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US 9,441,869 B2Granted
Control circuit
AssigneeEnvolve Engineering, LLC
InventorsMichael Edward Stagg, Li Yi Situ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit allows an energy efficient DC design to drop in to an AC application and interface directly with the AC signals in a cost effective manner. The circuit is implemented without any use of mechanically switched contacts. All switching of current is done through solid state devices. Positional feedback and speed of the motor is provided through an optically encoded output gear eliminating the need for mechanical position switches to determine motor rotational position.
Claims11
A control circuit comprising:
- a motor driver that has an input that receives an AC signal;
- a control circuit that pulse the motor driver at a first frequency to periodically turn the driver on, whereby allowing the AC signal to be converted to a DC signal suitable for driving a DC motor,
- wherein the motor driver is turned off when a portion of the AC signal crosses a threshold value so that the motor driver outputs only a constant DC output when the portion of the AC signal crosses the threshold value so that the AC signal is not output to the motor,
- thereby producing a DC output from the motor driver in response to applying the AC input to the motor driver.
1 more element
An icemaker control circuit comprising:
- a thyristor configured to receive an AC signal;
- a pulsing circuit that pulses the thyristor at a first frequency to periodically turn the thyristor on, whereby allowing the AC signal to be output by the thyristor to a motor,
- wherein the thyristor is turned off when a portion of the AC signal crosses a threshold value so that the thyristor outputs only a constant DC output when the portion the AC signal crosses the threshold value so that the AC signal is not output to the motor.
A method comprising:
- providing a control circuit comprising:
- a thyristor configured to receive an AC signal;
- and
- a pulsing circuit comprising at least two diodes;
- pulsing the thyristor periodically to periodically turn the thyristor on, thereby allowing the AC signal to be output by the thyristor to an output circuit,
- wherein the thyristor is turned off when a portion of the AC signal crosses a threshold value so that the thyristor outputs a DC constant output when the portion the AC signal crosses the threshold value so that the AC signal is not output to the output circuit,
- thereby producing a DC output from the thyristor so that the AC signal is not output to the motor in response to applying the AC input to the thyristor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.