US 5,490,031 AGranted

Solenoid control circuitry

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorsScott W. Braun, Fred W. Haselow, Slobodan Krstic

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Abstract

Solenoid control circuitry can be used with either a first solenoid requiring a relatively large holding current or a second solenoid requiring a relatively small holding current. A solenoid connected with the solenoid control circuitry is initially energized to effect operation of the solenoid from an unactuated condition to an actuated condition. A detector detects whether a characteristic of the initial energization of the solenoid corresponds to a characteristic of the first solenoid or the second solenoid. The solenoid control circuitry varies the amount of holding current supplied to the solenoid as a function of whether the detector detects the first solenoid requiring the relatively large holding current or the second solenoid requiring a relatively small holding current. A fault detection circuit is provided to interrupt energization of the solenoid in the event of an excessive flow of current.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An apparatus for use with either a first solenoid requiring a first holding current of a first magnitude or a second solenoid requiring a second holding current of a second magnitude which is smaller than the magnitude of the first holding current, said apparatus comprising output means connectable with either the first solenoid or the second solenoid, and control circuit means connected with said output means for providing the first holding current of the first magnitude to said output means when the first solenoid is connected with said output means and for providing the second holding current of the second magnitude to said output means when the second solenoid is connected with said output means, said control circuit means being ineffective to provide the second holding current of a second magnitude to said output means when the first solenoid is connected with said output means, said control circuit means being ineffective to provide the first holding current of a first magnitude to said output means when the second solenoid is connected with said output means, said control circuit means including detector means connected with said output means for detecting which one of the first and second solenoids is connected with said output means, said detector means being operable to provide a first output when said first solenoid is connected with said output means, said detector means being effective to provide a second output which is different than the first output when said second solenoid is connected with said output means, and current control means connected with said detector means and said output means for providing a holding current of the first magnitude to said output means in response to said detector means providing the first output and for providing a holding current of the second magnitude in response to said detector means providing the second output.

An apparatus for use with either a first solenoid having first characteristics and requiring a first holding current or a second solenoid having second characteristics and requiring a second holding current which is different than the first holding current, said apparatus comprising output means connectable with either the first solenoid or the second solenoid, means connected with said output means for initially energizing the one of the first and second solenoids connected with said output means to effect operation of the solenoid connected with said output means from an unactuated condition to an actuated condition, means connected with said output means for detecting whether a characteristic of the initial energization of the solenoid connected with said output means corresponds to a characteristic of initial energization of the first solenoid or a characteristic of initial energization of the second solenoid, and means connected with said output means for providing the first holding current to the solenoid connected with said output means in response to detecting that the initial energization of the solenoid connected with said output means has a characteristic corresponding to a characteristic of initial energization of the first solenoid and for providing the second holding current to the solenoid connected with said output means in response to detecting that the initial energization of the solenoid connected with said output means has a characteristic corresponding to a characteristic of initial energization of the second solenoid.

An apparatus for use with either a first solenoid requiring a first holding current or a second solenoid requiring a second holding current which is smaller than the first holding current, said apparatus comprising output means connectable with either the first solenoid or the second solenoid, said output means including first and second terminals connectable with either the first solenoid or the second solenoid, input means for receiving an enable signal, first switch means connected with said input means and the first terminal of said output means and operable from a nonconducting condition to a conducting condition in response to said input means receiving an enable signal, second switch means connected with the second terminal of said output means and operable between a conducting condition and a nonconducting condition, said first and second switch means completing an electrical circuit to energize a solenoid connected with the first and second terminals of said output means when said first and second switch means are in the conducting condition, multivibrator means connected with said input means and said second switch means for effecting operation of said second switch means from the nonconducting condition to the conducting condition for an initial period of time in response to said input means receiving an input signal to thereby effect initial energization of a solenoid connected with the first and second terminals of said output means, detector means connected with said output means for detecting whether a characteristic of the initial energization of the solenoid connected with the first and second terminals corresponds to a characteristic of initial energization of the first solenoid or the second solenoid, and means connected with said multivibrator means and said detector means for effecting operation of said multivibrator means to change said second switch means between the conducting and nonconducting conditions at a first rate in response to said detector means detecting a characteristic of the initial energization which corresponds to a characteristic of initial energization of the first solenoid to enable the first holding current to be conducted through said first and second switch means and for effecting operation of said multivibrator means to change said second switch means between the conducting and nonconducting conditions at a rate which is different than the first rate to change said second switch means between the conducting and nonconducting conditions at a second rate in response to said detector means detecting a characteristic of initial energization which corresponds to a characteristic of initial energization of the second solenoid to enable the second holding current to be conducted through said first and second switch means.

An apparatus comprising a solenoid having either a large or a small initial energization current magnitude, circuit means connected with said solenoid for providing an electrical current to initially energize said solenoid, and sensor means connected with said circuit means for sensing whether the magnitude of the electrical current provided by said circuit means during initial energization of said solenoid corresponds to the large or the small initial energization current magnitude;

said circuit means including means for providing a first electrical holding current of a first magnitude to maintain said solenoid energized in response to said sensor means sensing initial energization of said solenoid with an electrical current of a large magnitude and for providing a second electrical holding current of a second magnitude to maintain said solenoid energized in response to said sensor means sensing initial energization of said solenoid with an electrical current of a small magnitude.

An apparatus comprising a solenoid having a first initial energization characteristic or either a first magnitude or a second magnitude, output means connected with said solenoid, said output means including first and second terminals connected with said solenoid, input means for receiving an enable signal, first switch means connected with said input means and the first terminal of said output means and operable from a nonconducting condition to a conducting condition in response to said input means receiving an enable signal, second switch means connected with the second terminal of said output means and operable between a conducting condition and a nonconducting condition, said first and second switch means completing an electrical circuit to energize said solenoid when said first and second switch means are in the conducting condition, multivibrator means connected with said input means and said second switch means for effecting operation of said second switch means from the nonconducting condition to the conducting condition for an initial period of time in response to said input means receiving an input signal to thereby effect initial energization of said solenoid, detector means connected with said output means for detecting whether a characteristic of initial energization of said solenoid corresponds to the first magnitude or the second magnitude, and means connected with said multivibrator means and said detector means for effecting operation of said multivibrator means to change said second switch means between the conducting and nonconducting conditions at a first rate in response to said detector means detecting a characteristic of initial energization of the first magnitude to enable a first holding current to be conducted through said first and second switch means and for effecting operation of said multivibrator means to change said second switch means between the conducting and nonconducting conditions at a rate which is different than the first rate to change said second switch means between the conducting and nonconducting conditions at a second rate in response to said detector means detecting a characteristic of initial energization of the second magnitude to enable a second holding current to be conducted through said first and second switch means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.