Relay with a controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9997318-B2
Application number	US-201715703504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a relay having a relay contact, having an electrical connection terminal at which an electrical variable can be tapped off, a control connection for receiving a control signal for opening the relay contact, and a controller. The controller is configured to respond to the reception of the control signal by sensing a change of amplitude of the electrical variable and to open the electrical relay contact with a time delay when a rising amplitude of the electrical variable is sensed, in order to reduce an electrical loading on the relay contact. The controller is further configured to respond to the reception of the control signal by opening in a first disconnection process, to sense the amplitude of the electrical variable, to close the relay contact when the rising amplitude is sensed and to open it again, with a time delay, in a second disconnection process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A relay having a relay contact, comprising:
an electrical connection terminal at which an electrical variable can be tapped off;
a control connection for receiving a control signal for opening the relay contact; and
a controller that is configured to respond to the reception of the control signal by sensing a change of amplitude of the electrical variable and to open the electrical relay contact with a time delay when a rising amplitude of the electrical variable is sensed, in order to reduce an electrical loading on the relay contact;
wherein the controller is configured to:
respond to the reception of the control signal by opening the relay contact in a first disconnection process,
sense the amplitude of the electrical variable,
close the relay contact when the rising amplitude is sensed, and
open the relay contact again, with a time delay, in a second disconnection process.

2. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to open the relay contact after expiry of a predetermined interval of time after the reception of the control signal when the rising amplitude of the electrical variable is sensed.

3. The relay according to claim 2 , wherein the interval of time is dependent on a period duration of the electrical variable, in particular is half a period duration or half a period duration minus a reactionary delay in the relay.

4. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to sense an amplitude zero crossing of the electrical variable and to reclose the relay contact when the amplitude zero crossing of the electrical variable is sensed, in order to take up a peak value of the electrical variable when the relay contact is closed.

5. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to sense an arc voltage when the relay contact is open, and to close and reopen the relay contact only when the arc voltage is present.

6. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to close and reopen the open relay contact in a bounce-like manner or briefly, particularly within half a period duration of the electrical variable or within an interval of time of 5 ms, 10 ms or 15 ms.

7. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to close the open relay contact when the control signal is received or present or contrary to the control signal for opening the relay contact.

8. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an instant for the time-delayed opening of the relay contact, and to open the relay contact at the determined instant with a time delay.

9. The relay according to claim 8 , according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is configured to determine the instant on the basis of a load behaviour, particularly on the basis of an inductive or capacitive load behaviour, of an electrical load connectable to a load connection of the relay.

10. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to sense a rising edge, particularly a rising sinusoidal or cosinusoidal edge, of the electrical variable, in order to sense the rising amplitude.

11. The relay according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to close the relay contact, or to keep it closed, on the rising edge of the electrical variable and to reopen it, or to open it with a time delay, on a falling edge of the electrical variable, in order to keep the controllable relay contact closed for a peak value of the electrical variable.

12. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect an arc voltage across the open relay contact in a switch-off process of the relay, and to close the controllable relay contact in the switch-off process of the relay when an arc voltage is detected.

13. The relay according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical variable is a current through the relay contact.

14. A method for controlling a relay having a controllable relay contact, comprising:
tapping off an electrical variable at an electrical connection terminal of the relay;
receiving a control signal for opening the relay contact at a control connection of the relay;
sensing a change of amplitude of the electrical variable when the relay contact is not yet open;
opening the relay contact in response to the reception of the control signal;
sensing the change of amplitude of the electrical variable when the relay contact is open;
closing the open relay contact when the rising amplitude of the electrical variable is sensed; and
opening the relay contact with a time delay when a falling amplitude of the electrical variable is sensed.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh Co Kg
• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Schaper Elmar

Classifications

• H01H47/18 Primary

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

• H01H47/22

  for supplying energising current for relay coil · CPC title

• H01H9/56

  for ensuring operation of the switch at a predetermined point in the AC cycle · CPC title

• H01H47/002

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title