JP2012199134A - Relay device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose a relay device capable of suppressing reduction in contact reliability.SOLUTION: The relay device 1 includes: a contact part 2 having a first contact 5 and a second contact 7; a drive part 14 which makes the first contact 5 come into contact with and separate from the second contact 7; and a contact container 37 in which the contact part 2 is housed. Out of an insulating member 10 (20) disposed in a space S inside the contact container 37 so that at least a part is exposed, a part exposed to the space S is made of a low-degassing material so that outgas is not generated when the temperature of the space S rises.

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay device that opens and closes contacts of an electric circuit.

  Conventionally, for example, a relay device as shown in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. In this relay device, a sealed container formed of a heat-resistant material that houses a contact is made of urea, unsaturated polyester, or the like. An insulating member is housed.

JP-A-10-162676

  In the relay device as described above, for example, an arc generated between the contacts may increase the temperature of the space in the sealed container and generate outgas from the insulating member. If this outgas adheres to the contact, the contact efficiency of the contact may deteriorate, and the contact reliability of the relay device may decrease.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to propose a relay device that can suppress a decrease in contact reliability.

  The relay device of the present invention for solving the above-described problems includes a contact portion having a first contact and a second contact, a drive portion for bringing the first contact and the second contact into contact and separation, and the contact portion. Of the insulating member arranged to be exposed at least partially in the space inside the contact container, and the portion exposed to the space is outgassed when the temperature of the space rises. It is formed by the low degassing material which does not generate | occur | produce.

  The low degassing material is preferably a material that does not generate outgassing when the temperature of the space rises due to an arc generated between the first contact and the second contact.

  Further, it is preferable that the insulating member is entirely formed of the low degassing material made of glass or ceramic.

  Alternatively, the insulating member may be formed of a base material made of a material other than the low degassing material and a thin film made of the low degassing material that covers a portion of the base material exposed to the space. preferable.

  The contact container includes a case that is formed of an insulating material and surrounds the contact part, and a metal part that is formed of a metal material and forms a part of the drive unit. The insulating member is preferably located between the contact portion and the metal portion so as to block a discharge path between the contact portion and the metal portion.

  The first contact and the second contact are part of the contact container and are arranged along one surface of the wall surrounding the contact part facing the contact part. On the outside, a magnetic force generating part is provided for extending an arc generated between the first contact and the second contact to the wall side by a magnetic field, and the wall is made of the insulating member and has at least one surface. Is preferably formed of the low degassing material.

  The relay device of the present invention can suppress a decrease in contact reliability.

It is sectional drawing which shows the relay apparatus of 1st embodiment of this invention. (A) (b) is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the insulating board of a relay apparatus same as the above. It is sectional drawing which shows the relay apparatus of 2nd embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

  The relay device according to the embodiment of the present invention is used, for example, for opening and closing a contact of an electric circuit for sending a current of a battery of an EV (electric vehicle) to a motor or the like. In addition, you may use the relay apparatus of embodiment of this invention not only for EV but for another apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the relay device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention connects and separates a contact portion 2 having a first contact 5 and a second contact 7, and a first contact 5 and a second contact 7. And a contact container 37 that houses the contact part 2. Hereinafter, the relay device 1 will be described with the upper, lower, left, and right in FIG. The setting of each direction is for convenience of explanation, and does not limit the direction in which the relay device 1 is arranged.

  The contact container 37 includes a case 10 that surrounds the contact part 2 and a metal part that constitutes a part of the drive unit 14. The case 10 is made of an insulating material and has a box shape opened downward. The metal part is made of a metal material, and has a cylindrical connection that connects an upper end part of a fixed core 23 described later, an upper end part of a yoke 40 described later, and an upper end part of the yoke 40 and a lower end part of the case 10. It is comprised with the member 29. FIG. The space S inside the contact container 37 in which the contact portion 2 is accommodated is an airtight space in this embodiment.

  Two fixed terminals 4, 4 are fixed to the upper part 11 (bottom part 11) of the case 10, and first contacts 5 are provided at the lower ends of the two fixed terminals 4, 4, respectively. A movable contact 6 is attached to the drive unit 14 so as to be movable up and down, and two second contacts 7 and 7 are provided on the upper surface of the movable contact 6. The two second contacts 7 and 7 are arranged on the upper surface of the movable contact 6 at positions where the two first contacts 5 come into contact when the movable contact 6 is moved upward. The first contacts 5, 5 and the second contacts 7, 7 are one surface 43 of the wall 12 of the contact container 37 facing the contact portion 2 (that is, the inside of the wall 12 extending in the vertical direction of the case 10). Lined up and down along the side surface 43).

  The drive unit 14 moves the movable contact 6 upward to bring the second contacts 7 and 7 into contact with the first contacts 5 and 5 and moves the movable contact 6 downward to move the second contact 7. , 7 are separated from the first contacts 5, 5. The fixed terminals 4 and 4 and the movable contact 6 are made of a conductive material, and the first contacts 5 and 5 and the second contacts 7 and 7 are made of a contact material. By bringing the two first contacts 5 and 5 into contact with the two second contacts 7 and 7, the two fixed terminals 4 and 4 are electrically connected via the movable contact 6. The relay device 1 according to the embodiment is in a state where the contacts of the electric circuit are closed.

  When the contacts are opened from the closed energized state (that is, the two second contacts 7 and 7 are separated from the two first contacts 5 and 5), one of the second contacts 7 and one of the first contacts 5 In some cases, arcs 50 are generated between the second contact 7 and the other first contact 5. As a configuration for extending and extinguishing the arc 50, a magnetic force generator 36 made of a permanent magnet or the like that extends the arc 50 toward the wall 12 of the contact container 37 is provided outside the contact container 37. Specifically, the magnetic force generators 36 and 36 are provided on the outside of the case 10 in the direction in which the two first contacts 5 and 5 are arranged (the left and right outside of the case 10), respectively. The magnetic force generators 36 and 36 are generated between the arc 50 generated between one first contact 5 and one second contact 7 and between the other first contact 5 and the other second contact 7. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the arcs 50 stretched toward the left and right walls 12 of the case 10. Further, in this embodiment, in order to extinguish the arc 50 efficiently, a gas mainly containing hydrogen is injected into the space S at, for example, about 2 atm to improve the cooling effect in the space S.

  The drive unit 14 includes a yoke 40, a coil 28, a coil bobbin 27, a fixed iron core 23, a movable iron core 24, an iron core case 22, a movable shaft 15, a return spring 26, and a contact spring 9. The yoke 40, the fixed iron core 23, and the movable iron core 24 are made of a magnetic metal material, and the iron core case 22 and the movable shaft 15 are made of a non-magnetic material.

  The iron core case 22 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. A movable iron core 24 is vertically movable at the inner lower portion of the iron core case 22, and a fixed iron core 23 is fixed to the inner upper portion of the iron core case 22. A movable shaft 15 penetrates the fixed iron core 23 and the movable iron core 24 in the vertical direction. The movable shaft 15 includes a flange portion 31 at the upper end, and the upper surface of the movable contact 6 is pressed against the lower surface of the flange portion 31 by the spring force of the contact pressure spring 9. The movable shaft 15 is fixed to the movable iron core 24 and moves up and down as the movable iron core 24 moves up and down. The coil bobbin 27 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an iron core case 22 is inserted therein. The coil 28 is wound around the coil bobbin 27. The contact pressure spring 9 is in contact with the upper surface of an insulating plate 20 described later, and the return spring 26 is in contact with the lower surface of the insulating plate 20.

  In the present embodiment, by passing a current through the coil 28, the fixed iron core 23 and the movable iron core 24 are magnetized, and the movable iron core 24 is attracted to the fixed iron core 23. At this time, the movable contact 6 moves upward and contacts the fixed terminals 4 and 4. When the current supply to the coil 28 is stopped, the movable core 24 is separated from the fixed core 23 by the urging force of the return spring 26. At this time, the movable contact 6 moves downward to release the contact with the fixed terminals 4 and 4.

  In the space S, an insulating plate 20 is further provided between the contact portion 2 and the metal portion so as to interrupt a discharge path between the contact portion 2 and the metal portion. The insulating plate 20 includes a plate portion 32 and an upright piece portion 33, and the plate portion 32 is located between the upper end portion of the fixed iron core 23, the upper end portion of the yoke 40, and the contact portion 2. The standing piece 33 is located between the coupling member 29 and the contact 2. The standing piece 33 is also located between the connecting portion 29 and the connecting portion of the case 10 and the contact portion 2. The insulating plate 20 can prevent the arc 50 generated at the contact portion 2 from coming into contact with the metal portion of the driving portion 14 and damaging the metal portion.

  The insulating plate 20 and the case 10 are insulating members arranged so that at least a part thereof is exposed in the space S inside the contact container 37. The insulating plate 20 and the case 10 are entirely formed of a low degassing material that does not generate outgas even when the temperature of the space S rises when the arc 50 is generated. In this embodiment, glass or ceramic is used as the low degassing material, but it may be a low degassing resin such as alumina (a resin that hardly generates outgas at a high temperature).

  The low degassing material is a material that does not generate outgas even when a short circuit or the like occurs and a large current (for example, 5000 A to 10,000 A) flows. Further, the low degassing material of the present embodiment is a material that does not generate outgas even when the temperature of the space S rises for reasons other than the generation of the arc 50 (for example, the temperature rise around the relay device 1).

  The insulating plate 20 described above may be formed in a thin film with a low degassing material as shown in FIG. Further, the insulating plate 20 is formed of a material other than the low degassing material as shown in FIG. 2B by using a thin film forming method such as a sputtering method or a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method. 44 and a thin film 45 made of a low degassing material that covers a portion of the base material 44 exposed to the space S. In addition, although not shown, the case 10 similarly has a base material made of an insulating material other than a low degassing material and a low escape that covers a portion of the base material exposed to the space S (the entire inner surface of the case 10). You may form with the thin film which consists of gas materials. Note that an insulating member different from the insulating plate 20 and the case 10 described above may be provided in a portion of the space S where the arc 50 generated between the first contact 5 and the second contact 7 contacts.

  In addition, the drive part 14 should just be able to contact the 1st contacts 5 and 5 and the 2nd contacts 7 and 7, and is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, it is good also as a structure like the relay apparatus 1 of 2nd embodiment shown in FIG. In the drive unit 14 of the relay device 1, a movable iron core 24 is arranged on the inner upper portion of the iron core case 22 so as to be movable up and down, and a fixed iron core 23 is fixed to the inner lower portion of the iron core case 22. In the second embodiment, by passing a current through the coil 28, the fixed iron core 23 and the movable iron core 24 are magnetized, and the movable iron core 24 is attracted to the fixed iron core 23. At this time, the movable contact 6 moves downward and moves away from the fixed terminals 4 and 4. When the current supply to the coil 28 is stopped, the movable iron core 24 is separated from the fixed iron core 23 by the biasing force of the return spring 26. At this time, the movable contact 6 moves upward and contacts the fixed terminals 4 and 4.

  In the relay device 1 of the second embodiment, the insulating plate 20 is formed of a rectangular plate portion 32 and is fitted inside the coupling member 29. In addition, about the relay apparatus 1 of 2nd embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure similar to 1st embodiment.

  In summary, the relay device 1 according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention connects and separates the contact portion 2 having the first contact 5 and the second contact 7, and the first contact 5 and the second contact 7. And a contact container 37 that houses the contact part 2. Of the insulating member 10 (20) arranged so that at least a part is exposed in the space S inside the contact container 37, the portion exposed to the space S is outgassed when the temperature of the space S rises. It is made of a low degassing material that does not occur.

  By setting it as such a structure, when the temperature of the space S rises, the relay apparatus 1 of this embodiment does not generate outgas from the part exposed to the space S among the insulating members 10 (20). Therefore, since it can prevent that outgas adheres to the contact part 2, in the relay apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the fall of contact reliability can be suppressed.

  Further, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, the low degassing material is a material that does not generate outgassing when the temperature of the space S is increased by the arc 50 generated between the first contact 5 and the second contact 7. .

  Even if the temperature of the space S rises due to the arc 50 generated between the first contact 5 and the second contact 7, which is a direct cause of the temperature rise of the space S, the insulation is achieved. Outgas is not generated from the portion exposed to the space S in the member 10 (20). Therefore, since it can prevent that outgas adheres to the contact part 2, in the relay apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the fall of contact reliability can be suppressed more reliably.

  Further, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, the insulating member 10 (20) is entirely made of a low degassing material made of glass or ceramic.

  Thus, the outgassing from the insulating member 10 (20) to the space S can be prevented by forming the entire insulating member 10 (20) with a low degassing material made of glass or ceramic. Therefore, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress a decrease in contact reliability.

  Alternatively, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, the insulating member 10 (20) includes a base material 44 made of a material other than the low degassing material, and a low degassing material that covers a portion of the base material 44 exposed to the space S. And a thin film 45 made of

  Thus, by covering the portion exposed to the space S of the insulating member 10 (20) with the thin film 45 of the low degassing material, it is possible to prevent the outgas from being generated from this portion to the space S. Therefore, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress a decrease in contact reliability.

  Further, in the relay device 1 according to the present embodiment, the contact container 37 includes a case 10 that is formed of an insulating material and surrounds the contact portion 2, and a metal portion that is formed of a metal material and constitutes a part of the drive unit 14. The insulating plate 20 accommodated in the contact container 37 is made of an insulating member, and is positioned between the contact portion 2 and the metal portion so as to interrupt the discharge path between the contact portion 2 and the metal portion.

  With such a configuration, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, the arc 50 generated between the first contact 5 and the second contact 7 is generated in the metal portion of the drive unit 14 by the insulating plate 20 that is an insulating member. It is possible to prevent the arc 50 from being damaged and damaging the metal part. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to protect the metal portion of the drive unit 14 from the arc 50 after suppressing the occurrence of outgas to suppress a decrease in contact reliability.

  Further, in the relay device 1 of the present embodiment, the first contact 5 and the second contact 7 are part of the contact container 37 and one surface 43 of the wall 12 surrounding the contact portion 2 that faces the contact portion 2. It is lined up along. A magnetic force generator 36 that extends the arc 50 generated between the first contact 5 and the second contact 7 toward the wall 12 by a magnetic field is provided outside the contact container 37. The wall 12 is made of an insulating member, and at least one surface 43 is formed of a low degassing material.

  With such a configuration, the arc 50 generated between the first contact 5 and the second contact 7 can be stretched by the magnetic field of the magnetic force generator 36 to promote extinction of the arc 50. In addition, by forming one surface 43 of the wall 12 of the contact container 37, which is a portion that contacts the stretched arc 50, with a low degassing material, outgas from a portion of the space S where the temperature is most likely to rise by the arc 50. Can be prevented more reliably, and a decrease in contact reliability can be suppressed.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on embodiment shown to an accompanying drawing, this invention is not limited to said each embodiment, If it is in the range which this invention intends, an appropriate design change is possible. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Relay apparatus 2 Contact part 5 First contact 7 Second contact 10 Case (insulating member)
12 Wall 14 Drive unit 20 Insulating plate (insulating member)
37 Contact container 43 One surface 44 Base material 45 Thin film 50 Arc S space

Claims (6)

  A contact part having a first contact and a second contact; a drive part for contacting and separating the first contact and the second contact; and a contact container for storing the contact part; Of the insulating member arranged so that at least a part is exposed in the space, the portion exposed in the space is formed of a low degassing material that does not generate outgas when the temperature of the space rises. A relay device characterized.   The low degassing material is a material that does not generate outgas when the temperature of the space is increased by an arc generated between the first contact and the second contact. Relay device.   The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating member is entirely formed of the low degassing material made of glass or ceramic.   The insulating member is formed of a base material made of a material other than the low degassing material and a thin film made of the low degassing material that covers a portion of the base material exposed to the space. The relay device according to claim 1 or 2. The contact container includes a case formed of an insulating material and surrounding the contact portion, and a metal portion formed of a metal material and constituting a part of the driving unit.
The insulating plate accommodated in the contact container is made of the insulating member, and is located between the contact portion and the metal portion so as to interrupt a discharge path between the contact portion and the metal portion. The relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relay apparatus is characterized in that: The first contact and the second contact are part of the contact container and are arranged along one surface of the wall surrounding the contact part that faces the contact part, and on the outside of the contact container. Is provided with a magnetic force generator for extending an arc generated between the first contact and the second contact to the wall side by a magnetic field,
The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the wall is made of the insulating member, and at least the one surface is formed of the low degassing material.

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