EP0731483A2 - Relay for energy consumers or similar - Google Patents

Abstract

The relay includes a circuit carrier (7) for at least one circuit. A relay operating element (11) which responds to a changing value of a control signal is provided. The signal is supplied to the relay operating element as a signal current from a signal current generator (12) via a signal line. The switching of the relay operating element determines at least one relay function. The generator and the operating element form relay control elements. A signal line, like the carrier is formed at least partially as the store for the signal current which affects the relay function.

Description

The invention relates to e.g. a circuit arrangement corresponding to a relay, such as e.g. can be used as a parboiler control for control devices or the like of hotplate heating that can be set manually to different power levels.

According to the invention, with a relay with or after the manual setting of at least one power level, the consumer can be supplied with increased power for a predetermined time in order to ensure, for example, rapid heating of a power consumer, such as a cold cooking vessel with contents. At the end of the time mentioned, the relay should automatically switch to a different, for example lower, power supply, such as may be suitable for a further cooking phase after the heating phase. In the case of a power control unit, by means of which the power supply is changed on account of different relative duty cycles, the increased power supply can be maximized by setting to 100% relative duty cycle, whereas it is correspondingly reduced with a shorter duty cycle.

The relay switching from higher to lower power supply can be a timer, e.g. contain a chip-like integrated circuit unit of an electronic control, which initially prevents the clocking operation of a closed power contact by influencing its control heating and allows it at the end of the increased power supply in adjustable setting areas of the control device via adjustable interlocking sliding contacts and conductor tracks. Allows the control unit e.g. the stepless or graded setting of six or eight different power levels, so the power supply is increased again compared to the respective power level expediently only in the upper power levels, e.g. power levels 4 to 6 or 4 to 8, while in the power levels below, as in power levels 1 to 3, the relay remains out of operation and no power surge is provided as in the other power levels. An electronically operating relay can be very reliable and diverse in its functions, but is usually relatively complex.

The invention is also based on the object of providing an arrangement in which disadvantages of known designs or of the type described are avoided and which, in particular in the case of a very simple or compact structure, enables precise adjustment of the relay function or the like and possibly further functions.

In order to be able to supply the switching element of the relay, which switches between the two different powers or states, with a changeover signal causing this changeover in a signal stream, a signal conductor is provided which at the same time partially or completely forms a capacity for storing the signal stream. The memory is therefore from the start of the control of the relay up to a limit filled with the signal current and as soon as the limit value is reached, the relay switches over, the memory filling then being able to be kept approximately constant despite further inflow of the signal current by further delivery. By changing the specific amount of the flowing signal current, the storage volume or the incoming signal current, the relay can therefore be adjusted in a simple manner after its circuit is pre-assembled ready for operation. The circuit itself does not require any changes for adjustment.

When a thermal signal current is used, it is fed into the storage unit in accordance with a fluid in heating units until the limit level at which a thermal switch responds is reached. A relay control heater is then advantageously provided as the transmitter, which can be coupled in a directly heat-conducting manner to a partial field of an approximately largest or flat surface of the memory. The relay working element then queries the temperature of the memory on this and / or the surface facing away from it or on another surface and reverses when the limit temperature is reached, e.g. by making a contact. As a result, a power working element is switched from a higher power supply to a lower power supply to the consumer. This working element can also be a control heater, which converts a movable power contact from a closed state into a clocking state and is switched on and off cyclically by opening and closing this power contact or the like.

The carrier or memory is expediently designed as an approximately flat printed circuit board of approximately 4, 2 or only 1 mm thick, each of these values being able to represent a maximum or low value. This flat component, which is coated with conductor tracks in thick-film construction, can be arranged in one plane which is directly adjacent to a level in which the power contact and possibly further contacts work, which are suitable for all-pole disconnection of the consumer, for opening and closing a signal line or the like and can be adjusted to different power levels with an actuator.

The control device can e.g. according to EP-PS 0 194 512, EP 0 481 355 or EP-PS 0 268 098. Furthermore, the relay can be arranged according to EP-PS 0 177 811 as an attachment switch on the back or front of the control unit, so that existing control units can also be retrofitted with the relay without any significant change. The relay is then actuated with the same handle or via the same, spindle-shaped rotatable actuator as the control device so that both units are forcibly connected synchronously over part of the actuating path or the entire actuating path.

Fig. 1

ein erfindungsgemäßes Relais an einem Leistungs-Steuergerät in Ansicht,

Fig. 2

das Relais gemäß Fig. 1 in aufgeschnittener, perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 3

die Relaisschaltung des Relais gemäß den Fig. 1 und 2 in Ansicht,

Fig. 4

einen Ausschnitt der Fig. 3 in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 5

einen Ausschnitt der Fig. 4 mit einer abgewandelten Ausbildung,

Fig. 6

ein Schaltschema der Relais-Steuerung in einer Einstellung auf niedrigerem Leistungsniveau,

Fig. 7

das Schaltschema gemäß Fig. 6, jedoch bei Einstellung auf einem höheren Leistungsniveau mit zusätzlich erhöhter Ankoch-Leistung und

Fig. 8

das Schaltschema gemäß Fig. 7, jedoch nach Umsteuerung auf das Weiterkoch-Leistungsniveau.

These and other features emerge from the claims and also from the description and the drawings, the individual features being realized individually or in groups in the form of sub-combinations in one embodiment of the invention and in other fields and being advantageous and protectable per se Can represent versions for which protection is claimed here. An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show in the drawings

Fig. 1

an inventive relay on a power control device in view,

Fig. 2

1 in a cut perspective view,

Fig. 3

the relay circuit of the relay according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in view,

Fig. 4

3 shows a section of FIG. 3 in perspective,

Fig. 5

4 with a modified design,

Fig. 6

a circuit diagram of the relay control in a setting at a lower power level,

Fig. 7

6, but when set to a higher power level with additional increased parboiling power and

Fig. 8

7, but after switching to the further cooking performance level.

The timer or relay 1 is used for direct structural summary and electrical connection with a power control unit 2. For this purpose, the base body 3 of the relay 1 is locked in position with the base 4 of the device 2 so that two separate, immediately adjacent and only by one end wall of the base 4 separate housing spaces are formed approximately the same floor plan. The housing space enclosed by the cap-shaped base body 3 essentially accommodates all functional elements of the relay 1 and is covered on its open cap side by the end wall of the base 4. The housing-shaped base 4 takes in essentially all functional elements of the device 2 and is axially clamped to the base body 3. Transversely to its end walls, the body 3 and the base 4 are penetrated by an actuator 5, such as a rotatable actuating shaft, which can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a handle 6 at its end protruding from the relay 3. The link 5 is used solely by rotating the simultaneous actuation of the relay 1 as the control unit 2 in mutual mechanical dependence, without a possible axial actuation movement being required.

A continuously flat, plate-shaped carrier 7 of constant thickness is provided for receiving the relay circuit, the larger surfaces 8, 9 of which can be turned away from one another and can be smooth across the entire surface. On the surface 8 facing the handle 6 or the end wall of the base body 3, all those circuit parts are provided which are formed by coatings with an electrically conductive material. The relay circuit 10 also includes a working member 11 in the form of a ready-to-use unit, namely a spring washer bimetal switch which is attached to the surface 9 or is thermally coupled and projects across this surface 9 across the device 2.

The thermo-mechanical working element 11 is influenced by a signal or heat flow which emanates from a signal current transmitter 12 which, like the working element 11, forms a relay control element. The sensor 12 belonging to the circuit 10 is arranged in a sensor field on the surface 8 as a heating or PTC resistor in such a way that it lies immediately adjacent to an outer edge of the carrier 7 and forms a meandering leg lying adjacent to one another transversely to this outer edge that the encoder field is adjacent to the outer edge parallel to this and to the center of the carrier 7 is approximately concave.

Opposed to the concave boundary, a reversing device 13 is provided on the surface 8 approximately in the center of the carrier 7 in order to switch the device 2 from relay operation to relay-free operation. Fixed contacts 14, 15 of this reversal 13 are attached as thick-film conductor tracks on the surface 8 in such a way that an alternating contact results with a contact 16 which is necessarily movable relative to them with the link 5, namely either only the contact 14 or the contact 15 on the contact 16 is connected.

On the surface 8, three electrical connections 17 to 19 are also provided as a coating, which lie adjacent to an outer edge of the carrier 7 lying transversely to the transmitter 12 or in a plate projection projecting at the same level over this outer edge, and for connecting connection conductors by means of soldered connections are suitable. From the input connection 17, a line 20 leads to one of the two mutually movable contacts of the working member 11 and in this line 20, the transmitter 12 is interposed. This line 20 is also connected to the contact 15 via a branch. The other contact of the working member 11 is connected via a branch line to the contact 14 or a line 21 which connects the connection 18 to the contact 14. The connection 19 is connected to the contact 16 via a line 22.

A line or bridge 23 leads to the connection 17, which is connected to an input connection 25 of the device 2 and is formed, for example, by a flexible cable sheathed by insulation, which is on the outside of the body 3 or 4 between the connections 17 , 25 runs. From port 25 leads to an output connection 26 of the device 2, a supply line 24, into which a circuit breaker 27, namely a control device which determines the relative duty cycle by clocking work, is interposed. This device 27 has a control heating 28 acting on a bimetal 29, which is connected in series between the connections 28, 26 and is therefore switched on and off with the control device 27. The movable contact 33 of this device 27 is influenced or arranged on a snap spring 30 and works for opening and closing together with a fixed contact 32, which is expediently connected directly to the terminal 25. The bimetal 29, together with the heater 28, can be pivoted about an axis approximately parallel to the link 5, forms an arm projecting freely from the pivot axis, and rests with the arm end directly against the snap spring 30 for actuation. An actuating arm, which lies approximately at an angle to it and is fixedly connected to the heating, rests with a rotor on an actuator or a circumferential cam disk 31, which is non-rotatably connected to the actuator 5. By turning the cam 31, the starting position of the bimetal 29 or clock drive relative to the snap spring 30 and the contact 33 can be changed so that the relative duty cycle and thus the power level is changed during operation.

For the second power pole, the device 2 has a feed line 34 with an input connection 35 and an output connection 36, into which a contact or switch 37 is interposed for the all-pole disconnection, the movable contact 39 of which is connected by a further cam 40 of the actuator 5 is movable relative to a fixed contact 38 connected to the terminal 36. In addition, the control unit 2 also has a signal contact 41 between an input connection and an output connection in a feed line.

The signal contact 41 is opened and closed by the control member 40 taking contact 39 with it. In the off position, the contacts or switches 33, 37, 41 are opened by the shaft 5 and from the setting to the lowest power level to the setting to the highest power level, these contacts are closed, although the contact 33 is opened rhythmically by the contact drive 28 and can be closed if the drive 28 is not shut down by the relay 1 as shown in FIG. 7.

Within a predetermined or lower power range, the contact 16 remains conductively connected to the contact 14 by grinding and within a further range to the contact 15, the contact 16 being mechanically driven by the shaft 5 in opposite directions. The contacts 14, 15 are arranged as concentrically circular sliding contact tracks around the axis of the shaft 5, can have different radial distances from this axis or have different arc angles and expediently surround an annularly closed and also concentrically located conductor track 46, which is used for supplying current is connected from line 19 or 36 to line 22. The slideways 14, 15, 46 can each have approximately constant widths over their entire length and can be connected to the associated lines on the outer circumference. The connection 19 is connected to the connection 36 via a branch line, so that there is also a corresponding connection for the contact 16 or the relay supply line 46 and this connection with the switch 37 relative to the connection 35 can be interrupted.

When setting to the lower power ranges according to FIG. 6, the contacts 14, 16 are closed so as to be variable in terms of power and therefore the heater 28 is connected in parallel to the supply lines 24, 34 and is operated clocked by the contact 33. The control drive 12 for the now open for work member 11 is de-energized, so that there is no signal current acting on the relay 1. If the switch is made from the switch-off position or from any position according to FIG. 6 to the area of higher power levels by rotating the shaft 5, then according to FIG. 7 the contacts 15, 16 are closed in a variable manner, the working member 11 is open, but the control heater 12 is now connected in parallel by a conductive connection to the connections 25, 36 with the supply lines 24, 34 and therefore put into operation. As a result, the carrier 7, which consists continuously of a ceramic material, and the circuit 10 provided on it are heated over the entire volume expansion by thermal conduction up to that limit temperature of, for example, approximately 150 ° Celsius at which the working member 11 responds or closes. Before this response, however, the heater 28 is de-energized and out of operation, so that the contact 33 does not operate in a clocked manner, but remains closed over a large number of cycle times; this results in a relative duty cycle of 100% until the relay drops out.

By closing the working member 11 according to FIG. 8, the heating 28 is connected via the lines 20, 21, 22 or the contacts 15, 16 to the connections 26, 36 and thus to the supply lines 24, 34 in FIG. 6 connected in parallel for the reversal 13 described. The heating 28 then causes the clocking operation of the contact 33 and thus a relative duty cycle of less than 100% or in an order of magnitude that corresponds to the set power level.

The control or circuit parts 24 to 41 are fastened or mounted on a plate-shaped base base 42 of the base 4, which has a detachable cover of the base 4 on the side facing away from the base body 3 or for the open side of a housing-shaped or cap-shaped base part 43 forms, on the opposite cap end wall of the relay 1 is attached. The shaft 5 is rotatably supported in the base base 42 and in the end walls of the insulating bodies 3, 4. All connections 25, 26, 35, 36 and those of the signal contact 41 are e.g. as tabs on the outside of the base base 42.

The preassembled unit consisting of relay 1 and control unit 2 is used to supply power to a consumer 44, in particular a heating device such as a hotplate heater, the heating resistor 45 of which is operated continuously with this unit over the distances 14, 15 in different power levels and for this purpose at the connections 26 , 36 is to be connected.

For bridging contacting of the supply fixed contact 46 with the contact 14 and / or the contact 15, the contact 16 forms tongue-shaped and tangential to the contacts 14, 15, 46 approximately parallel to one another and in the same direction freely projecting sliding contacts 48, the resilient contact surfaces of which approximately in one common axial plane of the path or axis of rotation. The contact body 16 formed by an electrically conductive sheet metal is arranged on a disk-shaped actuator 47 made of electrically insulating material, which is axially displaceable but non-rotatably arranged on the shaft 5 and can be axially supported on the surface 8 with a hub. The two radially inner contact tongues 48 are used for bridging between the tracks 14, 46 and the two outermost tongues 48 for bridging of the two tracks 15, 46. The non-annularly closed track 14 extends over an arc angle of more than 300 ° and the track 15 over the arc angle between the ends of the track 14. Adjustment movements of the actuators 31, 40, 47 are thus via the shaft 5 positively synchronized.

Between the actuator 47 and the inside of the front wall of the body 3 there can be arranged another actuator of the same type, by means of which the actuator 47 is held axially essentially free of play relative to the bodies 3, 43 and, like the actuator 47, has further functions, e.g. a resilient, but easily overcome latching of the shaft 5 in different positions, e.g. the switch-off position.

For assembly, the carrier 7 is inserted from the open cap side of the body 3 until it is secured with respect to the body 3 with a clearance between the two end faces of the body 3 solely by means of a self-engaging snap connection 52 without axial play. For this purpose, mutually opposite jacket walls of the one-piece body 3 form resilient snap tongues with bevels which grip the surface 9 in a form-fitting manner. The support 7 is penetrated in the region of bores which penetrate the annular connections 18, 19 by rigid, continuously straight connection pins 49 which are fastened by soldering and are electrically connected to the connections 18, 19. The pins 49 protrude parallel to one another over the surface 9 and beyond the open end face of the body 3. When the unit 1 is placed on the unit 2, the plug pins 49 automatically come into conductive engagement with counter-members 53 of the unit 2. The connections 53 lie on the outside of the end wall 54 of the one-piece part 43 and are through this end wall 54 each connected to a connecting part 55, for example a helical compression spring.

The terminal 18 is conductively connected by its spring part 55 to the output of the heater 28 or to a sliding contact, which resiliently abuts a mating contact of the heater 28, which is formed by an electrically insulating ceramic plate and a sheet resistor. The input of the heater 28 is connected to the supply line 24. The connection 19 is connected via the associated spring part 55 to the supply line 34, the connection 36 or the fixed contact 38. The bridge 23 can then be connected to the connection 25 outside the base 4. All operating connections of the unit 1 for the respective consumer are then freely accessible on the outside of the entire unit 1, 2, namely on the back and the wall 54 closes the body 3 on the open cap side. The actuators 47 are inserted into the body 3 before the carrier 7 is inserted.

The working member 11 passes through two connecting pins bores in the carrier 7 and these pins are connected by soldering to layer contacts of the bridging line 57 between the lines 20, 21 or between the contact 15 and the terminal 18. These connections are conductively connected or interrupted to the working member 11. The connections, which are similar to the connections 18, 19, lie next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the heater 12 in the region of the deepest point of their concave boundary between this boundary and the contact 14, to the curvature of which the concave boundary lies approximately concentrically. The working member 11 projects against the end wall 54 without contact via the surface 9. Before or after inserting the carrier 7, it can be brought into engagement with the shaft 5 like the actuators 47 are, which rotatably penetrates a breakthrough of the carrier 7 and passes in one piece from the handle to the actuator 31, 40. However, the shaft can also only protrude slightly beyond the open side of the body 3 according to FIG. 2 and form a coupling member which is to be connected in an axially plug-in manner to the actuator 31, 40 in a rotationally fixed manner.

On a side lying transversely to the connections 52, the jacket of the body 3 has a window 58 reaching to its open side, on the stepped edge of which the surface 8 lies axially struck and through which only the projection 59 of the carrier 7 carrying the connection 17 protrudes outwards so that the connection 17 lies outside the housing 3. To secure the position of the bridge 23, the projection 59 can have a slot-shaped opening, which is open at one end, as an opening, which opening is accessible from the end of the projection 59. The window 58 can serve to ventilate the carrier 7, as a result of which the heating time or the fall time of the relay 1 increases. The bodies 3, 42 are fastened independently of one another to the intermediate body 43 with screws or the like, and the body 42 carries the associated connections 25, 26, 35, 36 by means of plug connections. The connections are inserted from the inside to the outside through openings in the body 42 and form on the inside thereof a plate-shaped carrier for the associated fixed or movable contact. The assembly thus preassembled is automatically disengaged or brought into contact with the connections 55 when loosening or attaching it to the body 43.

The thermal memory 50 is formed by the entire carrier 7 and all parts of the circuit 10. On the surface 8 and / or 9 there can be an additional, possibly circuit-free, field in each, such as between the connections 18, 19 Storage part 51 can be heat-coupled over a large area by adhesion or the like. And protrude beyond this surface 8. A plurality of storage parts 51 according to FIG. 5 made of ceramic, metal or the like can also be provided, and instead or in addition, the support 7 can be provided with a breakthrough to reduce the storage capacity, which opening is expediently limited over the circumference. The resistor 12 is expediently designed partially or entirely as a PTC resistor, so that its resistance value increases with increasing temperature and the limit temperature up to which it heats up is thereby determined. This limit temperature can only be slightly above the switching temperature of the working member 11. The relay 1 can also be adjusted by changing this resistance characteristic.

With the fastening screws for fastening the unit 1 to the body 43, a flange plate is also fastened to the body 3 on the outside of the end wall of the body 3, which flange forms fastening members for fastening the entire unit 1, 2 to the inside of a fitting or device panel, through which then the shaft 5 protrudes and the handle 6 lies on the outside thereof. Corresponding fastening means can also be fastened to the outside of the end wall 54 if the unit 2 is used without the automatic boil-up mechanism 1 and is to be fastened to the panel. The attachment 60 is located on the front side facing away from the connections 25, 26, 35, 36, so that the respective unit protrudes from the attachment projecting rearward without contact and can thus be exposed to good ventilation.

According to the invention, a timer 1 for supplying and ending a power surge for a consumer 44 has a ceramic circuit board 7 and on this contact tracks 14, 15 for a sliding contact 16 and one with a control heater 12 operated thermal relay switch 11 on. The latter starts up a clocked circuit breaker 27 by bridging the contact tracks 14, 15 after an adjusted time and thus converts it from 100% relative duty cycle to a shorter duty cycle. The contact tracks 14, 15 are controlled as a function of the actuation position of the control unit 2, so that no power surge is provided in lower power settings and a power surge is effected in higher power positions.

Claims (10)

Relay for power consumers (44) or the like., In particular parboiler control for power control devices (2) of hotplate heaters or the like, characterized in that a circuit carrier (7) for at least one circuit (10) and / or a relay working element (11) responding to a variable value of a control signal is provided, to which in particular the control signal is supplied as a signal current from a signal current transmitter (12) via a signal conductor (7) or the connection of which determines at least one relay function, the transmitter (12) and the working member (11) preferably form relay control members and a signal conductor, like the carrier (7), can be at least partially designed as a memory (50, 51) for the signal current that influences the relay function. Relay according to Claim 1, characterized in that a thermal signal current which changes from a relay control heater (12) and changes a temperature value of the memory (50) up to a signal value, and at the memory (50) a temperature working element (11), such as a Bimetal or snap spring switches are provided that in particular essentially the entire material volume of the carrier (7) is provided as a memory (50) for the signal current and that the memory (50) is preferably at least partially plate-shaped. Relay according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one relay control element (11, 12) in the area of at least one encoder field connects directly to the memory (50) in a manner coupled to the memory (50) in such a way that in particular at least one control element (11, 12) is arranged directly adjacent to a control circuit (10) for the relay (1) and that preferably a signal current transmitter (12) is connected to a relay working element (11) or the control circuit (10). Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a relay control circuit (10) with a reversal (13) can be switched to different relay functions, such as from relay operation to relay-free operation, in that a signal current transmitter (12) is switched on and in can be switched off and that relay-free operation is preferably provided when the signal current transmitter (12) is switched off. Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it can be manually reversed with a movable contact (16), such as a change-over contact, that in particular relay functions can be reversed depending on the power level for the consumer (44) and that preferably a movable contact ( 16) can be moved along at least one contact path (14, 15, 46) which determines a travel path. Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in a relay function, such as for relay operation (Fig. 7, 8), at least one relay control element (11, 12) is connected in parallel to the consumer (44), in particular in a relay function at least one relay control element (11, 12) is connected in series with a fixed contact (15) of a reversing device (13) and that preferably a relay working element (11) in a relay function or a fixed contact (15) in a further relay function Reversal (13) is connected in series with a clocking power interrupter (33) of a power control unit (2). Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the memory (50) is at least partially designed as a body made of an insulating material, such as hard ceramic, and in particular that at least one circuit (10) is coated as a conductor on a surface (8) of the memory (50) is provided and that separate connections (17 - 19) for at least one relay control element (11, 12), a fixed contact (14) and a movable contact (16) are preferably provided on the memory (50). Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a preassembled unit, such as an exchangeable circuit board or the like, and can be mounted on the base (4) of a control unit (2), in particular that the relay (1) has a base body (3) can be preassembled by means of a snap connection (52) or the like, and that the relay is preferably mounted in a cap-shaped housing body (3) on the operating side of a base housing (4) in a substantially fully assembled state The control unit (2) can be mounted as an attachment unit (1) in such a way that reversals (13, 31, 40) of the relay (1) and the control unit (2) can be actuated together in a substantially force-connected manner via a common actuating element (5) or that at least one connector (49, 53) establishes a line connection between the relay (1) and the control unit (2). Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a memory (50) is arranged in a plane transverse to an actuating axis of a control device (2), that in particular a memory (50) and working contacts (32, 33, 38, 39, 41 ) of a control device (2) in adjacent levels or on both sides of a transverse wall (54) and that preferably from a memory (50) along the outside of the control device (2) a circuit bridge (23) to a connection (25) of the Control device (2) is guided, which is located at the end of the control device (2) remote from the relay (1) or is connected to a contact (32) of a clocking circuit breaker (27). Relay according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means are provided for changing the storage capacity, such as the storage mass, of the memory (50), that in particular the memory (50) has a changeable capacitance field outside of circuit fields, and that preferably for changing the storage capacity at least one separate storage part (51) can be fastened to the storage in close line coupling for the signal current.

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