US 5,245,501 A · Process and apparatus for controlling and measuring the movement of an armature of an electromagnetic switching member

Abstract

A process for controlling and measuring the movement of an armature of an electromagnetic switching member with an excitation coil is proposed, which has the following steps: a current (i) or a voltage (u1) is applied to the excitation winding (3) in order to move the armature into a first actuatable position; before the start of the movement of the armature, the current or the voltage is raised above a value at which the armature remains in the actuated position, and before termination of the movement of the armature the current or the voltage is reduced to a defined value, which suffices to hold the armature in the actuated position; finally, the temporal variations in the current or the voltage are measured after setting of the defined value, for the purpose of recognizing the termination of the armature movement. With the aid of this process, it is possible for the movement of the armature, for example of a solenoid valve for a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine, to be very precisely monitored, so that the injection instant and injection period can be optimally set.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus for controlling an electromagnetic switching member having an excitation winding and a movable armature, comprising:

a measuring device coupled to the excitation winding for measuring variations in at least one of the current and voltage across the excitation winding and for generating output signals indicative of the variations for determining the degree of armature movement based on the variations;
a switching device coupled between the electromagnetic switching member and a voltage source for controlling the current through the electromagnetic switching member;
a regulating device coupled to the switching device for controlling the switching device to control the current through the excitation winding for actuating the armature, wherein the armature is actuated by increasing the current through the excitation winding;
and
a timing element coupled to the regulating device for generating a first time interval upon increasing the current for actuating the armature which is shorter than the time required for the armature to reach an actuated position, whereupon expiration of the first time interval, the regulating device decreases the current to a predetermined level for maintaining the armature in the actuated position.

2 more elements

An apparatus for controlling an electromagnetic switching member having an excitation winding and a movable armature, comprising the following steps:

measuring the variations in at least one of the current and voltage across the excitation winding and generating signals indicative of the variations for determining the degree of armature movement based on the variations;
controlling the level of at least one of the current and voltage across the excitation winding and increasing at least one of the current and voltage for actuating the armature;
measuring a first time interval upon increasing the at least one of the current and voltage for actuating the armature, wherein the first time interval is shorter than the time required for the armature to reach an actuated position;
and
decreasing at least one of the current and voltage across the excitation winding to a first predetermined level upon expiration of the first time interval for maintaining the armature in the actuated position.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process and apparatus for controlling and measuring the movement of an armature of an electromagnetic switching member

Life of this patent

Process and apparatus for controlling and measuring the movement of an armature of an electromagnetic switching member

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18