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US 10,930,462 B2Granted
Trip free relay
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorAndrew Edward Carlson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An overload relay is disclosed in which a single operator coil is controlled for both tripping and resetting. A permanent magnet and a spring make the device bi-stable, so the coil may be unpowered when in the trip and reset states. Energization of the coil overcomes the magnet to allow tripping, while energization in an opposite direction adds to the magnet force to reset the device. An electromagnetic activation path overrides a mechanical activation path for electromagnetic tripping despite attempted manual resetting. The device may be pulse width modulated to reduce power consumption.
Claims19
An overload relay, comprising:
- an electromagnetic activation path comprising single coil and an armature that, in operation, moves movable contacts between set and tripped states with respect to stationary contacts, a magnet to hold the armature in the set state, and wherein for tripping, the coil produces a coil magnetic flux to overcome a magnet magnetic flux of the magnet to release the armature to the tripped state under the influence of a spring;
- and
- a mechanical activation path comprising a manually operated reset member that causes the armature to move between the tripped and set states;
- wherein the electromagnetic activation path and the mechanical activation path can both move the armature between the set and tripped states without selection of a tripping mode of operation;
- and wherein when the coil is energized to produce the coil magnetic flux to overcome magnet magnetic flux of the magnet, manual operation of the reset member will not cause resetting of the armature to the set state;
- wherein the same stationary contacts may be wired for normally open or normally closed operation, and
- wherein the mechanical activation path comprises a lever and a pin connected to the lever, the lever being moved by the reset member, and the pin extending through the coil to contact the armature upon manual actuation of the reset member.
4 more elements
An overload relay, comprising:
- an armature that, in operation, moves movable contacts between set and tripped states with respect to stationary contacts;
- a magnet that in operation produces a magnet magnetic flux to hold the armature in the set state;
- a single coil energizable in a first manner to attract the armature to the set state, and in a second manner to produce a coil magnetic flux to overcome the magnet magnetic flux to overcome the magnet magnetic flux to release the armature to the tripped state under the influence of a spring;
- and
- a mechanical activation path comprising a manually operated reset member that causes the armature to move between the tripped and set states;
- wherein the armature is bistable in the set and tripped states;
- and
- wherein the electromagnetic activation path and the mechanical activation path can both move the armature between the set and tripped states;
- and
- wherein when the coil is energized to produce the coil magnetic flux to overcome the magnet magnetic flux of the magnet, manual operation of the reset member will not cause resetting of the armature to the set state;
- and
- wherein the same stationary contacts may be wired for normally open or normally closed operation;
- wherein the mechanical activation path comprises a lever and a pin connected to the lever, the lever being moved by the reset member, and the pin extending through the coil to contact the armature upon manual actuation of the reset member.
10 more elements
An overload relay, comprising:
- an electromagnetic activation path comprising a single coil and an armature that, in operation, moves movable contacts between set and tripped states with respect to stationary contacts, a magnet to hold the armature in the set state, and wherein for tripping, the coil produces a coil magnetic flux to overcome a magnet magnetic flux of the magnet to release the armature to the tripped state under the influence of a spring;
- and
- a mechanical activation path comprising a manually operated reset member that causes the armature to move between the tripped and set states;
- wherein the armature is bistable in the set and tripped states, and wherein the electromagnetic activation path and the mechanical activation path can both move the armature between the set and tripped states while in the same physical configuration and without selection of a tripping mode of operation;
- and
- wherein the same stationary contacts may be wired for normally open or normally closed operation, and
- wherein the mechanical activation path comprises a lever and a pin connected to the lever, the lever being moved by the reset member, and the pin extending through the coil to contact the armature upon manual actuation of the reset member.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.