Relay control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11152176-B2
Application number	US-201716488252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2017
Priority date	May 8, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A relay control device includes a coil, a movable iron armature that is switched from an open state to a closed state when the coil is excited, a switching current output circuit that applies first current for switching the movable iron armature from the open state to the closed state to the coil, and a holding current output circuit that applies second current for holding the movable iron armature in the closed state to the coil. The switching current output circuit applies the first current to the coil when a first time has elapsed from when the second current is started to be applied to the coil, and the value of the second current is lower than the value of the first current.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A relay control device comprising:
a first power supply;
a second power supply, the second power supply being separate from the first power supply;
a coil having a first end connected with the first power supply;
a movable iron armature having a first end connected with the second power supply, the movable iron armature being switched from an open state to a closed state when the coil is excited;
a switching current output circuit having a first end connected with a second end of the coil, to apply current supplied from the first power supply via the coil, as first current for switching the movable iron armature from the open state to the closed state, to the coil; and
a holding current output circuit having one end connected with the second end of the coil, to apply current supplied from the first power supply via the coil, as second current for holding the movable iron armature in the closed state, to the coil, wherein
the switching current output circuit applies the first current to the coil when an inrush current settlement time has elapsed from when the second current is started to be applied to the coil, and
a value of the second current is lower than a value of the first current.

2. The relay control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the holding current output circuit includes a resistor connected in series with the coil,
the switching current output circuit applies the first current to the coil from when the first time has elapsed until a second time elapses, and
the second current is applied to the coil and the resistor instead of the first current after the second time has elapsed.

3. The relay control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the inrush current settlement time is obtained from a time until an inrush current settles down.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Watanabe Yasuhiro

Classifications

• H01H47/32

  Energising current supplied by semiconductor device · CPC title

• H01H47/04

  for holding armature in attracted position, e.g. when initial energising circuit is interrupted; for maintaining armature in attracted position, e.g. with reduced energising current {(with switching regulator H01H47/325)} · CPC title

• H01H47/10 Primary

  by switching-in or -out impedance external to the relay winding · CPC title