Contact signal converter

• US 10,177,565 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Hitoshi, Kanatani, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Comber, Kevin J
• Application Number:
  US15/109,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20160336742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 361 86
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/06 using a magnet , e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0675 Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/064 Circuit arrangements for actuating electromagnets circuit arrangements for obtaining special operating characteristics H01F7/18; driving circuits for electromagnets making use of a switching regulator H01H47/325
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/045 adapted to a particular application and not provided for elsewhere

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to enable use of a solenoid-type electromagnetic valve (120) in a valve driving device (10) that performs wireless communication. A contact signal converter (110) that converts an on-off contact signal to a control signal for operating a solenoid-type electromagnetic valve (120) comprises an explosion protection barrier (115) which restricts the current of the control signal to be no more than a maximum current established for safety regarding solenoid-type electromagnetic valves (120), and a group of batteries (111), the number of which can ensure a voltage at which the voltage supplied via the explosion protection barrier (115) surpasses the operating voltage of the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve (120).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly receive an on-off contact signal;

a contact signal converter configured to, in response to the on-off contact signal, convert the on-off contact signal into a control signal for operating a solenoid-type electromagnetic valve, the contact signal converter comprising;

an explosion protection barrier configured to restrict a current of the control signal to a maximum current or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve; and

a group of batteries, the number of which can ensure a voltage at which a voltage of the control signal supplied via the explosion protection barrier surpasses an operating voltage of the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the group of batteries has the number of batteries by which a maximum open circuit voltage does not surpass the maximum voltage established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the group of batteries has the number of batteries by which a maximum open circuit voltage surpasses the maximum voltage established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve, and

wherein the explosion protection barrier is further configured to restrict a voltage of the control signal to the maximum voltage or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the group of batteries has even batteries, and

wherein when a number of batteries is smaller than the number of the batteries of the group of batteries by one, the maximum open circuit voltage does not surpass the maximum voltage established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the explosion protection barrier is configured to restrict the voltage of the control signal to the maximum voltage or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve by using a Zener diode.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the explosion protection barrier has a sub-switch configured to be ON or OFF in accordance with the on-off contact signal and arranged at a front stage of the Zener diode.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the explosion protection barrier is configured to restrict the voltage of the control signal to the maximum voltage or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve by using a Zener diode.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the explosion protection barrier has a sub-switch configured to be ON or OFF in accordance with the on-off contact signal and arranged at a front stage of the Zener diode.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a battery configured to supply a battery voltage;

a booster circuit configured to boost the battery voltage to a boost voltage such that a voltage to be supplied via the explosion protection barrier surpasses an operating voltage of a solenoid-type electromagnetic valve; and

an explosion protection barrier configured to receive the boost voltage and output a control signal for operating the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve by restricting a current of the control signal to a maximum current established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve and to restrict a voltage of the control signal to a maximum voltage or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly receive an on-off contact signal, wherein the on-off contact signal controls the control signal.

11. A contact signal converter configured to convert an on-off contact signal into a control signal for operating a solenoid-type electromagnetic valve, the contact signal converter comprising:

an explosion protection barrier configured to restrict a current of the control signal to a maximum current or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve; and

a group of batteries, the number of which can ensure a voltage at which a voltage supplied via the explosion protection barrier surpasses an operating voltage of the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve

wherein the group of batteries has an even number of batteries by which a maximum open circuit voltage surpasses the maximum voltage established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve,

wherein when a number of batteries is smaller than the even number of the batteries of the group of batteries by one, the maximum open circuit voltage does not surpass the maximum voltage established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve, and

wherein the explosion protection barrier is further configured to restrict a voltage of the control signal to the maximum voltage or less established for safety regarding the solenoid-type electromagnetic valve.