JP7809158B2 - Contact bridge assembly for relay or contactor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a contact bridge assembly for a relay or contactor.

Contact bridge assemblies are used to switch current in relays or contactors. To do this, the contact bridge is typically pressed against a fixed contact of the relay or contactor to close or break a circuit. To this end, the contact bridge is moved towards the fixed contact; this movement is generated by a drive device and transmitted to the contact bridge by a drive rod. The contact bridge is typically held by a contact bridge holder.

The problem with this type of structure is that strong friction occurs between the contact bridge holder and the contact bridge during operation, resulting in increased wear.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a contact bridge assembly that is low in wear and safe in operation.

The object is to provide a contact bridge assembly for a relay or contactor, comprising:
Contact bridge and
two spaced apart contacts for contacting the two fixed contacts;
a contact bridge carrier;
an overtravel spring supported between the contact bridge carrier and the contact bridge and acting in a direction that pushes the contact bridge carrier and the contact bridge apart;
a contact bridge holder that holds the contact bridge on the contact bridge carrier against the acting direction of the over-travel spring;
the contact bridge retainer includes at least one wire clip that engages at least partially around the contact bridge;
Filled with contact bridge assembly.

Alternatively or additionally, the contact bridge can be arranged on a part of the wire clip, in particular between the leg and the over-travel spring, in particular in the direction of action of the over-travel spring. In contact assemblies of the above kind, stamped and bent elements are typically used for the contact bridge holder. To reduce wear, these elements must be carefully deburred or manufactured with precision to avoid sharp edges that could cause the contact bridge to wear at certain points. This is not necessary with the wire clip proposed below.

Additionally, wire clips have the advantage that they are inexpensive to manufacture due to the low consumption of material. If several wire clips are used, they can be configured identically, reducing the manufacturing costs of the contact bridge assembly. Because the wire clips are not formed integrally with the contact bridge holder, they can be replaced separately from other possible parts of the contact bridge holder. This reduces the costs of maintaining or repairing such contact bridge assemblies.

The contact bridge holder can hold the contact bridge, particularly in the area between the two contacts. The over-travel spring can likewise act in the area between the two contacts. Specifically, the over-travel spring can act on the contact bridge at the point where the longitudinal axis and lateral axis of the contact bridge intersect. As a result, the over-travel spring does not generate a moment acting on the contact bridge.

The over-travel spring can exert a force on the contact bridge directed along the acting direction, thus pressing the contact bridge at least partially against the leg of the wire clip. As a result, a further leg of the wire clip can be pressed against a portion of the contact bridge carrier.

The present invention can be further improved by the following features, which are advantageous in themselves and can be combined randomly with one another:

According to a further embodiment, the contact bridge carrier can include at least one locking groove in which at least one wire clip can be clipped. In this way, the at least one wire clip is permanently attached to the contact bridge carrier. The wire clip can also be rotatably attached to the locking groove, so that the wire clip can be folded around the longitudinal axis of the locking groove. Such a contact bridge assembly can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.

At least one groove may extend perpendicular to the direction of spring action. Here, the wire clip may be clipped into at least two locking grooves that may extend perpendicular to or at different angles to each other. Specifically, the wire clip may include legs that may be clipped into at least two locking grooves that may extend perpendicular to or at different angles to each other.

Furthermore, the wire clip can be bent around the eye, and a portion of the contact bridge can protrude into the eye. Here, the portion of the contact bridge can be, for example, a protrusion. This portion or various configurations of this portion can include at least one receiving groove that receives the wire clip or the legs of the wire clip. Specifically, the wire clip or the legs of the wire clip can be pressed into the receiving groove by an over-travel spring.

Instead of and/or in addition to the receiving groove, a portion of the contact bridge may include any type of recess, such as a notch, trough, or gap. Here, the inner contour of the receiving groove or recess may preferably be configured to be complementary to the outer contour of the wire clip or the leg of the wire clip.

The wire clip may include holes through which the contact bridge carrier and contact bridge protrude. Specifically, portions of the contact bridge carrier and contact bridge may protrude through the holes, or the wire clip may be entangled with portions of the contact bridge carrier and contact bridge. The portions may be, for example, protrusions protruding from the contact bridge carrier and contact bridge.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the contact bridge assembly can include two wire clips arranged opposite each other with respect to the connecting lines of the two contacts. Such a configuration is more stable and safe, since the contact bridge is redundantly connected to the contact bridge holder by two wire clips. In addition, the symmetrical arrangement of the wire clips with respect to the connecting lines of the two contacts distributes mechanical forces acting from the outside on the contact bridge assembly symmetrically across the components of the contact bridge assembly. This reduces the load on the contact bridge assembly, and therefore the wear on the contact bridge assembly. In addition, such a configuration prevents the contact bridge from tilting around the connecting lines of the two contacts.
This ensures that the two contacts arranged on the contact bridge can fully contact the fixed contact, thereby increasing the reliability of a relay or contactor in which the contact bridge assembly according to the invention can be used.

Specifically, the contact bridge assembly may include two wire clips positioned opposite each other relative to the connection wires of the two contacts. The wire clips may be bent around a central cavity, which may have a variety of different shapes. For example, the central cavity may be rectangular, square, circular, oval, elliptical, polygonal, triangular, trapezoidal, or diamond-shaped.

According to a further aspect, the oppositely positioned wire clip can be inserted or clipped onto the contact bridge carrier. In this way, the wire clip is securely attached to the contact bridge carrier, simplifying assembly of the contact bridge assembly. If one leg of the wire clip breaks away from the protrusion of the contact bridge (by folding away), the wire clip remains secured against complete removal by the clipped leg. In this way, the contact assembly is protected from damage.

The wire clip, or in particular the two ends of the wire clip, can be inserted into the contact bridge carrier in an insertion direction oriented perpendicular to the direction of action of the overtravel spring.

The wire clip may be clipped into one of the locking grooves and be able to pivot around this locking groove to the other locking grooves. The contact bridge carrier may include at least three locking grooves, and the wire clip may be pivotally clipped into one of the three locking grooves and locked into the other two locking grooves by pivoting. Specifically, one leg of the wire clip may be clipped into one of the three locking grooves or may be locked into the other two locking grooves, respectively.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one wire clip can surround the cavity through which the contact bridge carrier and the contact bridge extend. Such a configuration of the wire clip is structurally advantageous, since the projections of the contact bridge carrier and the contact bridge can be surrounded by the wire clip and thereby connected to one another with a positive fit.

At least one wire clip can be attached to the protrusion of the contact bridge, particularly by a folding or pivoting action. This simplifies assembly and disassembly of the contact bridge assembly.

According to a further embodiment, the wire clips can extend from the contact bridge carrier to two oppositely arranged side surfaces of the contact bridge. Such wire clips reduce the number of parts in the contact bridge carrier, reducing manufacturing costs and assembly efforts.

In particular, the wire clip can extend from the contact bridge carrier to the contact bridge and to two oppositely arranged side surfaces of the contact bridge carrier. The two side surfaces of the wire clip can be arranged opposite each other with respect to the connection line between the two contacts of the contact bridge.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the contact bridge assembly comprises a drive rod extending away from the contact bridge with its longitudinal direction on the side of the contact bridge carrier facing away from the contact bridge and connected longitudinally to the contact bridge carrier in a force-transmitting manner. This arrangement allows linear motion of the drive rod to be transmitted to the contact bridge. In this way, the contact bridge can be moved towards or away from the fixed contact. The contact bridge can thus be used to establish or interrupt the flow of current between the fixed contacts. The drive rod may be the armature of an electromagnetic drive system.

According to a further embodiment, the drive rod and contact bridge can be galvanically isolated. Large currents flow on the load side of the contact bridge assembly. Specifically, when switching an electrical load, high voltage peaks and arcs can occur at the contacts of the contact bridge, which can harm the electronic components on the drive side. By galvanically isolating the drive rod and contact bridge, the load side is electrically separated from the drive side, thereby protecting the electronic components on the drive side from damage.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the drive rod can be inserted into or overmolded by the contact bridge carrier. This configuration ensures that the drive rod is stably attached to the contact bridge carrier, so that forces or movements can be transmitted reliably and safely from the drive rod to the contact bridge carrier.

The drive rod may include a head at the end facing the contact bridge. The head is preferably thick and can be positioned in the contact bridge holder.

The drive rod can be inserted into the contact bridge carrier either longitudinally or transversely to the longitudinal direction. For this purpose, the contact bridge carrier can include a receptacle, for example in the form of an insertion slot.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the contact bridge assembly can comprise a pressure plate on which an overtravel spring is placed at its end facing away from the contact bridge. Due to the high spring force and the relative movement between the spring and the support surface, mechanical loads, in particular friction, are generated on the support surface of the spring. This can lead to wear or other damage to the support surface. By providing a pressure plate, which can be configured to be mechanically resistant, the contact bridge carrier is protected from damage.

According to a further aspect, the end of the drive rod facing the contact bridge can abut against the pressure plate. The drive rod transmits high forces to the contact bridge carrier, which creates mechanical loads, such as compressive stresses, tensile stresses or friction, between the end of the drive rod and the material to which it is fixed. The abutment of the end of the drive rod against the pressure plate protects the contact bridge carrier from damage.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the pressure plate can be manufactured from a dielectric. In this way, the load side can be galvanically isolated from the drive side, protecting the drive side electronics from high voltages on the load side. Such a contact bridge assembly can be manufactured inexpensively, as complex processing to make the contact bridge carrier non-conductive is not required. Furthermore, the pressure plate simultaneously fulfills several functions, in particular the mechanical protection and insulating functions, which reduces the number of parts in the contact bridge assembly.

According to a further embodiment, the pressure plate and the contact bridge carrier can be manufactured from two different materials. In this way, the materials can be specifically tailored to the respective requirements of the pressure plate or the contact bridge carrier, respectively. This avoids excessive material usage and thereby reduces the costs of the contact bridge assembly.

In one embodiment, the pressure plate is positioned between at least one wire clip and the drive rod.

According to a further aspect, the pressure plate can be inserted into the contact bridge carrier or overmolded by the contact bridge carrier. If the pressure plate is inserted into the contact bridge carrier, it can be assembled and disassembled particularly easily. If the pressure plate is overmolded by the contact bridge carrier, the contact bridge assembly can be produced inexpensively, especially in the context of automated production. Furthermore, it is ensured that the pressure plate fits tightly into the contact bridge carrier, which limits displacement of the pressure plate.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one wire clip can be manufactured from a bent round wire. Such a wire clip can be manufactured inexpensively, since both the initial semi-finished product and the forming process are inexpensive. In addition, the bent round wire has a circular cross-sectional area and therefore no edges are present on the support surface that could damage the material of the contact bridge or contact bridge carrier. Therefore, the contact bridge assembly according to this embodiment is particularly wear-resistant.

The present invention will now be described in more detail using embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In accordance with the above embodiments, if the technical effect associated with an individual feature present in the following embodiments is not important, that feature may be omitted. Conversely, if the technical effect associated with a feature previously described but not present in the following embodiments is important for a particular application, that feature may be added to the embodiment.

In the following, the same reference symbols are used for elements that correspond to each other in terms of structure and/or function.

1 is a schematic perspective exploded view of a contact bridge assembly according to a possible embodiment; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a contact bridge assembly in an assembled state according to a possible embodiment; 1 is a schematic perspective view of a contact assembly during assembly according to a possible embodiment; 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a contact bridge assembly in an assembled state according to a further possible embodiment; 1 is a schematic perspective view of a contact bridge assembly in an assembled state according to a possible embodiment;

Below, we will first describe the components of the contact bridge assembly 1 with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

The contact bridge assembly 1 comprises a contact bridge 2, a contact bridge carrier 4, a contact bridge holder 6, an overtravel spring 8, and a drive rod 10.

The contact bridge holder 6 includes at least one wire clip 12, which may be manufactured from a bent round wire 14. For example, for the rectangular-shaped wire clip shown here, the wire clip 12 includes an upper leg 16 and a lower leg 18 extending parallel to each other. The wire clip may be of a different shape, such as circular, oval, elliptical, polygonal, triangular, trapezoidal, or rhomboidal. The wire clip 12 further includes two lateral legs 20 extending parallel to each other and perpendicular to the upper leg 16 or lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12. The legs 16, 18, 20 of the wire clip 12 surround a substantially rectangular cavity 22. The cavity 22 may be of a different shape, such as circular, oval, elliptical, polygonal, triangular, trapezoidal, or rhomboidal.
In one of the legs 16, 18, 20, the wire clip 12 includes a gap 24 where two ends 26 of the wire clip 12 are positioned opposite each other. In Figure 3, the gap 24 is located in the lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12.

The contact bridge 2 is generally rectangular and includes protrusions 28 arranged on two opposite side surfaces 32 of the contact bridge 2 relative to a longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2. The protrusions 28 extend along the longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2 and along a transverse axis 34 of the contact bridge 2. The protrusions 28 are intended to engage the wire clips 12 of the contact bridge holder 6 around them.

The contact bridge 2 includes two spaced apart contacts 36 arranged opposite each other with respect to the transverse axis 34 of the contact bridge 2. The contacts 36 are provided for contacting two fixed contacts 38 of a relay or contactor.

The longitudinal axis 30 and the transverse axis 34 of the contact bridge 2 intersect at a contact bridge center 40, around which a ring-shaped ridge 42 is disposed. The ring-shaped ridge 42 extends along the axial direction 44 away from the upper surface 46 of the contact bridge 2. The contact bridge 2 further includes a ring-shaped groove 48, which is disposed on the lower surface 50 of the contact bridge 2 and extends from the lower surface 50 of the contact bridge 2 towards the upper surface 46 of the contact bridge 2, around the axial direction 44. The ring-shaped groove 48 is configured to receive an end 52 of the over-travel spring 8 facing the contact bridge 2.

The contact bridge carrier 4 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes two recesses 54 positioned opposite each other relative to the connecting lines 56 of the contacts 36. The connecting lines 56 of the contacts 36 extend along the longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2. Each recess 54 includes a horizontal locking groove 58 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2 or parallel to the connecting lines 56 of the contacts 36. The horizontal locking grooves 58 are configured to allow the lower legs 18 of the wire clip 12 to be clipped into the horizontal locking grooves 58. Specifically, the wire clip 12 clipped into the horizontal locking grooves 58 can be mounted rotatably or foldably around the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking grooves 58.

The contact bridge carrier 4 includes vertical locking grooves 62 extending along vertical edges 64 of the generally rectangular parallelepiped contact bridge carrier 4. The vertical locking grooves 62 have longitudinal axes 66 extending parallel to one another along the axial direction 44. The vertical locking grooves 62 are provided so that the lateral legs 20 of the wire clip 12 can be clipped or locked into the vertical locking grooves 62.

The contact bridge carrier 4 may include a bevel 70 between the vertical locking groove 62 and the side wall 68 of the contact bridge carrier 4, which are arranged opposite each other with respect to the longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2. The bevel 70 is provided so that the lateral leg 20 of the wire clip 12 has access to the vertical locking groove 62 during assembly. Specifically, the bevel 70 allows the lateral leg 20 of the wire clip 12 to be clipped into the vertical locking groove 62 when the wire clip 12 is folded around the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking groove 58 during assembly.

The contact bridge carrier 4 includes a cylindrical opening 72 whose longitudinal axis 74 extends along the axial direction 44. The opening 72 extends from an upper surface 76 of the contact bridge carrier 4 to a point 78 in the axial direction 44 that is located between the upper surface 76 of the contact bridge carrier 4 and a lower surface 80 of the contact bridge carrier 4. The opening 72 is accessible from the upper surface 76 of the contact bridge carrier 4 and is intended to receive the overtravel spring 8.

The upper surface 76 of the contact bridge carrier 4 may have a chamfer 82 that is located on the upper side 84 of the opening 72 and extends around the axial direction 44. The chamfer 82 may facilitate assembly of the contact bridge assembly 4, particularly insertion of the over-travel spring 8 into the opening 72 along the axial direction 44.

The pressure plate 86 of the contact bridge carrier 4 extends perpendicular to the axial direction 44 through the contact bridge carrier 4 and is arranged parallel to the upper surface 76 and the lower surface 80 of the contact bridge carrier 4. The pressure plate 86 lies in the plane of the lower surface 88 of the opening 72, which is therefore adjacent to the upper surface 90 of the pressure plate 86 in the axial direction 44. The pressure plate 86 can be inserted into the contact bridge carrier 4 or can be overmolded by the contact bridge carrier 4. The pressure plate 86 can be manufactured from a dielectric 92 to electrically insulate the drive rod 10 and the contact bridge 2 from each other.

The drive rod 10 of the contact bridge assembly 1 has a generally cylindrical shape with a longitudinal axis 94 extending along the axial direction 44. At its end 96 facing the contact bridge 2, the drive rod 10 includes a head 98 that is rigidly attached to the lower part 100 of the contact bridge carrier 4.

As shown in Figure 2, the head 98 of the drive rod 10 can be overmolded by the contact bridge carrier 4. In this case, the drive rod 10 is rigidly connected to the contact bridge carrier 4, thus eliminating relative movement between the drive rod 10 and the contact bridge carrier 4. Furthermore, there is no contact between the head 98 of the drive rod 10 and the pressure plate 86. The head 98 of the drive rod 10 is completely surrounded by the material of the contact bridge carrier 4.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the drive rod 10 can also be inserted into the contact bridge carrier 4. For this purpose, the contact bridge carrier 4 can include a receptacle 102, for example in the form of a slot, extending along the axial direction 44 from the underside 80 of the contact bridge carrier 4 to the underside 88 of the opening 72. The receptacle 102 merges into the opening 72. The drive rod 10 can be inserted into the receptacle 102 along the axial direction 44 through the opening 72 of the contact bridge carrier 4 until the underside 104 of the head 98 abuts against the base 106 of the lower part 100 of the contact bridge carrier 4. In this state, the end 96 of the drive rod 10 facing the contact bridge 2 can abut against the pressure plate 86.

Refer again to Figures 1 to 3 below.

The over-travel spring 8 of the contact bridge assembly 1 has a generally cylindrical shape. The over-travel spring 8 includes two ends 118 spaced apart in the axial direction 44 by a spring height 120. In the unloaded state 122, the over-travel spring 8 has an unloaded spring height 124, and in the loaded state 126, the over-travel spring 8 has a loaded spring height 128. The unloaded spring height 124 is greater than the loaded spring height 128. The loaded state 126 is achieved when the over-travel spring 8 is compressed in the axial direction 44. The longitudinal axis 130 of the over-travel spring 8 extends along the axial direction 44. The overtravel spring 8 has an action direction 132 that pushes the contact bridge carrier 4 and the contact bridge 2 apart along the axial direction 44.

The contact bridge assembly 4 in the assembled state 134 is described below with reference to Figures 2 and 5.

In the assembled state 134, the head 98 of the drive rod 10 is connected to the lower part 100 of the contact bridge carrier 4. Here, the drive rod 10 can be rigidly connected to the contact bridge carrier 4.

The over-travel spring 8 is inserted into the opening 72 in the contact bridge carrier 4, so that the longitudinal axis 130 of the over-travel spring 8 extends along the longitudinal axis 74 of the opening 72, along the longitudinal axis 94 of the drive rod 10 and along the axial direction 44. An end 136 of the over-travel spring 8 facing away from the contact bridge 2 abuts against the pressure plate 86, and an end 52 of the over-travel spring 8 facing towards the contact bridge 2 abuts against the underside 50 of the contact bridge 2. In particular, at least one spring winding 138 of the over-travel spring 8, arranged at the end 52 of the over-travel spring 8 facing towards the contact bridge 2, can be received in a ring-shaped groove 48 in the underside 50 of the contact bridge 2.
In this way, the over-travel spring 8 is fixed to the contact bridge assembly 1 against movement in the axial direction 44 or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 130 of the over-travel spring 8. In the assembled state 134, the over-travel spring 8 can only rotate about the axial direction 44 relative to the contact bridge carrier 4.

The lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12 is clipped into the horizontal locking groove 58 of the contact bridge carrier 4, so that the lower leg 18 is in contact with its upper surface 140 against the lower surface 142 of the pressure plate 86. The longitudinal axis 144 of the lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12 extends along the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking groove 58 of the contact bridge carrier 4. The protrusion 146 of the contact bridge carrier 4 protrudes through the eye 22 of the wire clip 12, so that the wire clip 12 engages around the protrusion 146 of the contact bridge carrier 4.

The lower surface 148 of the upper leg 16 of the wire clip 12 contacts the upper surface 150 of the protrusion 28 of the contact bridge 2. The longitudinal axis 152 of the upper leg 16 of the wire clip 12 extends along the longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2. The protrusion 28 of the contact bridge 2 extends through the cavity 22 of the wire clip 12, so that the wire clip 12 engages around the protrusion 28 of the contact bridge 2.

In the assembled state 134, the over-travel spring 8 is compressed along the longitudinal axis 130 or in the direction opposite to the application direction 132, respectively. The over-travel spring 8 has a loaded spring height 128. The over-travel spring 8 generates a reaction force 154 along the application direction 132, which tends to push the contact bridge 2 and the contact bridge carrier 4 or pressure plate 86 apart along the axial direction 44. As a result, the over-travel spring 8 pushes the contact bridge 2 away from the contact bridge carrier 4 in the axial direction 44, and thus the upper surface 150 of the protrusion 28 of the contact bridge 2 is pressed against the lower surface 148 of the upper leg 16 of the wire clip 12. This in turn presses the upper surface 150 of the lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12 against the lower surface 142 of the pressure plate 86.

Furthermore, the lateral legs 20 of the wire clip 12 are clipped into the vertical locking grooves 62 of the contact bridge carrier 4. As a result, the longitudinal axes 166 of the lateral legs 20 of the wire clip 12 extend along the longitudinal axes 66 of the vertical locking grooves 62 of the contact bridge carrier 4. Clipping the lateral legs 20 of the wire clip 12 into the vertical locking grooves 62 of the contact bridge carrier 4 prevents the wire clip 12 from rotating around the longitudinal axes 60 of the horizontal locking grooves 58 of the contact bridge carrier 4. In this way, the contact bridge assembly 1 is prevented from loosening.

The assembly of the contact bridge assembly 1 is described below. The order of the assembly steps can be changed as desired and is not limited to the order shown below.

In a first step, the lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12 is clipped into the horizontal locking groove 58 of the contact bridge carrier 4. Here, the longitudinal axis 144 of the lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12 extends along the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking groove 58. In this state, the wire clip 12 is mounted so as to be rotatable around the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking groove 58 of the contact bridge carrier 4.

If the contact bridge assembly 1 includes a drive rod 10 inserted in the contact bridge carrier 4, the drive rod 10 is attached in a second step. For this purpose, the drive rod 10 is inserted through the opening 72 in the contact bridge carrier 4 and along the axial direction 44 into the receptacle 102 of the contact bridge carrier 4 until the underside 104 of the head 98 abuts against the base 106 of the lower part 100 of the contact bridge carrier 4. In this state, the end 96 of the drive rod 10 facing the contact bridge 2 abuts against the pressure plate 86. If the drive rod 10 is overmolded by the contact bridge carrier 4, there is no need to attach the drive rod 10 and the second step is omitted.

If the contact bridge assembly 1 comprises a pressure plate 86 inserted into the contact bridge carrier 4, the pressure plate 86 must be attached in a third step. For this purpose, the pressure plate 86 can be inserted into the contact bridge carrier 4, for example, through an insertion opening 158 in the contact bridge carrier 4 along an insertion direction 156 ( FIG. 5 ). The insertion direction 156 extends along a vertical axis 160 of the insertion opening 158 and perpendicular to the axial direction 44. If the pressure plate 86 is overmolded by the contact bridge carrier 4, there is no need to attach the pressure plate 86 and the third step is omitted. In this case, the drive rod 10 cannot be inserted into the receptacle 102 through the opening 72 in the contact bridge carrier 4.
In that case, the drive rod 10 can be overmolded with the pressure plate 86, for example, or can be inserted laterally into the contact bridge carrier 4 by means of a receptacle.

In a fourth step, the over-travel spring 8 is inserted into the opening 72 of the contact bridge carrier 4 so that the longitudinal axis 130 of the over-travel spring 8 extends along the longitudinal axis 74 of the opening 72, the longitudinal axis 94 of the drive rod 10, and the axial direction 44. The end 136 of the over-travel spring 8 facing away from the contact bridge 2 abuts against the pressure plate 86. The over-travel spring 8 is in the unloaded state 122 and is not yet compressed.

In a fifth step, the contact bridge 2 is placed on the over-travel spring 8 so that the end 52 of the over-travel spring 8 facing the contact bridge 2 is received in the ring-shaped groove 48 of the contact bridge 2. The contact bridge 2 is positioned parallel to the pressure plate 86 and the upper surface 76 of the contact bridge carrier 4. The longitudinal axis 30 of the contact bridge 2 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking groove 58 of the contact bridge carrier 4.

In a sixth step, the contact bridge 2 is moved in the axial direction 44 toward the pressure plate 86, compressing the overtravel spring 8. To allow the wire clip 12 to be attached, a first distance 162 in the axial direction 44 (see FIG. 2) between the upper surface 150 of the projection 28 of the contact bridge 2 and the lower surface 142 of the pressure plate 86 must be smaller than a second distance 164 (see FIG. 3) between the lower surface 148 of the upper leg 16 of the wire clip 12 and the upper surface 140 of the lower leg 18 of the wire clip 12.

In the seventh step, the wire clip 12 clipped into the horizontal locking groove 58 is folded toward the contact bridge 2 around the longitudinal axis 60 of the horizontal locking groove 58. The seventh step is completed when the longitudinal axis 166 of the lateral leg 20 of the wire clip 12 extends along the axial direction 44. In this case, the lower surface 148 of the upper leg 16 of the wire clip 12 abuts against the upper surface 150 of the protrusion 28 of the contact bridge 2. After completing the seventh step, the contact assembly 1 is in the assembled state 134.

1 contact bridge assembly 2 contact bridge 4 contact bridge carrier 6 contact bridge holder 8 overtravel spring 10 drive rod 12 wire clip 14 bent round wire 16 upper leg 18 lower leg 20 lateral leg 22 cavity 24 gap 26 end of wire clip 28 protrusion of contact bridge 30 longitudinal axis of contact bridge 32 side surface of contact bridge 34 lateral axis of contact bridge 36 contact 38 fixed contact 40 centre point of contact bridge 42 ring-shaped ridge 44 axial direction 46 upper surface of contact bridge 48 ring-shaped groove 50 lower surface of contact bridge 52 end of overtravel spring facing towards contact bridge 54 recess 56 connecting wire 58 horizontal locking groove 60 longitudinal axis of horizontal locking groove 62 vertical locking groove 64 vertical edge 66 Longitudinal axis of vertical locking groove 68 Side wall 70 Chamfer 72 Opening 74 Longitudinal axis of opening 76 Upper surface of contact bridge carrier 78 Point 80 Lower surface of contact bridge carrier 82 Bevel 84 Upper surface of opening 86 Pressure plate 88 Lower surface of opening 90 Upper surface of pressure plate 92 Dielectric 94 Longitudinal axis of drive rod 96 End of drive rod facing towards contact bridge 98 Head 100 Lower part of contact bridge carrier 102 Receptacle 104 Lower surface of head 106 Base 118 End of overtravel spring 120 Spring height 122 Unloaded state 124 Unloaded spring height 126 Loaded state 128 Loaded spring height 130 Longitudinal axis of overtravel spring 132 Direction of action 134 Mounted state 136 End of overtravel spring facing away from contact bridge 138 Spring winding 140 Upper surface of lower leg 142 Lower surface of pressure plate 144 Longitudinal axis of lower leg 146 Protrusion of contact bridge carrier 148 Lower surface of upper leg 150 Upper surface of protrusion of contact bridge 152 Longitudinal axis of upper leg 154 Reaction force 156 Insertion direction 158 Insertion opening 160 Vertical axis of insertion opening 162 First distance 164 Second distance 166 Longitudinal axis of lateral leg

Claims (16)

A contact bridge assembly (1) for a relay or contactor, comprising:
a contact bridge (2),
two spaced apart contacts (36) for contacting two fixed contacts (38);
a contact bridge carrier (4),
an over-travel spring (8) supported between the contact bridge carrier (4) and the contact bridge (2) and having an action direction (132) that pushes the contact bridge carrier (4) and the contact bridge (2) apart;
a contact bridge holder (6) for holding the contact bridge (2) on the contact bridge carrier (4) against the acting direction (132) of the over-travel spring (8),
The contact bridge retainer (6) includes at least one wire clip (12) that at least partially engages around the contact bridge (2);
The at least one wire clip (12)
the two contacts (36) extend in a direction away from each other and include first legs (16) that engage with the contact bridge (2) and a pair of second legs (20) that are spaced apart in the direction away from each other and each are connected to the first legs (16), and are attached to the contact bridge carrier (4) so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis (60) that is parallel to the direction away from each other;
The contact bridge carrier (4)
a pair of first clip grooves (62) each extending in a direction parallel to the operating direction (132) into which the pair of second legs (20) are clipped in an assembled state (134);
Contact bridge assembly (1).
The separation direction is parallel to the connection lines (56) of the two contacts (36),
the pair of first clip grooves (62) are provided at both ends of the contact bridge carrier (4) in the spaced apart direction,
Each of the pair of second legs (20) is rotatably supported on both ends of the contact bridge carrier (4) in the spaced apart direction.
A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 1.
2. The contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the contact bridge assembly (1) comprises two wire clips (12) arranged opposite to each other with respect to the connecting wires (56) of the two contacts (36).
4. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 3, wherein the oppositely arranged wire clips (12) are inserted or clipped onto the contact bridge carrier (4).
4. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one wire clip (12) surrounds a cavity (22) through which the contact bridge carrier (4) and the contact bridge (2) extend.
2. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the wire clips (12) extend from the contact bridge carrier (4) to two oppositely arranged side surfaces (32) of the contact bridge (2).
2. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 1, comprising a drive rod (10) which extends away from the contact bridge (2) with its longitudinal axis (94) lying in a face (80) of the contact bridge carrier (4) facing away from the contact bridge (2) and which is connected in a force-transmitting manner to the contact bridge carrier (4) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (94).
8. The contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 7, wherein the drive rod (10) and the contact bridge (2) are galvanically isolated.
8. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 7, wherein the drive rod (10) is inserted into or overmolded by the contact bridge carrier (4).
2. The contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 1, comprising a pressure plate (86), the over-travel spring (8) being placed on the pressure plate (86) with an end (136) facing away from the contact bridge (2).
a drive rod (10) extending away from the contact bridge (2) with its longitudinal axis (94) lying in a face (80) of the contact bridge carrier (4) facing away from the contact bridge (2) and connected in a force-transmitting manner to the contact bridge carrier (4) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (94),
11. The contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein an end (96) of the drive rod (10) facing towards the contact bridge (2) abuts against the pressure plate (86).
The contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein the pressure plate (86) is made from a dielectric material (92).
11. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein the pressure plate (86) and the contact bridge carrier (4) are manufactured from two different materials.
11. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein the pressure plate (86) is inserted into or overmolded by the contact bridge carrier (4).
2. The contact bridge assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the contact bridge carrier (4) comprises chamfers (70) between the pair of first clip grooves (62) and the side walls (68) of the contact bridge carrier (4), the chamfers (70) enabling the pair of second legs (20) to be clipped into the pair of first clip grooves (62) when the at least one wire clip (12) is folded around the longitudinal axis (60) of the second groove (58) of the contact bridge carrier (4) during assembly.
16. A contact bridge assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one wire clip (12) is made from a bent round wire ( 14 ).