Low-voltage switching device including an electromagnetic contact load support

Abstract

The invention relates to a low-voltage switching device comprising an electromagnetic drive having a coil (1), a fixedly positioned yoke (2), and an armature (3), which is movable relative to the yoke (2), and also comprising a contact system consisting of a fixedly positioned switch piece carrier (4) having a movable switch piece carrier (5) arranged opposite thereto, wherein the movable switch piece carrier (5) is acted upon by a contact load spring (7). The invention is characterized in that a first means for electromagnetic contact load support is positioned on the fixedly positioned switch piece carrier (4).

Claims

1. A low-voltage switching device comprising: an electromagnetic drive comprising a coil, a fixedly positioned yoke and an armature that is movable in relation to the fixedly positioned yoke; and a contact system comprising a fixedly positioned switching piece carrier and a movable switching piece carrier arranged opposite the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier, wherein the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier and the movable switching piece carrier each include contacts arranged opposite each other, wherein the movable switching piece carrier is acted upon by a contact load spring, wherein a first electromagnetic contact load support comprising a ferromagnetic plate shaped in a U-shaped manner with two first opposing pole faces is positioned on the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier; wherein a second electromagnetic contact load support comprising a ferromagnetic spring cup formed in a U-shaped manner with two opposing second legs is positioned between the contact load spring and the movable switching piece carrier; wherein the two opposing second legs of the second electromagnetic contact load support and the two first opposing pole faces of the first electromagnetic contact load support are configured as directed toward one another, with an air gap between the two opposing second legs of the second electromagnetic contact load support and the two first opposing pole faces of the first electromagnetic contact load support when the contacts are open and closed.

2. The low-voltage switching device of claim 1, wherein the two first opposing pole faces of the ferromagnetic plate shaped in a U-shaped manner are formed as wings.

3. The low-voltage switching device of claim 1, wherein the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier is formed in a U-shaped manner, with a first leg and a second leg and a connecting region between the first leg and the second leg, wherein a first middle region of the ferromagnetic plate shaped in a U-shaped manner rests on the first leg and the two opposing first pole faces are configured in the direction of the second leg, so that the current flowing in the switching piece carrier induces a magnetic flux in the ferromagnetic plate shaped in a U-shaped manner.

4. The low-voltage switching device of claim 1, further comprising: a cylindrical projection configured to receive turns of the contact load spring, the cylindrical projection formed in the middle region of the ferromagnetic spring cup formed in a U-shaped manner.

5. The low-voltage switching device of claim 1, wherein two opposing second pole faces are formed in a direction counter to the two opposing second legs of the ferromagnetic spring cup.

6. The low-voltage switching device of claim 5, wherein the two opposing second pole faces of the spring cup and the two first opposing pole faces of the ferromagnetic plate formed in a U-shaped manner are configured as directed toward one another, with the air gap between the two opposing second pole faces of the ferromagnetic spring cup and the two opposing first pole faces of the ferromagnetic plate.

7. The low-voltage switching device of claim 1, wherein the low-voltage switching device is a contactor or a circuit breaker or a compact motor branch circuit.

8. The low-voltage switching device of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic contact load support, the second electromagnetic contact load support, and the air gap are dimensioned in such a way that an increase in electromagnetic force on account of the air gap becoming smaller is approximately equal to an increase in repelling forces between the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier and the movable switching piece carrier on account of a decreasing distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 depicts in a perspective representation components of a low-voltage switching device including an electromagnetic drive and a contact system and also including the electromagnetic contact load support according to an embodiment.

(2) FIG. 2 depicts in a perspective representation an arrangement made up of a fixedly positioned switching piece carrier, a movable switching piece carrier and a contact load spring, including the electromagnetic contact load support according to an embodiment.

(3) FIG. 3 depicts in a side view the representation as depicted in FIG. 2 according to an embodiment.

(4) FIG. 4 depicts in a side view an arrangement made up of a fixedly positioned switching piece carrier and a plate for electromagnetic contact load support according to an embodiment.

(5) FIG. 5 depicts in a side view an arrangement made up of a movable switching piece carrier and the spring cup according to an embodiment.

(6) FIG. 6 depicts in a perspective representation an arrangement made up of a movable switching piece carrier and the spring cup for electromagnetic contact load support according to an embodiment.

(7) FIG. 7 depicts in a perspective representation the plate for electromagnetic contact load support according to an embodiment.

(8) FIG. 8 depicts in a perspective representation a spring cup for electromagnetic contact load support according to an embodiment.

(9) FIG. 9 depicts in a side view an arrangement made up of a fixedly positioned switching piece carrier, a movable switching piece carrier, a contact load spring and the electromagnetic contact load support in the form of a plate and a spring cup with worn contacts, as are encountered at the end of the lifetime according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In FIG. 1, a low-voltage switching device including an electromagnetic drive and a contact system is represented. The low-voltage switching device includes an electromagnetic drive with a coil 1, a fixedly positioned yoke 2 and an armature 3 that is movable in relation to the yoke 2 and also a contact system made up of two fixedly positioned switching piece carriers 4 and a movable switching piece carrier 5 arranged opposite thereto. Both the fixedly positioned switching piece carriers 4 and the movable switching piece carrier 5 respectively have contacts 6. The contacts 6 of the fixedly positioned switching piece carriers 4 are arranged opposite the contacts 6 of the movable switching piece carrier 5. Arranged underneath the movable switching piece carrier 5 is a contact load spring 7. The fixedly positioned switching piece carriers 4 are fixed in place in a housing, the movable switching piece carrier 5 and the contact load spring 7 are arranged in a contact carrier 8.

(11) The fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4 may be formed in a U-shaped manner, with a first leg 9, that may be made longer than the second leg 10. The legs 9, 10 are connected to one another by way of a connecting region 11. A first electromagnetic contact load support is positioned on the first leg 9, for example, in the region of the connecting region 11. This first electromagnetic contact load support is a ferromagnetic plate 12 shaped in a U-shaped manner, with two opposing pole faces 13 and a middle region 14 connecting the two pole faces 13. The middle region 14 of the ferromagnetic plate 12 shaped in a U-shaped manner rests on the first leg 9 of the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4 in the vicinity of the connecting region 11. The pole faces 13 may be formed like wings and are directed in the direction of the movable switching piece carrier 5.

(12) A second electromagnetic contact load support is positioned between the contact load spring 7 and the movable switching piece 5. The second electromagnetic contact load support is a ferromagnetic spring cup 15 formed in a U-shaped manner, with two opposing legs 16 and a middle region connecting the two legs 16. A cylindrical projection for receiving turns of the contact load spring 7 is formed in the middle region of the ferromagnetic spring cup 15 formed in a U-shaped manner. Opposing pole faces 19 are formed in the direction counter to the opposing legs 16 of the spring cup 15.

(13) The pole faces 19 of the spring cup 15 and the wing-like pole faces 13 of the ferromagnetic plate 12 formed in a U-shaped manner are directed toward one another, with an air gap between the pole faces 13, 19.

(14) FIG. 2 depicts an arrangement including two fixedly positioned switching piece carriers 4, a movable switching piece carrier 5, the contact load spring 7 and the two electromagnetic contact load supports in the form of the plate 12 and the spring cup 15. The middle region 14 of the ferromagnetic plate 12 shaped in a U-shaped manner rests on the first leg 9 of the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4 in the vicinity of the connecting region 11. The pole faces 13 may be formed like wings and are directed in the direction of the movable switching piece 5. The second electromagnetic contact load support, the spring cup 15, is arranged between the movable switching piece carrier 5 and the contact load spring 7. Opposing pole faces 19 are formed in the direction counter to the opposing legs 16 of the spring cup 15. The pole faces 19 of the spring cup 15 and the wing-like pole faces 13 of the ferromagnetic plate 12 formed in a U-shaped manner are aligned as directed toward one another, with an air gap between the pole faces 13, 19.

(15) The air gap 20 between the pole faces 13, 19 can be seen from FIG. 3. The arrow 21 underneath the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4 indicates the contact closing-opening direction.

(16) In FIG. 4, an arrangement including a fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4 and the plate 12 for electromagnetic contact load support is represented. The middle region 14 of the ferromagnetic plate 12 shaped in a U-shaped manner rests on the first leg 9 of the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4 in the vicinity of the connecting region 11. Although the pole faces 13, for example formed like wings, of the plate 12 are directed in the direction of the second leg 10 of the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4, the pole faces 13 are arranged laterally offset in a tilting manner with respect to the contact 6. For example, the wing-like pole faces 13 are not directed in the direction of the contact 6, but are formed laterally offset in a tilting manner next to the connecting region 11 of the fixedly positioned switching piece carrier 4.

(17) In FIG. 5, the second electromagnetic contact load support in the form of the spring cup 15 is represented. The second electromagnetic contact load support is formed in a U-shaped manner and ferromagnetic, with two opposing pole faces 19 and a middle region 17 connecting the two pole faces 19.

(18) In FIG. 6, an arrangement made up of a movable switching piece carrier 5 and the second electromagnetic contact load support in the form of a spring cup 15 is represented. The spring cup 15 is formed in a U-shaped manner and ferromagnetic, with two opposing legs 16 and a middle region 17 connecting the two legs 16. The middle region 17 in this case lies against the middle region 22 of the movable switching piece carrier 5. The middle region 17 of the spring cup 15 is positioned on the opposite side from the contacts 6. The legs 16 of the spring cup 15 accordingly are directed away from the contacts 6. Opposing pole faces 19 are formed in the direction counter to the opposing legs 16 of the spring cup 15. The pole faces 19 are directed to the side on which the contacts 6 are arranged.

(19) FIG. 7 depicts the first electromagnetic contact load support in the form of the plate 12 with the pole faces 13 and the middle region 14 connecting the pole faces 13.

(20) FIG. 8 depicts the second electromagnetic contact load support in the form of the spring cup 15. This second electromagnetic contact load support is formed in a U-shaped manner and ferromagnetic in the form of a spring cup 15, with two opposing legs 16 and a middle region 17 connecting the two legs 16. A cylindrical projection 18 for receiving turns of the contact load spring 7 may be formed in the middle region 17 of the ferromagnetic spring cup 15 formed in a U-shaped manner. Opposing pole faces 19 are formed in the direction counter to the opposing legs 16 of the spring cup 15.

(21) FIG. 9 depicts a representation in which the contacts 6 are worn. The air gap 20 between the pole faces 13, 19 of the plate 12 and the spring cup 15 is very small.

(22) The low-voltage switching device is distinguished by the fact that an electromagnetic contact load support in the form of a plate and a spring cup that may also be retrofitted on older devices has been integrated in an easy way.

(23) It is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent, and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

(24) While the present invention has been described above by reference to various embodiments, it may be understood that many changes and modifications may be made to the described embodiments. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that all equivalents and/or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description.