CONTACTOR FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING ONE OR MORE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

Abstract: Certain equipment includes both contactors (1) for connecting and disconnecting electro-magnetic paths in one or more electrical circuits and solenoid valves (2) for breaking and opening the passage of flowing media such as gaseous or liquid media. Contactors (1) and valves (2) are fitted separately even when they must be set simultaneously. The object of the invention is to combine contactors (1) and valves (2) which must be set at the same time, to a single unit, utilizing a single electro-magnetic arrangement (4-13) for both contactors (1) and valves (2).

Description: Contactor for connecting and disconnecting one or more electrical circuits The present invention relates to contactors for connecting and discon¬ necting one or more electrical circuits. For this purpose an electro¬ magnetic field is used which can be switched off without risk of damaging voltages. A voltage of about 40 volts is normally supplied to a coil in 5 said electro-magnet. The contactor itself can be used for connecting and disconnecting dangerously high voltages. Contactors of this type are readily available and are generally constructed of a stationary magnetic core and a coil cooperating therewith. The magnetic core and coil co¬ operate with a yoke which is movable to and from the core-. The yoke can 10 through its own movement in turn move a part containing a number of con¬ tacts which can be brought into or out of contact with contacts which are not movable like those following the movement of the yoke. Contactors of the type described above are often included in equipment using one or more solenoid valves as well as an electro-magnet for their 15 setting. Depending on their setting, said valves provide passage for a flowing medium, either gaseous of liquid or of some other consistency permitting flow. It is a distinct disadvantage that the valves and con¬ tactors must be fitted separately. The object of the present invention is, in equipment containing both con- 20 tactors and valves, to simplify those valves and contactors which shall be operated simultaneously, thus also making them less expensive. According to the invention, this is achieved by causing both contactor and valve(s) to cooperate with each other as a single unit, making use of either the contactor's or the valve's (valves') electro-magnetics. It should then be 2.5 possible to simplify the unit further so that only one electro-magnet is used for both contactor and valve(s). According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention the electro-magnet of a contactor is used in the construction of a unit as mentioned above, said electro-magnet comprising a stationary core and O 7I solenoid inductor, and a movable yoke. A space is provided in the magnetic core for each valve, so that each valve is activated by the magnetic field generated in the electro-magnet when a current passes through the solenoid inductor. The simpl ' est solution, when using the contactor's electro-magnet, is for each valve to have a piston movable in a sleevelike part, an aperture being provided in the magnetic core for each valve, Into which aperture a sleeve and piston is inserted. Each piston will then be located for the most part in the magnetic core. Each piston is spring-actuated and abuts a valve seat. When an electro-magnetic field is formed in the electro-magnet, each piston will assume a position In which it is not in contact with the valve seat. When the contactor's electro-magnet is used to set the valve, each valve can then be in the form of a plug-in unit. This also means that a valve can easily be replaced and a unit containing both contactor and one or more valves can be separated, the parts being caused to function individually, if each solenoid valve is provided with a solenoid inductor. If a piston and sleeve is used in the case of a solenoid valve, it is advisable for the piston and sleeve to constitute the part inserted into the contactor's electro-magnet and the other parts of the solenoid valve form a housing which is attached to the electro-magnet and is provided with a space in communication with the Inlet and outlet of the solenoid valve, the inlet of the space being in the form of a valve seat, the piston being brought into and out of contact therewith. The operative end of the piston is then suitably provided with a washer or seal so that the valve seat is blocked when the piston is in position. According to the above the magnetic field is utilized to set the valve in the contactor's electro-magnet. Said electro-magnet also has a yoke which is movable to and from the magnetic core. Said movement of the yoke can also be utilized to mechanically influence a piston cooperating with a valve seat in the valve, thus replacing the setting of the magnetic field. OMPI Further features of the present invention are revealed in the followin claims. The present invention is described in more detail with reference to th accompany two drawings in which Figureβ 1 and 2 show a contactor with electro-magnetic setting in tw positions, combined with a valve, also with two dif ferent setting positions, namely one in which th electro-magnet is disconnected (Fig.1) and one in whic the electro-magnet is in function (Fig.2). in the drawings 1 denotes a contactor which may be of any conventiona type. The contactor is combined with a solenoid valve 2, which may also b of conventional type. The contact 1 has an electro-magnet 3 consisting o a vertically movable yoke part 4 and a stationary magnetic core 5- The yoke part and the magnetic core are actuated by a spring arrangement striving to separate the two parts 4 and- 5- The electro-magnet 3 has a solenoid 6 with connections 7 and 8 for producing a magnetic flux through the two parts 4 and 5. The yoke 4 has two outer legs 9 and 10 and an inner leg 11. This is also the case with the magnetic core 5 which has two outer legs 12 and 13 and a leg 14 between them. The legs 11 and 14 are opposite each other and are inserted into the central aperture of the coil. The contactor is provided with a cover 41. The movable yoke 4 is provided with a contact support 15 of insulating material, containing a number of spring- actuated contacts 16-23- Said contacts 16-23 cooperate with a group of • other contacts, 24-29 . which are not movable. The magnetic core 5 is provided with a cylindrical aperture for a rod 30, closed at Its upper end and provided with a flange 31 at its lower end. The flange 31 cooperates with a central body 33 to form a space 34. In said space is a piston 32 of magnetic material, with axial, peripheral grooves. The piston is of ferro-magnetic material and cooperates with a spring 40 acting between the upper end of the piston and the internal surface formed by the end closure of the rod 30. The grooves mentioned above are designed to prevent an air-pocket from being formed in the space containing the spring 40. The lower end of the piston is preferably provided with a sealing disc or the like. The central body 33 is provided with a first pipe end 35 and a second pipe end 36. The pipe end 35 has a channel 37 constituting the inlet channel for a flowing medium and the pipe end 36 has a channel 39 constituting an outlet channel for flowing medium. The inlet end of the channel 39 leads from the space 34 and the inlet end of the channel 37 is in the form of a valve seat 38 to cooperate with said piston 32. The central body 33 is provided with suitable attachment means enabling the solenoid valve 2 to be easily re¬ moved and fitted to the electro-magnet 3 ot the contactor 1. It should be obvious that the magnetic core 5 of the electro-magnet 3 can be provided with a number of apertures to receive a number of solenoid valves. The above illustrates extremely simply that by merely drilling holes and utilizing suitable attachment means, contactors of standard design can be combined with solenoid valves, also of standard design. The combined unit described above, comprising contactor and solenoid valve, functions as follows. When no current is supplied to the solenoid inductor 6, the various parts of the unit will be In the positions shown in Figure 1. The yoke with contact support 15 is in its upper position due to the action of springs, not shown. In this position, only contacts 20 and 26 are in connection with each other, and contact 18 with another contact, not shown. The other contacts are in their disconnected positions. Fur- thermore, piston 32 is pressed against the valve seat 38. Contactor and solenoid valve can be brought into a second position, as shown in Figure 2. This occurs when the solenoid inductor 6 is excited. In this case the yoke 4 will be drawn to the magnetic core 5 } against the action of the spring-means, not shown, thus disconnecting contacts 20-26 and connecting the other contacts. Due to the formation of a magnetic O PI field in the electro-magnet 3, piston 32 will also be drawn into th electro-magnet 3, exposing the valve seat 38, whereupon medium flows fro the valve seat in space 34 into channel 39. Should it be desired to use contacts and solenoid valve separately, this can easily be arranged by pulling the solenoid valve out_of the contactor and providing its cylindrical part with a solenoid. In a contactor of the type described above a certain magnetic remanence may remain. This is eliminated by providing the magnetic core 5 with a contact-closing coil. Such a coil may even be arranged in the yoke 4 and should also be arranged inside the rod 30 at its upper end. OM?I Description of plug-in unit. The embodiment according to Figure 3 for simultaneous setting of contactor and valve function. The contactor 1 Is provided with a plug-in unit 2 designed for insertion by a simple operation into a holder 3 for the purpose, the movable part 4 of the contactor, via an extension 5, in turn provided with a coupling part 6, coming into mechanical contact with the valve part 7 of the plug-in unit. The construction can be varied with the contactor function for simul¬ taneous opening or closing of the valve setting. Figure 4 shows an embodiment for an arbitrarily pre-set time-delay of the opening or closing procedure with respect to the contactor setting. A pneumatic timer 1, normally used with contactors, is added here, which has a setting 2 for optional manual time-delay of the valve setting 3 combined with the function setting 4 for manual setting of delayed opening "position 0", delayed closing "position S", or both delayed opening and delayed closing "position B". A known pneumatic timer is described in the pamphlet for ASEA's product Sk 819013-A. The product is known as Timer unit 0.1-30 sec. I.E.C. 337-1 (1970) Ui s 660 volt Ith = 10 A. With the known timer, when the contactor is turned on, a delay can be achieved in the solenoid valve which is brought into either open or closed position. When the valve is turned off, switching is possible with or without delay. When the contactor is turned off, the solenoid valve can be caused to open or close mmediately. A time delay may prevail in the latter case, when the contactor is turned off.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Contactor (1) for connecting and disconnecting one or more elec¬ trical circuits with the help of contacts (16-29) in two groups movable in relation to each other, movement of the groups being effected by means of an electro-magnetic field generated by a sole- noid (6), characterised in that the electro-magnetic field or move¬ ment caused thereby is utilized to connect and disconnect one or more valves (2) for a flowing medium such as gaseous or liquid media. 2. Contactors according to claim 1, wherein the contactor (1) has a stationary magnetic core (5) .and a solenoid inductor (6) cooperating with a movable yoke (4) of ferro-magnetic material and wherein each valve (2) is opened and closed by a piston (32) moving to and fro, characterised in that a space (34) for each valve (2) is provided in the stationary magnetic core (5) so that at least each piston (32) when activated performs its movement partially within the magnetic core (5). 3. Contactor according to claim 2, characterised in that each valve (2) is designed as a plug-in unit. 4. Contactor according to claim 1, characterised in that the movement effected in the contactor (1) is transmitted mechanically to said valve(s) (2) .

Inventors: HENRIKSEN JAN-ERIK, HENRIKSEN, JAN-ERIK
Applicants: HENRIKSEN JAN ERIK, HENRIKSEN, JAN-ERIK
Application year: 1983
Main classification: H01H3
IPC codes: H01H3