Abstract
The present disclosure describes an apparatus for increasing the initial closing force and reducing the final closing force in the actuating mechanism of electromechanical switching devices such as relays or contactors.
Claims
1. An electromechanical switching device, comprising: an electromagnetic core having a core surface; and an armature having a pole face that contacts the core, wherein at least one of the core surface and the pole face is curved to provide a line of contact that moves in a rolling motion having a shifting center point with respect to the core under the influence of the flux between open and closed positions.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the armature pole face has a generally circular curvature.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the armature pole face has an involute curvature.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the core surface has a generally circular curvature.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the core surface has an involute curvature.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein both the armature pole face and the core surface have curved surfaces.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the curved surface of both the armature pole face and the core surface have a generally circular curvature.
8. The device of claim 6, wherein the curved surface of both the armature pole face and the core surface have an involute curvature.
9. The device of claim 6, wherein the curved surface of the armature pole face is generally circular and the curved surface of the core surface is an involute curvature.
10. The device of claim 6, wherein the curved surface of the armature pole face is an involute curvature and the curved surface of the core surface is generally circular.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises one or more electrical switching poles.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the pole face is in operative engagement with at least a portion of the core.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein the curve of at least one of the core surface and the pole face reduces the pull-in voltage in the open position.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the curve of at least one of the core surface and the pole face increases the drop out voltage in the closed position.
15. A method for closing an electromechanical device comprising: providing an electromagnetic core having a core surface that in operation conducts flux for closing the electromechanical device, moving an armature having a pole face that contacts a core surface in a rolling motion having a shifting center point with respect to the core under the influence of the flux.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising at least one of the core surface and the pole face having a curvature providing the reduction of the pull-in voltage.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising at least one of the core surface and the pole face having a curvature providing the increase of the drop-out voltage.
18. The method of claim 15 further comprising at least one of the core surface and the pole face having a curvature providing the reduction of the closing force.
19. An electromechanical switching device, comprising: an electromagnetic core having a core surface; and an armature having a pole face that contacts the core, a housing forming a cavity sized for receiving the armature in free supporting relation to the core, wherein eccentric movement of the armature is allowed within the housing against the core face of the electromagnetic core.
20. The device of claim 19 further comprising the curvature of at least one of the core surface and the pole face for providing the eccentric movement of the armature.
Description
DRAWINGS
[0009] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electromechanical switching device, in this case a contactor;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective drawing of the contactor of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the upper housing of the contactor of FIG. 1 showing the contactor in a de-energized state;
[0013] FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the upper housing of the contactor of FIG. 1 showing the contactor in an energized state;
[0014] FIG. 4A is a front view of an armature with a radius embodiment of the pole face;
[0015] FIG. 4B is a side view of an armature with a radius embodiment of the pole face;
[0016] FIG. 4C is a perspective view of an armature with a radius embodiment of the pole face;
[0017] FIG. 4D is a detail view of the pole face of an armature with a radius embodiment of the pole face;
[0018] FIG. 5A is a sectional side view of the contactor of FIG. 1 showing the armature of FIG. 4A-4D with a radius embodiment of the pole face in its location in the contactor oriented in the de-energized state;
[0019] FIG. 5B is a sectional side view of the contactor of FIG. 1 showing the armature of FIG. 4A-4D with a radius embodiment of the pole face in its location in the contactor oriented in the energized state;
[0020] FIG. 5C is a detail of the sectional side view of FIG. 6A showing a radius embodiment of the pole face of the armature of FIG. 4A-4D in the de-energized state;
[0021] FIG. 5D is a detail of the sectional side view of FIG. 6B showing a radius embodiment of the pole face of the armature of FIG. 4A-4D in the energized state;
[0022] FIG. 6A is a front view of an armature with an involute embodiment of the pole face;
[0023] FIG. 6B is a side view of an armature with an involute embodiment of the pole face;
[0024] FIG. 6C is a perspective view of an armature with an involute embodiment of the pole face;
[0025] FIG. 6D is a detail view of the pole face of an armature with an involute embodiment of the pole face;
[0026] FIG. 7A is a sectional side view of the contactor of FIG. 1 showing the armature of FIG. 6A-6D with an involute embodiment of the pole face in its location in the contactor oriented in the de-energized state;
[0027] FIG. 7B is a sectional side view of the contactor of FIG. 1 showing the armature of FIG. 6A-6D with an involute embodiment of the pole face in its location in the contactor oriented in the energized state;
[0028] FIG. 7C is a detail of the sectional side view of FIG. 7A showing an involute pole face of the armature of FIG. 6A-6D in the de-energized state; and
[0029] FIG. 7D is a detail of the sectional side view of FIG. 7A showing an involute pole face of the armature of FIG. 6A-6D in the energized state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Turning now to the drawings, and referring to FIG. 1, a circuit interrupting device is illustrated in the form of a three-pole contactor 10 for controlling electrical current carrying paths for three separate circuits. The contactor 10 includes an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 14. Upper housing 12 hosts one or more sets of electrically isolated contacts contained within the assembly. Line terminals 22 are used to connect line input wires 16 to each contact set. Load terminals 24 are used to connect contact outputs to the load output wires 18. Also included are coil terminals 26 for the connection of the wires 20 that provide the electrical connection for the application of the control voltage to the stator coil 32 illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0031] An exploded perspective view of the contactor 10 is provided in FIG. 2. Upper housing 12 comprises a cover 44, a set of line terminals with fixed contacts 50 and associated line terminal block screws 46, a set of load terminals with fixed contacts 52 and associated load terminal block screws 48, a set of auxiliary terminals and fixed contacts 56 and associated auxiliary terminal block screws 54 all of which are contained within the contact housing 42. Contact housing 42 provides electrical isolation between individual terminals and contacts. Crossbar assembly 34 is transversely oriented on an axis perpendicular to that of the axis formed by the line terminals with fixed contacts 50, the load terminals with fixed contacts 52, and the auxiliary terminals with fixed contacts 56 such that lateral movement of crossbar assembly 34 will complete electrical circuits by the movement of moveable line contacts 72, moveable load contacts, and moveable auxiliary contacts 74 into contact with their associated fixed contacts. Return spring 36 will return contact assembly 34 and associated moveable contacts to the open state in turn opening the associated electrical circuits.
[0032] Continuing in reference to FIG. 2, lower housing 14 comprises middle plate 40 which is positioned below contact housing 42 and crossbar assembly 34 and provides arc containment and electrical isolation to stator coil 32 and stator core 30. Stator core 30 is inserted into stator coil slot 68 of stator coil 32 and in turn lower housing 14. Armature 62 is positioned in lower housing 14 in free supported relation to the lower stator core face 58 and upper stator core face 60. Stator coil 32 comprises a set of electrical windings whose ends are connected to coil terminals 26 such that the connection of an electrical current to coil terminals 26 energizes stator coil 32 and causes the formation of an electromagnetic field which is concentrated by stator core 30. The electromagnetic attraction of the stator core 30 results in a rolling movement having a shifting center point of armature 62 towards stator core 30. Movement of armature 62 causes movement of crossbar assembly 34 by the engagement of crossbar engagement arm 64 with actuator slot 38 of crossbar assembly 34 completing electrical circuits by the movement of moveable line contacts 72, moveable load contacts 70, and moveable auxiliary contacts 74 into contact with their associated fixed contacts. The removal of electrical current from coil terminals 26 de-energizes stator coil 32 causing the collapse of the electromagnetic field in stator coil 32 and stator core 30 and with the loss of the electromagnetic field, the loss of the associated attraction of armature 62, and thus crossbar assembly 34 is returned to its de-energized state by return spring 36. Lower housing 14 has a generally rectangular base providing a slot 28 therein for receiving a standard DIN rail along the transverse axis generally within the plane of the base. Upon assembly, upper housing 12 and lower housing 14 and associated elements are fastened together by closure ring 76 which is positioned between upper catch 78 and lower catch 80.
[0033] Turning to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, bottom views of the upper housing 12 of the contactor of FIG. 1 are shown depicting the contactor in a de-energized state in FIG. 3A and an energized state in FIG. 3B. As described in FIG. 2, energizing stator coil 32 and the associated electromagnetic field formed by stator core 30 results in the movement of armature 62 and crossbar engagement arm 64 which is engaged with actuator slot 38 of crossbar assembly 34 causing its subsequent motion and the completion of electrical circuits by the movement of moveable line contacts 72, moveable load contacts 70, and moveable auxiliary contacts 74 into contact with their associated fixed contacts, line terminal block and contact 50, load terminal block and contact 52, and auxiliary terminal block and contact 56. Upon removal of the electrical current from coil terminals 26 and the loss of the electromagnetic field of stator coil 32 and stator core 30, return spring 36 returns crossbar assembly 34 and armature 62 to a de-energized state.
[0034] Given the interest in increasing the drop-out voltage in order to increase the speed at which a controlled circuit is de-energized in order to improve safety while simultaneously decreasing the pull-in voltage resulting in a longer service life for circuit interrupting devices, FIG. 4A through FIG. 4D depict various views of an embodiment of the invention in which, armature 62A has a radius pole face 82. Adding a radius to the pole face 82 has the effect of reducing the volume of air at the point of engagement between the radius pole face 82 and the lower stator core face 58 as illustrated in FIG. 5A with additional detail in FIG. 5C. Reducing the volume of air in the open or de-energized state causes an increase in the magnetic flux and associated magnetic force resulting in a reduced pull-in voltage when stator coil 32 is energized. In the closed or energized state, the effect of the radius pole face 82 is to increase the volume of air at the joint between the radius pole face 82 and the lower stator core face 58 as illustrated in FIG. 5B with additional detail in FIG. 5D. Therefore the magnetic flux and associated magnetic force is reduced which results in a higher dropout voltage with the additional benefit that the introduction of radius pole face 82 with its associated rolling movement having a shifting center point changes the lever arm of the armature pole face 82 resulting in decreased closing force which in turn increases the service life of circuit interrupting device 10. A similar result can be achieved by adding a radius to the lower stator core face 58, or in a combination with radius pole face 82 wherein both surfaces have a radius.
[0035] Various views of an alternate embodiment are depicted in FIG. 6A-6D. In this embodiment armature 62B has an involute pole face 88 as detailed in FIG. 6D. The involute pole face 88 provides improvement in an increased drop-out voltage, decreased pull-in voltage, and further decreased closing force over that of the radius pole face 82. As in the case of the radius pole face 82, improved results can be achieved by adding an involute curve to the lower stator core face 58, or in a combination with involute pole face 88 wherein both surfaces have an involute curve. In other embodiments various curved surfaces may be modeled and developed by the iteration of numerous planar surfaces in an arrangement that approximates a curved surface providing similar benefits as described.
[0036] While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
