Relay device and control method of relay device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11342148-B2
Application number	US-202017310379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2020
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A relay device includes a coil portion, a fixed contact, a spring, a moving contact and a drive circuit. The drive circuit controls the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be a first electromagnetic force when switching the fixed contact and the moving contact in a contact state to a non-contact state. The drive circuit controls the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be a second electromagnetic force that is larger than the first electromagnetic force after a lapse of a first time from start of control of the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be the first electromagnetic force. The drive circuit controls the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be reduced with time after a lapse of a second time from start of control of the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be the second electromagnetic force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A relay device, comprising:
a fixed contact;
a moving contact;
a spring configured to apply an elastic force in a separating direction in which the moving contact separates from the fixed contact;
a stopper configured to regulate movement of the moving contact in the separating direction;
a coil portion configured to generate an electromagnetic force that moves the moving contact in an approaching direction in which the moving contact approaches the fixed contact through energization; and
a drive circuit configured to control the electromagnetic force by controlling coil current flowing through the coil portion, wherein,
the moving contact comes in contact with the fixed contact at a contact position, and movement is restricted by the stopper at a fully open position;
the drive circuit controls:
the electromagnetic force to the moving contact to be reduced to a first electromagnetic force when switching the fixed contact and the moving contact in a contact state to a non-contact state;
the electromagnetic force to be a second electromagnetic force that is larger than the first electromagnetic force after a lapse of a first time from start of control of the electromagnetic force to be the first electromagnetic force;
the electromagnetic force to be reduced in stages after a lapse of a second time from start of control of the electromagnetic force to be the second electromagnetic force; and
the electromagnetic force to be a predetermined electromagnetic force that is smaller than the second electromagnetic force at a final stage when the electromagnetic force is controlled to be reduced in stages, wherein

the predetermined electromagnetic force is equal to or smaller than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of a lower limit value in a tolerance range of a spring constant of the spring, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position.

2. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic force is smaller than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range, when the moving contact is present at the contact position.

3. The relay device according to claim 2 , wherein the first electromagnetic force is smaller than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position.

4. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the first time is time that is shorter than time required for the moving contact, which is separated from the fixed contact by controlling the electromagnetic force to be the first electromagnetic force and is applied an elastic force of the spring having a spring constant of an upper limit value in the tolerance range, to reach the fully open position.

5. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position, the second electromagnetic force is larger than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of the upper limit value in the tolerance range, and when the moving contact is present at the contact position, the second electromagnetic force is smaller than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range.

6. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein, the second time is shorter than time required for the moving contact to which an elastic force of the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range is applied separates from the fixed contact and then reaches the fixed contact again by controlling the electromagnetic force to be the second electromagnetic force.

7. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein, when controlling the electromagnetic force to be reduced in stages, the drive circuit controls, after a lapse of the second time, the electromagnetic force to be a third electromagnetic force which is smaller than the second electromagnetic force, continuously for a third time.

8. The relay device according to claim 7 , wherein the third electromagnetic force is larger than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of a predetermined value in the tolerance range, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position, and is equal to or smaller than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of an upper limit value in the tolerance range, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position.

9. The relay device according to claim 7 , wherein the third time is equal to or more than time required for the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range to be balanced with the electromagnetic force.

10. The relay device according to claim 7 , wherein the drive circuit controls, after a lapse of the third time, the electromagnetic force to be a fourth electromagnetic force that is smaller than the third electromagnetic force, continuously for a fourth time.

11. The relay device according to claim 10 , wherein the fourth electromagnetic force is larger than the elastic force applied by a spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position, and is equal to or smaller than the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of a predetermined value in the tolerance range, when the moving contact is present at the fully open position.

12. The relay device according to claim 10 , wherein the fourth time is equal to or greater than time required for the elastic force applied by the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range to be balanced with the electromagnetic force.

13. The relay device according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined value is a median value in the tolerance range.

14. The relay device according to claim 10 , wherein, the drive circuit controls, when controlling the electromagnetic force to be reduced in stages, the electromagnetic force to be the predetermined electromagnetic force continuously for a fifth time, after a lapse of the fourth time.

15. The relay device according to claim 14 , wherein the fifth time is equal to or greater than time required for the moving contact to which an elastic force of the spring having a spring constant of the lower limit value in the tolerance range is applied to reach the fully open position.

16. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive circuit generates the coil current on the basis of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control.

17. A control method of a relay device, the relay device comprising:
a fixed contact;
a moving contact;
a spring configured to apply an elastic force in a separating direction in which the moving contact separates from the fixed contact;
a stopper configured to regulate movement of the moving contact in the separating direction;
a coil portion configured to generate an electromagnetic force that moves the moving contact in an approaching direction in which the moving contact approaches the fixed contact through energization; and
a drive circuit configured to control the electromagnetic force by controlling coil current flowing through the coil portion, wherein,

the moving contact comes in contact with the fixed contact at a contact position, and movement is restricted by the stopper at a fully open position,
the control method of the relay d

Assignees

• Marelli Corp

Inventors

• HORIKOSHI Kouichirou
• Tanaka Junya

Classifications

• H01H47/325 Primary

  by switching regulator · CPC title

• H01H47/04

  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

• H01H50/305

  damping vibration due to functional movement of armature (in air-gap H01H50/163) · CPC title

• H01H47/14

  for differential operation of the relay · CPC title

• H01H47/18

  for introducing delay in the operation of the relay (short-circuited conducting sleeves, bands or discs H01H50/46) · CPC title