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US 11,538,640 B2Granted
Systems and methods for relay contact assembly reduction
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRandall S. Langer, David Elmiger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for contact erosion mitigation are provided. To perform contact erosion mitigation, an order of opening/closing poles and/or contact relays of particular poles is altered, resulting in a sharing of potential arcing conditions amongst the poles/contact relays of these poles.
Claims19
A multi-pole switch, comprising:
- a first pole comprising one or more first contact switches;
- a second pole comprising one or more second contact switches;
- and
- a third pole comprising one or more third contact switches;
- wherein the multi-pole switch is configured to enable contact erosion mitigation by altering ordering of opening, closing, or opening and closing the first contact switches, the second contact switches, and third contact switches between a first open operation and a second open operation, between a first close operation and a second close operation, or both between the first open operation and the second open operation and between the first close operation and the second close operation;
- wherein one pole comprises two contact breaks and the other poles comprise one contact break;
- and
- wherein to perform an open operation:
- the one pole comprising two contact breaks is opened prior to opening the other poles;
- and
- an order of opening the two contact breaks of the one pole is alternated between subsequent open operations, or an order of opening of the other poles is alternated between the subsequent open operations, or both;
- or
- wherein to perform to perform a close operation:
- the one pole comprising two contact breaks is closed after opening the other poles;
- and
- an order of closing the two contact breaks of the one pole are alternated between subsequent close operations, or an order of closing of the other poles is alternated between subsequent close operations, or both.
13 more elements
A method of performing a multi-pole switch operation, comprising:
- receiving a first request for a first opening operation or a first closing operation;
- based upon the first request:
- for the first opening operation, open poles of a multi-pole switch in a first opening order, by:
- opening a pole having an increased number of contact switches before poles having a fewer number of switches;
- or
- for the first closing operation, close the poles in a first closing order, by:
- closing a pole having an increased number of contact switches after closing poles having a fewer number of contact switches;
- receiving a second request for a second opening operation or a second closing operation;
- and
- based upon the second request:
- for the second opening operation:
- opening poles of the multi-pole switch in a second opening order different than the first opening order;
- and
- alternating an order of opening each of the increased number of contact switches, alternating an order of opening the poles having the fewer number of contact switches, or both;
- or
- for the second closing operation request:
- closing the poles in a second closing order different than the first closing order;
- and
- alternating an order of closing each of the increased number of contact switches, or alternating an order of closing the poles having the fewer number of contact switches, or both.
16 more elements
A controller, comprising circuitry configured to perform contact erosion mitigation on a multi-pole switch, by:
- receiving a first request for a first opening operation or a first closing operation;
- based upon the first request:
- for the first opening operation, opening poles of the multi-pole switch in a first opening order, by:
- opening a pole having an increased number of contact switches before poles having a fewer number of switches;
- or
- for the first closing operation, closing the poles in a first closing order, by:
- closing a pole having an increased number of contact switches after closing poles having a fewer number of contact switches;
- receiving a second request for a second opening operation or a second closing operation;
- and
- based upon the second request:
- for the second opening operation:
- opening poles of the multi-pole switch in a second opening order different than the first opening order;
- and
- alternating an order of opening each of the increased number of contact switches, alternating an order of opening the poles having the fewer number of contact switches, or both;
- or
- for the second closing operation:
- closing the poles in a second closing order different than the first closing order;
- and
- alternating an order of closing each of the increased number of contact switches, or alternating an order of closing the poles having the fewer number of contact switches, or both.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.