Control circuit for contactor and its control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12106915-B2
Application number	US-202017789091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2020
Priority date	Dec 26, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a control circuit for a contactor and a control method thereof. The control circuit comprises: a pulse converter configured to convert a turn-on control signal into a continuous pulse signal; a first controller configured to generate a first breaking control signal at a first time in response to detection of the disappearance of the continuous pulse signal received from the pulse converter; a second controller configured to generate a second breaking control signal at a second time in response to detection of the disappearance of the continuous pulse signal received from the pulse converter, wherein the first time is earlier than the second time; and a coil driver configured to turn off a current of the excitation coil according to the received first breaking control signal, and if the current is not turned off according to the first breaking control signal, to further turn off the current of the excitation coil according to the second breaking control signal, thereby realizing the breaking of the main contact.

First claim

We claim:

1. A control circuit for a contactor, wherein the contactor comprises an excitation coil and a main contact coupled to the excitation coil, the control circuit comprising:
a pulse converter configured to convert a received turn-on control signal indicating to turn on the contactor into a continuous pulse signal;
a first controller connected to the pulse converter and configured to generate a first breaking control signal at a first time in response to detection of the disappearance of the continuous pulse signal received from the pulse converter;
a second controller connected to the pulse converter and in parallel with the first controller, the second controller being configured to generate a second breaking control signal at a second time in response to detection of the disappearance of the continuous pulse signal received from the pulse converter, wherein the first time is earlier than the second time; and
a coil driver connected to the first controller, the second controller and the excitation coil, and configured to turn off a current of the excitation coil according to the received first breaking control signal, and if the current is not turned off according to the first breaking control signal, to further turn off the current of the excitation coil according to the second breaking control signal, thereby realizing the breaking of the main contact.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first controller comprises a microcontroller that provides the first breaking control signal to the coil driver through software embedded therein;
the second controller comprises a hardware control circuit which provides the second breaking control signal to the coil driver through a physical electrical element.

3. The control circuit according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first controller is further configured to generate a first turn-on control signal for the coil driver at a third time in response to detection of the input of the continuous pulse signal,
the second controller is further configured to generate a second turn-on control signal for the coil driver at a fourth time in response to detection of the input of the continuous pulse signal, wherein the second turn-on control signal is an enable signal for the coil driver, and the third time is later than the fourth time;
the coil driver is further configured to be allowed to implement current control of the excitation coil via the first turn-on control signal only in the case that the coil driver is enabled by the second turn-on control signal.

4. The control circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the hardware control circuit comprises:
a switch driver configured to receive the continuous pulse signal and convert the continuous pulse signal into a switch control signal; and
a switch circuit connected to the switch driver and the coil driver, and configured to generate the second breaking control signal or a second turn-on control signal based on the switch control signal.

5. The control circuit according to claim 4 , wherein the switch circuit comprises a resistor and a switch element connected in series with each other, one end of the switch element is grounded, and a node between the resistor and the switch element connected in series is connected to the coil driver.

6. The control circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the hardware control circuit further comprises a filter circuit connected to the output of the switch driver.

7. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit further comprises an isolation circuit disposed between the pulse converter and an in-parallel arrangement of the first controller and second controller to isolate the output of the pulse converter from a load end of the contactor, and configured to transmit the continuous pulse signal to both the first controller and second controller.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit further comprises a switch control circuit for the contactor, the switch control circuit being configured to:
in response to a user's switching-on operation, generate a turn-on control signal indicating to turn on the contactor, wherein the turn-on control signal is represented by a high level; and
in response to a user's switching-off operation, stop generating any signal to the pulse converter.

9. The control circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the pulse converter stops outputting the continuous pulse signal in the case that the switch control circuit stops generating any signal to the pulse converter.

10. A contactor, comprising the control circuit according to claim 1 .

11. A control method for a contactor, wherein the contactor comprises an excitation coil and a main contact coupled to the excitation coil, the control method comprising:
receiving, by a pulse converter, a control signal indicating to turn on or off the contactor, and converting, by the pulse converter, the turn-on control signal indicating to turn on the contactor into a continuous pulse signal;
in response to detection of the disappearance of the continuous pulse signal, generating, by a first controller, a first breaking control signal for a coil driver at a first time, wherein the coil driver is configured to drive the excitation coil;
in response to detection of the disappearance of the continuous pulse signal, generating, by a second controller, a second breaking control signal at a second time, wherein the first time is earlier than the second time;
turning off, by the coil driver, a current in the excitation coil according to the received first breaking control signal, and if the current is not turned off according to the first breaking control signal, further turning off, by the coil driver, the current of the excitation coil according to the second breaking control signal, thereby achieving the breaking of the main contact.

12. The control method according to claim 11 , wherein
the first controller comprises a microcontroller that provides the first breaking control signal to the coil driver through software embedded therein;
the second controller comprises a hardware control circuit that provides the second breaking control signal to the coil driver through a physical electrical element.

13. The control method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
outputting, by the first controller, a first turn-on control signal for the coil driver at a third time, in response to detection of the input of the continuous pulse signal,
outputting, by the second controller, a second turn-on control signal for the coil driver at a fourth time, in response to detection of the input of the continuous pulse signal, where the second turn-on control signal is an enable signal for the coil driver, and the third time is later than the fourth time; and
implementing current control of the excitation coil via the first turn-on control signal in the case that the coil driver is enabled by the second turn-on control signal.

14. The control method according to claim 12 , wherein the hardware control circuit comprises a switch driver and the switch circuit, wherein generating the second breaking control signal comprises:
converting the continuous pulse signal into a switch control signal via a switch driver; and
generating the second breaking control signal via the switch circuit based on the switch control signal.

15. The control method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting the continuous pulsed signal to both the first controller and the second controller via an isolation circuit.

16. The control method according to

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Shuang Bing
• Lanes David
• Geffroy Vincent

Classifications

• H01H47/22

  for supplying energising current for relay coil · CPC title

• H01H50/045

  Details particular to contactors (H01H50/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H47/005 Primary

  Safety control circuits therefor, e.g. chain of relays mutually monitoring each other · CPC title

• H01H47/002 Primary

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title