Patent ID: 6903493

Claim:
An electrical relay comprising: a relay housing enclosing a switching cavity; a first electrical contact in the switching cavity, having a wettable surface; a second electrical contact in the switching cavity spaced from the first electrical contact and having a wettable surface; a conducting liquid in wetted contact with the first and second electrical contacts; a beam having a fixed end attached to the relay housing within the switching cavity and a free end; a non-wettable switch finger, attached to the free end of the beam and moveable between the first and second electrical contacts; and a piezoelectric actuator operable to move the beam in a lateral direction to cause the switching finger to move between a first position and second position; wherein when the switch finger is in the first position, the conducting liquid bridges the space between the first and second contacts and completes an electrical circuit between the first and second contacts and when in the second position the switch finger separates the conducting liquid into two volumes, thereby breaking the electrical circuit between the first and second contacts.