Device for operating an electrical consumer, consumer and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10778483-B2
Application number	US-201916532721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Aug 15, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A device for operating an electrical consumer, in particular a solenoid valve, including at least one first circuit which encompasses an activatable first switch and a first freewheeling unit connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer, and including a control unit which is designed for activating the first switch in order to energize the consumer with a predefinable electric current with the aid of pulse width modulation. It is provided that the circuit encompasses at least one second switch and one second freewheeling unit, which is connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer, and that the control unit is designed for activating the second switch in a phase-shifted manner with respect to the first switch in order to energize the consumer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for operating an electrical consumer, comprising:
at least one first circuit which encompasses an activatable first switch and a first freewheeling unit connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer; and
a control unit configured to activate the first switch to energize the consumer with a predefinable electric current using pulse width modulation,
wherein the first circuit includes at least one second switch and one second freewheeling unit, which is connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer, and
wherein the control unit is configured to activate the second switch, in a phase-offset manner with respect to the first switch, to energize the consumer;
wherein control unit is configured to operate the first switch and the second switch further at a same frequency upon reaching a phase shift of 180°.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electrical consumer is a solenoid valve.

3. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a diode is connected in series between the consumer and each of the first switch and the second switch.

4. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first freewheeling unit and the second freewheeling unit each include an active freewheeling diode, respectively, of a MOSFET.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the first freewheeling unit and the second freewheeling unit is a passive freewheeling diode.

6. An electrical consumer, comprising:
an electrical solenoid valve for a motor vehicle; and
a device for operating an electrical solenoid valve, the device including:
at least one first circuit which encompasses an activatable first switch and a first freewheeling unit connected or connectable in parallel to the electrical solenoid valve; and
a control unit configured to activate the first switch to energize the electrical solenoid valve with a predefinable electric current using pulse width modulation,
wherein the first circuit includes at least one second switch and one second freewheeling unit, which is connected or connectable in parallel to the electrical solenoid valve, and
wherein the control unit is configured to activate the second switch, in a phase-offset manner with respect to the first switch, to energize the electrical solenoid valve; and
wherein control unit is configured to operate the first switch and the second switch further at a same frequency upon reaching a phase shift of 180°.

7. The electrical consumer as recited in claim 6 , wherein the electrical solenoid valve is a hydraulic valve.

8. A method for operating a device, the method comprising:
providing at least one first circuit which encompasses an activatable first switch and a first freewheeling unit connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer;
providing a control unit configured to activate the first switch to energize the consumer with a predefinable electric current using pulse width modulation, wherein the first circuit includes at least one second switch and one second freewheeling unit, which is connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer, and wherein the control unit is configured to activate the second switch, in a phase-offset manner with respect to the first switch, to energize the consumer; and
activating, by the control unit, the first switch and the second switch in a phase-shifted manner with respect to one another;
wherein, at a beginning of an energizing process of the consumer, the first switch and the second switch are activated simultaneously and, as a time period increases, are activated in a manner offset with respect to one another in phase.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first switch and the second switch are activated at a different frequency to achieve the offset phase.

10. A method for operating a device, comprising:
providing at least one first circuit which encompasses an activatable first switch and a first freewheeling unit connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer
providing a control unit configured to activate the first switch to energize the consumer with a predefinable electric current using pulse width modulation, wherein the first circuit includes at least one second switch and one second freewheeling unit, which is connected or connectable in parallel to the consumer, and wherein the control unit is configured to activate the second switch, in a phase-offset manner with respect to the first switch, to energize the consumer; and
activating, by the control unit, the first switch and the second switch in a phase-shifted manner with respect to one another;
wherein the first switch and the second switch are operated further at a same frequency upon reaching a phase shift of 180°.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first freewheeling unit and the second freewheeling unit connected in parallel are actively switched.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Weeber Volker
• Obenland Ruben
• Hoess Stefan

Classifications

• B60R16/02

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• H01F7/18 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for obtaining desired operating characteristics, e.g. for slow operation, for sequential energisation of windings, for high-speed energisation of windings · CPC title

• H01F2007/1888

  using pulse width modulation · CPC title

• B60R16/005

  Electro-mechanical devices, e.g. switched (electric switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• H02P7/29

  using pulse modulation · CPC title