Drop-in solid-state relay
AssigneeAltec Industries, Inc.
InventorTyler Hinnen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide for a drop-in solid-state relay replacement for current standard relays. The drop-in solid-state relay may comprise receiving an input power and actuating at least one transistor to provide power to operational equipment. In some embodiments, an optical isolator may be disposed at an output driver stage of the relay circuit to provide electrical isolation between the input stage and the output stage. The drop-in solid-state relay may provide low input voltage, low heat, no noise, and not produce fly-back.
Claims20
A circuit of a drop-in solid-state relay for transferring electrical energy across a gap to supply power from an input to an output, the circuit comprising:
- a first pin connected to a first power source;
- a second pin connected to ground;
- a first transistor disposed between the first pin and the second pin;
- a full wave rectifier disposed between the first pin and the second pin;
- a third pin;
- a fourth pin;
- a second transistor disposed between the third pin and the fourth pin;
- and
- an optical isolator disposed between the first transistor and the second transistor,
- wherein the optical isolator comprises a light source disposed between the first pin and the second pin and a sensor disposed between the third pin and the fourth pin,
- wherein the light source emits a light when the current is received from the first transistor,
- wherein the sensor generates electrical energy upon receiving the light from the light source, and
- wherein the second transistor is configured to allow a current to pass from the third pin to the fourth pin when the electrical energy is received from the sensor.
An optically-isolated circuit of a drop-in solid-state relay for changing the state of a plurality of transistors and sending power from an input stage to an output driver stage, the circuit comprising:
- an input stage comprising:
- a first pin connected to a first power source;
- a second pin connected to ground;
- and
- a full wave rectifier;
- an output stage comprising:
- a third pin connected to a second power source;
- a fourth pin connected to an output;
- and
- the plurality of transistors;
- an optical isolator disposed between the input stage and the output stage comprising:
- a light source disposed between the first pin and the second pin of the input stage;
- and
- a sensor disposed between the third pin and the fourth pin and separated from the light source by a space,
- wherein the light source emits a light when a current is received from the first power source via the full wave rectifier,
- wherein the sensor receives the light and generates a voltage when the light is received;
- wherein the plurality of transistors allow the current to pass from the third pin to the fourth pin based on the voltage generated by the sensor.
A method for actuating at least one transistor of a circuit of a drop-in solid-state relay for sending power from an input pin to an output pin, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first current from a power source;
- generating a constant current from the power source by a full wave rectifier;
- illuminating a light source to emit a light using the constant current;
- detecting the light from the light source with a light sensor across a gap between the light source and the light sensor;
- generating a voltage by the light sensor based on the detected light;
- actuating the at least one transistor based on the voltage;
- and
- sending a second current from the input pin to the output pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.