Cable protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9912142-B2
Application number	US-201514701432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

One embodiment of a disclosed cable protection device connected between the positive and negative wires of the cable that provides an efficient method of protection from overheating of the device due to changes in temperatures with minimal power dissipation. The cable protection device includes a temperature monitoring device that continuously senses the temperature of the cable and device to check for overheating. A controller connected to the temperature monitor sends out an alarm message and a control signal to either an actuator circuit or a crowbar function circuit. The actuator circuit can send out current pulses to the adapter indicating the adapter to lower its current limit, so that the device can still keep charging and is not over heated. The crowbar function circuit causes the adapter to turn off power to the cable in order to provide burning of the device or connector due to overheating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for protecting a charging cable, the method comprising:
monitoring a temperature of a power supply cable;
comparing the monitored temperature to a second threshold;
activating a crowbar circuit when the monitored temperature exceeds the second threshold to turn off power supply to the charging cable;
comparing the monitored temperature to a first threshold;
generating a control signal based on the monitored temperature exceeding the first threshold;
sending sink current pulses to an adapter of the charging cable in response to the generated control signal, when the monitored temperature exceeds the first threshold and the monitored temperature does not exceed the second threshold;
recognizing, by a controller of the adapter, the sink current pulses; and
reducing, by the controller of the adapter, a current of the adapter after the adapter receives the sink current pulses, when the monitored temperature exceeds the first threshold and the monitored temperature does not exceed the second threshold,
wherein the control signal remains active until the monitored temperature is reduced below the first threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the sink current pulses at an audible frequency.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising notifying a user of an increase in the monitored temperature via an alarm message generated by the audible frequency.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold temperature is programmable.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second threshold temperature is programmable.

6. A cable protection device, the device comprising of:
an actuator circuit for controlling a flow of current of a charging cable;
a controller circuit coupled in parallel to the actuator circuit, wherein the controller circuit sends signals to the actuator circuit to control the flow of current;
a temperature monitor coupled to the controller circuit, wherein the temperature monitor monitors a temperature of the charging cable;
an adapter connected in parallel to the actuator circuit; and
a controller of the adapter, wherein
the controller circuit sends a control signal to the actuator circuit to send sink current pulses to the adapter, when the monitored temperature exceeds a first threshold and the monitored temperature does not exceed a second threshold,
the controller of the adapter recognizes the sink current pulses received from the actuator circuit,
the controller of the adapter reduces a current of the adapter after the adapter receives the sink current pulses from the actuator circuit, when the monitored temperature exceeds the first threshold and the monitored temperature does not exceed the second threshold, and
the control signal remains active until the monitored temperature is reduced below the first threshold.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the controller circuit compares the monitored temperature to at least one of the first or the second threshold temperature included in the controller circuit.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the actuator circuit instructs a crowbar circuit to shut off a power supply from the adapter.

9. The device of claim 6 , wherein the controller circuit sends another control signal to the actuator circuit to activate a crowbar circuit to shut off a power supply from the adapter when the monitored temperature exceeds the second threshold.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein the sink current pulses are at the current level lower than a current limit of the adapter.

11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the actuator circuit sends the sink current pulses to the adapter at an audible frequency to notify a user of an increase in the monitored temperature via an alarm message generated by the audible frequency.

Assignees

• Dialog Semiconductor Inc
• Dialog Semiconductor Inc

Inventors

• Zaidi Athar
• Malinin Andrey B

Classifications

• H02H7/001

  for superconducting apparatus, e.g. coils, lines, machines · CPC title

• H02H3/025 Primary

  Disconnection after limiting, e.g. when limiting is not sufficient or for facilitating disconnection · CPC title

• H01R13/7137

  with thermal interrupter (H01R13/7132 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02H5/043

  the temperature dependent resistor being disposed parallel to a heating wire, e.g. in a heating blanket · CPC title