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US 6,710,689 B2Granted
Floating contactor relay
AssigneeCredence Systems Corporation
InventorPaul D. Wohlfarth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A relay includes one or more conductive coils embedded in a substrate having multiple insulating layers. Each coil is formed by conductive traces formed between several substrate layers and vias extending vertically between traces on adjacent layers. Each coil surrounds a separate core extending vertically within the substrate. At least one set of contacts reside on the substrate bordering a space containing a contactor. The contactor is formed of conductive material, has a conductive surface and is “free-floating” in that it is unattached to any other object and free to move within the space bordered by the contacts. Current passing through the coil or coils produces magnetic fields which can move the contactor onto or away from the contacts so as to selectively make or break a signal path between the contacts.
Claims44
A relay comprising:
- two first conductive contacts;
- a contactor having a surface including a conductive area and residing unattached within a space partially bounded by the first conductive contacts, the contactor comprising material subject to a motive force when in a magnetic field;
- a first coil for intermittently conducting a first current and for generating a first magnetic field when conducting the first current, wherein the first magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space until the conductive area of the contactor's surface comes into contact with the first conductive contacts thereby providing a first signal path between the first conductive contacts;
- and
- a substrate of insulating material, the substrate having an outer surface, the first conductive contacts being formed on the substrate's outer surface, the contactor residing external to the substrate.
2 more elements
A relay comprising:
- two first conductive contacts;
- a contactor having a conductive area with a curved surface and residing unattached within a space partially bounded by the first conductive contacts, the contactor comprising material subject to a motive force when in a magnetic field;
- and
- a first coil for intermittently conducting a first current and for generating a first magnetic field when conducting the first current, wherein the first magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space until the curved surface of the conductive area comes into contact with the first conductive contacts thereby providing a first signal path between the first conductive contact.
1 more element
A relay comprising:
- two first conductive contacts;
- a contactor having a surface including a conductive area and residing unattached within a space partially bounded by the first conductive contacts, the contactor comprising material subject to a motive force when in a magnetic field;
- a first coil for intermittently conducting a first current and for generating a first magnetic field when conducting the first current, wherein the first magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space until the conductive area of the contactor's surface comes into contact with the first conductive contacts thereby providing a first signal path between the first conductive contacts;
- and
- a second coil for intermittently conducting a second current and for generating a second magnetic field when conducting the second current, wherein the second magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space away from the first conductive contacts.
2 more elements
A relay comprising:
- two first conductive contacts;
- a contactor having a surface including a conductive area and residing unattached within a space partially bounded by the first conductive contacts, the contactor comprising material subject to a motive force when in a magnetic field;
- a first coil for intermittently conducting a first current and for generating a first magnetic field when conducting the first current, wherein the first magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space until the conductive area of the contactor's surface comes into contact with the first conductive contacts thereby providing a first signal path between the first conductive contacts;
- and
- a substrate of insulating material, the substrate having a channel therein at least partially bounding the space in which the contactor resides, the first contacts residing in the channel, the first coil being embedded in the substrate;
- two second contacts residing in the channel;
- and
- a second coil for placing the contactor in a second magnetic field when the second coil is conducting a current in a second direction, wherein the second magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space until the conductive area of the contactor's surface comes into contact with the second conductive contacts thereby providing a second signal path between the second conductive contacts.
5 more elements
A relay comprising:
- a substrate formed of electrically insulating material;
- conductive contacts formed on the substrate;
- a contactor having a surface including a conductive area and residing unattached within a space partially bounded by the conductive contacts;
- a first coil embedded in the substrate for intermittently conducting a first current in a first direction and for generating a first magnetic field when conducting the first current, and
- a magnetized core positioned such that the first magnetic field moves the core toward the conductive contacts, causing the core to force the contactor onto the conductive contacts such that the contactor's conductive area provides a signal path between the first conductive contacts.
2 more elements
A hybrid circuit comprising:
- a printed circuit board;
- an integrated circuit chip mounted on the printed circuit board and having a signal terminal;
- two first conductive contacts mounted on the printed circuit board,
- means for conductively linking one of the two first conductive contacts to the signal terminal of the integrated circuit chip;
- a contactor having a surface including a conductive area and residing unattached within a space partially bounded by the first conductive contacts, the contactor comprising material subject to a motive force when in a magnetic field;
- and
- a first coil embedded in the printed circuit board for intermittently conducting a first current and for generating a first magnetic field when conducting the first current, wherein the first magnetic field causes the contactor to move within the space until the conductive area of the contactor's surface comes into contact with the first conductive contacts thereby providing a first signal path between the first conductive contacts.
4 more elements
A relay comprising:
- an insulating substrate having an interior cavity,
- a conductive contactor residing within the cavity;
- two first contacts residing on the insulating substrate and exposed within the cavity;
- a first coil formed within the insulating substrate proximate to the two first contacts,
- wherein when the first coil conducts a first current, the first coil produces a first magnetic flux pulling the contactor into engagement with the two first contacts.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.