Auto recovering protection of electromechanical components in a high magnetic field
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorPaul Wayne Bailey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus (100) protects a device (80) which has a ferrous electromechanical component which saturates in a high magnetic field (40) and draws a dangerously high electric current. A current sensor (110) senses current in excess of safe operating conditions of the protected device (80) in or near the magnetic field (40). A current switch (120) is controlled by the current sensor (110) and interposed between a power supply (90) and the device (80) to interrupt the current flow to the protected device (80) when the current sensor (110) senses current flow above a threshold due to the saturation.
Claims17
An apparatus for protecting electromechanical components from excessive current draw due to saturation by a magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:
- a current sensor which senses current draw in excess of safe operating conditions by a protected device;
- and
- a current switch connected to the current sensor and interposed between a power supply and the protected device which interrupts the current flow to the protected device based on the current draw sensed by the current sensor;
- wherein the apparatus is a separate component which the protected device plugs into and in turn plugs into a power outlet.
An apparatus for protecting an electromechanical component from excessive current draw due to saturation by a magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:
- a current sensor connected to sense current draw by a protected device;
- a current switch interposed between a power supply and the protected device and configured to interrupt the current flow to the protected device in response to the current sensor sensing the current draw by the protected device exceeds a threshold;
- and
- a time delay circuit which delays interruption of the current flow by the current switch by a pre-determined time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.