NORMAL-CONDITION-OFF-TYPE PROTECTION ELEMENT AND CONTROL UNIT HAVING THE NORMAL-CONDITION-OFF-TYPE PROTECTION ELEMENT

• US 20110164340A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uchiya Thermostat Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Uchiya Thermostat Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeda, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/25
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/048 using electrical drives
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/5427 encapsulated in sealed miniaturised housing
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0844 Fail safe control, e.g. by comparing control signal and controlled current, isolating motor on commutation error
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/222 for switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/68 based on the temperature of a drive component or a semiconductor component

Abstract

A first terminal of a protection element of a control unit is connected to a wire between a motor and a switching element, and a second terminal is directly connected to a ground-side wire shared by a controller and the switching element. The protection element has a normal-condition-OFF-type switch including a movable contact and a fixed contact. When an overheating caused by the switching element attains a predetermined temperature or higher, the movable contact and the fixed contact are closed to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal, and an electric current is branched to the protection element side to reduce an electric current flowing into the switching element, and the control unit is shifted to a temperature range safe from the overheating caused by the switching element without stopping a cooling system.

Claims

1. A control unit for controlling driving of a motor that revolves and drives a heat exchanger cooling fan of a cooling system using a cooling medium and a heat exchanger, the control unit including at least a switching element for controlling the driving of the motor, and a controller for transmitting a control signal to the switching element, the control unit comprising:

a normal-condition-OFF-type protection element having a first terminal connected to one of two wires connected respectively to a positive and a negative pole connected to the motor, and a second terminal directly connected to a ground wire without being connected to the other of the wires connected to the positive and the negative poles; and

short-circuit means, arranged inside the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element, for short-circuiting the first terminal and the second terminal when an overheating caused by the switching element attains a predetermined temperature or higher, wherein

the short-circuit means short-circuits the first terminal and the second terminal when the overheating caused by the switching element attains the predetermined temperature or higher, whereby an electric current flowing into the switching element is decreased, and the control unit is shifted to a temperature range safe from the overheating caused by the switching element without stopping the cooling system.

2. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein

the first terminal is connected to a load-side wire of the switching element, and

the second terminal is connected to a ground-side wire of the switching element.

3. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein

the short-circuit means comprises a heat responsive element that inverts a warp direction at a predetermined temperature or higher, and an energization elastic member that separates a movable contact, provided on a free end side, from a fixed contact, fixedly arranged within a housing of a body device of the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element, according to an inversion operation of the heat responsive element,

the first terminal is a terminal linked to the movable contact,

the second terminal is a terminal linked to the fixed contact, and

the heat responsive element exerts force on the movable contact to move it to a position separate from the fixed contact via the energization elastic member by using a warp shape at a normal temperature in a normal temperature range, and the heat responsive element cancels the force on the energization elastic member by inverting the warp shape at an anomalous temperature or higher to make the movable contact touch the fixed contact using elasticity of the energization elastic member.

4. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein:

the short-circuit means comprises

a heat responsive element that inverts a warp direction at a predetermined temperature or higher,

an energization elastic member that engages with both ends of the heat responsive element, warps according to an inversion operation of the heat responsive element, and has one end fixed inside a housing of a body device of the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element in order to be connected to the one wire and the other end provided with the movable contact, and

a fixing member touching approximately a center of a convex part that becomes convex by warping with an inversion of the heat responsive element when the heat responsive element inverts the warp direction at a predetermined temperature or higher; and

the heat responsive element exerts force on the movable contact to move it to a position separate from the fixed contact via the energization elastic member according to a warp shape at the normal temperature in a normal temperature range,

the heat responsive element causes the movable contact to touch the fixed contact by exerting force on the energization elastic member in a direction opposite to a direction force is exerted at the normal temperature by inverting the warp shape at an anomalous temperature or higher, and

the heat responsive element further warps due to the inversion according to an increase in a temperature of the energization elastic member, exerts additional force on the energization elastic member according to the warp by using a point touching the fixed member as a fulcrum point, and exerts additional force for touching the fixed contact by the movable contact with the energization elastic member.

5. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein

the first terminal is connected to a positive pole side of the wires of the positive and the negative poles,

when an overheating caused by an anomaly in an internal element of the control unit occurs, the short-circuit means internally short-circuits the first terminal and the second terminal to activate an overcurrent interrupt element provided externally to the control unit, and stops the cooling system.

6. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein

the first terminal is connected to a positive pole side of the wires of the positive and the negative poles,

the second terminal is connected to the ground wire via an overcurrent interrupt element provided inside the control unit, and

when an overheating caused by an anomaly in an internal element of the control unit occurs, the short-circuit means internally short-circuits the first terminal and the second terminal to activate the overcurrent interrupt element, and stops the cooling system.

7. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein

the switching element comprises an FET (Field Effect Transistor),

the first terminal is a drain terminal, and

the second terminal is a source terminal.

8. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is a control unit to which an electric current of 25 A or higher is sent, and

an internal resistance of the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element when ON is one half or less of an internal resistance of the control unit or the switching element.

14. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 5, wherein

the switching element comprises an FET (Field Effect Transistor),

the first terminal is a drain terminal, and

the second terminal is a source terminal.

15. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 6, wherein

the switching element comprises an FET (Field Effect Transistor),

the first terminal is a drain terminal, and

the second terminal is a source terminal.

16. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 5, wherein

the control unit is a control unit to which an electric current of 25 A or higher is sent, and

an internal resistance of the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element when ON is one half or less of an internal resistance of the control unit or the switching element.

17. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 6, wherein

the control unit is a control unit to which an electric current of 25 A or higher is sent, and

an internal resistance of the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element when ON is one half or less of an internal resistance of the control unit or the switching element.

9. A control unit for controlling driving of a motor that revolves and drives a heat exchanger cooling fan of a cooling system, the control unit including at least a switching element for controlling the driving of the motor, and a controller for transmitting a control signal to the switching element, the control unit comprising:

a protection element having a first terminal connected to one of both contacts that are open under normal conditions, and a wire connecting the motor and the switching element, a second terminal connected to the other of the contacts and a ground-side wire of the switching element and the controller, and a third terminal connected between the second terminal and a ground terminal of the control unit via an overcurrent interrupt element, wherein

when an overheating caused by an anomaly in an internal element occurs, the overheating of the control unit is suppressed by decreasing an electric current flowing into the switching element via short-circuiting between the first terminal and the second terminal, and

if a tolerance value is exceeded by heat produced by the electric current, the protection element interrupts between the second terminal and the third terminal to interrupt the control unit from a power supply, and shifts the control unit to a safe temperature range.

10. The control unit having the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 9, wherein

the first terminal is connected to a positive pole side wire of the controller,

when the overheating caused by the anomaly in the internal element occurs, the protection element short-circuits between the first terminal and the second terminal to decrease an electric current flowing into the controller and the switching element, and suppresses the overheating of the control unit, and

if a tolerance value is exceeded by heat produced by the electric current, the protection element interrupts between the second terminal and the third terminal to interrupt the control unit from the power supply, and shifts the control unit to the safe temperature range.

11. A normal-condition-OFF-type protection element recognizing a control circuit for driving and controlling an external circuit as a circuit to be protected, comprising:

a first terminal, connected to a contact within the element, extending externally to the element in order to be connected to one of two wires connected respectively to a positive and a negative pole of the circuit to be protected;

a second terminal, connected to the other of the contacts within the element, extending externally to the element in order to be connected to the other of the wires of the positive and the negative poles;

a third terminal to be connected to a ground wire externally to the element; and

a temperature fuse, arranged between the second terminal and the third terminal, melting down at a predetermined temperature or higher, wherein

the normal-condition-OFF-type protection element becomes a normal-condition-OFF-type by opening the contacts under normal conditions, and protects the circuit to be protected from being damaged due to overheating via a branch of an electric current of the circuit to be protected between the first contact and the second contact by closing the contacts at an anomalous temperature,

if the anomalous temperature further increases to the predetermined temperature or higher, the temperature fuse melts to interrupt a current path between the first and the second contacts and the third contact, so that electric currents of the circuit to be protected and the external circuit are interrupted.

12. The normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 11, wherein

the temperature fuse is configured by being provided with a minimum cross-sectional area of a terminal member between the second and the third terminals, and by laminating at least two types of metal materials having a composition of making a region including the minimum area into a eutectic alloy in a high temperature range.

13. The normal-condition-OFF-type protection element according to claim 12, wherein

the terminal member of the temperature fuse is made of copper, and

a periphery of the minimum cross-sectional area of the terminal member is configured with a silver pasting material.