Device for controlling electrically actuable valves in different operating modes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502198-B2
Application number	US-201214366825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	Dec 20, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A device for controlling an electrically actuable valve having a valve coil, including a main switch, situated in the current circuit of the valve coil, for adjusting the current flowing through the valve coil, and a freewheeling path, which has a freewheeling diode and is switched in parallel with the valve coil. A freewheeling switch is provided, by which the freewheeling path is able to be interrupted or closed. This allows for optionally operating the valve in a PMW or in a switching operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for controlling an electrically actuable valve having a valve coil, the device comprising:
a control unit configured to control the valve in both a pulse-width modulation (PWM) operation and a switching operation, and to select between the PWM and the switching operations;
a main switch, situated in a current circuit of the valve coil, for adjusting the current flowing through the valve coil;
a freewheeling path arrangement that includes a freewheeling diode and that is switched in parallel with the valve coil; and
a freewheeling switch by which the freewheeling path arrangement is interruptible or closed.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the freewheeling switch is situated in the freewheeling path.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage limiting device, which is connected to a ground-side terminal of the valve coil.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the voltage limiting device includes a Zener diode.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein there is a voltage limitation element between a ground-side terminal of the valve coil and a control terminal of the main switch.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein, in the PWM operation, the control unit is configured to: switch the main switch on and off according to a specific pulse control factor, and switch on the freewheeling switch.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the main switch and the freewheeling switch includes a transistor switch.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein there are multiple valves and a single freewheeling switch is provided for coils of multiple valves.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the main switch is situated on a ground side in relation to the valve coil.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein, in the switching operation, the control unit is configured to switch off the freewheeling switch to interrupt the freewheeling path.

11. A brake system, comprising:
multiple electrically actuable valves, each of the valves having a valve coil; and a device for controlling at least one of the electrically actuable valve, including:
a control unit configured to control the valve in both a pulse-width modulation (PWM) operation and a switching operation, and to select between the PWM and the switching operations;
a main switch, situated in a current circuit of the valve coil, for adjusting the current flowing through the valve coil;
a freewheeling path arrangement that includes a freewheeling diode and that is switched in parallel with the valve coil; and
a freewheeling switch by which the freewheeling path arrangement is interruptible or closed.

Assignees

• Parga-Cacheiro Jose-Luis
• Bodenschatz Dirk
• Grimme Katharina
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Parga-Cacheiro Jose-Luis
• Bodenschatz Dirk
• Grimme Katharina

Classifications

• H01F7/1811 Primary

  demagnetising upon switching off, removing residual magnetism · CPC title

• H01H47/22 Primary

  for supplying energising current for relay coil · CPC title

• H01H50/44

  Magnetic coils or windings · CPC title

• B60T15/00

  Construction arrangement, or operation of valves incorporated in power brake systems and not covered by groups B60T11/00 or B60T13/00 (valve structures responsive to a speed condition B60T8/34; valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• H01F2007/1888

  using pulse width modulation · CPC title