摘要 |
An electromechanical relay employing a movable first magnet and a nearby switching electromagnet is disclosed. The movable first magnet is permanently magnetized with a magnetic moment and has at least a first end. The switching electromagnet, when energized, produces a switching magnetic field which is primarily perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the first movable magnet and exerts a magnetic torque on the first magnet to force the first magnet to rotate and closes an electrical conduction path at the first end. Changing the direction of the electrical current in the switching electromagnet changes the direction of the switching magnetic field and thus the direction of the magnetic torque on the first magnet, and causes the first magnet to rotate in an opposite direction and opens the electrical conduction path at the first end. Multiple magnetic layers can be arranged to form closed magnetic circuits to facilitate switching and maintaining switched states. Latching and non-latching types of relays can be formed by appropriately adjusting various force magnitudes. |