Patent ID: 6876133

Claim:
An electrical relay comprising: a relay housing containing a switching cavity; first and second fixed contact pads, each attached to the relay housing in the switching cavity and having a wettable surface; first and second switching contacts positioned between the first and second fixed contact pads, each of the first and second switching contacts having a wettable surface; a first conducting liquid volume in wetted contact with the first switching contact and the first fixed contact pad; a second conducting liquid volume in wetted contact with the second switching contact and the second fixed contact pad; and a switch bar having a fixed end coupled to the relay housing and a free end supporting the first and second switching contacts; a piezoelectric actuator coupled to the relay housing and to the switch bar between its free end and its fixed end, the piezoelectric actuator being deformable in an extensional mode to move the free end of the switch bar in a first direction, to decrease the distance between the first switching contact and the first fixed contact pad and increase the distance between the second switching contact and the second fixed contact pad, and a second direction to increase the distance between the first switching contact and the first fixed contact pad and decrease the distance between the second switching contact and the second fixed contact pad, wherein: motion of the switch bar in the first direction causes the first conducting liquid volume to form a connection between the first switching contact and the first fixed contact pad and causes the second conducting liquid volume to separate into two droplets, thereby breaking a connection between the second switching contact and the second fixed contact pad; and motion of the switch bar in the second direction causes the first conducting liquid volume to separate into two droplets, thereby breaking the connection between the first switching contact and the first fixed contact pad and causes the second conducting liquid volume to form a connection between the second switching contact and the second fixed contact pad.