There is provided an electromagnetic contactor which can easily and inexpensively change the DC operation type to the AC operation type. The electromagnetic contactor includes an electromagnet that opens and closes a contact by using DC excitation of a coil, a lower case that accommodates the electromagnet, external coil terminals that are disposed in the lower case beside the electromagnet, and a substrate that is accommodated in the lower case, and that has a rectifier circuit whose input side is connected to the external coil terminals and whose output side is connected to the coil so as to output a DC after converting an input AC to the DC. An inner surface of the lower case has a groove between the electromagnet and the external coil terminals. The substrate is held by being inserted into the groove.

There is provided an electromagnetic contactor which can easily and inexpensively change the DC operation type to the AC operation type. The electromagnetic contactor includes an electromagnet that opens and closes a contact by using DC excitation of a coil, a lower case that accommodates the electromagnet, external coil terminals that are disposed in the lower case beside the electromagnet, and a substrate that is accommodated in the lower case, and that has a rectifier circuit whose input side is connected to the external coil terminals and whose output side is connected to the coil so as to output a DC after converting an input AC to the DC. An inner surface of the lower case has a groove between the electromagnet and the external coil terminals. The substrate is held by being inserted into the groove.

A hybrid contactor device that provides the ability to use the device with both AC and DC circuits is provided. The hybrid contactor includes a series-parallel arrangement of mechanical contacts with solid state devices, increasing the switching capacity of the mechanical contacts, and maintains galvanic isolation when open. The hybrid contactor includes two mechanical contacts, and is arranged so that one contact closes shortly before the other. The second contact forms a parallel circuit with an electronic switch.

A hybrid contactor device that provides the ability to use the device with both AC and DC circuits is provided. The hybrid contactor includes a series-parallel arrangement of mechanical contacts with solid state devices, increasing the switching capacity of the mechanical contacts, and maintains galvanic isolation when open. The hybrid contactor includes two mechanical contacts, and is arranged so that one contact closes shortly before the other. The second contact forms a parallel circuit with an electronic switch.

An electromagnetic relay includes an electromagnet device, an armature and a fixed terminal. By coil current through a coil, the electromagnet device generates first magnetic flux that forces the armature and the electromagnet device together or apart in a first end in a first direction of the armature. The armature is connected with a movable contact at a second end of the first direction and forces the movable contact and a fixed contact together or apart according to coil current. The fixed terminal is electrically connected with the fixed contact, and provided around the armature so as to cross the armature as seen from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the armature closing the fixed and movable contacts. Electric current through the fixed terminal generates a second magnetic flux in the armature, a direction of which is opposite to that of the first magnetic flux.

An electromagnetic relay includes an electromagnet device, an armature and a fixed terminal. By coil current through a coil, the electromagnet device generates first magnetic flux that forces the armature and the electromagnet device together or apart in a first end in a first direction of the armature. The armature is connected with a movable contact at a second end of the first direction and forces the movable contact and a fixed contact together or apart according to coil current. The fixed terminal is electrically connected with the fixed contact, and provided around the armature so as to cross the armature as seen from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the armature closing the fixed and movable contacts. Electric current through the fixed terminal generates a second magnetic flux in the armature, a direction of which is opposite to that of the first magnetic flux.

Methods and apparatus provide for: at least one electromechanical relay including a coil and at least one pair of contacts, the contacts transitioning between a de-energized state and an energized state in response to current through the coil; a microcontroller having at least one tri-state output operating to produce ON, OFF, and FLOAT states; and a driver circuit operating, in conjunction with the tri-state output of the microcontroller, to control the current through the coil of the relay such that: (i) a transition of the tri-state output from OFF to FLOAT maintains the contacts of the relay in their de-energized state through the transition, and (ii) a transition of the tri-state output from ON to FLOAT maintains the contacts of the relay in their energized state through the transition.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided in which power control relay switches may be configured to switch at or near a predetermined time during an AC cycle and/or that are configured to control a velocity of an armature of the relay switch during switching. An input power source may provide alternating current (AC) power and a voltage or current level of the AC power may be sensed. A relay controller may switch the relay switch based on a time at which the voltage or current is at or near a zero-crossing. The relay controller may be configured to close the relay switch based on when a voltage of the power input is at a zero-crossing, and is configured to open the relay switch based on when a current of the power input is at a zero-crossing.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided in which power control relay switches may be configured to switch at or near a predetermined time during an AC cycle and/or that are configured to control a velocity of an armature of the relay switch during switching. An input power source may provide alternating current (AC) power and a voltage or current level of the AC power may be sensed. A relay controller may switch the relay switch based on a time at which the voltage or current is at or near a zero-crossing. The relay controller may be configured to close the relay switch based on when a voltage of the power input is at a zero-crossing, and is configured to open the relay switch based on when a current of the power input is at a zero-crossing.

An electrical switching device including an electric power switching module including a block of three input terminals and three output terminals, each input or output terminal being connected to a stationary contact of an electrical switch also including a mobile contact, configured to switch between an open position and a closed position, the mobile contact configured to be moved by an electromagnetic drive mechanism, and a control module, including at least one control input terminal and at least one control output terminal. The control module includes the electromagnetic drive mechanism configured to be supplied by the control terminals to control a position of one of the mobile contacts. A supervision module includes an auxiliary input contact terminal and two auxiliary output contact terminals, the auxiliary input contact terminal being shared by the two auxiliary output contact terminals, the power module being removable separately from the control and supervision modules.