Contactor with multi-gap actuator

A contactor comprising:

• a housing having a cavity;
• fixed contacts received in the cavity, the fixed contacts having mating ends in the cavity;
• a movable contact movable within the cavity to mate to the fixed contacts and unmate from the fixed contacts, the movable contact electrically connecting the fixed contacts in the mated position, a mating gap being formed between the movable contact and the fixed contacts when the movable contact is unmated from the fixed contacts;
• an actuator operably coupled to the movable contact to move the movable contact within the cavity relative to the fixed contacts, the actuator including a primary coil assembly and a secondary coil assembly;
• the primary coil assembly including a primary core and a primary coil forming a first electromagnet, the primary coil assembly including a primary armature holding a primary plunger, the primary plunger coupled to the movable contact to move the movable contact, the primary armature movable upon operation of the first electromagnet to move the primary plunger and the movable contact relative to the fixed contacts;
• the secondary coil assembly including a secondary core and a secondary coil forming a second electromagnet, the secondary coil assembly including a secondary armature holding a secondary plunger, the secondary plunger coupled to the primary plunger, the secondary armature movable upon operation of the second electromagnet to move the secondary plunger, wherein the secondary coil assembly is operable independently from the primary coil assembly to change a length of the mating gap by moving the position of the secondary plunger relative to the fixed contacts.

A contactor comprising:

• a housing having a cavity;
• fixed contacts received in the cavity, the fixed contacts having mating ends in the cavity;
• a movable contact movable within the cavity between a mated position and an open position to mate to the fixed contacts and unmate from the fixed contacts, the movable contact electrically connecting the fixed contacts in the mated position, a mating gap being formed between the movable contact and the fixed contacts when the movable contact is unmated from the fixed contacts in the open position;
• an actuator operably coupled to the movable contact to move the movable contact within the cavity relative to the fixed contacts, the actuator operable to close the mating gap and connect the moveable contact to the fixed contacts in both a short gap mode and an extended gap mode, wherein the open position of the movable contact is variable such that the mating gap between the movable contact and the fixed contacts has a first length in the short gap mode and the mating gap between the movable contact and the fixed contacts has a second length in the extended gap mode, the first length being shorter than the second length.