Relay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11342147-B2
Application number	US-201917274629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an electromagnetic relay that comprises a yoke and an armature. The armature may be swivellably arranged on the yoke, have an open position and a contact position in relation to the yoke, and configured to be attracted by a magnetic field out of the open position into the contact position. The armature may include a first branch circuit having a first capacitor and a first exciter coil connected in series with the first capacitor, a second branch circuit having a second capacitor and a second exciter coil connected in series with the second capacitor, and a switch element arranged between the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit and having a first switch state and a second switch state. The first exciter coil and the second exciter coil may provide the magnetic field for attracting and retaining the armature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic relay, comprising:
a yoke; and
an armature that is swivellably arranged on the yoke, has an open position and a contact position in relation to the yoke, and is designed to be attracted by a magnetic field out of the open position into the contact position and retained in the contact position, the armature comprising:
a first branch circuit having a first capacitor and a first exciter coil connected in series with the first capacitor,
a second branch circuit having a second capacitor and a second exciter coil connected in series with the second capacitor, wherein the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil are configured to provide the magnetic field for attracting and retaining the armature; and
a switch element arranged between the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit and having a first switch state and a second switch state, wherein the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit are arranged in a parallel connection in the first switch state of the switch element, and wherein the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil are arranged in a series connection in the second switch state of the switch element, and wherein the switch element is configured to switch from the first switch state to the second switch state when the armature is attracted into the contact position by the magnetic field of the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil.

2. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor are configured to provide the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil with a charging current in the first switch state of the switch element that causes the magnetic field of the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil to attract and hold the armature.

3. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor have a resistance that exceeds a threshold in the second switch state.

4. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the switch element comprises a reed switch.

5. The electromagnetic relay of claim 4 , wherein the magnetic field of the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil is configured to flow through the reed switch.

6. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the switch element comprises a reed relay.

7. The electromagnetic relay of claim 6 , wherein the reed relay is downstream of an RC element with a time constant.

8. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the switch element comprises a diode.

9. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the switch element comprises a transistor.

10. The electromagnetic relay of claim 9 , wherein a RC element and a voltage divider are connected upstream of the transistor, wherein a time constant is based at least in part on the RC element and the voltage divider.

11. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , wherein the switch element comprises a transistor and a Hall sensor.

12. The electromagnetic relay of claim 11 , wherein the Hall sensor is electrically connected to the transistor and the magnetic field of the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil flows through the Hall sensor.

13. The electromagnetic relay of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first connection contact;
a second connection contact;
a third connection contact;
a fourth connection contact, the first connection contact, the second connection contact, the third connection contact, and the fourth connection contact configured to apply a supply voltage to the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil, wherein the first connection contact is electrically connected to a winding start of the first exciter coil, wherein the second connection contact is connected to a winding end of the first exciter coil, wherein the third connection contact is electrically connected to the winding start of the second exciter coil, and wherein the fourth connection contact is connected to the winding end of the second exciter coil.

14. The electromagnetic relay of claim 13 , further comprising:
a circuit board arranged adjacent to the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil and electrically connected to the first connection contact, the second connection contact, the third connection contact, and the fourth connection contact.

15. The electromagnetic relay of claim 14 , wherein the switch element is formed on the circuit board is electrically connected to the second connection contact and the third connection contact, and is arranged adjacent to the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil.

16. A method for operating a relay, comprising:
connecting a first branch circuit of the relay and a second branch circuit of the relay in parallel;
applying, based at least in part on first branch circuit and the second branch circuit being connected in parallel, a supply voltage to the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit, wherein:
a first capacitor of the first branch circuit and a second capacitor of the second branch circuit are charged based at least in part on the applying,
a first current of the first capacitor flows through a first exciter coil of the first branch circuit and a second current of the second capacitor flows through a second exciter coil of the second branch circuit based at least in part on the first capacitor and the second capacitor being charged, and
a magnetic field attracts an armature of the relay into a contact position based at least in part on the first current flowing through the first exciter coil and the second current flowing through exciter coil; and

connecting, based at least in part on the armature being in the contact position, the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil in series, wherein a third current flows through the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil, the third current being reduced relative to the first current and the second current, and wherein the armature is retained in the contact position based at least in part on the third current.

17. The method for claim 16 , wherein a resistance of the first capacitor and a resistance the second capacitor exceed a threshold based at least in part on the armature being in the contact position.

18. The method for claim 16 , wherein the first capacitor and the second are fully charged based at least in part on the armature being in the contact position.

19. The method for claim 16 , wherein applying the supply voltage to the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit comprises:
applying the supply voltage to the first exciter coil and the second exciter coil.

20. The method for claim 16 , wherein the first current of the first capacitor comprises a first charging current for the first capacitor and the second current of the second capacitor comprises a second charging current for the second capacitor.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Benk Stefan
• Adam Christian
• Hoffmann Ralf

Classifications

• H01H47/04 Primary

  for holding armature in attracted position, e.g. when initial energising circuit is interrupted; for maintaining armature in attracted position, e.g. with reduced energising current {(with switching regulator H01H47/325)} · CPC title

• H01H47/002

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title

• H01H47/32

  Energising current supplied by semiconductor device · CPC title

• H01H47/36 Primary

  Relay coil or coils forming part of a bridge circuit · CPC title