Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Other

Keiji Kakite

Koichi Aizawa

Jun Sakai

Yoshifumi Watabe

Hiromi Nishimura

Fumihiro Kasano

Kenji Doi

Shigekazu Kusanagi

Noriyuki Yamaga

Ayumu Yasuda

Toru Fujioka

Takayoshi Awai

Hitoshi Kanagawa

An electrostatic relay essentially comprises a fixed electrode with a fixed contact insulated therefrom, a movable electrode plate with a movable contact insulated therefrom, and a fixed pair of oppositely charged electrets. The movable electrode plate is pivotally supported at a pivot in a cantilever fashion or a seesaw fashion, and also to move about the pivot axis relative to the fixed electrode between two rest positions of closing and opening the contacts. A control voltage source is connected across the fixed electrode and the movable electrode plate to generate a potential difference therebetween. The electrets are disposed adjacent the movable electrode plate to generate electrostatic forces attracting and repelling the movable electrode plate, respectively, when the movable electrode plate is charged to a given polarity. That is, the attracting and repelling forces are cooperative to produce a torque for moving the movable electrode plate in one direction from one of the rest positions to the other. The electrostatic relay is useful for precisely and rapidly operating the relay.

Electrostatic relay

Electrochemical gas sensor

Growing community of inventors

Hirakata, Japan

Keiji Kakite