US3644693A - Nonsticking relay contacts - Google Patents

Nonsticking relay contacts Download PDF

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Publication number
US3644693A
US3644693A US880128A US3644693DA US3644693A US 3644693 A US3644693 A US 3644693A US 880128 A US880128 A US 880128A US 3644693D A US3644693D A US 3644693DA US 3644693 A US3644693 A US 3644693A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
mercury
wettable
contact
barrier
nonwettable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US880128A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Sheldon S Bitko
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
PNC Bank NA
Original Assignee
Fifth Dimension Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fifth Dimension Inc filed Critical Fifth Dimension Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3644693A publication Critical patent/US3644693A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Assigned to PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION reassignment PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: FIFTH DIMENSION, INC.
Assigned to PNC BANK, N.A. reassignment PNC BANK, N.A. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: FIFTH DIMENSION, INC.
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H51/00—Electromagnetic relays
    • H01H51/28—Relays having both armature and contacts within a sealed casing outside which the operating coil is located, e.g. contact carried by a magnetic leaf spring or reed
    • H01H51/287—Details of the shape of the contact springs
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/02—Contacts characterised by the material thereof
    • H01H1/0201—Materials for reed contacts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/06—Contacts characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved
    • H01H1/08—Contacts characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved wetted with mercury
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H51/00—Electromagnetic relays
    • H01H51/28—Relays having both armature and contacts within a sealed casing outside which the operating coil is located, e.g. contact carried by a magnetic leaf spring or reed
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H51/00—Electromagnetic relays
    • H01H51/28—Relays having both armature and contacts within a sealed casing outside which the operating coil is located, e.g. contact carried by a magnetic leaf spring or reed
    • H01H51/288—Freely suspended contacts

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT v A mercury relay having nonsticking mercury wettabie surfaces, one of the surfaces carrying a button of mercury wettabie material surrounded by a rim of nonmercury wettable material, preferably tantalum, which extends beyond the button and forms a physical barrier against physical impact between the mercury wettabie surfaces.
  • HG ⁇ VETT BLE 151 G 1 CONTACT ll comma #1 ⁇ VETLQBE B '2 USER of NON- ⁇ VETTABLE CONTACT '2 m METAL or OX ⁇ DE.
  • a relay contact operating in mercury which has a mercury wettable surface which is prevented from contacting an opposing contact during operation of the relay by interposing a mercury nonwettable barrier which surrounds the wettable surface
  • FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of two contacts according to the invention, at a first stage of their fabrication
  • FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the contacts of FIG. 1, after a second step has been completed;
  • FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of contacts according to the invention, in completed state.
  • FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the contacts of FIG. 3, but including a globule of mercury.
  • a flat has been ground or otherwise removed from element 12, sufficiently to expose a flat surface 14 of element 12.
  • a depression 15 is formed in flat surface 14, which falls deeper than the remaining ground edge 16 of the mercury nonwettable coating 13.
  • the depression 15 may be formed by etching, for example with hot mercury, which attacks the wettable area 14, but not the nonwettable area 16.
  • Contact materials must be selected so that they are easily Hg wettable, are of proper magnetic character, and are relatively insoluble in Hg and in each other. Suitable contact materials include Copper, Nickel, Platinum and various alloys of these.
  • both contacts may be identical, if desired, which can increase the spacing between mercury wettable surfaces existing on physical impact of the switch contacts.
  • tantalum and niobium are superior interposer materials in that they do not become wettable by impact against mercury wettable metal and do not alloy with the latter, to an extent far surpassing any other materials tested.
  • Mercury relay contacts comprising a first contact having at least a first mercury wettable surface
  • said second contact including a mercury wettable second electrical contact surface
  • a mercury nonwettable barrier element surrounding said electrical contact surface and having a location and shape which prevents physical contact of said first and second surfaces when said first and second contacts impact but which assures sufficient proximity of said areas to assure completion of an electrical circuit therebetween in the present of a globule of liquid mercury on said electrical contact surface.
  • a mercury contact comprising a supporting element
  • buttons of mercury wettable material extending from said supporting element, said button of mercury wettable material having a face and having a peripheral surface,
  • a layer of mercury nonwettable material secured about said peripheral surface and extending beyond said face to form a physical barrier against physical impact against said face.
  • a mercury switch element including a contact carrying element
  • said element being mercury nonwettable and said contact being of Hg wettable material
  • a barrier of mercury nonwettable material surrounding said wettable material and extending beyond the surface thereof for about 0.001 inch, whereby a globule of Hg may attach to said wettable material and be bounded by said barrier of mercury nonwettable material.
  • a nonsticking contact for a mercury switch comprising a support,
  • a barrier of mercury nonwettable material extending from said surface to a still greater extent, said still greater extent being about 0.001 inch.
  • a nonsticking contact for a mercury switch comprising a mercury wettable surface
  • a nonmercury wettable barrier layer bounding said surface and extending beyond said surface about 0.001 inch.
  • a nonsticking contact for a mercury switch comprising a mercury wettable circuit completing surface

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
  • Switches That Are Operated By Magnetic Or Electric Fields (AREA)
US880128A 1969-11-26 1969-11-26 Nonsticking relay contacts Expired - Lifetime US3644693A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US88012869A 1969-11-26 1969-11-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3644693A true US3644693A (en) 1972-02-22

Family

ID=25375568

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US880128A Expired - Lifetime US3644693A (en) 1969-11-26 1969-11-26 Nonsticking relay contacts

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3644693A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4840934B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA929997A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2058271A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2068655B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1326760A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7017265A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3876850A (en) * 1972-07-04 1975-04-08 Phillippe Paul Amberny Liquid type modular electrical switch
US4066859A (en) * 1975-05-26 1978-01-03 U.S. Philips Corporation Mercury wettable contact assembly
US4652710A (en) * 1986-04-09 1987-03-24 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Mercury switch with non-wettable electrodes
US4683355A (en) * 1986-12-09 1987-07-28 Fifth Dimension Inc. Position insensitive shock sensor
US5363669A (en) * 1992-11-18 1994-11-15 Whirlpool Corporation Defrost cycle controller
US20190152443A1 (en) * 2016-06-02 2019-05-23 Spark Co. Ltd. Vehicle wiper blade

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2818466C2 (de) * 1977-04-29 1986-09-18 C.P. Clare International N.V., Tongeren Quecksilber-Reed-Relais
JPS60176912U (ja) * 1984-05-03 1985-11-25 トヨタ自動車株式会社 デフロスタ風向き調整装置
US4644854A (en) * 1985-03-27 1987-02-24 Bowles Fluidics Corporation Air sweep defroster
DE3528890A1 (de) * 1985-08-12 1987-02-19 Siemens Ag Kontaktstueck

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3876850A (en) * 1972-07-04 1975-04-08 Phillippe Paul Amberny Liquid type modular electrical switch
US4066859A (en) * 1975-05-26 1978-01-03 U.S. Philips Corporation Mercury wettable contact assembly
US4652710A (en) * 1986-04-09 1987-03-24 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Mercury switch with non-wettable electrodes
US4683355A (en) * 1986-12-09 1987-07-28 Fifth Dimension Inc. Position insensitive shock sensor
US5363669A (en) * 1992-11-18 1994-11-15 Whirlpool Corporation Defrost cycle controller
US5363667A (en) * 1992-11-18 1994-11-15 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigerator control circuit with relay operation checking
US5369962A (en) * 1992-11-18 1994-12-06 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigeration system configuration
US5373705A (en) * 1992-11-18 1994-12-20 Whirlpool Corporation Defrost cycle controller
US5394291A (en) * 1992-11-18 1995-02-28 Whirlpool Corporation Relay energizing circuit
US5454230A (en) * 1992-11-18 1995-10-03 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigeration control circuit with self-test mode
US5456087A (en) * 1992-11-18 1995-10-10 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigeration system with failure mode
US5469715A (en) * 1992-11-18 1995-11-28 Whirlpool Corporation Defrost cycle controller
US5533360A (en) * 1992-11-18 1996-07-09 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigeration system configuration
US20190152443A1 (en) * 2016-06-02 2019-05-23 Spark Co. Ltd. Vehicle wiper blade

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2058271A1 (de) 1971-07-15
NL7017265A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-05-28
CA929997A (en) 1973-07-10
GB1326760A (en) 1973-08-15
FR2068655A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-08-27
FR2068655B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-02-02
JPS4840934B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-12-04

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NEW JERSEY

Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FIFTH DIMENSION, INC.;REEL/FRAME:009103/0531

Effective date: 19911206

AS Assignment

Owner name: PNC BANK, N.A., NEW JERSEY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FIFTH DIMENSION, INC.;REEL/FRAME:010144/0181

Effective date: 19990712