keep relay
- noun
- Specialized
:
relé de retención
- Unlike standard relays, a keep relay does not consume power to maintain its state.
Examples
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The technician installed a keep relay to ensure the lights stayed on during a power interruption.
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In industrial controls, a keep relay is often used for safety circuits requiring memory.
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The keep relay ensures the circuit remains active.
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Can you explain how a keep relay works?
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In industrial applications, a keep relay holds its position even when power is removed, maintaining circuit continuity.
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The engineer chose a keep relay for the control system so that the lights would remain on during brief outages.
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To enhance reliability, the design includes a keep relay that keeps the system operational without needing constant electricity.
Synonyms
A small electric switch that changes when you press a button and stays that way until pressed again
A device that stays on or off after being switched, even when control power is removed
An electrical switch that stays in the same position when power is removed
A switch that stays in one of two positions without power and changes when briefly given electricity
Surface Forms
Morphology
Knowing 'keep' (to continue or retain) and 'relay' (an electrically controlled switch) lets a learner infer a relay that "keeps" or maintains its state, so the basic idea is derivable. However, the precise technical sense—that it latches after the coil is de-energized and needs no continuous power—is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents or everyday composition patterns, so a B1 learner would only get a partial understanding.
Etymology
Keep relay comes from the simple idea of a keep (something that holds) and a relay (an electrical switch): it is a device that stays in the same position even after the power goes off, like a door that stays closed after you shut it. That's why a 'keep relay' means a relay that 'holds its state' without needing continuous power.
