be moved in a translatory manner by means of the actuator unit and is designed to isolate the two contact pieces and then to keep the two contact pieces apart. The actuator unit includes a movement element mechanically coupled to the separating element, a drive device designed to move the movement element in order to close the contact point, a device for generating and/or storing kinetic energy and an electromagnetic actuator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical switch for interrupting a current path, comprising:
a contact point;
a first contact piece; and
a second contact piece mounted so as to be movable about an axis of rotation;
wherein the contact point is electrically closed when the first and second contact pieces are in contact, and wherein the contact point is electrically open when the first and second contact pieces are not in contact, wherein the electrical switch further comprises:
an actuator units;
an electrically non-conductive separating element which is moved in translation by means of the actuator unit and which is arranged to separate the first and second contact pieces from one another, to keep them separate and to act as an insulator between contact surfaces, wherein the actuator unit comprises:
a moving element which is mechanically coupled to the separating element,
a drive device arranged to move the moving element in a first direction of movement to close the contact point,
a device for at least one of generating and storing a kinetic energy in the form of potential energy, which is arranged to move at least one of the moving element and the separating element in a second direction of movement opposite to the first direction of movement in order to open the contact point, and
an electromagnetic actuator which is arranged:
in a first operating state to at least one of block a movement of the moving element in the second direction of movement and lock the moving element in a defined position and thereby holding the moving element in a rest position in order to keep the contact point closed, and
in a second operating state to move the moving element in a direction of the drive device and to couple the moving element mechanically with the drive device so that the moving element is moved by means of the drive device in the first direction of movement in order to close the contact point, and
in a third operating state, to release the moving element so that the moving element and the separating element are moved by the device for at least one of generating and storing a kinetic energy in the form of potential energy which is movable in the second direction of movement in order to open the contact point and/or so that the contact point is opened.

2. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which the current path is a current path of a power supply in a motor vehicle.

3. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein an inclined section of the separating element extends obliquely to a direction of movement and a main direction of extension of the separating element, in the form of a tip, ramp or slope, so that when moving in the second direction of movement, the second contact piece is disconnected from the first contact piece via the tip, ramp or slope.

4. The electrical switch according to claim 3 , wherein the inclined section of the separating element is made of conductive resistive material.

5. The electrical switch according to claim 3 , in which, when the separating element moves in the second direction of movement, the extension of the separating element is immersed in an electrically insulating base plate after the two contact pieces have been disconnected.

6. The electrical switch according to claim 5 , wherein the base plate has a recess which substantially corresponds to the shape of the extension of the separating element and is shaped such that the extension of the separating element substantially fills the recess when the extension of the separating element is immersed in the base plate.

7. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein an electrical resistance of the separating element is selected to limit transients during inrush currents.

8. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element comprises ceramic material.

9. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the drive device is formed as an electric motor or an electric motor with a transmission.

10. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which the device for at least one of generating and storing a kinetic energy is designed as a spring.

11. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which the moving element is formed as a rack or as a spindle.

12. The electrical switch according to claim 11 , wherein the rack has a recess, bore or cavity shaped to be engaged by an element of the electromagnetic actuator when the electromagnetic actuator is in the first operating state.

13. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which at least one of the electromagnetic actuator is designed as a solenoid and the device for at least one of generating and storing a kinetic energy comprises a force storage drive or a tension spring.

14. The electrical switch according to claim 13 , wherein the solenoid is formed as a monostable solenoid.

15. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which the first contact piece has an insulating jacket in the region of the contact point.

16. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , comprising a control device for controlling the operating states of the electromagnetic actuator and the drive device, the control device having respective control terminals.

17. The electrical switch according to claim 1 , comprising a condition monitoring device by means of at least one of terminal current measurement and position detection of a movable element of the electromagnetic actuator.

18. The electrical switch according to claim 1 further comprising a precharge circuit.

19. The electrical switch according to claim 18 , wherein the precharge circuit comprises a resistor and a power semiconductor.

Assignees

• Draexlmaier Lisa Gmbh

Inventors

• Oehler Fabian
• Wortberg Michael

Classifications

• H01H33/06 Primary

  Insulating body insertable between contacts · CPC title

• H01H3/40

  using friction, toothed, or screw-and-nut gearing · CPC title

• H01H33/46 Primary

  Interlocking mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H9/32

  Insulating body insertable between contacts · CPC title

• H01H33/42

  Driving mechanisms · CPC title