Electromagnetic relay switch deposition detection device and electromagnetic relay switch deposition detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310438-B2
Application number	US-201314418839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2013
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A deposition detection circuit ( 3 ) provided in a deposition detection device ( 1 ) includes a determination circuit ( 4 ) determines whether the movable contact ( 9 ) is deposited based on a step input signal and a transient response signal when a drive signal is in an off state. The transient response signal is generated so as to correspond to voltage less than or equal to operating voltage of the electromagnetic relay switch ( 5 ) according to an excitation coil ( 6 ) and a fixed resistor (R 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A deposition detection device for an electromagnetic relay switch in which a movable iron core is arranged at one end of a drive shaft provided in a reciprocable manner in a center axis direction of an excitation coil while a movable contact is arranged at the other end of the drive shaft, the movable iron core and the movable contact being integrally reciprocable, the deposition detection device for the electromagnetic relay switch comprising:
a driver circuit configured to apply voltage to the excitation coil based on on and off states of a drive signal; and
a deposition detection circuit that is connected to the excitation coil in parallel to the driver circuit in order to detect deposition of the movable contact,
wherein a fixed resistor connected to the excitation coil is provided in the deposition detection circuit, and
the deposition detection circuit comprises a determination circuit configured to determine whether the movable contact is deposited based on a step input signal and a transient response signal when the drive signal is in the off state, the transient response signal being generated so as to correspond to voltage less than or equal to operating voltage of the electromagnetic relay switch according to the excitation coil and the fixed resistor.

2. The deposition detection device for the electromagnetic relay switch according to claim 1 , wherein the determination circuit determines whether the movable contact is deposited based on a voltage value of the transient response signal after predetermined time elapses since the step input signal is input.

3. The deposition detection device for the electromagnetic relay switch according to claim 1 , wherein the determination circuit determines whether the movable contact is deposited based on time until a voltage value of the transient response signal exceeds a threshold voltage since the step input signal is input.

4. A deposition detection device for first and second electromagnetic relay switches, a first movable iron core being arranged at one end of a first drive shaft provided in a reciprocable manner in a center axis direction of a first excitation coil while a first movable contact is arranged at the other end of the first drive shaft in the first electromagnetic relay switch, the first movable iron core and the first movable contact being integrally reciprocable, a second movable iron core being arranged at one end of a second drive shaft provided in a reciprocable manner in a center axis direction of a second excitation coil while a second movable contact is arranged at the other end of the second drive shaft in the second electromagnetic relay switch, the second movable iron core and the second movable contact being integrally reciprocable, the deposition detection device for the first and second electromagnetic relay switches comprising:
a driver circuit configured to apply voltage to the first excitation coil based on on and off states of a first drive signal and apply voltage to the second excitation coil based on on and off states of a second drive signal; and
a deposition detection circuit that is connected to the first and second excitation coils in order to detect depositions of the first and second movable contacts,
wherein a first fixed resistor connected to the first excitation coil and a second fixed resistor connected to the second excitation coil are provided in the deposition detection circuit, and
the deposition detection circuit comprises: a first determination circuit configured to determine whether the first movable contact is deposited based on a step input signal and a first transient response signal when the first drive signal is in the off state, the first transient response signal being generated so as to correspond to voltage less than or equal to operating voltage of the first electromagnetic relay switch according to the first excitation coil and the first fixed resistor; and a second determination circuit configured to determine whether the second movable contact is deposited based on a step input signal and a second transient response signal when the second drive signal is in the off state, the second transient response signal being generated so as to correspond to voltage less than or equal to operating voltage of the second electromagnetic relay switch according to the second excitation coil and the second fixed resistor.

5. A deposition detection method for an electromagnetic relay switch in which a movable iron core is arranged at one end of a drive shaft provided in a reciprocable manner in a center axis direction of an excitation coil while a movable contact is arranged at the other end of the drive shaft, the movable iron core and the movable contact being integrally reciprocable, the deposition detection method for the electromagnetic relay switch comprising:
applying voltage to the excitation coil based on on and off states of a drive signal using a driver circuit; and
detecting deposition of the movable contact using a deposition detection circuit connected to the excitation coil in parallel to the driver circuit,
wherein a fixed resistor connected to the excitation coil is provided in the deposition detection circuit, and
whether the movable contact is deposited is determined based on a step input signal and a transient response signal when the drive signal is in the off state, the transient response signal being generated so as to correspond to voltage less than or equal to operating voltage of the electromagnetic relay switch according to the excitation coil and the fixed resistor.

6. The deposition detection method for the electromagnetic relay switch according to claim 5 , wherein whether the movable contact is deposited is determined based on a voltage value of the transient response signal after predetermined time elapses since the step input signal is input.

7. The deposition detection method for the electromagnetic relay switch according to claim 5 , wherein whether the movable contact is deposited is determined based on time until a voltage value of the transient response signal exceeds a threshold voltage since the step input signal is input.

8. A deposition detection method for first and second electromagnetic relay switches, a first movable iron core being arranged at one end of a first drive shaft provided in a reciprocable manner in a center axis direction of a first excitation coil while a first movable contact is arranged at the other end of the first drive shaft in the first electromagnetic relay switch, the first movable iron core and the first movable contact being integrally reciprocable, a second movable iron core being arranged at one end of a second drive shaft provided in a reciprocable manner in a center axis direction of a second excitation coil while a second movable contact is arranged at the other end of the second drive shaft in the second electromagnetic relay switch, the second movable iron core and the second movable contact being integrally reciprocable, the deposition detection method for the first and second electromagnetic relay switches comprising:
applying voltage to the first excitation coil based on on and off states of a first drive signal and applying voltage to the second excitation coil based on on and off states of a second drive signal; and
detecting depositions of the first and second movable contacts using a deposition detection circuit that is connected to the first and second excitation coils,
wherein a first fixed resistor connected to the first excitation coil and a second fixed resistor connected to the second excitation coil are provided in the deposition detection circuit, and
whether the first movable contact is deposited is determined based on a step input signal a

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Kinoshita Masahiro
• Iwasaka Hiroyuki
• Nakamura Wataru

Classifications

• H01H50/54 Primary

  Contact arrangements · CPC title

• H01H2047/003

  Detecting welded contacts and applying weld break pulses to coil · CPC title

• G01R31/3278 Primary

  of relays, solenoids or reed switches (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002) · CPC title

• H01H47/00

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the relay and designed to obtain desired operating characteristics or to provide energising current · CPC title

• H01H47/002 Primary

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title