Contactor apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12328852-B2
Application number	US-202217739647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2022
Priority date	May 9, 2022
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus can include a housing, a first contactor portion, a heat sink, and a second contactor portion. The first contactor portion can be coupled with the housing. The heat sink can be coupled with the housing. The second contactor portion can contact the first contactor portion in a first position. The second contact or portion can thermally couple with a heatsink in a second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a first contactor portion coupled with the housing;
a heat sink coupled with the housing; and
a second contactor portion that contacts the first contactor portion in a first position, and that thermally couples with the heat sink in a second position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the first contactor portion and the second contactor portion configured to allow an electrical current to flow through the first contactor portion and the second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the first position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink configured to remove heat from the second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the second position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink coupled with a bottom of the housing to thermally couple with the second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the second position, wherein the first contactor portion is coupled with a top of the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a spring and a winding positioned within the housing, the winding to create an electromagnetic field to cause the second contactor portion to move from the second position to the first position, the spring to cause the second contactor portion to move from the first position to the second position in an absence of the electromagnetic field.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a spring and a winding positioned within the housing, the winding to create an electromagnetic field to cause the second contactor portion to move from the first position to the second position, the spring to cause the second contactor portion to move from the second position to the first position in an absence of the electromagnetic field.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a winding positioned within the housing, the winding to create an electromagnetic field to cause the second contactor portion to move from the second position to the first position; and
the heat sink to thermally couple with the winding.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a second heat sink coupled with the housing, the second heat sink to thermally couple with the second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the second position, wherein the second heat sink comprises a different material than the heat sink.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a potting material thermally coupled with the heat sink, the potting material to remove heat from the heat sink.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink integrated into the housing to thermally couple with second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the second position.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink detachably coupled with the housing to thermally couple with the second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the second position.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink including a plurality of fins that extend away from the second contactor portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink includes a plurality of heat sink elements, wherein one or more of the plurality of heat sink elements contacts the second contactor portion in the second position.

14. A system, comprising:
a contactor, comprising:
a housing;
a first contactor portion coupled with the housing, the first contactor portion comprising a first contactor element and a second contactor element;
a heat sink coupled with the housing; and
a second contactor portion that contacts the first contactor portion in a first position, and that thermally couples with the heat sink in a second position;

a first busbar coupled with the first contactor element; and
a second busbar coupled with the second contactor element,
wherein the first busbar, the first contactor portion, the second contactor portion, and the second busbar are configured to receive an electrical current with the second contactor portion in the first position.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the contactor is a first contactor, the system comprising:
a second contactor different than the first contactor, comprising:
a housing;
a first contactor portion;
a heat sink; and
a second contactor portion that contacts the first contactor portion in a first position and that thermally couples with the heat sink in a second position,
wherein the first busbar, the first contactor portion, the second contactor portion, and a third busbar are configured to receive an electrical current with the second contactor portion in the first position.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the contactor is a first contactor, the system comprising:
a second contactor, comprising:
a housing;
a first contactor portion coupled with the housing;
a heat sink coupled with the housing; and
a second contactor portion positioned that contacts the first contactor portion in a first position and that thermally couples with the heat sink in a second position,

wherein the first busbar, the first contactor portion, the second contactor portion, and a third busbar are configured to receive an electrical current with the second contactor portion in the first position,
wherein the heat sink of the first contactor and the heat sink of the second contactor are thermally coupled.

17. The system of claim 14 , comprising:
the first contactor portion and the second contactor portion to receive an electrical current with the second contactor portion in the first position.

18. The system of claim 14 , comprising:
the heat sink to remove heat from the second contactor portion with the second contactor portion in the second position.

19. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a battery pack electrically coupled with at least one of a first busbar and a second busbar;
a contactor, comprising:
a housing;
a first contactor portion coupled with the housing, the first contactor portion comprising a first contactor element coupled with the first busbar and a second contactor element coupled with the second busbar;
a heat sink coupled with the housing; and
a second contactor portion that contacts the first contactor portion in a first position and that thermally couples with the heat sink in a second position.

20. The electric vehicle of claim 19 , comprising:
the heat sink to remove heat from the second contactor portion.

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Djrbashian Edward
• Thayer Brandon
• Wilson Jonathan

Classifications

• H02G5/02

  Open installations · CPC title

• H01M50/249 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01H9/52

  Cooling of switch parts (cooling of contacts H01H1/62) · CPC title

• H01H50/14

  Terminal arrangements {(for coils H01H50/443)} · CPC title