Use of an electronic device for operating a DC motor to control two peak and hold loads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9935570-B2
Application number	US-201415038644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 26, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

Electronic device ( 1 ), capable of operating a DC motor, including an H bridge with an upper left-hand switch (R 1 ), an upper right-hand switch (R 2 ), a lower left-hand switch (R 3 ) and a lower right-hand switch (R 4 ), the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch being connected to the second terminal (R 3 b ) of the lower left-hand switch, and the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch being connected to the second terminal of the lower right-hand switch, wherein the device is modified by cutting the link between the second terminal of the upper left-hand switch and the second terminal of the lower left-hand switch, and by cutting the link between the second terminal of the upper right-hand switch and the second terminal of the lower right-hand switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device ( 1 ), capable of operating a DC motor (M), of the type comprising four controlled switches (R 1 -R 4 ) in an H-bridge configuration, an upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) having its first terminal (R 1 a ) connected to a high potential (+V), an upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) having its first terminal (R 2 a ) connected to the high potential (+V), a lower left-hand switch (R 3 ) having its first terminal (R 3 a ) connected to a low potential (−V), a lower right-hand switch (R 4 ) having its first terminal (R 4 a ) connected to the low potential (−V), the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) being connected to the second terminal (R 3 b ) of the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) being connected to the second terminal (R 4 b ) of the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ), wherein the device is modified by cutting the link between the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the second terminal (R 3 b ) of the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), so that a first load (B 1 ) can be connected between the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the second terminal (R 3 b ) of the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), and by cutting the link between the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the second terminal (R 4 b ) of the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ), so that a second load (B 2 ) can be connected between the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the second terminal (R 4 b ) of the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ).

2. The device ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) are also connected by two diodes (D 1 , D 2 ), mounted in series, anode to anode, and the common point (P) of the two anodes is connected to the low potential (−V).

3. The device ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an input terminal block ( 2 ) modified to receive a first pulse width modulated operating signal (C 1 ) capable of operating the first load (B 1 ), a first enabling signal (A 1 ) indicating the start and end of the operation of the first load (B 1 ), a second pulse width modulated operating signal (C 2 ) capable of operating the second load (B 2 ), and a second enabling signal (A 2 ) indicating the start and end of the operation of the second load (B 2 ), wherein said first operating signal (C 1 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of one of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), said first enabling signal (A 1 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of the other of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), said second operating signal (C 2 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of one of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ), and said second enabling signal (A 2 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of the other of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ).

4. A method for using an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 for operating two loads (B 1 , B 2 ) in a peak and hold mode, comprising the steps of:
connecting a first load (B 1 ) between the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the second terminal (R 3 b ) of the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ),
operating by means of a first pulse width modulated operating signal (C 1 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of one of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ),
operating by means of a first enabling signal (A 1 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of the other of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ),
connecting a second load (B 2 ) between the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the second terminal (R 4 b ) of the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ),
operating by means of a second pulse width modulated operating signal (C 2 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of one of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ),
operating by means of a second enabling signal (A 2 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of the other of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ).

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein an operating signal (C 1 , C 2 ) is at the high level from the start (Ti) of a peak and hold operating sequence (TC) and throughout the duration (Ta) of a peak phase, said duration (Ta) being determined so as to reach or exceed a given current (Imax), and is then modulated throughout the duration (Tm) of a subsequent hold phase, so as to substantially maintain said current (Imax) until the end (Tf) of the operating sequence (TC).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein an enabling signal (A 1 , A 2 ) is at the high level at least between a point before the start (Ti) of an operating sequence (TC) and a point after the end (Tf) of the operating sequence (TC).

7. The device ( 1 ) as claimed in 2 , further comprising an input terminal block ( 2 ) modified to receive a first pulse width modulated operating signal (C 1 ) capable of operating the first load (B 1 ), a first enabling signal (A 1 ) indicating the start and end of the operation of the first load (B 1 ), a second pulse width modulated operating signal (C 2 ) capable of operating the second load (B 2 ), and a second enabling signal (A 2 ) indicating the start and end of the operation of the second load (B 2 ), wherein said first operating signal (C 1 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of one of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), said first enabling signal (A 1 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of the other of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ), said second operating signal (C 2 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of one of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ), and said second enabling signal (A 2 ) is transmitted to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of the other of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ).

8. A method for using an electronic device as claimed in claim 2 for operating two loads (B 1 , B 2 ) in a peak and hold mode, comprising the steps of:
connecting a first load (B 1 ) between the second terminal (R 1 b ) of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the second terminal (R 3 b ) of the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ),
operating by means of a first pulse width modulated operating signal (C 1 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of one of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ),
operating by means of a first enabling signal (A 1 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 1 c , R 3 c ) of the other of the upper left-hand switch (R 1 ) and the lower left-hand switch (R 3 ),
connecting a second load (B 2 ) between the second terminal (R 2 b ) of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the second terminal (R 4 b ) of the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ),
operating by means of a second pulse width modulated operating signal (C 2 ) applied to the operating terminal (R 2 c , R 4 c ) of one of the upper right-hand switch (R 2 ) and the lower right-hand switch (R 4 ),
operating by means of a

Assignees

• Continental Automotive France
• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Rocher Jacques
• Avian Philippe

Classifications

• F02D2041/2017

  using means for creating a boost current or using reference switching · CPC title

• H02P31/00

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00 · CPC title

• H02P7/05 Primary

  by means of electronic switching · CPC title

• F02D2041/2024

  the control switching a load after time-on and time-off pulses · CPC title

• F02D2041/2072

  Bridge circuits, i.e. the load being placed in the diagonal of a bridge to be controlled in both directions · CPC title