Patent ID: 6424243
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
An improved magnetic latching contactor comprising:a stationary assembly; a moveable assembly that is slidably coupled with the stationary assembly; a contact assembly that is coupled with the stationary assembly and with the moveable assembly and that is movable selectively between a first stable switching position and a second stable switching position, where an electrical closed circuit is established when the contact assembly is in one of the first stable switching position and the second stable switching position, and where an electrical open circuit is established when the contact assembly is in the other of the first stable switching position and the second stable switching position; a conductive coil assembly that is included in the stationary assembly, that has a longitudinal central axis, that has a first axial end and a second axial end, and that has electrical coil windings which are annularily disposed about and define a central inner axial cavity extending between the first axial end and the second axial end, which have a central axis coaxial with the longitudinal central axis of the conductive coil assembly, and which include winding terminals for supplying electric current to the electrical coil windings so that when an electrical current is supplied to the electrical coil windings, a magnetic field will selectively be established so as to selectively bias the movable assembly so as to enable the contact assembly to move to one of the first stable switching position and the second stable switching position and so that when another electric current is supplied to the electrical coil windings, a magnetic field will selectively be established so as to selectively bias the movable assembly so as to enable the contact assembly to move to the other of the first stable switching position and the second stable switching position; a first permanent magnet that is disposed axially adjacent the central inner axial cavity so that the magnetic force field of the first permanent magnet is parallel with the central longitudinal axis of the conductive coil assembly; the movable assembly including a movable core that is coupled with the contact assembly, that is disposed in the central inner axial cavity adjacentËœ to an axial end of the conductive coil assembly, that is movable axially in the inner axial cavity between a first position in which the contact assembly is in the first stable switching position and in which the movable core is axially adjacent to the first permanent magnet and a second position in which the contact assembly is in the second stable switching position and in which the movable core is axially spaced from the first position; and a coil compression spring that is co-axially disposed with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the conductive coil assembly and that biases the movable core to the second position whereby when the movable core is in the first position, the biasing force applied to the movable core by the first permanent magnet is greater than the biasing force applied to the movable core by the coil compression spring so that the movable core will remain in the first position in the absence of an additional biasing force being applied to the movable core through an energization of the coil windings that would bias the movable core to the second position; and whereby when the movable core is in the second position, the biasing force applied to the movable core by the coil compression spring is greater than the biasing force applied to the movable core by the first permanent magnet so that the movable core will remain in the second position in the absence of an additional biasing force being applied to the movable core by an energization of the coil windings that would bias the movable core to the first position.