This application is based upon and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202322848079.0, filed on October 23, 2023, the entire contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a technical field of relays, in particular to a magnetic latching relay.

A magnetic latching relay is an electronic switch that functions to connect and disconnect a load circuit. The magnetic latching relay includes a contact structure. The contact structure includes a movable contact piece and a static contact piece, with a movable contact on the movable contact piece and a static contact on the static contact piece. When a forward pulse voltage is applied to the magnetic latching relay, the movable and static contacts are closed, causing connection of an external load circuit; when a reverse pulse voltage is applied to the magnetic latching relay, the movable and static contacts are opened, causing disconnection of the external load circuit.

In order to monitor whether the movable contact and the static contact are in a closed state or in an open state, a microswitch and a triggering component can be provided in the magnetic latching relay. The triggering component can move synchronously with the movable contact to trigger connection and disconnection of the microswitch. The closed or open state of the movable and static contacts can be determined by a state of the microswitch. However, in the related art, the triggering component usually has a small volume and is prone to significant deformation during a process of triggering the microswitch. When the deformation is too large, an on/off state of the microswitch will be inaccurate, losing a monitoring function, and the triggering component has weak strength and is prone to damage after a certain period of use. If the volume of the triggering component is increased, it will occupy a larger space, which hinders miniaturization of the magnetic latching relay.

The above information disclosed in this section is intended only to enhance understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and hence may include information that does not constitute relevant art known to those skilled in the art.

Embodiments of the present disclosure propose a magnetic latching relay, which enables more accurate monitoring of the microswitch, and can extend a service life and save space.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a magnetic latching relay is provided, including a base, a microswitch and a magnetic circuit structure. The microswitch is disposed on the base and includes a housing and an elastic sheet, the elastic sheet extending from the housing in a direction away from the housing. The magnetic circuit structure includes an armature, a permanent magnet, and an injection molded part. The injection molded part includes: a body portion, wrapped around the permanent magnet and a part of the armature, to fixedly connect the permanent magnet with the armature, the permanent magnet can swing; and a toggle portion, integrally injection molded with the body portion and having a protrusion protruding towards the elastic sheet of the microswitch. When the permanent magnet swings towards a direction close to the microswitch, the protrusion of the toggle portion moves towards a direction close to the elastic sheet, and drives the elastic sheet to move towards a direction close to the housing, making the microswitch connected. When the permanent magnet swings towards a direction away from the microswitch, the protrusion moves towards a direction away from the elastic sheet, and the elastic sheet is reset, making the microswitch disconnected.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the toggle portion includes a mounting section and a transition section located between the mounting section and the protrusion, and a dimension of the transition section along a longitudinal direction gradually decreases towards a direction close to the protrusion.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a first dimension of the protrusion along the longitudinal direction is smaller than a minimum dimension of the transition section along the longitudinal direction.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transition section has at least one first reinforcing rib.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, there are a plurality of first reinforcing ribs arranged in parallel or crosswise.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transition section is of a frame-shaped structure, and the first reinforcing ribs are located in an opening of the frame-shaped structure.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the toggle portion further includes a toggle rod perpendicularly arranged on the mounting section.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the mounting section is provided with at least one second reinforcing rib.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a dimension of the mounting section in the longitudinal direction and a dimension of the mounting section in a transverse direction are both larger than a dimension of the microswitch.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the magnetic latching relay further includes a coil assembly located on the base and at a side of the magnetic circuit structure in a longitudinal direction. There is a curved transition at a connection between the toggle portion and the body portion, allowing the toggle portion to extend from the body portion to above the coil assembly without making contact with the coil assembly.

As known from the above technical solutions, the present disclosure has at least one of the following advantages and positive effects.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the toggle portion and the body portion are integrally injection molded, and the body portion is wrapped around the permanent magnet and the armature, enlarging the volume of the body portion, increasing the strength of the toggle portion, making the toggle portion less prone to deformation, extending the service life, and allowing more accurate monitoring of the magnetic latching relay. Moreover, since the body portion is wrapped around the permanent magnet and the armature, the body portion will not occupy a large space, which facilitates miniaturization of the magnetic latching relay.

The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a magnetic latching relay (without a cover) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a magnetic latching relay (without a fixed frame) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a magnetic latching relay (without a fixed frame and an injection molded part) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an injection molded part according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an injection molded part according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a microswitch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

100. Base; 200. Microswitch; 21. Housing; 22. Elastic sheet; 23. Common terminal; 24. First terminal; 25. Second terminal; 300. Magnetic circuit structure; 31. Armature; 32. Permanent magnet; 33. Injection molded part; 331. Body portion; 332. Toggle portion; 3321. Protrusion; 3322. Mounting section; 3323. Transition section; 3324. First reinforcing rib; 3325. Toggle rod; 3326. Second reinforcing rib; 333. Swing arm; 334. Rotating shaft; 34. Yoke; 400. Coil assembly; 41. Bobbin; 42. Coil; 500. Fixed frame; 600. Contact structure; 61. Movable contact piece; 62. Static contact piece; 63. Movable contact; 64. Static contact; 65. Compression spring; 700. Push card; X. Transverse direction; Y. Longitudinal direction; d1. First dimension; d2. Minimum dimension.

Exemplary embodiments will be described more comprehensively with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be understood as being limited to implementations described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure comprehensive and complete, and fully convey the idea of exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote same or similar structures, and thus their detailed description will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a magnetic latching relay, including a base 100, a microswitch 200, and a magnetic circuit structure 300.

As shown in FIG. 1, the microswitch 200 is disposed on the base 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the microswitch 200 includes a housing 21 and an elastic sheet 22, and the elastic sheet 22 extends from the housing 21 in a direction away from the housing 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic sheet 22 may be metal with elasticity, and have a first end connected to the housing 21 and a second end extending obliquely relative to the housing 21 in the direction away from the housing 21. The microswitch 200 also includes three terminals, namely, a common terminal 23, a first terminal 24, and a second terminal 25. When no force is applied to the elastic sheet 22, the common terminal 23 is connected to the first terminal 24, and the microswitch 200 is in an off state. When force is applied to the elastic sheet 22, i.e., pushing the elastic sheet 22 to move in a direction close to the housing 21, the common terminal 23 is disconnected from the first terminal 24 and connected to the second terminal 25, and the microswitch 200 is in an on state. A display device can be provided and electrically connected to the microswitch 200, and the on/off state of the microswitch 200 can be determined based on a state of the display device.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the magnetic circuit structure 300 includes an armature 31, a permanent magnet 32, and an injection molded part 33. As shown in FIG. 3, there are two armatures 31 disposed at both sides of the permanent magnet 32 in a longitudinal direction Y and protruding from both sides of the permanent magnet 32 in a transverse direction X. As shown in FIG. 2, the permanent magnet 32 and the armatures 31 are fixed together by an injection molding process. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the injection molded part 33 may be formed by the injection molding process. The injection molded part 33 includes a body portion 331 and a toggle portion 332. The body portion 331 is wrapped around the permanent magnet 32 and a part of the armature 31, so that the permanent magnet 32 and the armature 31 are fixedly connected, and two ends of the armature 31 can be exposed out of the body portion 331. The toggle portion 332 is integrally injection molded with the body portion 331, and the toggle portion 332 has a protrusion 3321 protruding towards the elastic sheet 22 of the microswitch 200.

As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic latching relay also includes a fixed frame 500, which is disposed on the base 100 and located above the injection molded part 33 and is configured to limit a position of the permanent magnet 32. As shown in FIG. 4, there is a rotating shaft 334 on each of both sides of the body portion 331 of the injection molded part 33, and the rotating shaft 334 is connected to shaft holes on the base 100 and the fixed frame 500, so that the injection molded part 33 can rotate. The injection molded part 33 also includes a swing arm 333 at each of both sides of the body portion 331.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the magnetic latching relay also includes a coil assembly 400 located on the base 100 and at a side of the magnetic circuit structure 300 in the longitudinal direction Y. Specifically, the coil assembly 400 includes a bobbin 41, a coil 42, and an iron core (not shown in the drawings). The iron core is located in the bobbin 41. The coil 42 is wound around the bobbin 41.

As shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic circuit structure 300 also includes a yoke 34 fixed on the base 100. There are two yokes 34 that are located at both sides of the bobbin 41 and in contact with the iron core.

As shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic latching relay also includes a contact structure 600. The contact structure 600 includes two parallel contact pieces, and each contact piece has a movable contact portion 61 and a static contact portion 62. The movable contact portion 61 is provided with a movable contact 63, and the static contact portion 62 is provided with a static contact 64. The movable contact 63 of one contact piece corresponds to the static contact 64 of the other contact piece, and the static contact 64 of one contact piece corresponds to the movable contact 63 of the other contact piece. The contact structure 600 also includes a compression spring 65 connected to the movable contact portion 61.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the magnetic latching relay also includes a push card 700 disposed on the base 100. A first end of the push card is connected to the compression spring 65, and a second end of the push card can be movably connected to the swing arm 333 of the injection molded part 33. When the swing arm 333 swings, the push card 700 is driven to move, and then brings, through the compression spring 65, the movable contact portion 61 into motion.

When a forward pulse voltage is applied to the coil 42, the permanent magnet 32 swings towards a side. Due to a fixed connection among the injection molded part 33, the armature 31, and the permanent magnet 32, the injection molded part 33 is driven to swing around the rotating shaft 334, and the armature 31 also swings accordingly, so that the armature 31 is lapped with the yokes 34 at both sides, and the permanent magnet 32, the armature 31, the yokes 34, and the iron core form a complete magnetic field. Meanwhile, the swing arm 333 of the injection molded part 33 swings; the swing arm 333 drives the push card 700 to move; the push card 700 pushes the movable contact portion 61 through the compression spring 65, so that the movable contact 63 of one contact piece is connected with the static contact 64 of the other contact piece, that is, the two contact pieces are closed, and the magnetic latching relay is closed. When the coil 42 is deenergized, the permanent magnet 32 can maintain the magnetic field, that is, positions of the permanent magnet 32, the armature 31, and the injection molded part 33 are unchanged, thereby keeping the movable contact 63 and the static contact 64 in a closed state.

When a reverse pulse voltage is applied to the coil 42, the permanent magnet 32 swings towards an opposite side, and also drives the armature 31 to swing towards the opposite side, so that the armature 31 is still lapped with the yokes 34 at both sides, forming another complete magnetic field. Meanwhile, the swing arm 333 of the injection molded part 33 also swings towards the opposite side; the swing arm 333 drives the push card 700 to move in an opposite direction; the push card 700 pulls the movable contact portion 61, so that the movable contact 63 is disconnected with the static contact 64, and the relay is disconnected. When the coil 42 is deenergized, the permanent magnet 32 can maintain the magnetic field, that is, positions of the permanent magnet 32, the armature 31, and the injection molded part 33 are unchanged, thereby keeping the movable contact 63 and the static contact 64 in an open state.

In the above swinging process of the permanent magnet 32, since the injection molded part 33 also swings accordingly, when the permanent magnet 32 swings towards a direction close to the microswitch 200, the protrusion 3321 of the toggle portion 332 moves towards a direction close to the elastic sheet 22, and drives the elastic sheet 22 to move towards the direction close to the housing 21 of the microswitch 200, making the microswitch 200 connected. When the coil 42 is deenergized, since the injection molded part 33 can remain in place, positions of the protrusion 3321 of the toggle portion 332 and the elastic sheet 22 keep unchanged, so that the microswitch 200 is always in a connected state when the movable contact 63 and the static contact 64 are closed.

When the permanent magnet 32 swings towards a direction away from the microswitch 200, the protrusion 3321 of the toggle portion 332 moves towards a direction away from the elastic sheet 22, and the elastic sheet 22 is reset, making the microswitch 200 disconnected. Hence, when the movable contact 63 and the static contact 64 are in the open state, the microswitch 200 is also in a disconnected state. In turn, the open and closed states of the movable contact 63 and the static contact 64 inside the magnetic latching relay can be monitored by observing the state of the microswitch 200.

As shown in FIG. 4, the toggle portion 332 includes a mounting section 3322 and a transition section 3323. The transition section 3323 is located between the mounting section 3322 and the protrusion 3321, and a dimension of the transition section 3323 along the longitudinal direction Y gradually decreases towards a direction close to the protrusion 3321.

It should be noted that the "longitudinal Y" and the "transverse X" mentioned later in embodiments of the present disclosure may refer to directions parallel or substantially parallel to two adjacent side walls of the base 100, and the "longitudinal Y" may be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the "transverse X", in which the term "substantially" may be understood in such a way that an angle error ranges from 1° to 10°.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the gradually decreased dimension of the transition section 3323 along the longitudinal direction Y makes the transition section 3323 exhibit a substantially triangular shape, which facilitates connection with the protrusion 3321. In addition, the configuration of the transition section 3323 as a triangle can enhance firmness of the transition section 3323 and make it less prone to deformation.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, a first dimension d1 of the protrusion 3321 along the longitudinal direction Y is smaller than a minimum dimension d2 of the transition section 3323 along the longitudinal direction Y, so that the dimension of the protrusion 3321 is made as small as possible, to be accurately connected to the elastic sheet 22 of the microswitch 200 and drive the elastic sheet to move.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the transition section 3323 has at least one first reinforcing rib 3324.

For example, the transition section 3323 may have a first reinforcing rib 3324 disposed along the transverse direction X or the longitudinal direction Y. By providing the first reinforcing rib 3324, the strength of the transition section 3323 can be enhanced, making it less prone to deformation.

Still referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, there are a plurality of first reinforcing ribs 3324 arranged in parallel or crosswise.

For example, there may be two, three, four, five, six or more first reinforcing ribs 3324, which can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual situations and will not be specifically limited herein. The plurality of first reinforcing ribs 3324 may be arranged in parallel along the transverse direction X and the longitudinal direction Y, or they may be arranged crosswise. When the plurality of first reinforcing ribs 3324 are arranged crosswise, an angle between the crossed first reinforcing ribs 3324 may be between 0° and 90°. For example, the angle may be 30°, 45°, 60°, 70°, 80°, or 90°, which can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual situations and will not be specifically limited herein. As shown in FIG. 4, there are two first reinforcing ribs 3324 arranged crosswise and perpendicular to each other. In addition, the plurality of first reinforcing ribs 3324 may also be partially arranged in parallel and partially arranged crosswise.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the transition section 3323 is of a frame-shaped structure, and the first reinforcing rib 3324 is located in an opening of the frame-shaped structure.

As shown in FIG. 4, the transition section 3323 is of the frame-shaped structure, that is, the transition section 3323 has a closed frame, and has an opening in the middle that runs up and down. The first reinforcing rib 3324 is located in the opening and connected to an inner side of the frame, making the transition section 3323 have a hollow structure. Such a structure of the transition section 3323 cannot only reduce its weight, but also allows the injection molded part 33 to move more flexibly as the permanent magnet 32 swings, enabling the protrusion 3321 to more accurately drive the elastic sheet 22 to move. Moreover, the hollow structure of the transition section 3323 can reduce stress on the transition section 3323. For example, in a process of manufacturing the magnetic latching relay, glue is injected into the relay, and after the injection of glue, the magnetic latching relay is placed into an oven and baked. During the baking process, the first reinforcing rib 3324 may undergo slight deformation, and a hollow part of the opening will accommodate such slight deformation, eliminating stress caused by the slight deformation, further enhancing the strength of the toggle portion 332, and reducing deformation of the toggle portion 332. In addition, materials and costs can be reduced.

Certainly, in other embodiments, the transition section 3323 may have no opening, and the first reinforcing rib 3324 is disposed on a side surface of the transition section 3323, which can simplify the preparation process. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the transition section 3323 has neither opening nor first reinforcing rib 3324, but it is of a plate-like structure.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the toggle portion 332 further includes a toggle rod 3325 perpendicularly arranged on the mounting section 3322.

After a cover (not shown in the drawings) of the magnetic latching relay covers the base 100, the toggle rod 3325 can extend out of the cover through a through-hole on the cover. When an emergency occurs, the toggle rod 3325 can be manually toggled to turn on or off the relay, thereby connecting or disconnecting a load circuit.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the mounting section 3322 is provided with at least one second reinforcing rib 3326.

Referring to FIG. 5, at least one second reinforcing rib 3326 is disposed in a region around the toggle rod 3325 on the mounting section 3322. In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of second reinforcing ribs 3326. The plurality of second reinforcing ribs 3326 may be arranged in parallel or crosswise. When the plurality of second reinforcing ribs 3326 are arranged crosswise, an angle between the crossed second reinforcing ribs 3326 may be between 0° and 90°. For example, the angle can be 30°, 45°, 60°, 70°, 80°, or 90°, which can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual situations and will not be specifically limited herein. As shown in FIG. 5, there are two second reinforcing ribs 3326 arranged crosswise and perpendicular to each other. In addition, the plurality of second reinforcing ribs 3326 may also be partially arranged in parallel and partially arranged crosswise.

Still referring to FIG. 5, the mounting section 3322 may also have a hollow region, to further reduce the weight of the injection molded part 33, alleviate a load during swinging of the permanent magnet 32, and enable the protrusion 3321 of the toggle portion 332 to more accurately drive the elastic sheet 22 to move. In addition, the hollow region will accommodate slight deformation of the second reinforcing rib 3326, eliminating stress caused by the slight deformation, further enhancing the strength of the toggle portion 332, saving materials, and lowering costs.

Certainly, the mounting section 3322 may have no hollow region, and the second reinforcing rib 3326 may be disposed on a side surface of the mounting section 3322, which can simplify the preparation process. Alternatively, the mounting section 3322 may have neither hollow region nor second reinforcing rib 3326, but it is of a plate-like structure.

In some embodiments, a dimension of the mounting section 3322 in the longitudinal direction Y and a dimension thereof in the transverse direction X are both larger than a dimension of the microswitch 200.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the dimension of the mounting section 3322 in the longitudinal direction Y is larger than the dimension of the microswitch 200 in the longitudinal direction Y, and the dimension of the mounting section 3322 in the transverse direction X is larger than the dimension of the microswitch 200 in the transverse direction X, that is, an area of the mounting section 3322 can cover the microswitch 200. Accordingly, the toggle portion 332 in embodiments of the present disclosure has a larger size, so that it has greater strength and is less prone to deformation in a process of pressing against the elastic sheet 22, and hence the microswitch 200 can be turned on and off more accurately, improving the accuracy of monitoring.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, there is a curved transition at the connection between the toggle portion 332 and the body portion 331, allowing the toggle portion 332 to extend from the body portion 331 to above the coil assembly 400 without making contact with the coil assembly 400.

As shown in FIG. 2, the microswitch 200 is located at a side of the coil assembly 400 in the transverse direction X. In order to enable the protrusion 3321 to accurately move the elastic sheet 22 during the swinging process, the toggle portion 332 extends from the body portion 331 to above the coil assembly 400, and has a certain distance from the coil assembly 400 to avoid friction with the coil assembly 400 during the swinging process of the toggle portion 332, certainly, the smaller the distance, the better to save space. The term "above" in embodiments of the present disclosure may be understood as a direction towards an opening side of the base 100 and away from the base in a direction perpendicular to a bottom wall of the base 100. For example, the toggle portion 332 is located above the coil assembly 400, and the fixed frame 500 is located above the body portion 331 of the injection molded part 33.

The toggle portion 332 is disposed above the coil assembly 400, so that the toggle portion 332 becomes higher relative to the body portion 331, and the curved transition at the connection between the toggle portion 332 and the body portion 331 can raise the position of the toggle portion 332. In addition, the curved transition can better adapt to a curved surface of the coil 42, thereby reducing occupied space, and preventing friction with the surface of the coil 42.

In addition, the toggle portion 332 in embodiments of the present disclosure is sheet-like. Although the dimension of the toggle portion 332 is increased, the toggle portion still occupies a small space above the coil assembly 400, fully utilizing the space between the cover and the coil assembly 400 without increasing the volume of the magnetic latching relay.

In conclusion, in the magnetic latching relay according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the toggle portion 332 and the body portion 331 are integrally injection molded, and the body portion 331 is wrapped around the permanent magnet 32 and the armature 31, enlarging the volume of the body portion 331, increasing the strength of the toggle portion 332, making the toggle portion 332 less prone to deformation, extending the service life, and allowing more accurate monitoring of the magnetic latching relay. Moreover, since the body portion 331 is wrapped around the permanent magnet 32 and the armature 31, the body portion will not occupy a large space, which facilitates miniaturization of the magnetic latching relay.

It can be understood that various embodiments/implementations provided by the present disclosure may be combined with each other without causing conflicts, and will not be elaborated in detail.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used only for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance; the term "a plurality of" means two or more than two, unless specified otherwise. Terms such as "mounted," "connected," "coupled," "fixed" and the like should be understood broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; may also be direct connection or indirect connection via intervening structures. For those skilled in the art, specific meanings of the above terms in embodiments of the present disclosure may be understood according to specific situations.

In the description of embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front" and "rear" should be construed to refer to the orientations or positions as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion, and are only used for convenience and simplicity of the description of embodiments of the present disclosure, but do not indicate or imply that the device or unit referred to must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation. Thus, these terms shall not be construed as limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "a specific embodiment" and the like means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

The above description only involves preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, embodiments of the present disclosure may have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of embodiments of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.