Contact unit for an electromechanical switching device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016172140-A1
Application number	US-201514969646-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A contact unit for an electromechanical switching device includes a carrier element and a contact element connected to the carrier element. The contact element has a silver-containing layer that provides a contact area for making releasable contact with a further contact area of the switching device depending on a switching state of the switching device. The silver-containing layer includes diamond particles at least in the region of the contact area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A contact unit for an electromechanical switching device, the contact unit comprising:
a carrier element; and a contact element connected to the carrier element, wherein the contact element has a silver-containing layer that provides a contact area for making releasable contact with a further contact area of the switching device depending on a switching state of the switching device, and wherein the silver-containing layer comprises diamond particles at least in a region of the contact area.

2 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein a proportion of diamond particles in the silver-containing layer is at least 2% by weight at least in the region of the contact area.

3 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein the proportion of diamond particles in the silver-containing layer is at most 10% by weight at least in the region of the contact area.

4 . The contact unit of claim 1 , comprising a silver layer arranged between the carrier element and the silver-containing layer.

5 . The contact unit of claim 4 , wherein a layer thickness of the silver layer is greater than a layer thickness of the silver-containing layer.

6 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of the diamond particles is approximately 1 μm to 50 μm.

7 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein the carrier element comprises copper.

8 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein the silver-containing layer has a layer thickness in a range of from 100 μm to 500 μm.

9 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein the contact area has an area of at most 200 cm 2 .

10 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles are doped with a substance that increases the electrical conductivity of the diamond particles.

11 . An electromechanical switching device, comprising:
at least two connections arranged such that they are electrically insulated from one another, at least one contact unit connected to one of the connections, a further contact area connected to another of the connections, and a drive unit mechanically connected to the contact unit, wherein the at least one contact unit comprises: a carrier element, and a contact element connected to the carrier element, wherein the contact element has a silver-containing layer that provides a contact area for making releasable contact with the further contact area depending on a switching state of the electromechanical switching device, and wherein the silver-containing layer comprises diamond particles at least in a region of the contact area.

12 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , wherein a proportion of diamond particles in the silver-containing layer is at least 2% by weight at least in the region of the contact area.

13 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , wherein the proportion of diamond particles in the silver-containing layer is at most 10% by weight at least in the region of the contact area.

14 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , comprising a silver layer arranged between the carrier element and the silver-containing layer.

15 . The contact unit of claim 4 , wherein a layer thickness of the silver layer is greater than a layer thickness of the silver-containing layer.

16 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , wherein an average particle size of the diamond particles is approximately 1 μm to 50 μm.

17 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , wherein the carrier element comprises copper.

18 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , wherein the silver-containing layer has a layer thickness in a range of from 100 μm to 500 μm.

19 . The electromechanical switching device of claim 11 , wherein the contact area has an area of at most 200 cm 2 .

20 . The contact unit of claim 1 , wherein the contact area has an area of at most 50 cm 2 .

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Eismann Andreas
• Greiner Horst
• Ibisch Oliver

Classifications

• H01H2205/002

  fixed to operating part · CPC title

• H01H71/10

  Operating or release mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H2209/002

  Materials · CPC title

• H01H71/08 Primary

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01H1/027 Primary

  containing carbon particles or fibres · CPC title