Electrical Switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020227220-A1
Application number	US-201816649970-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Jul 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical switch for interrupting a current path, in particular of a voltage supply in a motor vehicle is disclosed. The switch includes a contact point which is formed from a first contact piece and a second contact piece which is mounted such that it can move about a rotation axis. Here, the contact point is electrically closed when the two contact pieces are in contact and is electrically opened when the two contact pieces are not in contact. Furthermore, 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 from one another and then to keep the two contact pieces apart in order to open and to keep open the contact point and to act as an insulator between the contact faces. The actuator unit includes a movement element which is mechanically coupled to the separating element, a drive device which is designed to move the movement element in a first movement direction in order to close the contact point, a device for generating and/or storing kinetic energy, which device is designed to move the movement element and/or the separating element in a second movement direction, which is opposite to the first movement direction, in order to open the contact point, and an electromagnetic actuator.

First claim

1 . Electrical switch for interrupting a currant path, with at least:
a. a contact point with b. a first contact piece and c. a second contact piece mounted so as to be movable about an axis of rotation d. wherein the contact point is electrically closed when the two contact pieces are in contact, and wherein the contact point is electrically open when the two contact pieces re not in contact, wherein the electrical switch further comprises e. an actuator unit f. an electrically non-conductive separating element which can be moved in translation by means of the actuator unit and which is arranged to separate the two contact pieces from one another, to keep them separate and to act as an insulator between the contact surfaces, wherein the actuator unit comprises at least g. a moving element which is mechanically coupled to the separating element, h. a drive device arranged to move the moving element in a first direction of movement to close the contact point characterized by i. 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 movement in order to open the contact point, and j. 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 thus to hold 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 the direction of the drive device and to couple it mechanically with the latter so that the moving element can be 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 . An electric switch according to the preceding claim, in which the current path is a current path of a power supply in a motor vehicle.

3 . An electric switch according to claim 1 , wherein an inclined section of the separating element extends obliquely to the direction of movement and the 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.

4 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined section of the separating element is made of conductive resistive material.

5 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical resistance of the separating element is selected to limit transients at high inrush currents.

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

7 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the base plate has a recess which substantially corresponds to the shape of the tip of the separating element and is shaped such that the tip of the separating element substantially completely fills the recess when the tip of the separating element is immersed in the base plate.

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

9 . An electric switch according to claim 1 , wherein the driving means is formed as an electric motor or an electric motor with a transmission.

10 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which the device for generating and/or storing a kinetic energy is designed as a spring.

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

12 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , 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 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , in which at least one of the electromagnetic actuator is designed as a solenoid and the switch comprises a force storage drive or a tension spring.

14 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the solenoid is formed as a monostable solenoid.

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

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

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

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

19 . An electrical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the precharging 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

• H01H33/42

  Driving mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H9/32

  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