Bidirectional motor stall protection circuit

A stall protection circuit comprising:

• a manually actuated switch;
• a electric motor controlled by the switch;
• a switch controller that senses the level of current flowing through the motor and provides a current signal representative of the sensed level of current;
• a stall current detection circuit that receives the current signal and compares the current signal to a threshold value and provides a fault signal if the current value exceeds the threshold value;
• and
• a latch circuit that receives the fault signal and opens at least one motor protection switch that is operatively connected to the motor.

A method of protecting an electric motor against damage caused by stalling comprising:

• sensing the level of current supplied to the motor;
• comparing the sensed level of current to a threshold value;
• sending an interrupt signal to a latch circuit if the sensed level of current exceeds the threshold value;
• and
• interrupting the flow of current to the motor when the interrupt signal is received from the latch circuit to protect the motor from damage.