Contact device and electromagnetic contactor using the same

A contact device comprising:

• a contact mechanism including a pair of fixed contacts disposed to maintain a predetermined distance and a movable contact disposed contacting to and separating from the pair of fixed contacts;
• and
• a contact housing case housing the contact mechanism, and having an upper case having an inner portion and an outer portion disposed outside of the inner portion,
• wherein the movable contact has a conductive plate portion extending in a direction crossing a moving direction of the movable contact in the contact housing case,
• each of the pair of fixed contacts includes
• an inner side conductor plate portion having one end facing one end portion of the conductive plate portion of the movable contact and another end portion extending toward an outside of the contact housing case in parallel to the conductive plate portion,
• an outer side conductor plate portion having one end portion connected to the another end portion of the inner side conductor plate portion and at least extending in a direction separating from the movable contact, the inner and outer side conductor plate portions forming an L-shaped conductor portion to generate a Lorentz force opposing an electromagnetic repulsion force generated in an opening direction between the fixed contact and the movable contact when current is conducted, and
• an external connection terminal connected to another end portion of the outer side conductor plate portion and extending outwardly in parallel to the inner side conductor plate portions, and
• each of the pair of outer side conductor plate portions is arranged between the inner portion and the outer portion;
• and each of the pair of external connection terminals extends outwardly from the inner portion and is arranged in the outer portion.