US-12620540-B2 - Contact device and electromagnetic relay

US12620540B2US 12620540 B2US12620540 B2US 12620540B2US-12620540-B2

Abstract

This contact device includes: a first fixed terminal; a movable contactor configured to contact the first fixed terminal and separate from the first fixed terminal; a spring disposed below the movable contactor and formed of a metal; a holder including a bottom and disposed to position the bottom below the spring; and a resin member configured to cover a portion of the bottom of the holder. The holder has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the resin member. The upper surface of the bottom of the holder includes an exposed portion that is exposed from the resin member. The spring is in contact with the exposed portion of the bottom.

Inventors

Tsukasa Nishimura
Yosuke Shimizu
Hironori HOUNOKI
KOHEI FUDO
Taeho JANG

Assignees

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220328
Priority Date: 20210428

Claims (14)

1 . A contact device comprising: a first fixed terminal; a movable contactor configured to contact the first fixed terminal and separate from the first fixed terminal; a spring disposed below the movable contactor and formed of a metal; a holder including a bottom and disposed to position the bottom below the spring; and a resin member configured to cover a portion of the bottom of the holder, wherein the holder has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the resin member, an upper surface of the bottom of the holder includes an exposed portion that is exposed from the resin member, the spring is in contact with the exposed portion of the bottom, the spring is a helical spring, the resin member includes: a base; and a protrusion protruding upward from the base, and the protrusion is disposed inside the helical spring as viewed from above.
2 . The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is formed of a metal.
3 . The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is ring-shaped.
4 . The contact device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a yoke provided above the movable contactor, wherein the holder further includes a first side plate and a second side plate connected by the bottom, the yoke is welded to the first side plate and the second side plate, a welding trace between the yoke and the first side plate extends along a first edge of the yoke, the first edge facing the first side plate, and a welding trace between the yoke and the second side plate extends along a second edge of the yoke, the second edge facing the second side plate.
5 . The contact device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a yoke disposed above the movable contactor, wherein the yoke is configured to vertically move together with the movable contactor, and the yoke includes a protrusion protruding toward the movable contactor.
6 . The contact device according to claim 5 , wherein the first fixed terminal is provided above the movable contactor, as the movable contactor moves upward, the movable contactor contacts the first fixed terminal, and as the movable contactor moves downward, the movable contactor separates from the first fixed terminal, and as the movable contactor moves downward, the protrusion of the yoke contacts the movable contactor.
7 . The contact device according to claim 5 , further comprising: a movable shaft configured to cause the movable contactor to contact the first fixed terminal and cause the movable contactor to separate from the first fixed terminal, wherein the movable shaft is disposed to overlap the protrusion of the yoke as viewed from above.
8 . The contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is formed by bending a single member.
9 . The contact device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a first magnet; a second magnet disposed with an opposite pole facing the first magnet; and a second fixed terminal, wherein the holder further includes a first side plate and a second side plate, the bottom is connected to the first side plate and the second side plate, the first side plate and the second side plate face each other, the first side plate is located between the first magnet and the second magnet, and each of the first magnet and the second magnet is located closer to the first side plate than to the second side plate.
10 . An electromagnetic relay comprising: the contact device according to claim 1 ; and an electromagnet device configured to cause the movable contactor to contact the first fixed terminal and cause the movable contactor to separate from the first fixed terminal.
11 . A contact device comprising: a first fixed terminal; a movable contactor configured to contact the first fixed terminal and separate from the first fixed terminal; a spring disposed below the movable contactor and formed of a metal; a holder including a bottom and disposed to position the bottom below the spring; a resin member configured to cover a portion of the bottom of the holder; and a yoke disposed above the movable contactor, wherein: the holder has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the resin member, an upper surface of the bottom of the holder includes an exposed portion that is exposed from the resin member, the spring is in contact with the exposed portion of the bottom the yoke is configured to vertically move together with the movable contactor, and the yoke includes a protrusion protruding toward the movable contactor.
12 . The contact device according to claim 11 , wherein the holder is formed of a metal.
13 . The contact device according to claim 11 , wherein the spring is a helical spring, and the exposed portion is ring-shaped.
14 . The contact device according to claim 11 , wherein the holder is formed by bending a single member.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to contact devices and electromagnetic relays and more specifically relates to a contact device including a fixed terminal and an electromagnetic relay including the contact device. BACKGROUND ART The contact device disclosed in Patent Literature (PTL) 1 includes a fixed contact, a movable contactor, a spring bearing part, and a contact pressure spring provided between the movable contactor and the spring bearing part. The movable contactor contacts and separates from the fixed contact. In the contact device disclosed in PTL 1, when the movable contactor is in contact with the fixed contact, the movable contactor and the fixed contact conduct electricity therebetween. CITATION LIST Patent Literature PTL 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-117809 SUMMARY OF INVENTION When an electric current flows between the movable contactor and the fixed contact, the movable contactor and the fixed contact generate heat. A contact device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first fixed terminal; a movable contactor configured to contact the first fixed terminal and separate from the first fixed terminal; a spring disposed below the movable contactor and formed of a metal; a holder including a bottom and disposed to position the bottom below the spring; and a resin member configured to cover a portion of the bottom of the holder, wherein the holder has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the resin member, an upper surface of the bottom of the holder includes an exposed portion that is exposed from the resin member, and the spring is in contact with the exposed portion of the bottom. An electromagnetic relay according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: the contact device, and an electromagnet device configured to causes the movable contactor to contact the first fixed terminal and cause the movable contactor to separate from the first fixed terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an electromagnetic relay according to one exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the electromagnetic relay. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of main components of the contact device. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a holder of the contact device. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of main components of the contact device. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a yoke of the contact device. FIG. 8 is a top view of main components of the contact device. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the exemplary embodiment described below, identical elements are denoted by the same reference signs and overlapping description of the identical elements will be omitted. The following exemplary embodiment is merely one of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Various changes can be made to the exemplary embodiment according to the design or the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Each figure described in the present disclosure is a schematic diagram, meaning that the ratio between the sizes of structural elements in each figure and the ratio between the thicknesses of structural elements in each figure do not necessarily reflect an actual dimension ratio. Note that arrows indicating directions are one example and are not intended to define the direction of electromagnetic relay 1 when in use. Furthermore, the arrows representing directions in the drawings are illustrated for the sake of description and are not substantive. (1) Outline The outline of electromagnetic relay 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, and FIG. 6. Electromagnetic relay 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is provided in an electric vehicle, for example. Electromagnetic relay 1 switches between supplying and not supplying an electric current from a power supply to a motor in the electric vehicle, for example. As illustrated in FIG. 2, electromagnetic relay 1 includes contact device 10 and electromagnet device 7. Contact device 10 includes fixed terminal unit 2, movable contactor 3, holder 60, resin member 64, and spring 65. Fixed terminal unit 2 includes: first fixed terminal 21 including first fixed contact 211; and second fixed terminal 22 including second fixed contact 221. Movable contactor 3 includes first movable contact 31 and second movable contact 32. Movable contactor 3 can move between a closed position in which first movable contact 31 is in contact with first fixed contact 211 and second movable contact 32 is in contact with second fixed contact 221 and an open position in which first movable contact 31 is separate from