Magnetically controlled switch with wetted contact
AssigneeOrega Circuits et Commutation
InventorsJean-Francois Goullin, Michel Nicolas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a magnetically controlled switch with contacts wetted by a conductive liquid. It is characterized in that the wettable contact surfaces of the electrodes are selectively connected to one another by a wettable ferromagnetic moving element covered with mercury which is held solely by the surface tension forces of the mercury. The absence of any polarizing force and the lightness of the moving element enable the switch to operate with a minimal energy consumption and stabilize it against accelerations. Principal application to any low-power circuit and in particular to telephone circuits.
Claims17
A magnetically controlled switch with wetted contacts, comprising:
- a housing defining a closeable cavity having a non-wettable inner surface;
- at least two fixed electrodes of ferromagnetic material having their contact surface inside said closeable cavity and wettable only at their ends;
- a conductive liquid intended to establish electrical contact between at least two of said at least two fixed electrodes disposed in said cavity;
- a lightweight moving element of ferromagnetic material wetted by said liquid at least over its contact surfaces, displaceable in a plane inside said cavity between said at least two fixed electrodes in continuous confronting relation to said non-wettable inner surface;
- and
- external control means, which creates a magnetic field passing through said cavity, for changing the position of said element making said electrical contact, whereby the electrical contact established in the position acquired by said element is retained, in the absence of said magnetic field, by the action of surface tension forces, the position in space of the switch being immaterial, said cavity surface having such dimensions as to prevent movement of said element perpendicular to said plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.