Mercury-wetted sealed contact switch
US4114006A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 3, 1977 |
| Grant date | Sep 12, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 3, 1997 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H1/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The possibility of contact bounce in an electrical switch is minimized by transferring energy from an armature of the switch to a damping liquid. An arrangement for damping the armature by such a transfer is particularly suited for use with a mercury-wetted sealed contact switch. The switch includes first and second spaced terminals embedded at opposite ends of a cylindrical envelope. The armature is located in the space between the two terminals. It is hinged by a thin leaf spring at the first terminal and is normally positioned to form a gap with the second terminal. Operation of the switch to close and reopen the gap results from an application and a removal, respectively, of a magnetic field through the terminals and the armature. Mercury wets the contact points between the second terminal and the armature. The mercury is supplied from a pool located at the first terminal. To dampen the motion of the armature, a damping member is rigidly coupled to the armature and extends from the armature into the pool of mercury.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.