WETTING FINGER LATCHING PIEZOELECTRIC RELAY

摘要

An electrical relay having two wettable electrical contacts (118 and 120), each supporting a conducting liquid (126). A wettable switch finger (114) is moved from a non-deflected position to first and second positions by action of an actuator (130, 132 or 140). In the first position the switch finger (114) touches the conducting liquid (126) and causes it to wet between the contacts and the switch and thereby complete an electrical circuit between the contacts. When the switch finger (114) is in the second position, the conducting liquid (126) cannot wet between first and second contacts and the switch finger and the electrical circuit between the first and second contacts is broken. The switch finger (114) may be located at the free end of a beam (112) that is deflected or bent by the action of piezoelectric elements (130, 132 or 140).