Patent Grant
11749470
This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to China Patent Application No. 202110800290.8, filed Jul. 15, 2021, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Switching components comprising moveable carriers and moveable contacts may be used in conjunction with a variety of electrical devices, circuits and systems. An example moveable contact may be attached to a moveable carrier such that it can move to make contact with a stationary contact in order to actuate an electrical bridge/terminal. Such switching components are plagued by technical challenges and limitations. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these identified problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present disclosure, many examples of which are described in detail herein.
Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing a switching component.
In accordance with various examples of the present disclosure, a switching component is provided. The switching component may comprise: a housing; a moveable carrier disposed within the housing; at least one integrated moveable contact assembly, the moveable contact assembly comprising a substrate, a set of moveable contacts disposed on a first surface of the substrate and a guiding element surrounding at least a portion of the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the guiding element is configured to abut a surface of the moveable carrier; and a set of stationary contacts adjacent the set of moveable contacts, wherein the set of moveable contacts is configured to move with two degrees of freedom to make contact with the set of stationary contacts in order to actuate an electrical bridge in response to movement of the moveable carrier.
In accordance with various examples of the present disclosure, another switching component is provided. The switching component may comprise: a housing; a moveable carrier disposed within the housing; a first integrated moveable contact assembly, a second integrated moveable contact assembly, a third integrated moveable contact assembly and a fourth integrated moveable contact assembly, wherein each integrated moveable contact assembly comprises a substrate, a set of moveable contacts disposed on a first surface of the substrate and a guiding element surrounding at least a portion of the substrate, and wherein at least a portion of the guiding element is configured to abut a surface of the moveable carrier; and a set of stationary contacts adjacent each respective set of moveable contacts of the first integrated moveable contact assembly, the second integrated moveable contact assembly, the third integrated moveable contact assembly and the fourth integrated moveable contact assembly, wherein each set of moveable contacts is configured to move with two degrees of freedom to make contact with a respective set of stationary contacts in order to actuate an electrical bridge in response to movement of the moveable carrier.
The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplary objectives and/or advantages of the disclosure, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, are further explained in the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
The description of the illustrative embodiments may be read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. It will be appreciated that, for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale, unless described otherwise. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements, unless described otherwise. Embodiments incorporating teachings of the present disclosure are shown and described with respect to the figures presented herein, in which:
Some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown. Indeed, these disclosures may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
As used herein, terms such as “front,” “rear,” “top,” etc. are used for explanatory purposes in the examples provided below to describe the relative position of certain components or portions of components. Furthermore, as would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” indicate that the referenced element or associated description is accurate to within applicable engineering tolerances.
The components illustrated in the figures represent components that may or may not be present in various embodiments of the present disclosure described herein such that embodiments may include fewer or more components than those shown in the figures while not departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Some components may be omitted from one or more figures or shown in dashed line for visibility of the underlying components.
The phrases “in an example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “various embodiments,” and the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present disclosure (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment).
The word “example” or “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.
If the specification states a component or feature “may,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “preferably,” “possibly,” “typically,” “optionally,” “for example,” “often,” or “might” (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, that a specific component or feature is not required to be included or to have the characteristic. Such components or features may be optionally included in some embodiments, or may be excluded.
The terms “electronically coupled” or “in electronic communication with” in the present disclosure refer to two or more electrical elements (for example, but not limited to, an example processing circuitry, communication module, input/output module, memory, switching component) and/or electric circuit(s) being connected through wired means (for example but not limited to, conductive wires or traces) and/or wireless means (for example but not limited to, wireless network, electromagnetic field), such that electronic indications, signal or the like data and/or information (for example, electronic indications, signals) may be transmitted to and/or received from the electrical elements and/or electric circuit(s) that are electronically coupled.
The term “switching component” may refer to an electrical component, limit switch or electromechanical device that can be configured to connect or disconnect a conducting path in an electrical circuit such that electrical current flowing along the conducting path is interrupted or diverted. Switching components may be used in a variety of applications to control electrical circuits. Switching components may comprise one or more moveable contacts and one or more stationary contacts. In various applications, when a moveable contact and corresponding/adjacent stationary contact are in a closed state (i.e., make contact with one another), an electrical terminal/bridge is actuated such that electrical current can pass between them. In contrast, when a moveable contact and corresponding/adjacent stationary contact are in an open state (i.e., not in contact with one another), no electrical current passes between them.
In various examples, a moveable contact may be configured to move (e.g., wobble, rotate, swing) relative to a corresponding/adjacent stationary contact such that an electrical connection can be formed between them. An example switching component may comprise one or more moveable contacts attached to a moveable contact carrier such that the moveable contact(s) can move (e.g., up-and-down with respect to a corresponding/adjacent stationary contact(s)) in order to form an electrical connection with the corresponding/adjacent stationary contact(s).
In some examples, misalignment between a moveable contact and a corresponding/adjacent stationary contact may result in electrical arching or a failure to form a proper electrical connection between the moveable contact and the stationary contact. Accordingly, a switching component may comprise a set of moveable contacts comprising more than one moveable contact in order to provide design redundancy. For example, a set of moveable contacts comprising two moveable contacts may be positioned adjacent a set of stationary contacts comprising two corresponding/adjacent moveable contacts such that each respective pair of moveable contacts makes contact in order to actuate an electrical terminal/bridge.
In general, a switching component comprising more than one moveable contact may be fabricated with a gap between a body or structure of the moveable contact and the moveable carrier to which it is attached/secured such that the moveable contact and moveable contacts disposed thereon are able to move with a degree of freedom relative to corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts in order to form an electrical connection. However, in such examples, the presence of a gap between the body/structure of the moveable contact and the moveable carrier (e.g., between a surface of the moveable contact and an adjacent surface of the moveable carrier) may result in improper functioning under the influence of gravity. For example, if a moveable contact is not oriented in an upright position within a system, the moveable contact and corresponding/adjacent stationary contact may fail to make a proper electrical connection during operations and over the course of the electrical service life of the switching component. Additionally, existing switching components may be expensive to produce and difficult to fabricate due at least in part to the required gap between the body/structure of the moveable contact and the moveable carrier.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, example methods, apparatuses and systems are provided. In various embodiments, the present disclosure may provide a switching component comprising a housing, a moveable carrier disposed within the housing, at least one integrated moveable contact assembly, the moveable contact assembly comprising a substrate, a set of moveable contacts disposed on a first surface of the substrate and a guiding element surrounding at least a portion of the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the guiding element is configured to abut a surface of the moveable carrier, and a set of stationary contacts adjacent the set of moveable contacts, wherein the set of moveable contacts is configured to move with two degrees of freedom to make contact with the set of stationary contacts in order to actuate an electrical bridge in response to movement of the moveable carrier. In some examples, the at least one integrated moveable contact assembly may further comprise a blade spring element disposed adjacent a second surface of the substrate configured to deform in response to movement of the integrated moveable contact assembly. In some examples, the blade spring element comprises an arch, ladder or bridge shape. In some examples, a first side of the blade spring element is fixedly attached to a first side of the substrate and a second side of the substrate is fixedly attached to a second side of the substrate defining a gap therebeneath. In some examples, the integrated moveable contact assembly is attached to the moveable carrier via a securing element. In some examples, the guiding element comprises at least one appendage configured to abut an aperture of the securing element. In some examples, the guiding element comprises a first appendage configured to abut a first aperture of the securing element and a second appendage configured to abut a second aperture of the securing element. In some examples, the substrate, the guiding element and the blade spring element are fixedly attached to one another via a securing pin. In some examples, the set of stationary contacts comprises a first moveable contact and a second moveable contact, and the set of moveable contacts comprises a third moveable contact adjacent the first moveable contact and a fourth moveable contact adjacent the second moveable contact. In some examples, the set of stationary contacts is fixedly attached to at least one bridge element of the switching component.
Using the apparatuses and techniques disclosed herein, the electrical service life of an example switching component can be increased, in some examples, from 500,000 operations to, in some examples, over 1,500,000. Additionally, the example switching component will function optimally when configured in any position within a system and will not be affected by gravity. By way of example, a switching component with one or more integrated moveable contact assemblies may provide two degrees of freedom of movement. For example, moveable contacts may move (e.g., wobble, rotate or the like) in both a lateral direction and up-and-down which greatly increases reliability and longevity of the switching component. Additionally, by utilizing integrated moveable contact assemblies, motion of the moveable contacts in relation to the stationary contacts will not be affected by any conceivable orientation of the switching component. Further, the example switching component of the present disclosure is less complex and inexpensive to produce in comparison to existing devices.
Referring now to
In some examples, the first integrated moveable contact assembly 111A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 111B, the second integrated moveable contact assembly 113A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 113B, the third integrated moveable contact assembly 115A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 115B and the fourth integrated moveable contact assembly 117A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 117B may be at least partially disposed within a housing of the switching component 100. As further described herein with reference to
As depicted in
The moveable carrier 103 may be configured to move vertically within the housing of the switching component 100 (e.g., in ay-direction) such that the first integrated moveable contact assembly 111A and the second integrated moveable contact assembly 113A disposed on a top portion of the moveable carrier 103 make contact with respective stationary contacts 111B and 113B in order to actuate an electrical terminal/bridge (e.g., the first bridge element 102 and the second bridge element 104). The moveable carrier 103 may be configured to move within the housing of the switching component 100 (e.g., in the y-direction) such that the third integrated moveable contact assembly 115A and the fourth integrated moveable contact assembly 117A disposed on a bottom portion of the moveable carrier 103 make contact with respective stationary contacts 115B and 117B in order to actuate an electrical terminal/bridge (e.g., the third bridge element 106 and the fourth bridge element 108).
As depicted in
As noted above, each integrated moveable contact assembly 111A, 113A, 115A and 117A may be positioned adjacent a respective set of stationary contacts 111B, 113B, 115B and 117B. As depicted in
As noted above, the switching component 100 comprises a first bridge element 102, a second bridge element 104, a third bridge element 106 and a fourth bridge element 108. In some examples, each bridge element 102, 104, 106 and 108 may be or comprise a substantially planar conductive metal substrate. For example, each bridge element 102, 104, 106 and 108 may comprise, silver, nickel, copper, cadmium oxide, tin oxide, combinations thereof, and/or the like. Each bridge element 102, 104, 106 and 108 may be in wired communication with/electrically connected to other elements, components and/or devices within an electrical circuit/system.
As depicted in
While some of the embodiments herein provide an example switching component 100, it is noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. For example, a switching component 100 in accordance with the present disclosure may be in other forms. In some examples, an example switching component 100 may comprise one or more additional and/or alternative elements, and/or may be structured/positioned differently than that illustrated in
As depicted, the switching component 200 comprises a first integrated moveable contact assembly 211A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 211B, a second integrated moveable contact assembly 213A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 213B, a third integrated moveable contact assembly 215A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 215B, a fourth integrated moveable contact assembly 217A and corresponding/adjacent stationary contacts 217B, a first bridge element 202, a second bridge element 204, a third bridge element 206, a fourth bridge element 208, a first securing element 203, a second securing element 205, a third securing element 207 and a fourth securing element 209. The example switching component 200 may be at least partially disposed within a housing 225 of an example switching component.
As noted above in connection with
As shown, the example switching component 200 comprises a first integrated moveable contact assembly 211A and a second integrated moveable contact assembly 213A, each disposed/attached to a top portion of the moveable carrier 201. Additionally, as depicted, the switching component 200 comprises a third integrated moveable contact assembly 215A and a fourth integrated moveable contact assembly 217A each disposed/attached to a bottom portion of the moveable carrier 201. As further detailed with reference to
The example switching component 200 further comprises a first set of stationary contacts 211B disposed adjacent to and positioned directly above the first integrated moveable contact assembly 211A. The example switching component 200 comprises a second set of stationary contacts 213B disposed adjacent to and positioned directly above the second integrated moveable contact assembly 213A. As shown, the example switching component 200 comprises a third set of stationary contacts 215B disposed adjacent to and directly below the third integrated moveable contact assembly 215A. Additionally, the example switching component 200 comprises a fourth set of stationary contacts 217B disposed adjacent to and directly below the fourth integrated moveable contact assembly 217A.
As noted above, the moveable carrier 201 is configured to move vertically within a housing (e.g., in ay-direction) such that the first integrated moveable contact assembly 211A and the second integrated moveable contact assembly 213A disposed on the top portion of the moveable carrier 201 make contact with respective stationary contacts 211B and 213B in order to actuate an electrical terminal/bridge (e.g., the first bridge element 202 and the second bridge element 204). The moveable carrier 201 is configured to move within the housing (e.g., in the y-direction) such that the third integrated moveable contact assembly 215A and the fourth integrated moveable contact assembly 217A disposed on the bottom portion of the moveable carrier 201 make contact with respective stationary contacts 215B and 217B in order to actuate an electrical terminal/bridge (e.g., the third bridge element 206 and the fourth bridge element 208). As further depicted in
As depicted in
As noted above, each integrated moveable contact assembly 211A, 213A, 215A and 217A may be positioned adjacent a respective set of stationary contacts 211B, 213B, 215B and 217B. As depicted in
As depicted in
While some of the embodiments herein provide an example switching component 200, it is noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. For example, in some examples, a switching component 200 in accordance with the present disclosure may be in other forms. In some examples, a switching component 200 may comprise one or more additional and/or alternative elements, and/or may be structured/positioned differently than that illustrated in
Referring now to
As depicted in
As noted above, the moveable contact assembly 300 comprises a substrate 305. In various examples, as shown, the substrate 305 defines substantially planar elliptical body. The substrate 305 of the moveable contact assembly 300 may be or comprise a metallic material (e.g., copper, brass, and/or the like). As shown, a first moveable moveable contact 307A and a second moveable moveable contact 307B are disposed on a top surface of the substrate 305 and define a set of moveable contacts. As further depicted, the example first moveable contact 303A and second moveable contact 303B may be or comprise identical circular shaped pads. Each of the first moveable contact 303A and the second moveable contact 303B may comprise for example, without limitation, silver, nickel, copper, cadmium oxide, tin oxide, combinations thereof, and/or the like. As depicted in
As further depicted in
Additionally, as depicted in
While some of the embodiments herein provide an example moveable contact assembly 300, it is noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. For example, in some examples, a moveable contact assembly 300 in accordance with the present disclosure may be in other forms. In some examples, a moveable contact assembly 300 may comprise one or more additional and/or alternative elements, and/or may be structured/positioned differently than that illustrated in
Referring now to
As depicted in
As depicted in
As further depicted in
Additionally, as depicted in
While some of the embodiments herein provide an example moveable contact assembly 400, it is noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. For example, in some examples, a moveable contact assembly 400 in accordance with the present disclosure may be in other forms. In some examples, a moveable contact assembly 400 may comprise one or more additional and/or alternative elements, and/or may be structured/positioned differently than that illustrated in
Referring now to
As depicted in
As noted above, and as depicted in
As depicted in
As noted above, and as further depicted in
As depicted, the first appendage 517A is configured to engage a first aperture of the securing element 521 such that the moveable contact assembly can rotate (e.g., wobble, move and/or the like) about the axis of the first appendage 517A. In various examples, as depicted, the aperture(s) of the securing element 521 may be rectangular. In other examples, the aperture(s) of the securing element 521 may be circular, polygonal, or the like. Similarly, the second appendage 517B may be configured to engage a second aperture of the securing element 521. In various examples, the movement of the appendage 517A of the guiding element 513 may be at least partially facilitated by elasticity of the blade spring element 515 which allows the blade spring element 515 to deform in response to movement of the moveable carrier 530. In some examples, the blade spring element 515 may deform between 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm. In various examples, the moveable contacts (e.g., at least the moveable contact 503) of the moveable contact assembly are be configured to move freely in an x-direction (e.g., laterally) and y-direction (e.g., up and down) with respect to the moveable carrier 530/securing element 521 such that the moveable contacts can make contact with adjacent stationary contacts in order to actuate an electrical bridge. Said differently, the moveable contact assembly 501 can move with two degrees of freedom in relation to the moveable carrier 530/securing element 521. By way of example, as depicted, the moveable contact 503 may be configured to make contact with the stationary contact 523 attached to the first bridge element 525. Similarly, one or more stationary contacts 523 of the second bridge element 527 may be configured to make contact with adjacent moveable contact(s).
While some of the embodiments herein provide an example portion of a switching component 500, it is noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. In some examples, a securing element 521 in accordance with the present disclosure may be in other forms. In some examples, a securing element 521 may comprise one or more additional and/or alternative elements, and/or may be structured/positioned differently than that illustrated in
Referring now to
As depicted in
As further depicted in
As noted above, and as depicted in
As depicted in
As noted above, and as further depicted in
While some of the embodiments herein provide an example portion of a switching component 600, it is noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. A switching component 600 in accordance with the present disclosure may comprise one or more additional and/or alternative elements, and/or may be structured/positioned differently than that illustrated in
Using the apparatuses and techniques disclosed herein (e.g., by utilizing integrated moveable contact assemblies) the electrical service life of an example switching component can be greatly increased. The example switching component will function optimally when configured in any position within a system and will not be affected by gravity. By way of example, a switching component with integrated moveable contact assemblies may provide two degrees of freedom of movement may greatly increase reliability and longevity of the switching component. Additionally, by utilizing integrated moveable contact assemblies, motion of the integrated moveable contact assembly in relation to the stationary contacts will not be affected by any conceivable orientation of the switching component. Further, the example switching component of the present disclosure is less complex and inexpensive to produce in comparison to existing devices.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these embodiments pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202110800290.8 | Jul 2021 | CN | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230017700 A1 | Jan 2023 | US |
