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US3789333A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Magneto-motive bistable switching devices

Assignee: Kurpanek W H
•
Filing: 1972-09-27
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Granted: 1974-01-29
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Expires: 1992-09-27
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Abstract

Abstract A magneto-motive bistable switch comprising a hermetically sealed contact container having at least one pair of electrical contact points and a free floating ferro-magnetic contactor. An electro-magnetic coil encircles the contact container which is placed within the magnetic flux of two spring loaded permanent magnets. The switch is electrically tripped by a dc trigger pulse thus energizing the coil to thereby magnetically polarize the ferro-magnetic contactor which is thereupon magnetically attracted towards one permanent magnet respectively thus establishing a bridging relationship with at least one pair of electrical contact points. The switch is manually operated by exterior pressure on a switch knob which changes the distance between permanent magnet and contactor which is thereupon attracted to the respective closer permanent magnet thus executing the switching operation. The switch may function as an ac overload circuit breaker when a contactor with a preestablished curie point is used to indicate a sudden power surge. By attaining the curie temperature it loses its ferromagnetic qualities and thereupon falls off the contact points due to the force of gravitational attraction and breaks the circuit. The inventive idea postulates a manually and electrically operable ac and dc switch and overload circuit breaker which functions directionally fully independent (except for the ac overload circuit breaker) is absolutely fireproof and operates within a temperature range of 1,000* Centigrade. The switch comprises a hermetically sealed contact container embodying at least one pair of electrical contact points a free floating ferro-magnetic contactor. An electro-magnetic coil encircling the contact container and the contact container are placed together within the magnetic flux of two spring loaded permanent magnets. The switch is electrically tripped by a dc trigger pulse thus energizing the coil that thereby magnetically polarizes the ferro-magnetic contactor which is thereupon magnetically attracted towards one permanent magnet respectively thus establishing a bridging relationship with at least one pair of electrical contact points. The switch is manually operated by exterior pressure on a switch knob thus changing the distance between permanent magnet and contactor which is thereupon attracted to the respective closer permanent magnet thus executing the switching operation. As an ac overload circuit breaker a contactor with preestablished curie point is applied to indicate a sudden power surge by attaining curie temperature thus losing the ferro-magnetic qualities thereupon falling off the contact points due to the force of gravitational attraction thereby breaking circuit. Resetting is either manually or electrically accomplished.

Inventors

  • 👤 W Kurpanek

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 04:21
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H36/00; H01H36/0073

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 434 words
A magneto-motive bistable switch which is operable in two alternative modes, a manual mode and an electrical mode, said switch having a switch housing and comprising: two permanent magnets disposed within said switch housing and arranged so that the poles of one magnet face the poles of the other at a given fixed distance therebetween to form a fully Closed magnetic ring flux field that cannot be demagnetized under a given condition of operation; spacing means for maintaining said magnest at said given fixed distance, said means comprising at least two magnetically nonconductive spacing bars disposed between said magnets so that an open magnetic working space is formed between said magnets, which space contains two fully closed ring flux fields; spring means attaching each of said permanent magnets to the inner walls of said switch housing so that said magnets together with said spacer bars are reciprocally movable as a completely interconnected unit within said switch housing; contact container means disposed in said magnetic working space rigidly parallel between said two magnets, said container means being hermetically sealed and electrically and magnetically non-conductive and having an exterior and interior wall surface and at least one pair of electrical contact points spaced apart and mounted on the end portions of said interior wall surface of said contact container means so that a straight line projected between said contact points is substantially perpendicular to the reciprocal motion of said interconnected unit, each of said contact points being electrically connectable exteriorly of said contact container means; manually operable means disposed through said switch housing and connected to said interconnected unit to effect the allowable reciprocal motion thereof; electro-magnetic coil means encircling said contact container means substantially at its midsection, one pair of contact terminals of said coil means being electrically connectable exteriorly of said switch housing; electrically conductive free-floating ferro-magnetic contactor means disposed within said contact container means so that in said manual mode said contactor means is magnetically responsive to manually caused reciprocating movements of said interconnected unit by said manually operable means whereby as each of said magnets is alternatively brought in close proximity to said contact container means, said contactor means executes a bistable switching operation within said contact container means to establish a bridging relationship between at least one pair of said contact points, whereas in said electrical mode said contactor means is automatically operatively responsive to a magnetic flux field perpendicular to the air path of said closed ring flux field generated by an electrical dc trigger pulse applied to said coil means, whereby said contactor means executes said bistable switching operation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 434 words
A magneto-motive bistable switch which is operable in two alternative modes, a manual mode and an electrical mode, said switch having a switch housing and comprising: two permanent magnets disposed within said switch housing and arranged so that the poles of one magnet face the poles of the other at a given fixed distance therebetween to form a fully Closed magnetic ring flux field that cannot be demagnetized under a given condition of operation; spacing means for maintaining said magnest at said given fixed distance, said means comprising at least two magnetically nonconductive spacing bars disposed between said magnets so that an open magnetic working space is formed between said magnets, which space contains two fully closed ring flux fields; spring means attaching each of said permanent magnets to the inner walls of said switch housing so that said magnets together with said spacer bars are reciprocally movable as a completely interconnected unit within said switch housing; contact container means disposed in said magnetic working space rigidly parallel between said two magnets, said container means being hermetically sealed and electrically and magnetically non-conductive and having an exterior and interior wall surface and at least one pair of electrical contact points spaced apart and mounted on the end portions of said interior wall surface of said contact container means so that a straight line projected between said contact points is substantially perpendicular to the reciprocal motion of said interconnected unit, each of said contact points being electrically connectable exteriorly of said contact container means; manually operable means disposed through said switch housing and connected to said interconnected unit to effect the allowable reciprocal motion thereof; electro-magnetic coil means encircling said contact container means substantially at its midsection, one pair of contact terminals of said coil means being electrically connectable exteriorly of said switch housing; electrically conductive free-floating ferro-magnetic contactor means disposed within said contact container means so that in said manual mode said contactor means is magnetically responsive to manually caused reciprocating movements of said interconnected unit by said manually operable means whereby as each of said magnets is alternatively brought in close proximity to said contact container means, said contactor means executes a bistable switching operation within said contact container means to establish a bridging relationship between at least one pair of said contact points, whereas in said electrical mode said contactor means is automatically operatively responsive to a magnetic flux field perpendicular to the air path of said closed ring flux field generated by an electrical dc trigger pulse applied to said coil means, whereby said contactor means executes said bistable switching operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least two permanent magnets are of the colbalt rare-earth type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 wherein an arc extinguishing meduim is disposed within said hermetically sealed contact container means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive free floating ferro-magnetic contactor means has an electrically conductive surface coating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one pair of spaced apart electrical contact points are mounted on a spring suspension.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said coil means and said contact points have independent electrical circuitry thus rendering possible selective switching modes of said switch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 61 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 when operating in said electrical mode wherein said coil means and said contact points are connected in series thus rendering possible usage of said switch as a sensitive dc overload breaker said manual mode being employed to reset said selective switching operation after overload, thereafter being removed and allowing said electrical mode to continue.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 77 words
A switch as defined in claim 1 when operating in said electrical mode wherein said free floating ferro-magnetic contactor means has a preselected curie point such that at a given electric alternating current overload said contactor reaches curie point temperature thus losing its ferro-magnetic characteristic and falling off said contact points to break the electrical circuit said manual mode being employed to reset said selective switching operation thereafter being removed and allowing said electrical mode to continue.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 77 words
A magnetic switch as defined in claim 1 when operating in said electrical mode wherein said free floating ferro-magnetic contactor means has a preselected curie point such that at a given electric alternating current overload said contactor means reaches curie point temperature thus losing its ferro-magnetic characteristic and falling off said contact points thereby breaking the electrical circuit and where an electrical dc trigger pulse energizes said electro-magnetic coil means to thereby reset said selective switching operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 24 words
A magnetic switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said switch housing is composed of a magnetically and electrically non-conductive material such as plastic.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 27 words
A magnetic switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said hermetically sealed contact container means is composed of a magnetically and electrically non-conductive material such as glass.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 25 words
A magnetic switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said free floating ferro-magnetic contactor means has spherical end-surfaces permitting higher voltage and current switching operations.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3206573A Cited
US3256400A Cited
DE1220509B Cited
US3452307A Cited
US3512111A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1977-01-28 1977-07-30 1978-01-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1981-01-28 1981-07-30 1982-01-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1985-01-28 1985-07-30 1986-01-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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