Patent ID: 8446238

Claim:
A double contact electromagnetic contactor for a thermal engine starter, said contactor comprising: a plunger core ( 100 ); a first pull-in winding (L a ); a second holding winding (L m ); a moving contact plate (CM); and first, second and third contacts (PC+, PC 1 and PC 2 ); said contactor having three operating states: a first state (OV) with no electrical contact between said contacts (PC+, PC 1 , PC 2 ), a second state ( 1 CF) with electrical contact between said first and second contacts (PC+, PC 1 ) through said moving contact plate and a third state ( 2 CF) with electrical contact between said first, second and third contacts (PC+, PC 1 , PC 2 ) through said moving contact plate; said contactor also comprising an electrically controllable micro-actuator (MS) to allow or prohibit, depending on the electric current (I ms ) applied thereto, commutation between said second ( 1 CF) and third ( 2 CF) operating states; said commutation being prohibited by said micro-actuator (MS) due to a force (f 3 ) counteracting a thrust of said moving contact plate (CM) when said micro-actuator (MS) being electrically excited; said moving contact plate (CM) provided to establish galvanic contact with said first contact (PC+) and said micro-actuator (MS).