Abstract:
A device and method for operating automotive battery system relays and related switches. By aligning a magnetic field with a direction of current flow in a contact plate disposed between magnets that are producing the field, a generated Lorentz force can be used to promote arc extinguishing during a relay opening sequence, while simultaneously reducing the tendency of the Lorentz forces to interfere with the operation of a solenoid or other switch-activating mechanisms. By using a rotary-based mechanism to establish contact between a contact plate and current-carrying terminals, the likelihood of inadvertent opening of the relay is reduced. Such devices and methods may be used in conjunction with hybrid-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/432,811, filed Jan. 14, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a device and method to reduce the magnitude of a Lorentz force formed on solenoid-based rotary contact plate, and more particularly to a device and method to reduce such magnitude while maintaining arc-extinguish features when the contact plate is opened or otherwise de-energized. 
     Solenoids are often used to open and close relays, switches and related electrical circuit contacts. Moreover, solenoids may be of a generally linear configuration or a rotary configuration. In either configuration, a high-voltage contactor employs the solenoid to move a contact plate into selective connection with a pair of stationary current-carrying terminals to complete an electrical circuit between the terminals. The contact is open when the solenoid is de-energized, and closed (or completed) when the solenoid is energized. In the particular configuration associated with a rotary solenoid, the solenoid&#39;s plunger or shaft rotates clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on whether the solenoid is energized or de-energized. The contact-plate that attaches to the plunger will likewise rotate such that in an energized solenoid state, the contact plate will close the circuit between the two terminals, while in a de-energized solenoid state, the contact plate will open the circuit between the two terminals. 
     The presence of high voltage and current can cause arcing between the contact plate and the terminals at the time immediately after separation. Such arcing is not desirable, especially in high current modes of operation, as the power created by the arc tends to get absorbed by (or otherwise acts upon) nearby components that may not be electrically hardened. 
     Attempts to reduce or extinguish the arc have included enclosing the contact plate and terminals inside a chamber filled with a dielectric gas that introduces arc-inhibiting features by absorbing some of the energy during the arc formation. Such a configuration also reduces the packaging and provides some level of environment-independent usage. Despite this advantage, such a solution has a disadvantage in device cost and complexity. 
     In another attempt, supplemental magnet pairs have been placed on opposing sides of the contact plate and terminals to take advantage of the Lorentz force acting upon the terminals or other current-carrying members that are exposed to the magnetic field. The inherent Lorentz force can be used in the instant immediately after the circuit is opened at the contact plate to accelerate arc elimination by taking advantage of the arc&#39;s polarity and stretching it over a larger region. Such an approach is generally satisfactory for helping to extinguish the arc. Unfortunately, the Lorentz force produced by the supplemental magnets is also imparted onto the nearby contact plate during normal closed-circuit operation. Because this force (which by virtue of the orientation of the magnets relative to the current flowing through the contact plate is generally in a direction that could promote premature separation of the contact plate from the terminals) can interfere with the operation of the solenoid in general and the contact plate in specific, there remain ways in which solenoid operation may be improved. 
     Lithium-ion batteries are being used to provide partial (in the case of hybrid system) or total (in the case of all-electric systems) motive power for automotive applications. Significant levels of one or both voltage and current are needed to provide electrical power to a motor that in turn can provide propulsive power to a set of wheels. The high levels of electrical power employed by such battery systems could, if left uncorrected, lead to significant arcing during relay and related switch operation. In systems that employ some form of magnet-based arc-extinguishing feature (such as that discussed above), Lorentz forces induced by the magnetic fields are large enough to interfere with the plates and contacts of conventional relay and related switch assemblies by moving them to a different degree (or at a different time) than that for which they were designed. In particular, a downwardly-directed Lorentz force may overcome the bias established by the induced magnetic force on the solenoid&#39;s plunger, which in turn could cause inadvertent opening of the contacts and the formation of the very arcing that the supplemental magnets were included to avoid. This untimely contact plate opening may have deleterious effects on the operation of a battery-powered automotive propulsion system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, a switching assembly is disclosed. In the present context, a switching assembly corresponds to an arrangement of components that together allow for selective opening and closing of an electric circuit. As such, electric current passing through the switching circuit can be used to switch on or off a secondary electric circuit. In one example, such a secondary circuit could be a work-performing circuit configured to deliver electric current from one or more batteries (such as a lithium-ion battery) to an electric motor or other devices that can provide propulsive power for a car, truck or related vehicular or motive application. In particular form, the switching assembly of the present invention may be configured as a relay, switch or related circuit-opening and circuit-closing mechanism. The supplemental magnets used for a relay, switch or related solenoid-based device can be arranged in conjunction with the direction of electric current flow through the terminals and contact plate to reduce the magnitude of the Lorentz force produced by the interaction of the magnetic field and electric current while simultaneously reducing the arcing associated with de-energized contacts. This latter feature, with its reduction in the likelihood of a partially-open contact, promotes more stability in the current path from one terminal to the other. In other words, since the Lorentz force on the contact plate is minimized, the potential for the contact to be inadvertently disconnected from the terminals due to such force is decreased. 
     The rotary nature of the connection between the solenoid, contact plate and terminals ensures a faster disconnect; this in turn produces a faster elimination of the arcing produced during contact plate and terminal disconnect. Furthermore, the rotary nature of the connection between the solenoid and the contact plate promotes stronger joint potentials and a concomitant increase in device robustness for high-voltage contactors such as those encountered in lithium-ion battery systems. For example, unlike a linear solenoid (where the shaft interacts with the contact plate through a relatively small ball-shaped region, the rotary design may enable a large region of connection that promotes a more durable construction. 
     As stated above, one advantage of the design is that it prevents the Lorentz force from inadvertently opening the contact between the plate and the terminals during high current pulses. Such prevention is in evidence in situations where the supplemental (i.e., arc-extinguishing or arc-breaking) magnets are placed such that the current and magnetic field are in parallel as shown and described below. In theory, this parallel arrangement of the current flow and the magnetic field equates to complete elimination of the Lorentz force on the contact plate. Importantly, because this force on the contact plate has nothing to do with the arc-breaking effect of the Lorentz force on the area around the connection between the terminals and the contact plate, such arc-breaking force still exists because the current at that location is orthogonal rather than parallel with the magnetic field. 
     The rotary design according to the present invention may have variations as well. In one variation, the supplemental magnets may, instead of being placed such that the field produced between them is parallel to the flow of electric current through the connected terminals, be placed across the terminals such that the magnetic field is directed in an orthogonal direction to that of the current flowing through the terminals. Under linearly-actuated contact plate configurations (i.e., where the plunger from the solenoid translates under the force of an applied current through the solenoid&#39;s coil), such orthogonality between the magnetic field and the current flow through the terminals may promote the Lorentz force problems discussed above, as induced forces could lead to inadvertent opening of the contact between the plate and the terminals during normal operation. Under a variation of the present invention where such orthogonality does exist, a Lorentz force is generated, but nevertheless avoids the contact opening difficulties discussed above because the contact points are oriented in a direction not influenced by the induced force. Under this variation of the design, the supplemental magnet configuration may be left in place in a manner generally similar to that of previous designs, but because of the nature of the rotary contact and the contact plate, the Lorentz force (while not eliminated in the same manner as the design discussed in the previous paragraphs) becomes less likely to interfere with the operation during high current flows while maintaining the arc-extinguishing features of the supplemental magnets during contact opening and closing events. 
     Optionally, the magnets may be arranged such that a field produced by the plurality of magnets extends in a direction generally parallel to the direction of the electric current such that creation of the Lorentz force onto the contact plate is substantially inhibited. In another option, the field produced by the plurality of magnets extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of the electric current such that the created Lorentz force acts upon the contact plate in the direction that does not substantially promote premature separation of the contact plate from the plurality of terminals. For example, the orientation of the switching assembly may be such that the Lorentz force produced during normal operation current flow through the closed circuit is imparted to the contact plate in a generally downward direction, while the direction of movement of the contact plate defines a generally circular path that is out of the plane of the created Lorentz force; in this way, the Lorentz force brings nothing to bear upon the plate that would either promote or inhibit its movement. In a more particular from, the direction that does not substantially promote premature separation of the contact plate from the plurality of terminals extends substantially along an axis formed by the rotational movement of the plunger. 
     Each of the above optional configurations has its own advantages. The first embodiment is effective in that by generally aligning the current and field, the generation of the Lorentz force is stunted. Thus, by aligning a magnetic field with a direction of current flow (or opposite of the current flow) in a contact plate disposed between magnets that are producing the field, the tendency of the Lorentz forces to interfere with the operation of a solenoid or other switch-activating mechanisms during normal (i.e., uninterrupted) current flow are precluded, while simultaneously preserving the Lorentz force used to promote arc extinguishing during a relay opening sequence (where the electric current travels in a direction normal to the field as well as the flow of current during routine closed-circuit operation). The second embodiment, even though oriented to leave the Lorentz force in place (by virtue of the generally orthogonal orientation of the current flow and the magnetic field), has more potential to be effectively packaged in a space-saving (i.e., square) configuration. As such, the configuration used will depend on the needs of the automotive or related system into which the particular configuration is placed. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicular propulsion system is disclosed. The system includes numerous batteries, a motive force and a switching assembly configured to permit selective delivery of an electric current from the batteries to the motive force. The switching assembly includes a solenoid substantially as described above. 
     In one optional form, the numerous batteries are lithium-ion batteries. In another preferred form, the motive force is an electric motor that is rotationally coupled to one or more vehicular wheels. A transmission may be used between the electric motor and the one or more wheels as a way to vary an amount of rotational power being delivered to the wheel or wheels by the electric motor. As discussed above, the field produced by the magnets may extend in a direction generally parallel to the direction of the electric current (in one form) or in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of the electric current (in another form). In the first configuration, the creation of the Lorentz force on the contact plate is substantially non-existent, while in the second it acts upon the contact plate is in the direction that does not substantially promote premature separation of the contact plate from the terminals. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a switching assembly is disclosed. The method includes disposing a contact plate adjacent electrically-conductive terminals and operating a solenoid. When the solenoid is energized, it forces the contact plate into contact with the terminals to complete an electric circuit Likewise, when the solenoid is de-energized, it permits the contact plate to separate from the plurality of terminals to open (i.e., disable) the electric circuit. The switching assembly also includes numerous arc-extinguishing magnets disposed about a region defined at least in part by the contact points. In this way, it operates substantially as described in the previously-discussed aspects of the invention. 
     In one optional form, the switching assembly is made as at least a part of an automotive relay. The electric circuit forms a portion of a power circuit that may include numerous electric batteries and wiring configured to convey electric current from the electric batteries to a motive force through the relay. As discussed above, one example of such a motive force is an electric motor that is rotationally coupled to one or more vehicular wheels. In one preferred form, the batteries are lithium-ion batteries. As discussed above, the field produced by the plurality of magnets may be made to extend in a direction generally parallel to the direction of electric current flowing through the electric circuit such that creation of the Lorentz force onto the contact plate is substantially inhibited, or in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of electric current flowing through the electric circuit. In either configuration, no action of a Lorentz force can promote premature separation of the contact plate from the plurality of terminals. In one form, the solenoid and the contact plate are affixed to one another such that movement of a solenoid component (such as a plunger that moves in response to a field set up in the solenoid&#39;s coil) forces the contact plate toward or away from the terminals, depending on whether the solenoid id being energized or de-energized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following detailed description of specific embodiments can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: 
         FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of a typical linearly-actuated electrical relay according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 1B  shows a partial cutaway view of the electrical relay of  FIG. 1A , highlighting the linear configuration of the contact portion; 
         FIG. 2  shows a top view of a representative magnetic field generated by the relay of  FIGS. 1A and 1B ; 
         FIG. 3A  shows how an outwardly-directed Lorentz force produced by the relationship between electric current and magnetic field can be used to suppress an arc formed during a period immediately after the circuit connected by a linear relay has been disrupted; 
         FIG. 3B  shows how a Lorentz force produced by the relationship between electric current and magnetic field during normal circuit operation has a downwardly-directed component that may operate on a linear relay&#39;s contact plate; 
         FIGS. 4A through 4E  show the formation and growth of an arc; 
         FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of a contact portion of a rotary electrical relay according to an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  shows a rotary electrical relay incorporating the contactor portion of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6  shows representative rotary solenoids incorporating a rotating plunger according to an aspect of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  shows how a Lorentz force is minimized by the configuration of  FIGS. 5A and 5B . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As discussed above, arcing at the opening contactor portion of a linear switching assembly (such as a relay) can have a deleterious effect on the assembly and adjacent components. Depending on the configuration of the switching assembly, as well as the voltage and current flowing through the circuit, such arcing occurs very promptly, often on the order of a few hundred microseconds Likewise, prior art approaches have included placing magnets adjacent a contactor portion that includes the contact plates and terminals used to establish a high voltage contactor. Referring first to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a conventional relay  10  (which may also be in the form of a cutout, circuit breaker or related switch) is outfitted with arc-extinguishing magnets  36 ,  38  (discussed in more detail below). Relay  10  includes a solenoid portion  20  and a contactor portion  30 . The solenoid portion  20  includes one or more coils  22  that, when energized, generate a magnetic flow that will longitudinally move an enclosed core, shaft or plunger  24  that is placed within the coil  22 . The coil  22  and plunger  24  are enclosed within a magnetizable yolk or field  26  that acts to strengthen the magnetic flow. The contactor portion  30  is shown at the top and generally includes of a pair of terminals  32  and a moving-contact plate  34  that is connected to the top of plunger  24 . The contact plate  34  selectively attaches and detaches from the terminals  32  depending on whether the solenoid portion  20  is energized or de-energized. Thus, when the coil  22  is energized, plunger  24  pushes upward and forces contact between the contact plate  34  and the terminals  32 , allowing electric current to flow from one terminal to another Likewise, when coil  22  is not energized, the plunger is retracted under spring biasing means back into the coil  22  such that the high voltage contactor portion  30  will be in an open status. 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 4A through 4E , the mechanisms behind arcing formation are shown in sequence. In  FIG. 4A , the arcing starts at the gap that is formed as the terminals  32  pull away from the contact plate  34 .  FIG. 4B  shows that the arc shifts outward under the influence of the magnetic field that is created by the magnets  36  and  38 .  FIG. 4C  shows that the arc is expanding once the arcing voltage is increased.  FIG. 4D  shows the effect of the ambient atmosphere on the arc, as the cooling effect of the atmosphere causes the voltage to further increase. Lastly,  FIG. 4E  shows that when the arcing voltage is equal to or greater than the voltage between contacts, the arc will be extinguished. 
     By the construction of the relay  10  from  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the direction of electric current flow through the contact plate  34  is oriented such that it operates along a direction that is orthogonal to that of the magnetic field that extends between the north and south poles of each of the magnets  36  and  38 . In this way, and keeping in mind that the force {right arrow over (F)} generated is generally related to the interaction of the magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} and the current {right arrow over (I)} by the vector quantity
 
{right arrow over ( F )}={right arrow over ( I )}×{right arrow over ( B )},
 
the resulting Lorentz force is oriented along a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of cooperation between the current {right arrow over (I)} and magnetic field {right arrow over (B)}. This orthogonal interaction between the magnetic field formed by magnets  36  and  38  and the current flow through terminals  32  (shown presently as rightmost terminal  32 A and leftmost terminal  32 B) produces two different imparted forces, depending on the direction of the current flow {right arrow over (I)}.
 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 2 and 3A , to correct arcing shown in  FIGS. 4A through 4E  that occurs when high-voltage solenoid contacts open, magnets  36 ,  38  are placed adjacent a contact portion that includes the contact plates and terminals used to establish a high voltage contactor. The pair of magnets  36  and  38  are placed astride the terminals  32  such that a magnetic field  40  engulfs contact portion  30 . A frame  39  is used to securely mount the magnets  36  and  38  to the yoke  26 , in addition to helping to define a region around the terminals  32  and contact plate  34  where the magnetic filed is most pronounced. In the version depicted in the figures, magnet  36  corresponds to a north pole, while magnet  38  corresponds to a south pole such that a N-S bipolar relationship exists between them, although it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that an opposing polarity could be established. The pair of magnets  36  and  38  are shown placed across the entire length of the contact area formed between the contact plate  34  and the terminals  32 , and in fact extend laterally beyond to promote adequate magnetic field size. 
     As discussed above (and referring with particularity to  FIG. 3A ), the magnetic field  40  produced by magnets  36  and  38  will force an arc produced upon separation of the terminals  32  and contact plate  34  to expand toward the outside of the surface of the contact area. Such expansion beneficially causes rapid energy dissipation and leads to the arc being quickly extinguished as the result. This orthogonal interaction between the magnetic field formed by magnets  36  and  38  and the current flow through terminals  32  produces the outward-directed force that tends to shorten the arcing duration, and is a generally desirable byproduct of the interaction of the electric current flowing through the terminals and the magnetic field passing between the supplemental magnets. Because the residual current {right arrow over (I)} is flowing downward in the rightmost terminal  32 A and upward in the leftmost terminal  32 B, the interaction with the magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} produces a rightward force from the rightmost terminal  32 A and a leftward force from the leftmost terminal  32 B, thereby (in both cases) pushing the arc (not shown) outward such that its energy can dissipate more quickly. As such, this force tends to shorten the arcing duration, and is (as mentioned above) a generally desirable byproduct of the interaction of the electric current flowing through the terminals and the magnetic field passing between the magnets. 
     While helpful in extinguishing any arcs that may form upon contact opening, the magnets  36  and  38  also generate Lorentz force on the linearly-reciprocating contact plate  34 . This is shown in  FIG. 3B . Under certain operating conditions (especially those associated with high-power sources, such as those used to propel an automobile or related vehicle), a higher-than-expected current may be encountered, causing the Lorentz force to become large enough to move the plate  34  downwardly, thereby opening the contact between it and the terminals  32 . In the situation shown in  FIG. 3B  (which may coincide with a period of normal circuit operation up to and including the period just before the circuit is opened), the Lorentz force {right arrow over (F)} is shown acting on the contact plate  34  on which the current {right arrow over (I)} flows in the right-to-left direction and the magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} is as before. The resulting force {right arrow over (F)} will be in the downward direction, which could undesirably operate upon the contact plate  34  by forcing it to open prematurely. It is this situation that the present inventors have determined should be avoided, at least for circumstances where there is linear coupling between the terminals and the contact plate. 
     The present inventors have determined that a configuration where there is linear coupling between the terminals and the contact plate should be avoided. Referring next to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the present invention employs a rotary contact portion  130  that allows rapid arc extinguishing while simultaneously reducing the Lorentz force. Relay  100  includes a contact portion  130  that houses the high voltage contactor made up of terminals  132  (labeled individually as  132 A and  132 B in a manner generally similar to that of  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  3 A and  3 B) and contact plate  134  such that a free-spinning (i.e., rotating) plunger  124  cooperates with a contact plate  134  to establish selective electrical connection between the two terminals  132 . As such, plunger  124  acts like a cap sitting on top of the solenoid portion&#39;s  120  shaft so it can rotate freely, and as such does not rigidly link to the shaft that is responsive to the current that passes through the coils  122 . Unlike the device shown in  FIG. 2A , the plunger  124  is not used to establish the selective contact between the individual terminals  132 A and  132 B. Instead, the collar  124 A (which is connected to the solenoid portion  120 ) makes intermittent contact with contact plate  134 . When the solenoid portion  120  is energized, it rotates the collar  124 A clockwise, which will in turn touch and rotate contact plate  134  clockwise. When the solenoid portion  120  is de-energized, the collar  124 A will rotate counter-clockwise, then a spring (not shown, but could, for example, be a rotary type of spring) will then to utilized to push the contact plate  134  back or counter-clockwise. 
     Referring with particularity to  FIG. 5B , the supplemental magnets  136  and  138  are placed on opposing sides of yolk (or field)  126  such that terminals  132 , contact plate  134  and the uppermost extension of plunger  124  are resident within the field created by the north-south poles of the magnets  136  and  138 . Unlike the linear variant shown and described above, the plunger  124  is rotated to establish the electrically-continuous connection between the two terminals  132 . In this configuration, the contact plate  134  faces a generally horizontal (rather than vertical) orientation. Also unlike a linear variant, the supplemental magnets  136  and  138  are placed such that a magnetic field formed between them is substantially aligned with the direction of current through the contact plate  134  during normal closed-circuit operation. As with the linear variants, the electrical contact is maintained for such time as the solenoid portion  120  remains energized. 
       FIG. 6  shows that a solenoid portion  120  made with a rotary contact design may be made in various shapes and sizes, depending on the application. In such a configuration, solenoid portion  120  includes at least a coil and a plunger that is rotatably responsive to electric current flowing through the coil so that the operation of the rotary solenoid portion  120  is such that actuation of plunger  124  rotates rather than translates. As such, by coupling contact plate  134  to plunger  124 , it too moves with a generally rotational motion. Because the two terminals  132  are situated within a path defined by the arc of rotation of contact plate  134 , the generally opposing ends of contact plate  134  will make contact with respective ones of the two terminals  132 . This in turn completes (i.e., closes) the electric circuit, permitting current to flow.  FIG. 7  shows that by causing the current flow through the two terminals  132  and contact plate  134  to be in a direction parallel to that of the north-south magnetic field between magnets  136  and  138 , the Lorentz force generated during normal closed-circuit operation is substantially eliminated insofar as maximum Lorentz forces are generated when the magnetic field and electrical current are orthogonal to one another. As such, this presently-shown parallel alignment results in little or no coupling, and hence little or no Lorentz force generation. In addition to giving designers the freedom to position the magnets in two different fashions without letting the Lorentz force interfere with the normal operation, the present rotary design allows for a fast open and close operation of the contact plate, as well as efficient arc-breaking. 
     While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.