摘要 |
An electromechanical relay employing a movable first permanent magnet and a nearby third electromagnet is disclosed. The movable first magnet is permanently magnetized and has at least a first end. The third electromagnet, when energized, produces a third 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 third electromagnet changes the direction of the third 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 magnets can be stacked together to form multi-pole-multi-throw relays. Latching and non-latching types of relays can be formed by appropriately using soft and permanent magnets as various components.
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